normal realm the moment we get back. In fact, my presence here is probably holding up Drorik’s nuptials. That is going to be a great thing to come home to.”
Hayley ran her hands through her hair. “How are you going to explain me? I know that the fey are out in the public eye, but shifters aren’t. What if I screw up?”
Dira smirked. “That is why we insisted on the first matches having an animal form themselves. It will simply seem that he has found a half-breed fey with the same power as him. There will also be small physical changes after the balance ceremony. Your ears will probably point a little and you may get taller.”
Hayley blinked. “Right. Um. Okay.”
“And your relationship to your beast may change. That part is less certain.”
“I am not really on speaking terms with them now, though the bat does like Tovin.”
Tovin squeezed her hand. “I like her, too.”
Dira chuckled, and Mak put his arm around her shoulders. “At least Hayley’s beasts can’t eat you in one bite, Tovin.”
Tovin looked from Dira to Mak, and he chuckled. “I am happy to leave those issues to a man more suited for it.”
Hayley raised her eyebrows at the other woman. “I am lost.”
“I am a dragon, and Mak is a unicorn. He had no chance.” Dira smiled and pressed a kiss to her mate’s cheek.
Mak grinned. “I wasn’t exactly pure of heart myself, and she took some convincing. She was very set in her ways.”
Dira chuckled. “And very cranky. It comes with being a dragon.”
Hayley looked at Tovin, and he raised her hand to his lips.
“I consider myself very lucky.” His pretty eyes twinkled.
She sighed and shifted restlessly. “Yes, you are.”
How he managed to eat and laugh through breakfast was a mystery she wasn’t going to solve.
When Hayley was standing on her part of the balance podium, she felt truly beautiful for the first time in her life. It had nothing to do with the wonderfully wrapped straps of silk that made up her gown; it had everything to do with Tovin sacrificing half of his future for her.
The silk fluttered in the breeze of the Crossroads as the mage began her work.
Hayley felt the magic leave her, and she saw it cross to the centre of the balance stage. Tovin’s magic did the same, and soon, the power was swirling together, and with a whispered command, the energy returned to them.
When Hayley was a teen, she had used a rope swing to drop herself in the centre of an icy mountain river. This moment reminded her of that one.
The magic poured into her, hot and cold, bright and dark. She gained the knowledge of flight, of simple domestic charms and repairing her own clothing. There was a hint of warding and binding magic, but that was buried deeper.
Her beasts rushed upward, they had enough power to carry themselves upward now, and she gasped when her hawk fought its way out of her skin. She looked over her shoulder, and the wings were definitely large and in charge.
She tentatively extended them while she checked her ears. Yup. Pointy.
Hayley walked to the centre where Tovin met her. They kissed, and when she pulled her lips from his, she buried her face against his chest. “Well, I did get taller, but what am I going to do about those?”
He stroked his hands around her waist and ran his fingers over her wings. “You will control them. It is a lovely reminder of what you are and how much power you have.”
Dira came forward and raised her brows. “Lovely wings. Now that you are linked, it is time for you two to contain what rises inside Hayley. Have a lovely time, and I will notify your parents that you have found a mate.”
Tovin raised his hand. “How will you know when we are ready to leave?”
Dira grinned. “I will know.”
A ball of light swallowed them, and Hayley clung to Tovin as they flew through the air.
They were set down on a deck, set in a mountainside, near a polished wood home that had the air of a health spa.
Hayley walked to the edge of
Hayley ran her hands through her hair. “How are you going to explain me? I know that the fey are out in the public eye, but shifters aren’t. What if I screw up?”
Dira smirked. “That is why we insisted on the first matches having an animal form themselves. It will simply seem that he has found a half-breed fey with the same power as him. There will also be small physical changes after the balance ceremony. Your ears will probably point a little and you may get taller.”
Hayley blinked. “Right. Um. Okay.”
“And your relationship to your beast may change. That part is less certain.”
“I am not really on speaking terms with them now, though the bat does like Tovin.”
Tovin squeezed her hand. “I like her, too.”
Dira chuckled, and Mak put his arm around her shoulders. “At least Hayley’s beasts can’t eat you in one bite, Tovin.”
Tovin looked from Dira to Mak, and he chuckled. “I am happy to leave those issues to a man more suited for it.”
Hayley raised her eyebrows at the other woman. “I am lost.”
“I am a dragon, and Mak is a unicorn. He had no chance.” Dira smiled and pressed a kiss to her mate’s cheek.
Mak grinned. “I wasn’t exactly pure of heart myself, and she took some convincing. She was very set in her ways.”
Dira chuckled. “And very cranky. It comes with being a dragon.”
Hayley looked at Tovin, and he raised her hand to his lips.
“I consider myself very lucky.” His pretty eyes twinkled.
She sighed and shifted restlessly. “Yes, you are.”
How he managed to eat and laugh through breakfast was a mystery she wasn’t going to solve.
When Hayley was standing on her part of the balance podium, she felt truly beautiful for the first time in her life. It had nothing to do with the wonderfully wrapped straps of silk that made up her gown; it had everything to do with Tovin sacrificing half of his future for her.
The silk fluttered in the breeze of the Crossroads as the mage began her work.
Hayley felt the magic leave her, and she saw it cross to the centre of the balance stage. Tovin’s magic did the same, and soon, the power was swirling together, and with a whispered command, the energy returned to them.
When Hayley was a teen, she had used a rope swing to drop herself in the centre of an icy mountain river. This moment reminded her of that one.
The magic poured into her, hot and cold, bright and dark. She gained the knowledge of flight, of simple domestic charms and repairing her own clothing. There was a hint of warding and binding magic, but that was buried deeper.
Her beasts rushed upward, they had enough power to carry themselves upward now, and she gasped when her hawk fought its way out of her skin. She looked over her shoulder, and the wings were definitely large and in charge.
She tentatively extended them while she checked her ears. Yup. Pointy.
Hayley walked to the centre where Tovin met her. They kissed, and when she pulled her lips from his, she buried her face against his chest. “Well, I did get taller, but what am I going to do about those?”
He stroked his hands around her waist and ran his fingers over her wings. “You will control them. It is a lovely reminder of what you are and how much power you have.”
Dira came forward and raised her brows. “Lovely wings. Now that you are linked, it is time for you two to contain what rises inside Hayley. Have a lovely time, and I will notify your parents that you have found a mate.”
Tovin raised his hand. “How will you know when we are ready to leave?”
Dira grinned. “I will know.”
A ball of light swallowed them, and Hayley clung to Tovin as they flew through the air.
They were set down on a deck, set in a mountainside, near a polished wood home that had the air of a health spa.
Hayley walked to the edge of
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