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Tor and I exchanged a look before I dissolved into giggles. Tor’s lip twitched, flashing a hint of a sharp canine tooth, the Kelpie version of a fit of laughter.
I’d almost forgotten about the impending wedding and Shay’s desperate need to do his duty instead of marrying for love. I supposed that being a ruler of a creed had different expectations regarding mating and love.
The undine placed a lot of importance on Shíorghrá. The bond was often touted as a gift from the gods. I didn’t know if Shay thought Ilaria was his Shíorghrá or if she would just bear his strong children. I suspected it was the latter.
I hadn’t even thought of having children.
I was not even thirty years old. Shay couldn’t be much older. Maybe he was dying, aging like the elders in the village. I supposed that would inspire a sense of urgency.
Sadness pressed down on my chest, stealing my thoughts. Death. Love. And Shay Mac Eoin.
The sooner I could leave the nymph village and move forward, the better. The yawning desperation and sorrow I felt when thinking about Shay was too much to bear.
I had to trust that Shay knew what he was doing.
Rainn sighed heavily, turning to the entrance of the event hall. He looked down, taking a breath to steady himself.
We hadn’t spoken about his relationship to Shay Mac Eoin. I knew they were close. I’d caught them in bed together and hadn’t thought more of it at the time. I expected that sort of behavior from a nymph; they fed on sexual energy. But Rainn must have loved Shay, maybe in a different way than he loved me. Rainn often told me he had seen me for the first time as a child when he was a youngling, too. That he had known I was his Shíorghrá. Rainn had been clear that he hadn’t entered any relationships, except perhaps whatever he had with Shay.
Whatever I felt toward the union had nothing on Rainn’s emotions. I felt like a selfish idiot for not realizing it sooner.
I reached out, placing my hand on his and squeezing. Rainn shot me a small smile but turned his hand to grasp mine. Taking my offer of silent support.
The elder nymph in ornate robes strode in, waving a smoldering bundle of twigs in a deliberate pattern along the path to the altar.
I knew the names of the Gods; most Fae did, even if it was just in stories. The undine worshipped Belisama. The God of the waves, who made the water fae in his image. His tears filled the lakes and the sea of the Aos Sí.
Though the nymphs worshipped Belisama in their own way, it was clear they also held many of the Tuatha Dé Danann in their hearts. A black feather sat on the altar, no doubt to appease the Morrigan. A bowl of smoldering herbs to ward away Balor. A broken stag antler represented Cernunnos, the God of fertility and nature. Lugh, the God of oaths, and finally, a glass of water from the Twilight Lake to signify Belisama—the God of water and waves.
A hush swallowed all conversation as Ilaria strode into the hall. I hadn’t given much thought to the nymph ceremony itself, but it appeared that the bride and groom were to be entirely nude. Ilaria certainly was as she smiled widely to the guests and followed the scented smoke to the altar.
We waited with bated breath as Shay Mac Eoin came into the hall, his braided hair curling around the crown of twigs and feathers he wore on his head. His face was blank, and his body was without clothes. His skin shone as if he was oiled, and I realized that Ilaria had the same glow. No doubt some kind of preparation for the wedding ritual.
So many nymphs in one place increased the room's temperature, and a bead of sweat rolled off my nose. I couldn’t look away as the two nude fae arranged themselves in front of the altar.
Shay faced his bride, and it seemed he had made peace with his decision. Rainn realized the moment I did, and his hand spasmed around mine.
The elderly male with the beaded robes hobbled behind the altar and greeted us with a wide smile. He began to drone on and on about family names and bloodlines going back to the Tuatha Dé Danann, but I ignored it all.
My throne swelled, and unshed tears filled my eyes. Tor nudged me. I gave him a watery smile.
“Weddings.” I shrugged. “They always make me cry.” He didn’t have to know I’d never been to a wedding before.
Tor eyed me curiously before nodding once.
I turned back to the front, frowning as I noticed a petite female Fae at the altar, dragging her finger along the surrounding artifacts. Shorter than the bride and groom, with long platinum hair that looked incredibly familiar, the elderly Fae ignored her as she stepped around him, studying the bride and groom with a discerning eye.
As if sensing my gaze, the woman lifted her eyes and met mine.
She looked exactly like my mother.
White blonde hair, long and unruly, with pearl freckles across her nose and cheeks. Even the unique moon-shaped pearl under her left eye that we had once shared. I reached up, brushing my fingers against the scar on my cheek.
No one else seemed to notice her, but I would know her face anywhere.
She lifted a finger to her lips, making the universal sign for hush, before turning back to the bride and groom. She reached forward, placing her hand over Shay’s chest without touching him.
A protest died in my throat when neither Shay nor Ilaria noticed the slight female dressed in nothing but mist and moonlight between them. My mother pulled her hand back, grabbing the full glass of lake water from the table and drinking the contents before disappearing in a blink.
