The curse was broken.
The Order was complete.
And I still had work to do.
But in all reality? I didn’t mind. Already, the researcher inside of me was ready to dive back into the archives and figure out who the Alewives were. I laughed at myself, shaking my head.
First, it seemed I had a wedding to plan.
EPILOGUE
AGNES
Graham gave me one week.
One week to arrange an entire wedding.
I was tempted to almost drown him all over again, except I couldn’t blame him. He said he’d waited too long and refused to wait a second longer. Willow had worked overtime on my dress.
“Just hold still. Damn it, Agnes.” Willow breathed through a mouthful of pins. How she could swear around those was a talent in its own right.
“It’s hard for me to stand still,” I complained. “Why can’t we just do something simple?”
“Listen, if you had any idea what I’d really like to do for you, you’d have a meltdown on the spot. This is simple.” Willow tucked a few more pins in the cloth and then stoodback to survey her work. “And you know what? Simple is the right choice for you. Too much fluff would take away from your beauty.”
“Och, don’t say?—”
“Agnes. Look at yourself.”
I turned to look in the mirror and my words fell away. She’d gone for a softly curved neckline that dropped to my shoulders, with delicate lace sleeves. The gown nipped in at the waist, and then flowed softly to my feet, in the slightest hint of a poofy princess skirt, without going full princess. It was elegant and ethereal, and made me feel like a delicate forest elf or something of that nature.
“You’ve made me look like a heroine in one of my books,” I breathed.
“I know.” Willow squealed and clapped her hands. “And look.”
She walked across the room and came back with a delicate vined circlet that glittered with tiny crystals. Reaching up, she tucked it in my curls.
“Oh,” I breathed.
“I know, right? It’s just perfect. And no veil, I’m thinking. Just like this. Look.” Willow fluffed the skirt out so the material trailed behind me. “This will flow nicely behind you and you’ll look like this delicate mystical princess when you walk down the aisle.”
“I can’t believe this is happening. Today.” My stomach turned in knots.
I’d given up complete control of the wedding to Graham.
It might be insane, but I had no energy left to make anymore decisions. Frankly, it didn’t much matter to me. I was just so happy to not live in fear of his potential demise that I didn’t care what kind of party he wanted.
My only request was that there had to be some sort of bookish element to the day.
It still made me laugh to think about the look of panic that had crossed his face at that.
Nevertheless, I’d insisted.
“Right, let’s get the dress off you, princess,” Willow ordered. “I need to finish this up and you need to get into hair and makeup.”
“I mean … I don’t really need much, do I?” I bit my lower lip, worrying about what the hair and makeup team would do.
“Just enough for the pictures,” Willow said, already tugging the zipper down my back. “Go on, go on. I have to work and get myself ready.”
