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She placed the second crown on top of her head and concentrated her magic between her fingers, willing the gathered twigs to weave together to form another crown. This one rested in her hand, no bigger than her palm.
Joel laughed. “You underestimated Eva’s head size.”
“Oh, this isn’t for Eva.” Her heart flipped within her chest, and she attempted to hold back a knowing laugh.
“Then you grossly underestimated for Maisy.”
A soft smile pulled up on her lips. Shocked silence filled the greenhouse as she placed the crown of branches over her belly. And when she glanced up at Joel, his eyes shimmered with understanding. He looked from her stomach, to her, and back to her stomach.
“Mine?” he whispered huskily.
“Of course, yours,” she answered, followed by a gentle pinch to his side. They both chuckled, but the emotion in Joel’s eyes only thickened. He placed his hands on her belly and gazed lovingly at what he couldn’t yet see. Tender love already shone in his eyes.
“I never imagined…” He cleared his throat. Twice. “I never thought I could be so lucky. To end up with you. Like this.” He ran a hand over his chin. “Our child.”
The warmth of his hands seeped into her fingers as she placed her hands over his and echoed, “Our child.”
“I swear I will be a good father. I swear it.”
Warmth burned bright within her at his declaration. She cradled his cheek. “You already are, Joel. The best father.”
The smile on his face grew wide. “How many did you say you wanted? Five? Six?”
She snorted at his eagerness to grow their family. The same eagerness lifted her spirit to new heights. A promise of a bright, happy future filled with love and laughter. “You may change your mind after many sleepless nights of wailing babies.”
“Never.” He pressed a lingering kiss to her lips, the sweet taste of music on his breath. Her head spun with the happiness of him holding her in his arms. When she braced against him to steady herself, he rested his forehead against hers. “As long as you are by my side, nothing could make me happier.”
Epilogue
Nyana knew she shouldn’t be nervous. But she was. Immensely nervous. A lot had happened since she’d last seen Joel’s family. What did they think of her? Or her situation?
Her thoughts drifted back to Ethan and Cole, now serving a long sentence in the Heulwen jail, much to Skaja’s dismay. They’d thought Nyana responsible for Liam’s actions. Would Joel’s family think the same?
The carriage wheels rumbled in tune with her bouncing knee. A clamminess took hold of her wringing hands. Even her beating heart pounded like the hooves of the horses carrying soldiers Calle had insisted escort them to Ebriel—he refused to take any chances not only with his daughter but with his family.
Although she didn’t like it, she allowed it. Calle was a part of this family, too, and deserved to have a say in Maisy’s life.
Joel placed a hand on her bouncing knee and squeezed, pulling her attention away from the wintry landscape passing by through the window. Maisy’s head rested in his lap as she slept while Eva curled up on the opposite side of the carriage, covered in a pile of blankets.
“Nana won’t bite,” Joel reassured. “I promise. Though I can’t guarantee one of my siblings won’t.”
This time, his humor did little to calm her nerves. “But what must she think of me? I can count on one hand how many people have a favorable opinion of me.”
All right, so that was an exaggeration. It was probably two hands at most.
“Based on rumors and speculation only.” Again, he squeezed her knee. “But those who know the truth adore you. Just think of Killian and Lyyli. She invited you to Skaad come springtime.”
She nodded and released a trembling breath before turning her attention to the window. The trip to Ebriel should have been shorter, but between her nausea, the childrens’ bathroom trips, and the carriage getting stuck in the snow twice, time had stretched longer. After two days of passing through sparse villages and farmland blanketed in a layer of snow, a new city began to take shape. First, cottages on large plots of land filled with sheep, cattle, and more passed by. Little by little, houses grew taller, closer together, and suddenly became a sprawling city. It wasn’t as large as Heulwen, but it inspired awe just the same.
On one side of Ebriel lay a dense forest. A wide river cut straight through the heart of the city, a large cobblestone bridge stretching over the water. Their carriage hit a bump as it rolled over the bridge, waking the children.
Maisy and Eva scrambled to each window, watching houses, businesses, and carts pass by.
Joel explained the workings of the city. “Whereas Heulwen is occupied by mostly Sun Fae, Ebriel has a good mix of fae and humans. Not many Forest Fae live here, but they do come from the forests to trade.” He then pointed to the river, now growing smaller behind them. “Plenty of freshwater mermaids and mermen call Ebriel home. Many of their homes reside closest to the river and further upstream to the lake.”
“Mermaids?” Maisy gasped, eyes wide with excitement. “I wish I could turn into a mermaid. They are so lucky.”
Some of Nyana’s nerves evaporated as she and Joel shared an amused look.
