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“No more than you.”
Finni chuckled. Her bright gaze sought mine. “Have you seen anything you like?”
“They’re all beautiful.”
She walked over to me and directed me to one of the cases. “Rings galore here. Some date back thousands of centuries, though a few are relatively new.”
Relatively could mean longer ago than the formation of our country.
“They’re all pretty,” I said. “What do you like, Tylik?”
His hand dropped onto my shoulder, and he squeezed. He leaned close and pointed. “What about that one?”
It was one of the least gaudy rings on display. My sigh of relief bled out.
Finni opened the top of the case and lifted out the ring, handing it to me.
Made of a simple design, the gold band had been etched with swirls that looked like lettering. Elvish? A solitary clear stone dominated the center, somewhat recessed into the ring rather than rising above it. Smaller blue stones flanked it, two on each side, and they sparkled as if they could generate their own light. The color reminded me of Tylik’s eyes. Sapphires?
“Gargoyle made, of course,” Finni said with a pert nod. “We wouldn’t buy anything less.”
Goreg had shared some of his culture with me and Seyla. In the monster world, gargoyles mined and cut most of the stones used to make jewelry, and humans had already caught on to their beauty and value. They drew a very high price, and I couldn’t believe I was holding something they’d made.
“I love it,” I said, shooting Tylik a smile. I also hoped it wasn’t worth a fortune, though I suspected it would take a year’s worth of my salary to afford even one item in this room.
“Then it’s yours,” he said. He took it from me and lifted my left hand.
“What if it doesn’t fit?”
“Oh, it will.”
“You don’t know my size,” I teased.
“It’s magic.”
He slid it onto my finger, and I swore it wiggled, sliding across my skin as if assessing not just the width of my finger but me as well.
Shivers shot through me, and I sucked in a breath when it tightened to the point it wouldn’t fall off, but not too snug for comfort.
“Itismagic,” I breathed, admiring it on my finger.
“The magic comes from you, Kate, not the world around you,” he said.
Chapter27
Tylik
After adorning Kate with family jewels, we went downstairs to wait for our guests. My sister, Isirell, popped into the room in the usual way, using magic.
“Isirell,” my aunt warned, her worried gaze flicking to the elf guards standing on the opposite side of the foyer. “You must not use that form of magic here.”
“Magicking to the border and stepping through the veil, then using a carriage would take forever,” Isirell said. “No one will notice a flick of my finger.” Her gaze caught mine and, as always, hers was filled with mischief. “Tylik!” She rushed over and hugged me, standing back while bracing my arms to look me over. “You’re happy.”
I grinned and nudged my head to my fiancée. “This is Kate. Kate? My sister, Isirell.” Hopefully the soon-to-be duchess.
“It’s wonderful to meet you.” Isirell gave Kate a brief hug, then studied her as intently as she did me. “Thank you for putting a smile on my stoic brother’s face.”
“I adore your brother,” Kate said, warming my heart with her words.
