“You look stunning, Iris.”
“You really think so?”
Iris spun in front of the mirror, admiring the dark green party dress. It wasn’t as tight as the royal blue dress, since this one was the right size, but it was still tighter than anything she would have chosen for herself. Elera had an eye for fashion, though, and she had somehow found a dress with the perfect blend of modesty and sensuality. The high neckline in the front gave way to a sharp plunge in the back, with strips of fabric crisscrossing Iris’ bare skin and wrapping around to merge with shirring over her stomach, and the skirt ended a couple of inches above her knee.
“Yes, I do, and I know Char will love it, too. I won’t be surprised if his eyes pop out of his head when he sees you.”
Iris clapped her hands over her blushing cheeks. “Don’t say things like that!”
Elera laughed. “There is nothing wrong with looking good for your man, Iris. Now, let’s see, what should we do with your hair?”
“My hair?” Iris ran her fingers through it, bringing a lock of chestnut brown in front of her face and frowning at it. “Why do we need to do anything with my hair?”
“You’re probably right. No need to overdo it. Have you decided about the party yet?”
Iris arranged her hair over one shoulder and shook her head. “No. I… I don’t know. It was fun last time, but…”
“But if it makes you uncomfortable, don’t go.”
“Anybody here?”
Iris jumped at the sound of Char’s voice calling from the hallway. Elera laughed and patted her shoulder.
“I’ll stall for you. Come out when you’re ready.”
Iris stared at herself in the mirror after Elera left, taking deep breaths and trying to steady her nerves. She remembered how Char had looked at her when he’d first seen her in that blue dress. Eyes wide, jaw hanging open—if the party hadn’t been their cover for sneaking her out of the mountain, she would have turned tail and locked herself in his room. She wasn’t used to that kind of attention. Men didn’t look at her that way.
Of course, she’d experienced a lot of firsts with Char. She still couldn’t say she was used to his compliments, but they didn’t fluster her now as much as they had before.
The crystal pulsed in her chest. She fingered the fabric over it, feeling the hum of its magic.
Was it wrong of her to hide it from him?
Another deep breath. Tonight was not about magic. It was about going on another date with Char and having fun together.
She slipped on a pair of green pumps and walked into the hallway with as much confidence as she could muster.
Char and Elera’s voices came to her from the living room. She followed the sounds to the end of the hallway, where they both stood in full view of her. Her eyes went to Elera first, who smiled and nodded at her, and then she looked at Char—and dropped her gaze to the pointed toes of her high heels, cheeks warming. The way his green eyes roamed across her made her uncomfortable.
“You look gorgeous, Iris. Ready to go?”
She peeked up at him, now standing in front of her and with his eyes safely on hers, and she nodded. “Yes, but… not to the party. Not yet, anyway. Maybe later?”
“That’s no problem.” He took her by the hand and backed toward the door, grinning. “It’ll go all night, and I have somewhere I’d like to take you first.”
He suddenly reminded her of a little boy bursting to show someone something. She couldn’t help but catch his excitement.
“Have fun, you two,” Elera told them. “And Iris, don’t be afraid to tell him off if he gets too fresh with you.”
Char groaned. “Mother…”
“I don’t think I’ll have to worry about that,” Iris reassured Elera.
Char smirked. “But don’t wait up.”
The nervous fluttering in Iris’ stomach increased as she followed him outside. The city was dark now, with only lights shining through windows to guide her, but Char had never steered her wrong before. He was walking alongside her now, fingers intertwined with hers, and she didn’t need to know where he was taking her. But his palm was getting sweaty
What was the big secret?
“Where is Rath?” she asked, feeling the need to say something.
“Probably at the party already. I haven’t seen him since earlier this afternoon. You really look amazing, Iris.”
She blushed and looked down at her shoes. “You don’t have to keep saying that.”
“Yes, I do.”
He ducked in and kissed her on the cheek. She side-stepped away from him but didn’t resist when he tugged her back.
“Where are you taking me?”
“You’ll see.”
That was all she could get out of him. They left the wider main streets for smaller side streets, and as they left the more inhabited parts of the city behind, the lights dwindled to almost nothing. She was beginning to worry about tripping over her high heels when Char made her stop.
“Stay here.”
“Okay.”
His hand left hers, and she waited, shifting from foot to foot in the dark. She heard a click, and then dozens of golden lights burst through an open door, swarming her and urging her toward Char and his silly grin.
“I’m going, I’m going,” she said, laughing. “What is this all about, Char? I thought the fairies were…”
She stopped, standing just inside the door, eyes round and widening. The fairies returned to mopping up puddles of water from the floor of a damp, empty cavern—a brand new damp, empty cavern. She could feel the magic humming all around her.
“Char, did you…”
“This will be the living room,” he told her, grabbing her hand and pulling her after him, “and the bedroom will be through that door, and—”
“Wait, Char.” She planted her feet, forcing him to turn around and look at her. “You… did all this?”
He was beaming from ear to ear. “This is what I’ve been working on all week.”
“You…”
“Wait, you haven’t seen the best part.”
She followed his lead again, walking in a daze. “But… you didn’t have to…”
“You’ll love this part. Just wait here.”
He released her hand and went to push a stone door open, and she stared around the room, trying to wrap her head around it all.
“I thought you would just… find us a place, not…”
A gust of cold air hit her. She hugged her arms, looking through the doorway into the dark.
“I couldn’t find a place that had this.”
He put a hand on the small of her back, guiding her outside—really and truly outside. She found herself standing on a stone balcony on the side of the mountain, under a sky full of stars and overlooking the forest far below. A crisp mountain breeze bit her nose and stung her cheeks, but she was too stunned to move.
“I had to go to the city planning committee to find the right location,” Char said, talking fast in his excitement. “Precision carving is a lot harder than digging out a big empty space, but Rath has been coming by every day to help when Kelnor’s done with him. I had to go to the magic school to figure out the plumbing, and—”
“You… I thought you were…”
“Working? Yeah, I know.” He brushed her windswept hair behind her ear and pulled her close. “Hey, you’re shivering. Let’s go inside. I have another surprise for you.”
“Another one? Char…”
She hugged her goose-pimpled skin when they got back inside, hopping from foot to foot while he rolled the door closed, but her heart was overflowing with warmth. He turned back to her and pulled her into an embrace and a kiss, which she returned without hesitation.
“I’ll get a regular door set up so you can go outside whenever you want. This is taking a lot more work than I expected, but I want to get it right for you. We may have to stay at Mother’s for a little while, though.”
She shook her head, tears pricking at her eyes. “I don’t mind. I just… I didn’t expect this!”
“Good.” Char gave her a peck on the lips. “And now…”
He released her and stepped back, and then he went down on one knee. She put a hand to her mouth, blinking back tears.
“Char, you already…”
“I didn’t do it right.” He took a deep breath. “Iris, may I have your hand in marriage?”
She nodded and held out her left hand. He slipped a ring onto her finger, and she felt magic in the cool metal, synchronizing with the crystal’s pulse and tightening it to make a perfect fit.
“Now,” he kissed her finger and stood again, “we’re ready to get married.”
“Oh, you—”
His kiss was passionate and urgent, and she returned it with as much fervor, unwilling to bother uttering another word or even taking a breath before she was kissing him again. Their lips met and parted time after time, their tongues dancing together as they clung to each other, and Iris never wanted to stop. She pushed on the back of his neck and stood on tiptoe, and he slid one hand under the straps crisscrossing her back while he tangled his other hand in her hair, and she wasn’t shivering anymore. She wasn’t even thinking. There was no reason to think, no reason to speak. Actions spoke much better than words ever could. This was the man she loved, the man who loved her, and she wanted him to know she was his. All his. Every part of her, for all eternity.
“Iris…”
“Don’t stop…”
Her back hit the damp wall, and he was still kissing her. He held her wrists on either side of her head, and his lips were traveling down her neck, and she tilted her head back and sighed her pleasure. There was nothing in the world but his warmth and his touch. He layered kiss after kiss on her skin, and then his arms were around her waist again, and hers were around his neck, and his lips were drawing a soft moan from her throat.
How did he always know how to make her feel so good?
“Hey Iris…”
“Yes?”
His sighed breath was fire against her skin.
“We’d better go to that party before we…”
She dug her fingers into his shirt. “Mm hm…”
“Iris.” Green eyes dark with desire hovered in front of her, close enough to devour her whole. She wondered how that would feel. “You’re not making this easy for me.”
She stared at him, unable to look away. “Just kiss me.”
His lips were on hers again, and he tasted so good. Every angle felt right. Every touch was perfect.
“Hey, Iris.”
“Hm?”
“Why are you crying?”
Was she? He pulled back and brushed his fingers across her cheek, and she felt the dampness, tasted the salt on her lips.
She shook her head. “I can’t help it. I love you, Char. I just love you so much.”
He grinned and pressed his forehead to hers, pressed her back against the wall. “I love you too, Iris. But we'd better go so I can show you off at that party.”
She laughed. “Char…”
“What? You’re the prettiest girl in this mountain. Besides, if we stay here any longer…” He gave her a light kiss and nipped at her lower lip. “Father Berk will throw a fit.”
He tried to pull away. She yanked him back.
“Char, I…”
She stopped, her heart hammering in her chest in time with the crystal. The magic thrummed through her being and echoed through the walls. She felt it in the ring encircling her finger, and she saw it leaving glittering trails of gold behind the fairies as they flitted to and fro, and she knew she couldn’t keep it a secret. He needed to know—deserved to know—before it was too late. Because he wouldn’t leave her after they got married. He wouldn’t leave her now, either. But he needed to know.
His eyes widened and dropped to her chest. “Iris? What…”
“Char.”
She took a deep breath, feeling the rush of magic zinging through her veins. It sang out with certainty as uncertainty glimmered in his eyes. It shone brighter than the fairies as his passion dimmed. He had to know. She saw the doubt and confusion in his very being, but he had to know. Come what may.
“There’s something I have to tell you."9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOmC2ddDsVg
