He reaches into the trunk and starts rummaging around. When I ask what he’s doing, he doesn’t answer. After a few moments, there’s a small golden band pinched between his fingers. “Rings like this?”
“Exactly like that.”
“What happens next?”
“Your family and friends come from all around to attend.” I’d love for Theo and my father to meet Ever. Maybe someday they will.
His jaw drops. “Theywatchyou mate?”
“No! Heavens, no. They come to celebrate with you during the wedding ceremony. The…matingtakes place in private afterward.”
He turns the ring over in his hand, as if studying the way the firelight flickers on the gold. “Tell me more of this ceremony.”
“Well, the bride usually wears white. And then you vow to love and cherish each other forever.”
His lips flatten. “You are wearing white.”
My stomach flutters as I glance down at my shift. “I am.”
With a nod, Ever pushes to his feet and reaches for my hand, helping me to mine. Still holding onto me, he slips the ring onto my middle finger. I don’t bother telling him that he has the wrong finger and the wrong hand because everything about this moment feels too perfect.
The quiet rumble of his deep voice washes over me, drawing tears to my eyes. “From this day forward, every beat of my heart belongs to you, Kerris Dawn.”
I’m not yet twenty-five. We have no license and no witnesses, but none of that feels important as I stare into Ever’s eyes. This is what a marriage should be: Two people who love each other coming together, vowing to honor and cherish each other until their dying day.
I straighten my spine and tell him all the promises in my heart. “I love you Everett—”Wait. “Whatisyour last name?”
A smile. “Gathin.”
Everett Gathin.
KerrisGathin.
“I love you Everett Gathin, and I vow to never love another. From this day forward, you are my one and only.”
Our kiss seals the vows spoken in the cool morning air, and when his hands find the small of my spine, urging my body closer to his, something occurs to me.
“We might have to visit the river again sooner than I hoped,” I murmur against his hungry mouth.
Ever’s smile curves against mine, followed by a nip of his teeth. “I am afraid that we shall become like the fishes who never leave.”
44
“Unseelie hands are made for death and destruction.”
Unseelie Fae: A Scientific Study
Pressure on my bladder rouses me from a dreamless sleep. It isn’t until I open my eyes that I remember where I am—and whose massive arm is draped across my stomach. Ever clings to me, his head resting over my heart, holding me so tightly, my lungs can barely expand. I never want to leave this spot but doubt he would appreciate me relieving myself in his bed. It takes all my strength, but I manage to lift his arm and slip from beneath him. His face crushes up, so fierce, even in sleep.
With my shift nowhere to be found, I throw on my dress to hide my nakedness.
The fog outside is thick enough to stir with a spoon, the tiny droplets of water soaking into the silk gown, gluing the skirt to my thighs as I descend the stairs. No birds chirp in the trees. No squirrels dart or tarry. The only sound is that of the quiet trickle of water in the river beyond Ever’s wagon.
Not trusting myself to find my way back in this fog, I keep close to our camp, stepping behind a boulder to take care of my business. Perhaps we can fashion some sort of privy for ourselves nearby or purchase a chamber pot from the city.
Primitive, I know, but anything is better than the indignity of having to squat.
By the time I’ve finished, water droplets roll down my chest. The hair escaping my braid tightens into springy curls.