The Ice Twins: Royal Conquest Saga, #6 563ts

Contents

Title Page

Copyright

Dedication

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Eighteen

Epilogue

THE FOREVER PRINCESS EXCERPT

Bloopers

Author's Note

Next Up: The Forever Princess

Nikki News!

Bibliography

No part of this book may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, or stored in a database retrieval system, without the prior written permission of the author. Thank you for respecting the rights of the author.

This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance of characters to actual persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

Copyright © 2020 Nikki Jefford

Cover design by Najla Qamber

All rights reserved.

For the Jefford cousins, and Sean.

I love you all so much!

CHAPTER ONE

Reed

Rain pattered over the rooftop while I tossed and turned, throwing in an occasional grumble. My twin slept soundly on the opposite side of our shared bedroom.

Ronin could sleep through a thunderstorm or a train wreck . . . or a train wreck in the middle of a thunderstorm.

So annoying.

If anyone ever tried to murder him in his sleep, he’d be lucky to have me nearby to freeze the last breath from their lungs before they ever got within an inch of his lazy ass. Not that assassins were interested in a couple of young halfling princes.

I rolled onto my back and stared through the murky darkness at the ceiling.

Restless. Always restless. I’d tried everything to curb my unrest: swordplay, jousting, archery, horseback riding, and sports in the mortal realm. Mom encouraged Ronin and me in our weapons and elemental magic training. Our birth father, Ryo, had convinced us to run marathons with him. My father Lyklor gave me a guitar, but I’d gotten fed up with how long it took to learn. I’d ed the guitar on to Ronin, who had way more patience than I did and had managed to get pretty far on the thing. Lyklor bought me a drum set next, which had been a better fit, though my interest had waned there too.

I needed to get laid. No. Been there, done that, and gotten bored.

I needed a girlfriend. Yep. Hard to believe I was ready for a relationship, but there it was. I was tired of dicking around and living at home. Tired of being treated like a child when I was in my twenty-first year.

I tossed my covers aside, got out of bed, and stretched my arms high above my head with a yawn.

With heavy steps, I tramped from the hall to the kitchen, where my dads sat at the table engaged in debate over a tournament Lark wanted to hold in Dahlquist. Steam rose from their coffee mugs.

“It’s too public,” Lyklor said. “He should stick to throwing balls at the castle.”

“Lark can look out for himself. Besides, the citizens have accepted him—unlike you.” Ryo smirked.

Lyklor grunted. He lifted his mug, took a sip, and winced. “Pit! I just burned my tongue.”

“Here. Let me help,” I said.

Lyklor’s eyes widened. “Reed. That’s okay. I can wait.”

In my hurry to assist, I intensified my efforts and accidently froze Lyklor’s coffee solid. The jolt of power left tingles on the tips of my fingers. Lyklor sighed and turned his mug over. The frozen beverage didn’t budge. Not so much as a drop fell onto the newspaper.

“Sorry ’bout that,” I said as Lyklor took his mug to the kitchen sink.

When I looked at Ryo, he quickly put his hand over his mug, as though that could stop my magic if I really wanted to use it.

“Mine’s fine,” he hastened to say.

“Cool.”

“Yep, perfect temp. No cooling needed.” His forced smile came out as a grimace.

“Well, I’ll just jump in the shower before Melody wakes up,” I muttered.

The door to the bathroom, however, was locked. Maybe Ronin had dragged his ass out of bed. I pounded on the wood.

“Dude,” I called out.

“Go away!” my twelve-year-old sister yelled back.

Oh, crap bag of pits. She was going to be in there for hours.

“I need to take a leak.”

“Use Mom’s bathroom.”

Like hell. Mom’s bathroom was in her bedroom, and she might be changing.

“You use Mom’s bathroom.”

“I’m already in my bathroom.”

“Our bathroom,” I countered.

“Can’t you just freeze your pee inside your bladder or something?”

“Seriously?” I slapped a hand to my forehead.

Melody huffed out a sigh of exasperation. “Fine. I’ll be out in like five.”

“Hours?”

“Ha ha. Go away, Elsa.”

I gritted my teeth. Melody was obsessed with all things Disney, including Frozen. Her closest friends were all humans. Her favorite phrase had become, “That’s not how they do things on Earth.”

Ronin was still dozing away when I returned to our bedroom. He slept on his side, facing the wall with the blankets tucked up to his chin.

I tugged open a dresser drawer and selected a pair of black jeans, donning them in place of my cotton sleep pants. Next, I pulled a hoodie over my head. Still having to pee, I slammed the drawer in frustration.

Ronin gave a slight jolt. He turned to face me and blinked. “What’s up?” he asked.

“Rain stopped,” I answered. “Puddles.”

“Puddles,” my twin repeated with a grin.

“Meet me outside,” I said. With Melody still occupying the bathroom, I’d be making my own puddle first thing.

Mom had ed my dads at the dining table. Her red hair was gathered into a messy bun pulled high atop her head, and she wore a long-sleeved flannel pajama top over black leggings. She smiled at me as I walked by. “Hey, bud. You hungry?”

“Not really.”

“All right. Peridot will be over to prepare breakfast soon if you change your mind.”

“Okay. Thanks.”

My dads pulled their coffee mugs toward them. Right. Like I’d make the same mistake twice.

I shoved my feet into my high-top sneakers, not bothering to lace them on my way out the door. Fresh morning air filled my lungs when I stepped outside. Pinemist always had such a clean, invigorating atmosphere. It’s where I felt most at home.

After taking in another deep lungful, I made my way to the open field behind our cottage and relieved myself, then stared over the green expanse with its

bluebells, primroses, and myriad of spring wildflowers blossoming from the sodden earth.

“Come on,” Ronin said.

I turned and smiled at my twin in his denim jacket. That was the good thing about Ronin. Once up, he was raring to go. Must be all that damned undisturbed sleep he got.

We headed away from the field toward the main roads. As I walked closer to Ronin, I wrinkled my nose. “Why do you smell like cherry blossoms and vanilla?”

Ronin groaned. “I went into the bathroom right after Melody. She must have emptied half a bottle of perfume in there. Dude, we need our own place.”

“That’s what I’ve been saying.”

“Well, you’re right.”

“Of course I’m right.”

Ronin slipped his hands into his pockets. He walked with a slouch opposite me up the lane. “What are we thinking? A cottage closer to town? A condo in California? A townhouse in Dahlquist? All three?”

I snorted. “Sure, why don’t you ask our parents to fund all that for us?”

Ronin shrugged.

I stopped in front of a deep puddle in the road and flexed my fingers. Ice spread across the surface. I concentrated downward, freezing the water to the ground, going deeper into the soil below. Once satisfied, I stepped onto the frozen surface. It held firm without so much as a crack when I walked across in my sneakers.

Ronin worked his magic on the next puddle. I ran ahead of him toward a huge pothole filled with water ahead. My arms stretched. I froze the liquid solid right in time to slide across with a loud “Whoop!”

Ronin glided across after me, laughing the whole time. “Hey, do you think we could freeze an entire lake?” he asked.

“Won’t know until we try,” I offered with a shrug.

We looked at one another and grinned. If Ronin’s face was any indication, I had a wicked grin lifting up my cheeks.

We set off at a jog for Sterling Pond.

The pond lay to the southwest of Pinemist, near our cousins’ cottage. As luck would have it, cousin Alok was there with our niece and nephew. Amelia threw rocks into the pond while little Titus sat on the ground making mud pies.

Alok skipped a stone across, grinning triumphantly after it skimmed the surface eight times before sinking.

“How did you do that, Papa?” Amelia demanded.

I didn’t find it particularly impressive, not compared to elemental magic or cousin Fraya’s skill with a bow and arrow. But Alok was an awesome father, especially considering he’d saved Fraya and Amelia from an elvish douche in Goldendale. We weren’t supposed to talk about that, but I found it irable. My dingleberry of an older brother still thought Alok was Fae trash. Maybe if he left his golden palace once in a while, he’d see how tirelessly Alok worked to make his family happy.

Before Alok could answer, Amelia noticed me. Her eyes lit up as she screeched, “Uncle Wonin!”

I folded my arms. “Reed,” I corrected. We weren’t technically her uncles, but since Fraya didn’t have any siblings, we’d agreed to be surrogate uncles.

“Can you skip a stone more times than my daddy, Uncle Wonin?”

Hopefully, she didn’t take after her birth father. Apparently, he was a mega

imbecile. I kept my thoughts to myself.

“I don’t know. Let’s see, shall we?” Ronin asked, strutting over to the edge of the lake. “Find me a real smooth one, will you?”

“Show us how it’s done, Wonin,” I said.

Ronin stuck his tongue out at me, causing Amelia to laugh. While she went around gathering stones, I stared long and hard at the pond. Wouldn’t that be a neat trick if I froze Ronin’s stone over the surface as it skipped?

Answer: Hella cool!

“Hey, what are you doing?” Amelia asked.

A male in a brown rain poncho and wide-brimmed hat stood at a post, staring at a glass tube filled with rainwater. Balls. Not just any male. Ren Norric, Zelie’s lame-ass boyfriend. His upper lip curled when he looked down at Amelia.

“Ren’s measuring the rainfall,” Alok said.

“Why?” Amelia wrinkled her nose.

I chuckled. “Good question.”

Ren glared at me before looking down at Amelia. He stuck out his chest. “Forecasting is based on a set of complex mathematical equations. Variables are determined through the amount of precipitation and intensity.”

Amelia continued staring at him.

Alok cleared his throat. “It’s pretty neat that Ren can predict what the weather is going to do, isn’t it, Amelia?”

“Is it going to rain again?” Amelia asked Ren.

Ren set the rain gauge back in its holder and sighed. “The temperatures are warming up and will continue to do so, with the clouds clearing around midday.”

“Nah,” I said. “I think it’s about to get cooler.”

“Yeah, I feel a cold front coming on,” Ronin added.

We grinned at one another before facing the pond. A chilly, invigorating breath filled my lungs. Beside me, Ronin’s breath fogged the air. From the shoreline, ice formed and spread slowly across the pond’s surface.

Amelia clapped her hands.

“You shouldn’t mess with the weather,” Ren scolded, which directly translated in my brain to: I should absolutely mess with the weather.

The still water of Sterling Pond took on a smooth, glossy sheen. Amelia shrieked in excitement and raced toward the lake.

“Amelia!” Alok screamed.

The cold energy flowing out of me rushed back inside of my lungs as my niece stepped onto the lake and broke through thin ice.

CHAPTER TWO

Zelie

Hanging branches and leaves descended from the ceiling of Daisywhirl Hall. Papier-mâché trees surrounded the room with lanterns ready to be lit up the night of the Enchanted Forest Ball. I twisted ivy around a rope swing while my helper, Aimer, held the ladder steady.

Sweetberries and cream!

It was all happening. The faculty at Meadowbrook Elementary had raised the funds necessary for a full-time arts and crafts teacher. Principal Lemonwick had all but promised the position to me. Who better to encourage children in their artistic endeavors than the head of my graduating class’s reunion ball? Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed my fourth-year students, but if I could spend my days encouraging all the young elves at Meadowbrook to create art, it would be a dream come true.

As far as the cream on top, my boyfriend, Ren Norric, wanted to come over to my cottage at the end of the day to discuss a “matter of importance.”

Eeeeeee!

After two years together, he was finally going to ask me to become his forever mate. It was so like Ren to be obvious about it. He was a forecaster, after all. He felt that everyone, like him, wanted to know what was going to happen before it occurred.

All the females in our class had crushed on him at one point or another. He had the whole moody, mysterious vibe going, along with a sculpted mass of muscled perfection. Every inch of him was gorgeous. (Take it from me.) He could have dated around—a lot—but he’d been single-minded in his study of forecasting throughout our school years. Now he was the best weather prognosticator Pinemist had ever known, maybe the greatest in all the realm. And he was mine. Turned out being single while the rest of my classmates started families early on wasn’t the worst thing. By the time Ren was ready for a relationship, the competition had dwindled.

I stepped down a rung on the ladder and twisted another section of ivy around the rope, making it appear as a vine in a jungle.

Mrs. Zelie Norric, head of Meadowbrook Elementary’s new arts and crafts program, proud wife, and mother. Okay, maybe I was getting a little ahead of myself, but at twenty-eight, I was more than ready to have my own happy household like my friend Fraya and her Fae mate, Alok. Their home was always filled with love—and chaos. It made my own cottage feel like a tomb.

Would Ren arrive on my doorstep with flowers and bubbly wine, or would he be matter-of-fact about his proposal?

I was happy either way. I already had a bottle of sweetberry wine chilling to celebrate.

I descended carefully until I reached the ground, where I finished tucking ivy leaves around the rope in thick, overlapping layers. I had one more swing to go, but it could wait until tomorrow. I needed to get home early and change into my

blue dress—the one Ren had once said had a “fetching” hue.

Fortunately, Daisywhirl Hall had no events for the next ten days, giving us plenty of time to go all out in our preparations.

Aimer shut the ladder and leaned it against the wall. “I love the swings,” he said.

I smiled at him, then looked over my handiwork. “Thanks.”

“See you tomorrow.” Aimer waved.

“See you then.” I’d have big news to share with our group of volunteers the next day. Oh my gosh, I was having trouble not talking about it now.

My friend Meara entered the hall, clutching a stack of notebooks against her white tunic. She taught first-years and had the patience of a priestess. She peered through thick brown bangs, her cheeks lifting when she spotted me. Rushing over, she looked at the swing and gasped. “Zelie, it looks amazing in here.”

Thessalia, a gorgeous blonde elf, huffed. “Enchanted forest—real original,” she said sarcastically before walking past us.

I glared at the back of her head, which was partially swept up into a princess style with long, loose curls spilling down her back. Thessalia had been one of the first females in my class to be snatched up by a male and provided with a life of

comfort. Lanson, her mate, was always traveling the realm, selling his family’s exotic silks. Every return trip, he showered gifts on his mate. I’d heard their townhouse was like a fine museum of treasures, not that I’d ever come close to a tea invitation.

“Don’t listen to her.” Meara frowned in Thessalia’s direction. “She’s just jealous.”

“She’s just mean,” I corrected. Thessalia had nothing to be jealous of, and she knew it. Sometimes a bitch was just a bitch.

Meara lowered her voice. “I heard Lanson will be out of town during the ball.”

A twinge of unease unspooled inside my belly. The reunion ball was sort of a big deal, and despite her thorns, Thessalia had been one of our most regular volunteers. Ugh. I didn’t want to feel sorry for Mrs. Stuck-Up. I’d envied her all through school. She’d always seemed to have everything served up to her like sweetberries on a silver platter. Ironic to imagine the beautiful blonde elf dressed up and attending the ball alone.

Probably mistaking my frown for irritation, Meara said, “Forget her. You’ve transformed this room into a magical wonderland. Maybe you’ll be nice and help my class with our reunion ball in two years.”

“For you, I’d consider it,” I said with a smile, my mood lifting back up thanks to Meara. Her sweetness had that effect on folks. Well, most folks. Probably not Thessalia, but the prickly blonde wouldn’t know what nice was if it kissed her on the mouth.

Meara set her stack of notebooks on a table.

“What’s all that?” I asked.

Meara lowered her lashes. “Uh, just some curriculum changes Principal Lemonwick wants me to review for next school year.”

“Getting you to do his job, is he?” I snorted.

I thought I’d get a chuckle out of my friend. Instead, she rubbed her nose and looked at her feet. “It’s not like I have much else going on in my life. I thought Nonie might want to take a trip together, maybe tour the sunflower fields of Goldendale, but she doesn’t like to leave Pinemist.” Meara darted a glance over at the spot where her sister Nonie stood setting out plaster mushrooms over construction paper.

Although Nonie was my age, we’d never been close, as she liked to keep to herself. My heart went out to her, though. She’d lost her mate, Horith, prior to Winter Solstice. Her mate had been stomped on while battling ogres in Elkcan. Poor guy. My mother was the one who had recruited him in a continuing effort to keep the ogres from spreading their havoc into neighboring Bluespark and our own beloved town. She was always entreating elves with elemental magic to the front. Unluckily for Horith, he’d had wind powers. In the end, his gusty abilities hadn’t saved him from being flattened into an elven pancake. I grimaced.

Nonie set a red paint can on the table, followed by a black one and brushes.

“I’d better help her,” Meara said. She hurried over, saying, “You need to stir the paint first. Here, let me help.”

The two sisters looked sweet together bent over the mushrooms.

I headed out, finding my heart beating with excitement as I zipped down the roads toward my cottage. At home, I changed into my blue dress and brushed out my thick shoulder-length brown hair. Ren didn’t like makeup, so I only applied a touch of pink gloss to my mouth, smacking my lips in front of my bathroom mirror while turning my head from side to side for a look at both angles.

Dressed and ready for Ren’s proposal, I tidied up my cottage. I’d left light gray, turquoise, and navy cotton yarn out on my couch with an oak dowel for the wall hanging I was weaving. I gingerly picked it up and set it in a fabric tote beside the credenza I’d painted with various shades across the front drawers. There were ceramic feathers painted green and dipped in gold set in little wood stands atop the credenza, and art—mostly my own—covering nearly every available wall space.

It didn’t occur to me until that moment to question where Ren and I would live. I loved my cottage, but he preferred his pristine, minimalistic townhome. Hmm. Relationships were about compromise. We’d figure something out.

A knock at the door had my heart thundering up my throat. I rushed over to let Ren inside. He stood at the threshold, glowering, which had my mind spinning in confusion. He held no flowers or bubbly wine, but at least he’d dressed the part

in tailored slacks and his tweed jacket.

Ren stomped into my cottage. “Those foolhardy Elmray twins nearly got their niece killed this afternoon.”

My jaw hit the floor before I’d finished closing the door. “Is Amelia okay?” I asked in alarm.

“Fine, thanks to her father. Reed and Ronin attempted to freeze Sterling Pond. The little girl stepped onto the ice and fell through.”

I gasped in horror.

“Good thing she was by the shore.” Ren shook his head. “One of these days, those two are going to get someone killed.”

I pushed the door closed rougher than I’d intended. “Reed and Ronin would never purposely harm someone, especially not Amelia or Titus.” The twins were scamps, but they had big hearts. I knew how much my friend Fraya loved having Reed and Ronin over to spend time with her family.

Ren lifted his chin. “Their intentions matter little. It is their actions I object to.”

I frowned. “Well, I’m sure they’ll think twice before they freeze something after today.” This proposal wasn’t getting off to the best start. Clearing my throat, I

started toward my cute little kitchen just off the living area. “Can I get you a glass of sweetberry wine?”

“No. I won’t be staying.”

Dread seeped into my heart at Ren’s curt tone. His lips pursed when he looked at me. Even his eyes seemed to sneer. I didn’t have to be a forecaster to see my proposal wasn’t coming.

“Zelie, I’ve come here to inform you that I no longer wish to see you romantically.”

My heart lurched with such force, I nearly tripped over my own feet. I gaped at him, unsure I’d heard correctly. Despite his abrupt arrival, I hadn’t been expecting this. “What?” I whispered.

Ren’s entire body leaned away from me like I was contagious with some mystery disease he didn’t want to catch. “I bumped into Nonie at the Rose Parlor Tea Shoppe a couple days ago and inquired after her well-being since Horith’s death. We ended up taking tea together and talking for nearly three hours straight. Yesterday, I realized I would like to court Nonie. We have a connection that I’ve never felt with you. Obviously, I need to end my relationship with you before I can proceed.”

I stared at Ren and kept staring, sure I had to have misheard. His words must be rearranging themselves inside my head. But no. Ren was truly breaking up with me.

I blinked several times. What the pit? We’d spent two years together, but one cup of tea later, we were finished? “Just last week you talked about going on holiday together,” I accused.

It was supposed to be an end-of-the-school-year mini break with only the two of us. I’d already started a mental packing list of the clothes and accessories I planned to bring along for our romantic getaway.

Ren nodded solemnly. “Unfortunately, I no longer wish to spend time with you. That is why I am here telling you now.”

Gee, how considerate. Nice of Ren to rip my heart out of my chest before pursuing another female.

“After spending the afternoon with Nonie, I realized I’ve been bored with our relationship for some months now,” Ren continued. “There’s no more excitement or ion.”

No ion? Whose fault was that? I wanted to scream into his perfectly symmetrical face. I was always the one wanting to cuddle and try new things in the bedroom. Ren was the one either preoccupied with what was happening outside the windows or too tired to engage in foreplay or any of the fun stuff that followed.

Before I could formulate my thoughts into words, Ren swept past me on his way to the front door. “It was nice while it lasted, Zelie. Take care.”

That was it? Seriously?

Bastard! my mind screamed as the door closed behind him. Pit head. Butt munch. Slime worm. Tree fungus. Asshole!

Ren’s measured words collided with my brain. The jerk had delivered his breakup speech as though it were a damn weather report. What an absolute dick! Had he dressed up to call on Nonie immediately after dumping me? No. He wouldn’t. Would he? He might.

A scream burst through my lips and spewed like molten lava. The tears came next, a hot, angry flood that kept on flowing. My entire body felt as though it was erupting all over my living room.

Two years I’d given that ass. Twenty-four months of my undivided attention, love, and . I’d taken an interest in weather forecasting for his sake while he’d given nothing back toward my artistic endeavors. I felt like such a fool. One bitter, angry idiot who’d wasted two more years of her life in a dead-end relationship. Ren was the final arrow. I was done dreaming that mated life might be mine one day. I was done with males, period.

To commemorate the occasion, I grabbed the sweetberry wine out of the fridge and drank it straight from the bottle until every drop had slipped down my throat.

CHAPTER THREE

Zelie

The following morning, I awoke on my couch in a puddle of my own drool, still wearing my blue dress. I dragged myself into an upright seated position and belched a sweetberry-flavored burp. A giggle escaped my lips.

“Look what you gave up, Ren. Real fine female you’re missing out on, you melon head.” I burst into laughter. My neck heated a second later as the anger returned.

Did this mean Ren was going to ask Nonie to the reunion ball? Of all the dick moves! He knew our old classmates thought we were going together. He was well aware of how much work I’d put into the theme. Pit head! The thought of going alone while he escorted Nonie was too humiliating to bear. I could already see Thessalia’s face lighting up in pure delight.

With a groan, I dragged myself off the couch and to the kitchen, where I made coffee and toast with sweetberry jam. I ate and drank standing at the counter, licking jam off my fingers. My head and stomach felt slightly better with sustenance.

Once showered and dressed in leggings and an embroidered tunic, I made my way to my parents’ cottage on the outskirts of Brightwhisk Forest. I desperately needed cheering up. A hug wouldn’t hurt either.

But when I arrived, they had company. My parents’ front door was left open,

propped by a rock, as they often did in the spring and summer. Voices made me pause at the threshold. I could see the bold red hair of Melarue Elmray as she stood with her back to the door, hands on her hips.

“You have nothing to say on the matter, Dev?” she demanded of my father.

My dad looked at Mom rather than Melarue. “I can’t help you.”

“Look, Mel. I already told you my feelings on the subject,” Mom spoke up. She had her white hair braided and pinned over the top of her head. “Besides, shouldn’t you be able to help them yourself?”

“There’s only so much I can teach the twins,” Melarue grumbled. “Fire and ice are extreme opposites, whereas your elemental powers perfectly match.”

Mom squared her shoulders. “I’m sorry you’re not happy with my answer, but that’s how it stands.”

Momentarily forgetting about the heartache that had driven me to my parents’ cottage, I focused on Melarue as she spun around and stormed out. Seeing me, she stopped short.

“Oh, hi, Zelie. I didn’t see you standing there.” She offered me a warm smile.

“I just arrived,” I said somberly. I didn’t have the energy to feign cheerfulness.

Melarue stepped closer. “Is something the matter?”

I ought to ask her the same question. Instead, I found myself wanting to pour my heart out to the charismatic elf. There was concern in her eyes when she looked at me. As she studied my face, she drew back her lips.

“Is someone bothering you? Do I need to get my sword?”

I huffed out a laugh. “Nothing like that. Ren broke up with me last night.”

I wasn’t sure why I was telling her before my parents. Melarue was just really easy to confide in. She’d always felt more like a peer than a parental figure.

Melarue’s eyes flared wide. “So I do need to get my sword. Someone needs castrating.”

My laugh this time was genuine. “As awesome as that sounds, it might be going a bit too far.”

“You think?” Melarue tilted her head to the side.

“I’m better off without him,” I said, squaring my shoulders.

“Damn straight.” Melarue nodded. “There’s a more deserving male out there somewhere. You’ll be glad that pit head set you free once you meet him.” She gave me a quick hug before rushing away.

My heart felt a little less heavy as I stepped inside my parents’ cottage. Mom and Dad were too busy bickering to notice me enter.

“You could have helped her,” Dad said.

“I don’t have time to play tutor. Our realm faces serious threats.”

Dad sighed. “Yes, we know. The ogres are encroaching on Elkcan. It’s always the ogres.”

Mom slapped her palm on the kitchen counter. “It is always the ogres. They never stop, nor shall I. Someone has to look out for our people.”

To be fair, battling ogres was more than an obsession for my mother. It was how she and my dad earned coins to pay the bills. Their cottage was basically a hovel, but they had a roof over their heads and food on the table three times a day.

I cleared my throat, but it did nothing to pull my parents’ attention away from their staredown.

“What did Melarue want?” I asked.

Keeping his gaze on Mom, Dad answered, “Your mother’s help training Reed and Ronin how to control their ice magic.”

“You refused?” My voice rose with exasperation. Dad was right. It felt like all Mom cared about was battling ogres. Combating the gray-skinned brutes seemed to be her be-all and end-all.

Mom folded her arms across her chest. “I’m not a babysitter.”

“That’s not what Melarue was asking for,” I said.

“She was asking me to neglect my duties.”

“She was asking for your help,” I countered. “Don’t tell me you can’t find a couple hours a week to work with the twins.”

“I’m leaving for Elkcan tomorrow.”

My heart dropped. “Again? So soon?” I stared at her in astonishment, then turned to Dad. “Are you leaving too?” When Dad nodded, my heart sank. “I thought we could spend the weekend together.”

“The people of Elkcan are counting on us,” Mom stated.

Yeah, well, I was too.

Mom barely looked at me as she lifted a box off the floor and set it on the small round wooden dining table. Whatever she had inside the box made a heavy clanking noise. There were a couple of longswords, daggers, throwing stars, and bows competing for space. The longswords looked ready to fall off the edge.

“How are we going to get all of this to Elkcan?” Dad asked.

“Kenia said she’d lend her horse and cart.”

Dad nodded.

I stood watching them, waiting for some kind of recognition of my misery, but they continued adding weapons to the table, discussing the trip.

Mom dug around inside the box and frowned before looking on the countertops.

“Dev, have you seen my crossbow?” Dad bent down and looked beneath the table. As Mom scanned the area, her eyes landed on me. “You’re still here?”

My lower lip puffed out.

“Sorry, hon,” Mom said, her voice softening. “I didn’t mean it that way.”

I sighed. “Yeah, well, be safe, okay?”

“You have nothing to worry about.” Mom came over and gave me a lightningquick kiss on the cheek. “Good luck with your reunion ball. I want to hear all about it when I return.”

Dad stood and rubbed his jaw. “Could you have left it in the closet?”

“Oh! Maybe.” Mom’s eyes lit up before she headed out of sight.

“Bye, Dad.”

“Bye, Zelie. Tell Ren hello from me.” I winced, but Dad was already packing the throwing stars and daggers into a box on a chair.

I left their cottage with a heavy sigh. It sucked that they were leaving. The twins weren’t the only ones Mom didn’t have time for.

I kicked a pebble off the dirt path that wound around cottages clustered together. My home and neighborhood were nicer than what my folks had. I’d been proud to earn enough to provide myself with a cozy living. My parents were proud too. They preferred I remain behind, teaching the youth of Pinemist.

If I’d inherited my mother’s icy elemental magic, I would have offered to teach Reed and Ronin. I’d always hoped that power would be ed on to me. As a young elf, I’d pictured Lark with heating magic and me with cooling. Fire and ice—the perfect pair. But it turned out Lark was gay, and I couldn’t even keep a straight male happy for long.

What a load of pits!

I kicked one pebble after another the whole way home. I considered going over to Fraya and Alok’s cottage, but I was more in a drinking than a talking mood. A glance at the sky, and the blinding sun that had emerged through the clouds, reminded me that it was too early to imbibe.

I took a nap instead before heading to the Pitch and Roll after sunset.

I preferred the funky bars in the middle of town, but they weren’t within walking distance. Nope. I had to nurse my heartbreak with a pint, on a stool, at a sticky counter.

Two pints later, the buzz kicked in.

Good call skipping dinner, I told myself.

The following morning, I took a long shower and paid extra attention to my hair and makeup. Later that afternoon, Principal Lemonwick was meeting with all the Meadowbrook teachers to discuss the next school year.

I put on a swingy navy dress and tied a pastel scarf around my neck.

“You are beautiful and talented and fun and independent,” I said to my reflection in the mirror. “There’s someone better out there,” I added. “A wonderful male who deserves you—me. Whatever. Stop talking to yourself in the mirror.” I stuck out my tongue.

It was too early to go to the meeting, so I took a detour to Daisywhirl Hall to see how things were coming along. I didn’t expect anyone to be around in the middle of the day. Our volunteers usually popped in when they could at night.

Nonie wasn’t there, which was an instant relief soon snuffed out by the appearance of Thessalia. Head tilted back and legs in the air, she was swinging. I thought I caught a smile on her lips. It dissolved as soon as she noticed me. The beautiful blonde threw her feet forward, halting her movement. She whiteknuckled the ropes, crushing the carefully twisted ivy in her fists.

“Oh,” she said with an accusatory glare. “I didn’t think you’d want to show your face around here anymore.”

“Why is that?” I asked, folding my arms over my chest.

Thessalia smirked. “Ren’s taking Nonie to the reunion ball instead of you. That must really hurt, especially with only six days to go and no chance of finding an alternative date to the event.”

Her sharp words were like hot pokers through the gut. My skin prickled and burned. But it was my head that simmered the most.

“Wasn’t your two-year anniversary coming up?” Thessalia asked, digging in deeper. “So close.”

“I guess we’ll both be going stag,” I shot back.

Thessalia’s blue eyes turned glacial. “Unlike you, I have a date,” she said crisply.

I took a step closer and lifted my brows. “Oh? Did Lanson hire someone to stand in for him?” I asked before I could rein myself in. I should have stopped there, but I didn’t. Thessalia had picked the wrong time to be insolent. “I guess you already know what it feels like to be single, since your mate is never around.” I regretted the words the moment they left my lips. They felt like swallowing a handful of pits.

Thessalia’s eyes narrowed to slits. “You are going to regret that.” She lifted her chin and tossed her hair back before storming away.

“I’m sorry,” I called after her. “I was being insensitive . . . the same way you

were.” Dang it. My mouth had a mind of its own. Why was it so difficult to behave like an adult?

Guilt gnawed at my heels every step of the afternoon. It wasn’t until I ed my fellow teachers in the lounge at Meadowbrook that I managed to forget about my altercation with Thessalia. Usually, Meara was one of the first teachers present, but I saw no sign of my friend when I entered the shared space with its mismatched armchairs, small tables, and kitchen.

I said a polite hello to three of the older teachers. They seemed to have their own clique going on—one I’d forever be too young to , no matter how many years ed. Two of the youngest female teachers sat in the armchairs, heads nearly touching as they leaned forward, whispering back and forth. I took a seat on a chair at an unoccupied table, catching whispered snippets from Meadowbrook’s newer teachers.

“. . . was with Trollis at market eating sugared buns.”

“Oh, yeah? And did Mr. Ravak offer to sugar your buns?”

The pair erupted into giggles.

I suppressed a sigh. Almon Ravak had lost his wife to the pox nearly a year ago and didn’t appear to be in any hurry to replace her. It made me like him all the more. His eldest, Darshee, had been in my class the year before. Almon was a model parent with incredible kids. He’d been one of my favorites at parentteacher conferences. Hm. Being with Ren at the time, I’d never considered flirting with Almon Ravak. Gah. I had to stop myself right there. Inappropriate. I

was no better than my younger colleagues. Still, daydreaming never hurt anyone. Maybe it was time I started going back to market.

“Ah, good. Everyone is here.” Principal Lemonwick clapped his hands together as he entered the lounge. The elf was in his fifth decade. He lumbered in with his stocky build and medium height topped with a head of short hair routinely dyed brown whenever the yellow strands started to show. Apparently, he’d been teased back in school. It did seem a cruel joke to be born with such an uncommon hair color, especially given his family name.

Meara entered directly behind Lemonwick. I tried to get her attention, but she kept her focus on the principal’s back even after she’d taken a seat on a chair against the opposite wall.

My smile slowly dropped. Maybe she felt awkward about her sister dating my ex. It seemed so unlikely, though, enough to distract my thoughts as Lemonwick stood in the middle of the room and launched into plans for the next school year.

“Miss Vabella had her hands full with the larger-than-average first-year class,” he noted.

Edea Vabella, one of the young teachers, sat back in her armchair and nodded. She looked skyward and heaved a dramatic sigh that caused the older teachers to chuckle in appreciation.

“Which is why I am hiring an extra teacher for next term,” Lemonwick said. “Second-years will be split into two classes.”

Mrs. Hera Leolee, the second-year teacher, applauded, making her friends laugh. “Thank Sky.”

Lemonwick cleared his throat. “I’ll actually be hiring two new staff . As you know, we obtained budgeting for a full-time arts and crafts teacher, which I have chosen from our current staff.”

I sat up in my chair and felt my grin fill my face. Finally. I needed some good news to get me through this craptastic breakup. As the arts and crafts teacher, I’d be spending time with both Darshee and Trollis Ravak. Maybe one, or both, had a flair for the arts. Maybe I’d offer to help work with the kids on their projects after school. Maybe Almon would invite me to stay for dinner. Maybe after the kids went to bed—

“I am happy to announce that Meara will be working with all grades in our new arts and crafts room.”

For several seconds, I could only gape at Lemonwick. For several more seconds, I waited for him to laugh, realizing he’d accidently said the wrong name. But then he went on to assign the rest of us the grades we’d taught previously.

“Zelie will resume her tutelage of fourth-years. Navarre has fifth. And Allisa will continue with sixth. I already have several exciting candidates to teach introductory year in place of Meara.”

Meara? For arts and crafts? Had Lemonwick’s hair dye gone to his head?

Everyone knew I was the craftiest, most artistic elf in all of Pinemist. Even Meara knew it. Why wasn’t she speaking up? Refuting this lunacy?

I was half convinced I’d entered an alternate reality, especially when Lemonwick called the meeting adjourned and the other teachers walked over to congratulate Meara.

I hurried after Lemonwick, jogging to catch up to him in the hallway. He was headed for the front door—probably on his way to squeeze in another hour of fishing before dusk at Sterling Pond. Everything else was secondary to fishing when it came to Beldroth Lemonwick.

The emotional turmoil had me panting as I dashed to his side before he could slip away. “You told me I was going to head up the arts and crafts department.”

Lemonwick didn’t slow his steps. Through the windows, the sun was dipping. “You were a top candidate. That is correct.”

“Then why did you choose Meara?” I demanded. “You know I’m the most artistic.”

With a sigh, Lemonwick pulled his gaze from the windows and met my eyes. He stopped. His firm stance didn’t make me feel any better. “No one is refuting your artistic abilities, Zelie. Meara is great with kids.”

“I’m great with kids,” I countered defensively. I was a teacher, wasn’t I?

Lemonwick gave me a considering look before continuing. “Her students love her. The parents adore her. All I ever hear from families is about how much they wish Meara could teach every grade. Well, now she can. The kids are happy. The parents are happy. I’m happy. You can still incorporate some art projects into your lesson plans, and I’m sure Meara would appreciate your help planning her new curriculum. Chin up, Zelie.” Lemonwick resumed his long strides to the front doors.

I scowled at his retreating form.

When I turned around, Meara stood in the middle of the hallway, pulling at her fingers. She kept her head bent as though preparing for a scolding. “I told him he should give the position to you,” she said softly.

“How long have you known?” I asked, barely above a whisper.

“For the past week. I wanted to tell you, but Principal Lemonwick said I had to keep it a secret until he made the announcement.”

I had no response. I couldn’t speak through the hurt. It wasn’t Meara’s fault. Nor was it fair for her to feel guilty. But it was hard not to blame her, her and her sister for taking away the two best things I thought I had going in my life. Being near her rubbed at the wound.

“It will be fine,” I said, even though I felt the opposite. I walked away. It didn’t surprise me that Meara didn’t try to catch up and continue our conversation.

I stepped out of the building into the fresh air, gulping it down to keep from sobbing. What hurt the most was thinking about how the kids and parents preferred Meara to me—and how Ren preferred her sister.

What was wrong with me?

Was I so unlovable?

Rather than go home and reflect on those depressing thoughts, I made a beeline for the Pitch and Roll.

CHAPTER FOUR

Zelie

When I arrived at the Pitch and Roll, I practically had the place to myself. Most folks were probably settling down for dinner with their loved ones. Hmph. I ordered fried pickles and ate them at the counter, smothering each one in generous coatings of tangy dipping sauce.

Halfway into my second pint of dark brew, the volume in the bar increased as though a mass arrival had been coordinated among the regulars. The din felt like a comfortable blanket. I was so tired of being alone, and the noise gave me a false sense of company.

I licked my fingers and dried them off with a cloth napkin that had probably once been white but was now a yellowish-cream color. I sipped at my beer, in no hurry to return home too early.

Pint glasses scraped against the scuffed bar as they slid their way to thirsty patrons. The crowd here was older. Perfect. I didn’t need any of my old classmates lingering at the pub, watching me wallow.

I lifted the pint to my lips and took another sip.

“Bull’s-eye! That’s game,” a familiar sounding male voice spoke over the collected ruckus.

“Enjoy your victory while it lasts. I plan to win the next three.”

“In a row? Dream on, bro.”

“Oh, I’ll do more than dream.”

A glance over my shoulder confirmed that Reed and Ronin Elmray were present. The twins stood in a dark corner across from a dartboard. Their thick black hair was short but tousled and slightly wavy over their foreheads. Striking brown eyes peered from beneath sweeping black eyebrows that ended in sharp points. Their faces were tanned a healthy light bronze that could only come from significant time spent outdoors in the sun. Being able to portal anywhere in the elven realm—or any realm—had its advantages.

While my head was turned away from the counter, my empty plate and napkin were cleared. There was no way for me to sneak past the twins playing darts by the entrance.

Ugh. I should have kept my mouth shut about the breakup when I’d seen Melarue. So embarrassing. Did Lark know?

I turned back to my pint. I’d just have to wait the twins out. What were they even doing here? Maybe this was a pit stop on the way to or from visiting Alok and Fraya.

One of the twins gave a whoop. I looked over in time to see dark hair sweep to

the side of a smooth face as one of the males jumped gleefully into the air while the other folded his arms and scowled. Looked like Ronin was winning. At some point, years ago, I’d developed a knack of telling the twins apart without hearing them speak. They each had small tells in their expression. Reed was more of a brooder, while Ronin wore a smile as easily as a king wore a crown.

“If I win again, victor takes all,” Ronin announced.

“Not all,” Reed grumbled.

Reed had an especially deep scowl that he’d perfected as a child. It had made me giggle as a girl. Tonight, it sent a shiver racing across the pub to rush up my neck. My buzz must have been kicking in, because I felt a flush beginning to warm over my cheeks.

Since I had nothing better to do, I turned on my stool to watch the twins play out the remainder of their game. Ronin looked me in the eyes and grinned. I lifted my pint in salute, then set it back down. Reed stormed to the board and yanked out all the darts. He returned to the shadowed corner, studied the board for several seconds, then threw the first dart. He came close to the bull’s-eye, but his lips remained pressed together firmly, only the hint of a smile edging the corners. When he won the game, he smiled smugly, with no whooping, before swaggering to the board to retrieve the darts.

There was a steady confidence in the way Ronin faced the board and rolled up his sleeves. A muscular arm shot out, launching the dart at his target. Somehow, I ended up fixated on the smooth plane of his arm. It was almost as if the twins had fully grown into adult males overnight.

Reed took his turn next. His dart hit an outer circle. He gritted his teeth and resumed folding his arms while Ronin threw his second dart. At the conclusion of the game, Ronin fist-pumped the air. Reed gave him a ghastly scowl, then stormed out of the pub and into the night. I expected Ronin to follow him outside, but he headed my way instead.

I smiled at Ronin’s approach. His eyes glittered when they met mine.

“Someone’s a sore loser,” I said, nodding in the direction of the door.

Ronin’s smile grew wider. “I don’t blame him for being upset.”

“It’s just a game,” I said.

Ronin leaned against the counter beside me, his eyes taking on a mischievous gleam that reminded me of Reed. Even his smile turned wicked. “It’s the prize that has him out of sorts.”

“Oh, yeah? And what high-stakes reward were you guys playing for?”

Ronin shot me a secretive smile. I lifted my brows, waiting for him to tell me what he’d won over Reed. The twins and I weren’t exactly friends—they were so much younger—but I had known them since they were babies. So why did Ronin seem hesitant to confide in me?

I leaned in closer. Ronin’s gaze dipped to my lips and lingered there long enough to drag the buzz in my brain down to my belly, and lower still the longer he looked.

“Come on, Ronin. Spill.”

His eyes lit up. “You know it’s me?”

“Of course.” I made a little huffing noise.

“How can you tell?”

“You’re the sweet one,” I answered. I thought Ronin might take offense to that, but his smile widened.

“You think I’m sweet? How sweet are we talking? Strawberry sweet? Blueberry? Grape? Mango? Or all-out sweetberry sweet?”

I laughed. “You’re ridiculous.” He was also suddenly very close, inching in with each mouthwatering fruit he’d mentioned, skillfully positioning himself near me as our conversation continued. I couldn’t help noticing that Ronin’s sleeves were still pulled up above his elbows and that one of his legs was now touching mine.

I cleared my throat. “Seriously, what did you win?”

The shady ambiance of the pub made his eyes appear hooded. “I won the right to buy you a drink,” he answered huskily.

I blinked once. Was Ronin Elmray flirting with me? I’d always thought of him as Lark’s younger brother. His self-assured smirk said he was no longer young or little.

“Then I suppose I’m the real winner,” I said carefully.

I was so not going on a rebound with Ronin . . . or Reed. It didn’t matter who’d won their silly little bet. For starters, they were seven years younger. Secondly, I ran across them in Pinemist regularly enough to make anything overly friendly lead to a whole lot of awkward. I mean, sure, Ronin was really cute and playful and a heck of a lot more fun to be around than Ren. Sure, his body pulled at mine with an electric force that had me tingling in places that hadn’t tingled in far too long. But no, Zelie. No. Not happening. What would Fraya and Alok think of me robbing the cradle with their cousin?

Sweet mango, why was I even thinking about this so hard?

“Is that a yes?” Ronin asked, managing to lean in even closer.

“That’s a yes . . . to the drink.”

His smile didn’t waver as he lifted his chin to the bartender. “Good sir, please

fetch this lovely female a drink on me—whatever she desires.”

For someone full of ice magic, his words sent tendrils of flames licking through my body. I pursed my lips at Ronin before turning to the bartender. “I’ll have another pint of the same.”

Ronin rubbed the counter with one finger. “And I’ll have whatever she’s having.”

The bartender grunted before moving down the bar.

Ronin’s leg still touched mine.

“Why don’t you take a seat?” I suggested.

Ronin jumped onto the stool in a flash. He turned his seat to face me and set his arm on the counter, looking perfectly at ease hitting on an older female. Apparently, I couldn’t call one twin less cocky than the other.

“Tell me about Sterling Pond,” I said.

“Sterling Pond?” Ronin’s dark brows drew together.

“Freezing it over. Amelia breaking through,” I prompted.

Ronin winced. He pulled his eyes off mine, watching the bartender filling glasses at the other end of the bar. “Lapse of judgment.” He drummed his fingers on the counter.

“Must have been Reed’s idea,” I mused aloud.

Ronin looked at me with a frown and shook his head. “Mine, actually.”

I gaped at him. I was so sure it had to be Reed who’d suggest something as hazardous as freezing an entire lake. Ronin was usually the one who eagerly followed along.

“Not my finest hour,” Ronin itted. “Thank goodness Amelia was fine. I mean, she got her clothes wet, but they’re dry by now, I’m sure. Won’t be trying anything like that again. Anytime soon,” he amended.

I liked that he didn’t blame his brother when he easily could have. Like I said before, sweet. “Sweet as a mango,” I said aloud.

“Huh?” Ronin cocked his head.

“A mango,” I repeated. “That’s how sweet you are. One mango has around fortyfive grams of sugar. It’s got one of the highest contents of natural sugar in a

fruit.”

Ronin’s grin lit up the room. “I would have liked having you as a teacher.”

Stars above, I didn’t need my brain going anywhere near a teacher-student scenario with Ronin. Luckily, the beers arrived, giving my mouth an excuse not to respond. I moved from sipping to drinking past the frothy layer on top and swallowing the cool brew down in gulps. Ronin didn’t touch his half-pint. The way he watched my throat as I drank sent all kinds of invitations on overnight delivery to every part of my body.

“Do you come here very often?” I asked after polishing off a third of my beer.

“First time,” Ronin said, not sparing a glance around the Pitch and Roll. He kept his full focus on me the same way he had on the dartboard. It was intense and arousing.

Gah. There I went again. This was my last beer. I was cutting myself off. Not that it was a school night. Summer break, Zel. Best time for a holiday fling.

I drank down the rest of my beer and smacked the empty glass on the countertop. Ronin had yet to take a sip of his. For him, it wasn’t about the beer. Nope, he was drinking me in with his eyes. Not once had Ren looked at me the way Ronin did now. I needed to run for the hills before I made a worse mistake than the twins freezing the pond. Me, I’d be plunging right into the icy depths, enjoying every goose bump that rose to my skin. The thought of Ronin’s icy fingers on my flaming body made my nipples tighten to jagged peaks.

“Thanks for the beer. I’d say congratulations, but I’m sure I enjoyed your prize far more than you.”

“Oh, I wouldn’t say that,” Ronin drawled.

Since when did Ronin Elmray drawl? Eep. Seriously, I had to get going before I started ogling him back. We didn’t need both our hormones raging out of control. I was older. I knew better. Not to mention he was half Fae. Fraya had made some not-so-subtle hints as to a Fae male’s libido on a few of our gals’ nights out. I could feel the flush spreading over my skin at the thought of a ionate night with an eager young half-Fae.

“Good night,” I all but gasped. My body, however, wasn’t moving, as though it hadn’t gotten what it wanted and was refusing to obey the commands from my head.

“I’ll walk you home.” Ronin slipped off the stool in one fluid movement.

“Umm.” Oh, stars. My palms were sweating. “That’s okay. I can get home on my own.”

“I know you can. That doesn’t mean you should.”

The wrinkles in Ronin’s forehead showed his concern. It was clear to see the honorable intention behind his offer. If he’d smiled slyly, it would have been

easier to laugh him off with a firm no. Instead, I nodded.

“You can walk me to my cottage.”

I had to it, his attention was flattering. Males didn’t typically pay close attention to me, especially not ones as hunky as Ronin Elmray.

Pitberries. Did I just place Ronin in the hunk category? Get a grip, Zelie!

He followed behind me. When we reached the opposite end of the pub, Ronin’s arm shot alongside my hip to pull open the door for me.

“Such a gentleman,” I teased, my heart skittering from the light brush of his hand.

The night air slid over my skin. It felt easier to breathe in the open. My heart rate steadied, and a sense of calm washed over me. Whatever Ronin’s motives, it was well-mannered of him to walk me home.

My cottage wasn’t too far off, but the warmth of Ronin’s presence beside me made me slow my steps. Once we reached the first quiet lane, I put my hand out to stop Ronin.

“Listen to all the frogs,” I whispered, briefly closing my eyes. The lane was dark. Elf families were tucked in for the night, sleeping soundly, but not the

frogs. I loved the steady chirp of their chorus filling the dark sky.

“Reed and I have noticed them getting louder over at our place too.”

“You’re a fair distance from your neck of the woods,” I noted as Ronin fell into step beside me. “Maybe I should be the one walking you home.”

“Why is that?”

“I’m older.” I glanced over in time to catch Ronin’s smirk.

“Is that all?” he asked.

“Well, I’m also wiser.”

“You won’t hear me arguing.”

I laughed and searched my mind for more reasons. After looking him up and down, my gaze rested on his arms. “I suppose I’m not stronger,” I acknowledged.

Ronin put his hands in his pockets and shrugged. “Being wise is better. You can outsmart everyone else. You’ve got knowledge. Perspective. You’re more

experienced.”

My cheeks flamed at the last part as my mind swirled straight to the sexual connotation of experience.

I faced forward, unsure whether I would feel relieved or disappointed to reach my cottage. I planned to say goodbye at my little picket fence painted alternating shades of teal and purple. But before I could get the words out, Ronin was swinging the door open on its hinges. He walked into my yard and held it open.

I entered and gave him a pointed look. “Well, here we are. Thanks for the drink and escort home.”

“I’ll walk you to your door,” Ronin said, heading up the stone path before I could protest.

“That’s unnecessary,” I tried reasoning with his back.

Ronin stopped a foot in front of my door and began tapping his fingers on his thigh. The signals I’d felt earlier started back up like town square bells ringing during Winter Solstice. Ronin looked way too serious all of a sudden.

“I lied about my prize for winning darts. It wasn’t buying you a drink.” My heart swelled in anticipation of his next words. When our eyes met, his face lit up with a smile. A unicorn could have jumped my gate and run through my yard, and I wouldn’t have been able to pull my gaze away from the heated look in Ronin’s

eyes.

“I won first kiss,” he confessed.

“I thought you couldn’t lie,” I said, deflecting from the topic of the kiss to give my head a moment to stop screaming, Ronin wants to kiss me!

Ronin stopped drumming his fingers on his thigh and lifted his head up high. “I’m half elf.”

“And half Fae.”

He shrugged.

“So, you can lie,” I said, letting the information sink in fully.

“It’s a well-kept secret, but we trust you, Zelie.”

My belly warmed at that, flattered that he’d confided in me. Lark certainly hadn’t during years of childhood friendship. At least he’d never used my ignorance to trick me—that I knew of—but I’d believed I was Lark’s closest non-family friend growing up.

It no longer mattered. I didn’t want to think about Lark. I’d gotten over him years ago. Right now, I needed to figure out how I felt about Ronin.

“Hold up,” I said. “You and Reed both want to kiss me?”

Ronin grinned. “Well, yeah. We have since forever.”

I blinked. “And you let a game of darts decide who got to make a move?”

Ronin kept his eyes locked on mine. “On who kisses you first. It doesn’t have to be tonight, but Reed cannot kiss you until after I have. I’m sure he’d appreciate it if we kissed soon so that he can have his turn.”

My eyes widened. The twins wanted to take turns with me. Thinking of their two fathers sharing one female brought the heat level in my cheeks to full blast.

Placing my hands on my hips, I took a step directly in front of Ronin. “What’s next? Jousting to see who gets to have me first in bed?”

It was Ronin’s turn to blush. With his bronzed skin, it was more of an alluring glow. Damn him!

He glanced briefly at the ground before lifting his thick lashes to meet my gaze. “I, uh . . . Is that an option?”

I smacked him lightly across the chest. “No.”

Ronin’s face fell. Even sulking, he looked adorable. He leaned back. As he slowly turned away, the gaiety I’d felt seconds before slipped off into the night.

“Well, I guess I’ll get out of your hair. Good night, Zelie.”

I didn’t know if it was the beer feeding the butterflies in my belly, but the youthful half-Fae was too enticing to let go of that quickly. “Wait,” I said. “Aren’t you forgetting something?”

I grabbed Ronin’s buff arm and pulled him to me. His skin sent icy pinpricks shuddering through my body, but it was the intensity of his eyes on mine that drove the strongest shiver quaking down my legs to my toes. Ronin brushed my hair over my shoulder, taking his time to tuck it behind my ear. My neck and lobe tingled from his gentle touch. I put my hands on his neck as his arms circled my waist. I couldn’t look away as he leaned in. We were frozen on one another as our mouths met.

Ronin’s lips were pleasantly warm and soft. He took his time, like he knew what he was doing, surprising me further. I tilted my head as the kiss deepened. Our tongues touched briefly before retracting. Ronin’s hands moved from my hips to hold me by my neck. I slid my fingers to his shoulders, gripping him as my lashes fluttered closed.

The frogs chorused as we kissed on my doorstep. I felt lightweight, like I was

dreaming one second, then fully awake and alive the next. Everything around me came into sharp focus, from the bright crescent moon and sky full of stars above our heads to the dark cottages cloaked in shadows. Blades of unruly grass tickled my bare ankles.

With nothing to lean against, we clung to one another, making out like we were savoring our last meal. Our breaths grew heavy, but Ronin didn’t pause. I kept kissing him back. I couldn’t stop. This felt like the first time I’d been truly kissed, and it was sending my ovaries into orbit.

I pulled back to say, “I am not inviting you inside.” I was pleased with the steady pitch of my tone.

“I’m not asking you to,” Ronin replied, gaze dropping to my swollen lips.

Recapturing my mouth, Ronin pulled me in closer against the firm plane of his toned chest. The tip of his tongue brushed mine. When I moaned, he went still for a fraction of a second, drawing breath. His arms encircled my waist. His hands gripped my lower back. I had to stop myself from gyrating against him like some old perv who hadn’t gotten laid in weeks.

Easy, girl.

Absolutely not opening the door to this dark-haired prince of Faerie. Nope. Nope. Nope.

“I am not inviting you inside,” I said again, but I was pretty sure he knew I was saying it to myself, not to him.

CHAPTER FIVE

Ronin

Sweet moon and stars and sky above!

“Tonight is the best night ever. Wouldn’t you agree?” I asked the frogs, as I sauntered down one shadowed lane to the next.

Croak.

“I’ll take that as a yes,” I said with a happy chuckle. My amphibian friends agreed.

I couldn’t stop smiling. I felt like the grin was permanently frozen to my face. Speaking of frozen, I doubted I could use my ice magic anytime soon. My body felt like a torch flaming from the kiss of a beautiful elf. Oh, sweet mango. Zelie knew how to ignite a male on . I could have easily combusted on the spot. Luckily, I had my own handy inner on-demand air conditioning to keep myself in check.

I walked across the next lane, going out of my way to jump over a fallen tree. I ed beneath branches. When I saw a thick, sturdy one, I leapt for it and grabbed hold, swinging by my arms for a fleeting moment before letting go to land back on the ground. I sprang forward, my boots pushing off the ground, propelling me toward home.

I felt tempted to wander the lanes all night, replaying the kiss, but Reed might get the wrong idea. Also, I couldn’t wait to tell him about my success. He wasn’t only my twin brother; he was my best friend.

I stayed the course, humming to myself. Fireflies winked in and out above the meadow surrounding our cottage. I saw the warm glow of lights within the kitchen windows and jogged the remainder of the way to the front door.

I opened and closed the door behind me softly, mindful of our sleeping parents. Directly ahead, Miss Night Owl Melody sat on the love seat painting her nails and wearing pink light-up headphones plugged into an iPod from the human world. My sister’s iPod rested on the cushion beside her. She had at least five of the things. Anytime she portaled into the mortal realm, she took them all with her and charged them up. Her eyes flicked up, taking me in before she returned to coating her nails in pink polish. I wrinkled my nose at the smell.

Reed stood with his arms folded, back resting against the kitchen counter, glaring at me. “I hate you so much right now.”

I grinned. “You should be thanking me.”

“Thanking?” Reed’s wretched scowl brought laughter to my lips.

Poor guy. I’d be moody, too, if my brother had gotten his lips on Zelie first. It was difficult not to boast, but I was nicer than that. I was the sweet twin. Mango sweet. I smiled happily.

“Stop it,” Reed snapped.

“Hey, can’t blame me for being in a good mood.”

“You suck.”

Melody pulled her headphones down to her neck. “Why does Ronin suck?”

Reed looked past me to the living room and huffed. “I knew you weren’t really listening to music.”

“I was between songs,” Melody informed him.

“Liar,” Reed mouthed.

I looked from him to our little sister, who was now glaring in our direction. She left the headphones around her neck and began shaking a small bottle of light gold shimmer nail polish.

“Do you mind?” Reed said belligerently. “We’re having a private conversation.”

“Go ahead. I won’t tell anyone.” Melody lifted her brows. I could see the hope in her eyes as she watched us despite her attempt to act indifferent. She didn’t have

friends in Pinemist, and it couldn’t be easy watching Reed and me pal around all the time while she was left to entertain herself.

“This is between Ronin and me,” Reed said.

“I was here first.”

“Fine. We’ll go outside.”

“I was just about to go outside.”

“What the shit, Melody? No, you weren’t. Stop being a brat.”

Melody stood and snatched up her iPod. “Fine, don’t tell me. But the next time I have a secret, I’m not telling you either.”

Reed rolled his eyes. “I don’t need to know the secret to having the perfect hair or spring wardrobe or whatever.”

Melody blinked several times, a wounded expression filling her face.

Reed must have realized he’d gone too far. He took a step toward the living room. “Sorry, Melody. I didn’t mean it.”

“Yes, you did!” Melody yelled. She shot him a glare before storming off. The door of her room slammed closed shortly thereafter.

“Good one, ace,” I said, turning to shake my head at Reed.

“She’s so sensitive.”

“She’s a preteen female.”

“What does that even mean?” Reed asked.

“Beats me.” I shrugged. “It’s what Mom says.”

We both waited in silence for a full minute to see if one of our parents would come out to see what the latest outburst was all about.

“Probably have their earplugs in,” Reed muttered. His jaw relaxed for a moment . . . until he saw the smile stretching over my cheeks. Like I could help it!

“I won fair and square.”

“I get to sleep with her first.”

I growled, my good mood going up in smoke. “You can’t just call dibs.”

“I just did.” Reed widened his stance.

“Maybe we should let Zelie decide.”

“Maybe I should warm her up before you go popping your cherry in her.”

Fighting with my brother wasn’t something I enjoyed. I folded my arms. “Someone’s a sore loser.”

Reed’s eyebrows drew together in one black slash across his forehead. I gave him a playful shove.

“Hey, look on the bright side. Zelie is finally available, and, dude, she’s interested.”

Reed gave my mouth a skeptical look. “You didn’t blow it for us?”

Mr. Lame-o was asking for another shove. Three times Zelie had told me she wasn’t inviting me to come inside. The third and final time she’d spoken the

words, I’d sensed her resolve fading as she panted between kisses. Sadly, I had to be the one to pull back. Reed and I had agreed on first kiss, not sex. But damn, it had taken all my willpower—and a blast of cold straight down my balls—to walk away.

“Nope. I even let her know you’re next.”

Reed leaned in, searching my face. “What did she say?”

“Not much . . . not with all the making out we were doing.”

Reed glared, but this time he was fighting back a grin. “I’ve waited this long. I suppose I can get through one more night,” he said, trying to sound cool.

“Uh-huh. Maybe you want to make amends with our sister first.”

Reed blinked. “I hurt her feelings, didn’t I?”

“You think? This is going to take more than words to set right.”

I tapped my foot on the tiled floor.

Reed sighed and ran his hand through his hair. “Don’t tell me we’re going to the

mall,” he groaned.

“I’ll buy you a soft pretzel while we’re there.”

Reed returned to scowling, which drew laughter from my throat as I opened a portal in the living room. With the time difference between our realms, we could still make it to the mall before closing.

CHAPTER SIX

Reed

The next morning, my brother sat up in his bed as I slipped out of my covers and stretched my arms over my head.

I pulled on a pair of black jeans and glanced over at my twin. “You’re up early,” I noted.

Ronin flashed me a wide, dopey grin. “I feel really awake and peppy today. Hmm. I wonder why.” He tapped his lower lip.

“Jerk,” I muttered as I headed out of our room.

“I love you too, bro,” he called after me.

A win for Ronin is a win for Team Twin, I reminded myself as I shuffled down the hall. I would have been more upset if my brother had failed to kiss Zelie. If she’d laughed in his face, it would have felt like she’d laughed in mine. But she’d kissed Ronin, which meant she’d kiss me. Victory.

Unless she prefers Ronin, an insolent voice nagged at me.

Mom stood in the kitchen with one hand on her hip, staring me down as I entered. This morning she was fully dressed in a white blouse, leather waist cincher, and tailored slacks, looking like she meant business. The smell of coffee filled my nostrils. Three pieces of bread sat toasting on a large cast iron skillet over an open flame.

“I told you not to fight with your sister,” Mom scolded.

“Especially not after dark,” Lyklor added from the dining table. He kept his eyes trained on the newspaper open in his hands. Steam lifted from the mug in front of him.

Mom’s jaw softened as she saw me staring at the mug. “Go ahead. Try cooling it —gradually like we practiced the other day.”

Our mom, being the awesome elf that she was, had started training—as she called it—Ronin and me in the art of elemental magic. Unfortunately, her elemental master had died of old age, but my brother and I thought it was cool to learn from our mom. Well, hot in her case. There were similar principles, though. For instance, magnifying temperature at a steady pace. Mom had demonstrated with a spark of fire she’d fed little by little, having Ronin and me do the same with a drop of ice.

When I took a step toward the table, Lyklor’s head jerked up.

“Does it have to be my coffee?” he asked.

Mom poured coffee into a mug and set it on the kitchen counter. “Here. Cool mine.”

I flashed her a grateful smile for her belief in the progress I’d made in mastering my abilities. It was easier to drop the temperature when I was touching the object. I touched the mug’s handle and focused on cooling it off in measures, my finger prickling at the tip as I concentrated. My senses drew in the change by degrees, almost as though my pinky was inside the liquid, testing the temperature. I paid attention to the light tingling on my tongue, telling me when the beverage was just right.

Smiling, I took a step back. “Should be fine now,” I announced.

Mom lifted the mug, took a big sip, smacked her lips, and set it down. “Perfect. Wonderful control, Reed.” Before I could crow, she added, “Now, about last night, you’re supposed to look out for your little sister, not torment her.”

My shoulders slumped. “I was teasing, not tormenting.”

“Same thing,” Mom countered.

I winced. “Fine. I promise to be nicer to Melody.” Mom pursed her lips and regarded me skeptically. “I mean it,” I said.

“Too bad you all have the ability to lie,” she said.

“We know which side of the family that comes from.” Lyklor glanced up from his paper and smirked.

“You’re one to talk,” Mom said to Lyklor, whose pierced tongue allowed him to lie as easily as any of us.

“Lying and magical mayhem,” Ryo said, entering the kitchen with a smile. “Anyone who thinks Fae are troublesome never met an elf with elemental powers.”

Mom huffed and proceeded to add cream, sugar, and several pumps of flavored syrup she liked importing from Earth to her mug.

Ryo pressed against Mom’s back and wrapped his arms around her middle. “Want some coffee with all that sugar, Mel?” he asked with a deep chuckle. After Mom was finished sweetening her coffee, he poured himself a mug and put toast onto a plate.

Ronin traipsed in dressed in blue jeans and a hoodie.

Mom looked him over as she sat down at the table with our fathers. “And where were you last night, mister? You weren’t around when we went to bed. Your brother kept shrugging whenever I tried to get a location out of him, so I’m guessing he was trying to cover for something.”

I left Ronin to answer to Mom while I returned to our room to retrieve the large

shiny pink gift bag filled with goodies Ronin and I had picked out at the mall.

I lightly tapped on Melody’s door.

“Mom?”

“It’s Reed.”

“Go away!”

“I’ve come to apologize for being a pit head last night.”

“You’ve apologized. Now leave me alone,” she said from the other side of the door.

“I have gifts.”

Five seconds of silence ed before Melody opened her door. As soon as I stepped through the frame, she shut us in together. My sister’s bed was already made and her room tidied. I had to bite my tongue to prevent myself from teasing her about being a neat freak and suggesting she pop over to my room next to make my bed and Ronin’s.

The white sleigh bed had a rose-colored blanket with ruffles and like eight pillows. The walls were painted in alternating strips of pink, gray, and white, with a crystal chandelier overhead and glittery silver crown wall art above the bed. She had long silver sequined curtains that matched one of the square pillows on her bed. The pillow propped beside the shimmery square read: Nice Girls Sparkle.

Mom had no problem barging into my room, but she treated Melody’s domain as though it was the entrance to the tar pits of Swampia. Maybe Melody was on to something with her sparkly pink Mom repellent. It was amusing to see Mom struggle with it. She’d wanted a girl, and she’d gotten one—pink frills and all.

Melody stood in a pair of light pink sweatpants with a gray cotton tee with the words GIRL POWER printed three times down the front, watching me expectantly.

When I held out the gift bag, her eyes lit up. She snatched it and took it over to her bed. “What’s in here?”

“Why don’t you find out?” I smiled as I neared her bed and watched her pull out a faded pink denim jacket from bebe. The logo appeared in rhinestones on the back of the jacket.

Melody shrieked. “Oh my God! I love this so hard!”

That was the other thing about Melody—she was always using human lingo.

“What’s going on in there?” Mom called from the other side of the door.

Melody looked from the jacket to the door. “Nothing. Go away.”

“Melody,” Mom spoke in a warning tone.

“Go away, please.”

An audible huff blew over the other side of the door.

Melody held up the jacket, staring at the front, then the back.

“This is so cute!” She folded it carefully and set it on her covers. “What else is in here?”

I could feel a grin eating up my face as Melody pulled each item out of the bag and squealed. The trip to the mall had been way worth losing a couple hours of sleep.

One by one, she took out fruity-scented body mist, metallic pink lip shine, striped socks, bracelets, rhinestone hair clips, and even a barrette that read BADASS.

“There’s more,” she yelped as she dug through tissue paper. “It’s like a stocking at Christmas. I can’t believe you got me all this stuff.”

“Me and Ronin.” I smiled.

“You guys are the best!”

“Well, I mean, if you insist.”

“Shut up.” Melody laughed. She leapt off her bed and put the pink denim jacket on over her GIRL POWER tee. On her way to the door, she gave me a quick hug. I followed her out of her room. “You still have to tell me why you’re mad at Ronin.”

“I’m not mad at Ronin,” I said, entering the hall. “I was just giving him a hard time. That’s what siblings do, you know?”

“Not the two of you,” Melody said begrudgingly. “You’re like BFFs all the freaking time. It’s sickening.”

My sister ran ahead of me to the dining area and spun around. I entered in time to witness Mom’s rounded eyes of horror. She set down her mug.

“More pink?”

“Isn’t this the cutest denim jacket ever?” Melody squealed. “Reed got it for me.”

Ryo turned to Lyklor and whispered, “Did we forget a birthday?”

I puffed out my chest. “Nope, I’m just an awesome brother.”

“That jacket is really cool,” Lyklor said.

Mom picked up her mug and took a sip. “Well, it’s the thought that counts.”

“Mo-om,” Melody groaned.

Mom turned her attention to me. “Your brother says you ran into Zelie at a pub yesterday.”

I darted a glance at Ronin. Please tell me my brother didn’t kiss and tell. He gave me a half shrug.

“Yeah,” I said slowly.

“She shouldn’t be out drinking alone after having that tar stain of a forecaster

break up with her. Freaking pit head,” Mom said.

Melody put her hands on her hips and nodded. “Ren Norric is such a jerk face. I’m never speaking to him again.”

I laughed. “Because the two of you were on such frequent speaking before.”

“Well, if we were, we certainly wouldn’t be after this.” Melody flipped her long brown hair over her shoulder with practiced finesse.

“I think he’s a dickwad too,” I said.

“Watch what you say in front of your sister,” Lyklor onished.

Melody rolled her eyes. “Like I haven’t heard way worse around my friends.”

“Your mortal friends?” Lyklor clarified. When Melody said nothing, he frowned. “Maybe you need to spend less time on Earth.”

“Actually, I think Zelie could use a vacation from elves,” Melody countered. She turned to Mom. “Mom, can I invite Zelie and Fraya to spend a weekend at our Titan Beach condo?”

Mom rubbed her lips together and made a low humming sound. “That’s a nice sentiment, sweetie, but I’m not sure how comfortable I feel having you in the mortal realm without me or one of your fathers.”

“Fraya’s a parent,” Melody countered stubbornly.

“That’s not the same, and you know it,” Mom returned.

“She’s an adult, older than you were when you went on your first trip to Earth.”

As Mom and Melody argued, my mind painted a mental image of Zelie standing barefoot in the sand, wearing a skimpy string bikini in the sunshine. I glanced at my brother and wondered if the smile on his lips meant he was thinking what I was thinking.

“Ronin and I will go along as chaperones,” I said.

Ronin’s head bobbed in agreement.

Mom snorted. “Fraya and Zelie are a decade older than you.”

I scowled. “Seven years, not even that, Mom. Let’s not exaggerate the age difference.”

“This is supposed to be a girls’ vacay,” Melody whined. She squeezed her eyes together and blew air out through her nostrils.

“Then invite Aunt Aerith to go,” Mom said.

Melody, Ronin, and I all groaned in sync.

“What?” Mom asked, tilting her head slightly. “My sister loves the beach. Get her some of that piña colada mix, and she’ll be happy for days.”

Melody moved in front of Mom and stared into her face with pleading eyes. “Mom, please, please, please let me have a little hang time with Fraya and Zelie at the condo.”

Mom stared at Melody, looking deep in thought. She hadn’t said no outright, a fact that we all picked up on. “Mmm—” Mom started.

“I won’t wear pink for a week!” Melody pulled off one arm of her new jacket.

Mom chuckled. “You must really want to spend time on the mortal beach.”

“I want Fraya and Zelie to have a fun break,” Melody said stoically as she pulled her other arm free from the jacket, removing it completely. She folded it carefully and hugged it against her middle.

Mom considered her a moment before reaching to touch Melody’s cheek. “Such a big heart. Put your new jacket back on, sweetie. If Fraya and Zelie are available to spend time with you at the condo, then I don’t see the harm in a little getaway.”

Melody squealed and threw her arms around Mom’s middle. “Thanks, Mom. You’re like the best ever.”

“For the moment,” Lyklor said under his breath from the table.

“Mom”—I stepped forward—“I still think Ronin and I should be there to watch out for Melody.”

Mom shook her head. “Let the girls have their fun. I’m sure Alok would appreciate it if you and your brother popped in while Fraya’s away.”

Yeah. No. Sorry, Cousin Alok, but it was my turn to kiss Zelie, and I planned on collecting at my earliest convenience.

CHAPTER SEVEN

Zelie

Sunlight glanced off the ocean waves, shimmering across a watery expanse that extended past the horizon. I couldn’t stop staring, transfixed by the blueness of the water and heat of the sun. Seated on the edge of a towel, I dug my toes into the fine grains of pale cream sand.

From several paces away, Melody and Fraya whacked a birdie back and forth with bton rackets. I was well versed in human sports and games, having spent so much of my youth playing with Lark and all the imports his family brought over from the human world.

But visiting Earth was something entirely different.

Melody’s family’s condo towered three stories high directly on the beach. Glass ocean-facing walls showcased unobstructed views of the Pacific. I’d never imagined anything so fancy, with granite countertops in the kitchen and bathrooms, bamboo flooring, a large open floor plan, vessel sinks, modern furnishings, and exquisite light fixtures that turned on and off with the flick of a switch. All of it made my cottage look like a hovel in comparison.

When we were kids, Lark had once invited me on a trip to Earth with his family, but my parents had said, “Never happening.”

Well, I don’t have to ask their permission this time, I thought as I burrowed my toes deeper into the warm sand. A deep feeling of satisfaction and sadness filled

my heart. It wasn’t like my mom and dad had been around to ask.

I blinked the thought away and concentrated on the melodic sound of the crashing surf, taking it in for several minutes before picking up my sketch pad and pencil behind me on the towel. I shaded in the rise of the waves and the way they curled in as they headed for shore. As soon as I returned home, I planned to do watercolors of the beach. Hopefully, I’d be able to capture the light blue hues of the water and brightness of the sky.

Fraya and Melody kept the birdie moving back and forth as though the object of the game was to work together to keep the birdie airborne rather than to win a point. I loved being around them, especially since I didn’t have any siblings or cousins of my own. The Elmrays had always felt like a second family to me. As a young elf, I’d fantasized countless times about being a real actual part of their family. Zelie Elmray: mated to Lark and mother of five beautiful children. I’d be able to call Melarue “Mom” during all the family holidays and special occasions we’d spend together.

The tears that typically welled up anytime I let my mind wander into the realm of what might have been didn’t appear. This was a first. Instead, a blast of pleasure flared up my thighs. The memory of Ronin’s kiss tingled on the tip of my tongue. I moistened my lips, thinking of the firm press of his mouth on mine. I called back the sensation of his hands on my hips and my neck.

Thank Sky he wasn’t here. It was one thing to make out with him in the dark after drinking, quite another to do so in the full light of day—while staying at his parents’ Earth dwelling. I should have let him walk away instead of pouncing on him like I’d been through a dry spell for two years rather than two days. (More like two months there at the end with Ren.) Gah. And now, supposedly, Reed expected me to do the same with him.

I pushed the sunglasses Melody had lent me up my nose until the dark lenses were practically touching my eyeballs. I needed to find a way to purchase a pair before we left. Maybe I could buy them from Melody with my elven coins. We didn’t have eye shades back home. I liked how no one could see my eyes when they were on. I might need these the next time Reed and Ronin showed up at the Pitch and Roll.

Melody’s assurance that this trip was “girls only” (with the added stipulation of “girls under thirty”) had helped sway my decision to take a break five days before my class’s reunion ball. We were way ahead of schedule. A few days off wouldn’t change a thing. It didn’t alter the fact that I no longer had a date. I deserved this getaway, at least according to Melody and Fraya—both of whom could be extremely convincing when they wanted to be.

On the next serve, Fraya bounced the birdie on her racket strings and caught it one-handed. She nodded in my direction. “How about we all take a dip?”

I set my sketch pad behind me. Fraya and Melody pulled off their shorts. I followed their lead, stripping down to the tight green and floral-patterned material Melody referred to as a “swimsuit.”

The Elmrays kept a whole closet filled with swimwear, beach clothes, and sandals for guests to borrow. Melody had also glamoured all our ears to appear rounded to mortals during our stay on Earth.

The three of us walked into the water. A wave rushed in, submerging my ankles and dragging at my feet as the tide receded. As we waded in deeper, the water caressed my legs with its constant motion. When we were up to our waists in water, Melody grabbed ahold of my hand and Fraya’s. Even at twelve, she was practically as tall as I was. She wore a pink two-piece and heart-shaped

sunglasses that she mostly kept on her head rather than over her eyes. Melody, like her brothers, was a ball of energy. She hadn’t stopped smiling since our arrival.

“Let’s swim out there,” she said, pointing in the distance.

Fraya pursed her lips. “Um, Melody, I don’t think Zelie can swim.”

“It’s okay,” I said. “You two go. I’m perfectly content to bob in the ocean right here.”

Melody shook her head. “No way. We stick together. Let’s jump waves!”

To demonstrate, Melody propelled herself straight up into the air as the next wave rolled over us.

Fraya and I ed in, jumping as high as we could go with each incoming wave. Soon, we were all laughing. A satisfying ache entered my cheeks from all the smiling.

“I have to say I’m really loving the mortal world.”

Melody jumped up ahead of the wave. “Isn’t California the best?”

I looked back at the sandy beach going up and down the coast for miles. “It’s something special.”

We had arrived in the mortal world during the afternoon. The following day, Melody had a busy itinerary planned for us—starting with a morning trip to a swanky spa. Water trickled from wall fountains, and flames danced from dozens of tea lights in the relaxation room.

Fraya, Melody, and I sat in cushy chairs in matching plush flip-flops, naked beneath soft robes while waiting to be called in for our appointments. Melody had booked herself a spa pedicure, Fraya a facial, and for me, well, they said it was a surprise.

I sank into my seat, legs stretched, ankles crossed, and sipped from a flute of bubbly wine. Fraya had one, as well, while Melody drank something called “soda.”

“This is the life,” I said.

Melody set her glass on a side table and grinned. “Just wait until this afternoon. We’re all getting highlights at the salon, followed by makeovers, shopping, then dres for the best Italian food in Titan Beach. After that, gelato.”

“Gelato?” Fraya asked, her blonde head perking up.

“What’s gelato?” I asked.

“You’re going to love it,” Melody assured me.

“You know I’m up for anything.”

“That’s what we love about you,” Fraya said. “Just those words after your spa experience this morning,” she added with a chuckle.

“What have you signed me up for?” I asked.

Fraya flashed me a smirk and returned to sipping her bubbly wine.

A young woman with purple hair pulled up high on her head entered the room, smiling brightly. “Melody, ready for your spa pedicure?”

Melody leapt to her feet. “Later, gators!” she said over her shoulder as she left.

I lifted my glass and took another sip. “You know, I wouldn’t mind just sitting in here all morning drinking.”

Fraya grinned. “This is relaxing, but just wait until your spa appointment. You’ll be relaxed on a whole new level.”

“Should I be concerned?”

“Nope.”

We tipped back our glasses. When I lowered my flute, a tanned, toned young man dressed all in white walked in, smiling warmly.

“Zelie?” he asked, looking between me and Fraya.

My eyes widened. I looked at Fraya, who smirked and pointed at me.

“Ready for your full-body Swedish massage?”

My what massage?

I stood up slowly, darting a glance at Fraya, who lifted her flute of bubbly wine and said, “Enjoy,” throwing in a wink.

I downed the remainder of my bubbly wine and set it on a table as I followed the young man out of the relaxation room. His short-sleeved white shirt showed off the sculpted muscles in his arms. He had close-cropped light brown hair, perfectly neat at the nape of his neck.

“My name’s Keith,” the hunky human said as he led me down a dim hallway lined with closed doors.

“I’m Zelie. Oh, wait. You already know that.” A soft chuckle blew past my lips.

Keith turned his head to smile at me. “Are you here on holiday, Zelie?”

“Yes. First time in the—to California, that is. It’s a beautiful—” Pit! What had Melody called it? It wasn’t a town or a province. I thought it started with an s. When my mind came back blank, I tossed out, “place.”

“I’m pretty new here myself,” Keith said. “When I visited from Iowa, I knew there was no going back to my hometown.” I nodded like I knew the area to which he referred. My head was still bobbing when he asked, “Where are you from?”

“Me? Oh, um.” I searched my brain for places Lark had mentioned vacationing when we were kids.

“England.”

Keith cocked his head to the side and squinted at me. Was that not a place?

“That’s—” He gave me a hard stare. “I wouldn’t have guessed the UK. You don’t have an accent.”

I forced a smile and shrugged. I kinda wanted to run back to the relaxation room. Maybe next time, Melody could glamour my mouth along with my ears. After this, I needed to stick with my friends. Clearly, I didn’t know how to fit in.

Keith opened a door and beckoned me into a dimly lit room that smelled like lavender fields. There was a padded table covered in white blankets in the middle. Soft, soothing music filled the small chamber.

“Go ahead and remove your robe, then settle in beneath the blanket. I will return momentarily.” My mouth gaped open as Keith stepped back. He nodded at the wall. “You can hang your robe on one of the hooks.”

He left, swiftly closing the door behind him before I could utter an objection. What in the great blue sky had Fraya and Melody gotten me into? If I had to guess, this was probably more Fraya’s idea than Melody’s. My friend had taken too keen an interest in helping her younger cousin plan out our spa appointments.

But I’d meant it when I said I was up for anything. Swiftly, I yanked off my robe, shoved it onto a hook, and dove onto the table, pulling the blanket up to my chin.

Lavender-scented steam rose from a contraption in the corner. The blanket felt like a luxurious cloud covering my body as I floated above the floor. Obviously, this wasn’t some kind of torture chamber. I closed my eyes and breathed evenly. A light knock came at the door before Keith entered. He didn’t make any more conversation beyond the occasional narration of his techniques or instructions to turn onto my belly and place my face into the round pillow with the hole in the center.

The scent of coconut ed the lavender as Keith oiled my body, rubbing the stiffness right out of my neck and kneading my flesh with skilled fingers. At first, I tried to muffle my groans of ecstasy, but after a while, I stopped caring. I was in a state of complete and utter relaxation.

State!

That was it. California was a state. I was starting to get the hang of this whole human thing after all.

After massaging my back, thighs, legs, and feet, Keith had me turn onto my back. He placed warm towels over my eyes that had me sighing happily. Oh, sweetberries. Sweet mangos, I amended, thinking of Ronin. I was beginning to think that I’d dreamed our kiss. I imagined Ronin’s hands skimming my breasts —Ronin’s and Reed’s, working together to explore every inch of my body.

Yep, that bubbly wine had gone straight to my head. I smiled happily as Keith massaged my shoulders and scalp. I no longer felt like I was in my body. This spa stuff was magical. We really needed a similar service in the elven realm.

After the hour was up, and I was in my robe again, I felt as though my feet no longer touched the floor, like I was floating back to the relaxation room.

“Make sure to drink plenty of water,” Keith said after leading me back. “Nice meeting you, Zelie. Enjoy the rest of your holiday.”

Melody waved at me from a seat in the corner, where she had a magazine open on her lap. I smiled and ed her.

“Nice color,” I said, iring her freshly painted toenails in metallic pink.

“Isn’t it fun?” Melody lifted her legs and held them steady above the ground. “How was your massage?”

Fraya echoed her question the moment she returned from her facial.

“Out of this world,” I said.

Melody tossed the magazine aside and jumped out of her chair. “Let’s get dressed and have a light bite before we go to the salon.”

Several hours later, I had copper and gold highlights brightening up my brown hair. Fraya had opted for similar colors in her blonde hair, while Melody was the more adventurous one going for pink streaks in her brown locks.

Our young guide next herded us into a dress shop and proceeded to select gowns for me to try on with the help of a sales clerk. I didn’t have human money to buy anything, but Melody was so insistent, and so excited, that I relented.

When I stepped out of the dressing room in a clingy red silk gown, Melody gasped and pressed her hands against her heart. “You look like such a hot babe, Zelie. Oh my gosh! Ren is going to be so sorry he let you get away when he sees you at your reunion ball. He’s going to feel like the dumbest dum-dum on planet elf.”

Fraya snorted. She turned to me and smiled. “Melody’s right. You look like hot stuff. All the males are going to be drooling.”

“Fuck yeah!”

“Melody!” Fraya onished.

“Oops.” Melody covered her mouth. Lowering her hand, she grinned sheepishly.

I glanced at my reflection in the mirror, hardly recognizing myself in the gorgeous gown with soft waves of highlighted hair tumbling down my shoulders. “I don’t even know if I should go without a date.”

“Alok can take you,” Fraya offered.

I winced. “Thanks, but I actually think that would feel worse.”

Melody nodded. “I hear you, Zelie. We can’t have you being escorted by a mated male. I’ll compel someone smoking hot from the mortal realm. Oh! An actor! I

was just reading an interview with Adam Hagenbuch. He is super mega cute, and he has a sense of humor, which is important.”

Fraya wrapped her arm around her cousin. “Melody, while I appreciate the way you think, that’s not going to work.”

Melody frowned. “Why not? Oh. Right. No one in Pinemist will know who Adam Hagenbuch is.” She rubbed her lips together in thought. “But he’s cute and funny. So what if the elves in Zelie’s class don’t realize they’re in the presence of a celebrity? He still makes a hot date.”

Fraya cleared her throat. “I don’t doubt this Hagenbuch human is cute. It’s the whole compelling—and kidnapping—scenario that I question.”

“I’d return him,” Melody said sweetly.

Fraya laughed. I groaned.

Is this what it had come to? I had to have a male compelled to want to spend an evening with me?

“Maybe I should skip the dance altogether,” I said.

“No way,” Fraya growled. “You put too much work into planning your reunion ball to miss out.”

“Plus, you look way too hot,” Melody chimed in.

“That too.”

Tears of love filled my eyes. “Did I ever tell you that you two are the best?” I asked.

“Aw, we heart you back.” Fraya pulled her arm from Melody to come plant a kiss on my cheek. “Now let’s see how you look in the green-and-gold gown. It’s perfect for an enchanted forest ball, wouldn’t you agree, Melody?”

Melody twirled a strand of pink-and-brown hair around her finger and gave me an appraising once-over. “Definitely. But whichever dress you decide on, it’s my treat. I insist. You’ll upset me if you don’t accept my gift.”

“Um.” Unsure what to say, I rushed Melody and gave her a big hug.

I’d find a way to repay her kindness. Perhaps I would knit her a pink scarf for the fall or sew some extra sparkles into her favorite clothes.

Early that evening, we returned to the condo and got ready for dinner. Fraya and I selected short strappy dresses from the shared closet. The weather felt so deliciously warm that I left off any undergarments.

The condo’s convenient location put us within walking distance of the coastal town’s adorable shopping district filled with cafés and romantic little restaurants.

Fraya and I shared a bottle of red wine. My friend was more of a wine sipper, while I was a drinker. Before our pasta dinners reached the table, I was pretty sure I’d swallowed down over half the bottle. I was starting to feel giggly. Fraya and Melody were all smiles and laughs, so I figured it was all good.

Our waiter and his helper delivered hot plates and set them on the white tablecloth. Upon hearing Melody’s enthused recommendation, I’d ordered the homemade gnocchi in an herbed buttery cream sauce. Each bite was euphoric.

“Oh, my Sky,” I groaned after my fifth bite. “Can we come back tomorrow?”

Fraya laughed as she twirled her fork around angel hair pasta marinated in tomato sauce and parmesan shavings.

“Too bad you hate it here.” She smirked.

“It’s truly awful. Horrible,” I returned, playing along.

Melody grabbed a breadstick from a basket in the center of the table and waved it in front of her face. “But seriously, are you guys having a great time?” Her eager voice tugged at my heartstrings. She was such a sweetie.

“This is the most fun I’ve had in I don’t know how long,” I itted.

“Same,” Fraya said as she reached for the wine. “Moms need breaks too.” She poured wine into her glass and took a large sip before setting it down. “I suppose dads do as well. It’s probably time I hit up my parents for babysitting so Alok and I can get away for some quality time.”

“You know I’m always game to stay with Amelia and Titus,” I said.

“Yes, but I value our friendship too much.” When Fraya’s eyes met mine, we both burst out laughing.

We were all still giggling when we returned to the condo with our small plastic bowls of gelato . . . right up until we discovered Reed and Ronin lounging in the living room.

CHAPTER EIGHT

Zelie

Ronin sat on the edge of a chair, dressed in ripped jeans and a fitted T-shirt, strumming a measured tune on a guitar. I could tell it was him by the playful smile he offered me. It made my palms warm. If he kept looking at me that way, my gelato was going to melt before I got a chance to finish eating the cool, creamy, strawberry-flavored goodness.

Reed was sprawled out on the couch in khaki shorts and a royal-blue shortsleeved top that was unbuttoned over his bare, tanned, muscled chest. He looked me over with assessing brown eyes, a wicked smile playing over his lips as each lingering second dragged on between us.

“What the freak berries?” Melody shrieked. She stomped into the middle of the living room and slammed her hands over her hips. “What are you two buttholes doing here? Now? Crashing my girls-only getaway?”

Ronin’s fingers slipped on the guitar strings. Fraya choked out a laugh.

Reed’s smile withered as he flicked a cool gaze over his little sister. Ronin set his guitar on the ground beside his chair. “We come in peace,” he said, spreading his arms wide. “We wanted to make sure you ladies were doing all right.”

“We were until you showed up,” Melody informed him hotly. “Now go home.”

“We are home,” Reed said.

“Back to Pinemist.” Melody pointed to the door as though the elven realm were just down the street.

Reed scooted to the edge of the couch, eyes locked with his sister. “I think we should ask Zelie.” He turned his eyes on me. “Zelie, do you mind if Ronin and I stick around?”

“Nuh-uh,” I said, shaking my head at him. “I’m not getting involved. I’ll be in the corner, enjoying my strawberry gelato before it melts away.”

Ronin leapt to his feet. “Allow me, Zelie.” He zipped to my side and gave my plastic cup a quick tap. When I next looked down, my gelato was once more frozen.

“Cool,” I said.

“Exactly.” Ronin offered me the cutest smile. I had to turn away before I stared at his lips a second longer.

I took a seat on a corner chair and pretended to eat my gelato. Tasty as it was, the twins were proving to be an unsettling distraction that had my tummy rising and falling like the waves outside the glass walls.

“We brought Frozen II, and your favorite gummy snacks—those sugared peach ones,” Ronin said to his sister.

“And a big bag of that kettle popcorn you love,” Reed threw in.

Melody huffed.

“I don’t mind if they stay,” Fraya said.

Melody narrowed her eyes, glaring at Reed, then Ronin. Several seconds ed before her shoulders relaxed. “Fine, but we have to start with Frozen I because Zelie’s never seen it.”

I’d never seen any human movies. I could still picture the comical way Melody’s jaw dropped when I asked her what the collection of thin colorful plastic cases were on a shelf beside a jumbo screen she explained was a television.

“Let’s make it a PJ party,” Fraya suggested.

Melody squealed. “Oh my gosh! Yes! Help yourself to any of the guest jammies, and we’ll meet back in the living room in about ten.”

“She means minutes,” Ronin supplied, as Melody zoomed out of the living room and raced up the stairs.

“Come on, Zelie,” Fraya said, taking my hand. “Let’s slip into something more comfortable.”

“Make sure to point out the lingerie drawer to Zelie,” Reed called after us.

“Sure thing, pervert,” Fraya returned.

I would have laughed off a comment like that in the past, but tonight my ovaries were doing an exotic dance number.

Fraya had the guest room with the large walk-in closet stocked with clothing in multiple sizes for borrowing. My guest chamber was directly across from hers. We were on the middle floor, along with Melody. I assumed the closed doors I’d seen were the twins’ chamber and Lark’s, since Melody had told me that the entire top floor belonged to her parents and was “off-limits.” The last part was said with air quotes, followed by, “Wanna see the top floor?”

Fraya bent down to open the bottom drawer in the closet. Unaccustomed to the heat, I’d slept naked the night before. That wasn’t happening tonight. I leaned in for a peek at the cute pajama sets. Fraya selected a long pair of soft black pants with tiny white dots and a matching button-up top. I went for a violet satin camisole and shorts.

“There’s a matching robe if you want,” Fraya offered.

“I run hot, but thanks,” I said.

I went to my own guest chamber to change, closing the door behind me. The exquisite green-and-gold empire-waist gown that Melody had insisted on buying for me was still draped over the bed. Before heading out to dinner, I’d stood staring at the enchanting dress, imagining myself showing up to the reunion ball. Who needed a date with a dress like this? Not me. Nope. Everyone would be too busy iring my Earth frock to waste their thoughts on my single status.

Heaving a sigh, I changed out of the dress I’d worn to dinner. The satin jammies felt smooth and cool on my skin. Perfect. Well, maybe a little too showy with the twins in residence.

I returned to Fraya’s room and said, “You know, maybe I will take the robe.” I grabbed the long-sleeved sheath of satin from the closet and put it on, tying the belt loosely around my middle. It was too short to cover my legs, but I’d seen plush blankets draped over the living sofas and chairs downstairs.

We descended into a darkened living room. The television screen glowed over the furnishings. Reed and Ronin were still dressed in their human daywear. Melody sat cross-legged in front of the coffee table, which was now covered in popcorn and candy.

“Fraya. Zelie. Help yourselves.”

I looked at the goodies and groaned. “I think the gelato did me in.”

“Are you sure it wasn’t the gnocchi?” Fraya teased. She flashed me a devious grin. “I think the pasta may have given Zelie an orgasm.”

“I told you it was the best ever,” Melody said triumphantly.

I kept my attention focused on her rather than risk looking at either of the twins with the word orgasm floating around the room.

Reed scooted to the end of the couch and said, “Plenty of room here.”

I swiped a blanket and arranged it over my legs as I sat on the opposite end of the couch.

Fraya sat on the floor beside Melody and grabbed a handful of popcorn from the table. “Excited to watch your first movie, Zelie?” she asked.

“We should be watching something with high-budget action, like Guardians of the Galaxy, for Zelie’s first show, not a cartoon,” Reed said.

“Shut up,” Melody said. “Frozen is my favorite movie. Zelie’s going to love it. And you should be ing another ice elemental, even if she is a cartoon, Frosty.” Melody stuck her tongue out at Reed.

“Children,” Fraya chided.

Reed sighed. “Let’s just watch the movie, shall we?”

Fraya grabbed a black object from the table and jabbed it with her finger. Music and movement started up on the screen. I stared, transfixed at the bright colored drawings of humans speaking, leaping, and singing. The distraction was enough for me to relax into the sofa and enjoy being with my friends. It felt like old times. Even the bickering. Especially the bickering. This was my happy place. Right here. Right now.

Reed and Ronin behaved themselves until Elsa made it snow on screen. A snowball flew across the room and smacked Ronin in the face. Ronin retaliated. When Melody laughed, the twins grinned at her before leaning back to allow the movie to play out.

When Melody started singing along softly to the next song, Fraya flashed me a secretive smile and went back to munching popcorn.

“Hey, Melody, it’s your boyfriend,” Ronin announced when a big, muscular blond man appeared in a mountain scene.

“You’re crushing on a cartoon, cuz?” Fraya teased.

Melody huffed. “Don’t be dissing Kristoff.” She scooped popcorn off the table and crunched it up while watching the screen.

At the end of the show, Fraya yawned. Melody twisted around and grinned at me. “What did you think, Zelie? Did you love it?”

“I did,” I said, nodding. “That was a lot of fun.”

“And you don’t even have to wait to see Frozen II.” Melody jumped to her feet and hurried over to the screen. She bent down and switched out the reflective silver discs.

Fraya stretched her arms over her head and let out a lengthy yawn. Standing up, she offered me a lazy smile. “I’m calling it a night. See you in the morning.”

“Sleep well,” I said.

“Goodnight, Fraya.” Melody waved at her and started the next movie. She stretched out over the floor rug on her belly.

Ronin grabbed the blanket from the back of his chair, got up, and spread it over Melody’s back.

“Thanks, bro,” Melody said. She lifted her legs from the knees up and kicked them back and forth during the opening scene. A bit later, her legs were down, head resting against her hands, and her eyes closed.

Moonlight reflected on the ocean outside, casting a hypnotic glow over the

gentle waves. I tried to keep my eyes on the screen. The waft of the ceiling fan caressed my cheeks. It would have felt good on my legs, but being practically alone with the twins made me think twice about uncovering.

Reed glanced down at his sister, then looked at Ronin. He cleared his throat. “Mind getting me a glass of water?”

Ronin looked away from the television, lips pursed. He gave me a quick look and nodded once at his brother before leaving the room.

My skin prickled, and sweat beaded behind my knees. “Ronin didn’t want to offer me water?” I tried to say in a joking voice.

Reed scooted over to the middle cushion and let his legs fall open until one knee pressed against my blanket. “That was code for Ronin to make himself scarce.” I could feel the color ri my neck. Reed leaned closer and inhaled, his eyelashes fluttering slightly as he breathed me in. “You smell like coconuts.”

I had to force myself not to squirm beneath the blanket. “I got a massage.”

Reed smiled as he stared at my face. “I really like your hair.”

“Thanks.”

“Am I making you nervous?”

“Please.” I snorted and rolled my eyes.

Reed placed his hand on my blanket, right over my thigh. “Is this okay?” he asked, suddenly sounding not so self-assured. His eyes searched mine. For all his swagger, Reed Elmray was still a young buck seeking approval.

“Don’t you need to win a game of darts or something before you’re allowed to feel me up?”

“Feel you—” Reed’s mouth hung open. He snapped it closed. A flash of brilliance entered his eyes. It had to have come from the television screen, but the effect was bewitching.

“I’m joking,” I said.

“What my brother and I feel for you is no joke, Zelie,” Reed spoke in a low growl.

“I’m the older female you grew up around. I get it. I’m taboo. It’s exciting . . . for now.” My heart clenched as I spoke the words.

Reed removed his hand from my thigh and looked me over soberly. “Why is this taboo?”

“Because I’m older.”

“Is that the only reason? You’re not that old, Zelie, and my brother and I aren’t that young anymore.”

I chewed on my lower lip and stared at the moving images on the screen. Was that the only reason? Why did the thought of my parents finding out fill me with shame? When I was ten years old, my father had flat-out told me he didn’t want to see me end up with a Fae of any kind, not even half-Fae. His meaning had been clear: Don’t get any ideas about Lark. My dad would never in a million years expect anything to happen between me, Ronin, and Reed. They were younger, and then there was the whole sharing thing.

My fingers curled tightly over the blanket. “I would never want to make anything awkward between me and your family or Fraya. You guys are like family to me. That’s really important. Do you understand?”

The movie continued playing, but it felt as though a hush had fallen over the room. I darted a glance at Reed, expecting a frown of some sort, but the blackhaired male offered me a friendly smile and slight bob of his head.

He stood and held his hand out to me. “Come on. Let’s go for a walk on the beach.”

My heart skipped a beat when I looked from Reed to the glass wall and beach beyond. “Right now?”

“Yeah. Night is the best time to enjoy the beach, because no one else is around. Plus, the temperature is perfect.”

It sounded romantic, which was exactly the route I was trying hard to avoid. But the quiet calm and cooling air did sound tempting. I only had two more days in the mortal world. It had taken me this long to visit. Who knew how long it would be before I made it back?

I pushed the blanket aside and took Reed’s hand, letting go as soon as I was on my feet. “I need to put something on.”

“Nah.” Reed shook his head. “You’re fine like that.”

“You would say that.”

“This is Southern California—land of bikinis and shorts. Trust me; you’re fine. Plus, it stays warm out all night. Come on.” He headed out of the living room without a backward glance.

With one last look at Melody snoozing on the floor, I followed after Reed.

When I stepped outside, the ocean breeze drifted up my bare legs. Reed stood with his hands in his pockets, back to me, facing the water. I walked to his side and looked across the starlit waves.

“It is so beautiful here,” I said.

“Ronin and I can bring you back anytime.”

I lifted a brow and started walking through the sand. “Come on, Reed. Let’s take a walk.”

“Can I hold your hand?” he asked, pulling his hands free from his pockets.

“No.”

Reed let out an exasperated sigh. “It’s not fair that you kissed my brother and not me, you know.”

I chuckled at his tenacity. It was nice being outside, away from the Elmrays’ condo. With each step, I felt emboldened in a way that sent little bursts of excitement zapping through my body. A wild part of me wanted to strip off my nightie and run into the ocean as Reed chased me down.

I fiddled with the sash around my waist, retightening the knot, as though that would stop me from doing something foolish. “I should have never kissed Ronin,” I said.

“But you did, and why not? Ronin’s an excellent kisser, nearly as good as I am. Not that you’d know.”

I laughed. “Oh my gosh, you don’t stop.”

“It’s going to make me crazy if I have to spend the rest of my days knowing Ronin got to kiss you, but I never did.”

“The torture,” I said with a laugh.

Reed huffed, but the dark wasn’t enough to hide his smile. “Doesn’t matter. I’ll always be here for you, Zelie. Anything you need, my brother and I will take care of it.”

I looked away, staring down the empty beach. Along the shore, condos lined the sandy paradise, dark against the night with a few low lights spilling through glass walls here and there. The lulling waves weren’t enough to wash away the sadness that returned. I’d felt lonely for so long. Even with Ren, I’d never felt like we were truly partners.

Reed ran his hand through his hair. “Melody told us you don’t have a date to your reunion ball. Ronin and I would like to take you, if you’ll let us. Or just one of us, if you’re embarrassed to show up with two dates. We’ll understand. I’ll even understand if you choose Ronin. Personally, I think two sexy princes would be more impressive, but if we’re too much to handle—”

“Reed!” I said, spinning around to face him. “Shut up and kiss me.”

Moonlight appeared to shine through his dark brown eyes as Reed’s voice faded into the next wave that crashed to shore and spread across the sand toward us.

The night darkened with the sweep of Reed’s black hair closing in. After I’d finally given him permission, he didn’t hesitate to rush in. His mouth was devouring. His tongue probed as his hands explored. Cool palms found their way inside the short robe and up my satin cami. My nipples tightened and peaked at the touch of his icy fingers. Reed swallowed my gasp.

I grabbed on to his hair and kissed him roughly.

We ended up in the sand, Reed on top of me, our bodies grinding like a couple of horny teenage elves. When it felt like we were both about to suffocate on our kisses, we took gasping breaths before going in for more.

I wrapped my legs around Reed’s hips and locked my ankles above his ass.

“Zelie,” he groaned into my neck.

When he rocked against me, I moaned in encouragement. Oh, sweetberries. The princeling was young, but he knew what he was doing.

Reed’s hands splayed beneath my breasts, sending a chill through my veins. My nipples turned blistering cold.

“Don’t you dare give me frostbite,” I warned.

“Never. I’ll fix this,” Reed rasped.

He dragged his lips from my mouth then ran his hot tongue from my navel up my chest, pushing the satin cami upward as he worked his way to my breasts. Warmth enveloped first one hard tip, followed by the other. I moaned as shocks of frigid cold turned into molten heat. Reed’s hot tongue lathered my areola, then withdrew from my breast, replaced by a frosty breath, followed by his searing lips and teeth.

Using my legs, I pulled Reed against me, rubbing our pelvises together as I dug my fingers into his back.

Reed cussed. A porch light went on, and we froze as foggy light stretched toward our entwined bodies.

Reed lifted his head. “It’s just the neighbor letting out his dog.”

I pushed Reed off me and scrambled to my feet. “We shouldn’t be doing this out here, anyway.”

“Oh?” Reed asked, eyes gleaming as he stood up and brushed sand off his legs. “Where should we be doing it?”

Arg. “Nowhere. You got your kiss.” Finding the sash loose, I hurried to retie it around my waist. Reed watched me with hungry eyes. “Anyway, it’s late,” I said. “We should go to bed.”

“Yours or mine?”

Laughter erupted from my lips. “Oh my gosh, you’re unbearable. You know that, right?”

“I need a chance to show up that gnocchi.”

“Good luck competing with pasta.” I laughed again, feeling lighthearted.

The twins always knew how to put me in a good mood, even before all the kissing, which I really couldn’t complain about. They were both eager, attentive, and undeniably attractive. Oh, sweetberries. What had I gotten myself into?

Reed smiled. “I love the sound of your laugh. You’re beautiful when you smile.” His voice dropped. “You’re always beautiful, Zelie.”

My heart zinged. “You’re sweet,” I said, trying to brush away the butterflies that were having babies inside my belly. Baby butterflies fluttering all around, swarming my heart.

“Yeah, uh, I’m not sure sweet’s the right word choice.” Reed pushed stray

strands of black hair away from his face.

“Well, I think you have a big heart,” I insisted, leading the way back to the condo.

Reed matched my steps. When we reached the small patio on the ground floor of the condo, he jogged ahead and opened the sliding door for me. I took tentative steps into the living room and peered inside. The movie had finished, and Melody was still asleep on the floor.

“Should we carry her to bed?” I whispered to Reed.

He shook his head. When his lips touched my ear, I shivered. “We tried that once. It’s not a good idea to startle my sister. She turns into a Tasmanian Ninja Turtle on Red Bull if you wake her up from a deep sleep.”

“I’m not sure what all that means, but it sounds lethal,” I said, holding back a laugh at the image that popped into my head of Melody turning supernova on her brothers.

We tiptoed up the stairs. The hall was dark without a trace of light beneath any of the closed doors.

“Is your brother asleep?” I whispered, looking at the two doors that had remained closed since my arrival. I wondered if the twins shared a room or if they each had their own.

Reed snorted. “Probably. Dude loves his sleep. Head hits the pillow and—” Reed snapped his fingers. “Out like a light, or lamp as they say back home.”

I studied his face in the dark. “Do you think of Pinemist as home? Or Dahlquist? Or here in the mortal realm?”

Reed stared at me for several seconds before answering, “Definitely Pinemist.”

His answer enveloped my heart in warmth. Despite the age difference, I liked having Reed and Ronin around. The more time they spent in Pinemist, the more likely we’d get chances to hang out. Maybe more. I wasn’t sure. My body was screaming yes while my mind cautioned no. I didn’t want to think about what my heart was saying.

Time for bed. Yep. Off to the safety of slumberland.

“Good night, Reed,” I said, dashing into my chamber and shoving the door closed before I lost all common sense and dragged him into bed with me.

CHAPTER NINE

Reed

It’s you, Zelie, I thought as the beautiful elf shut her bedroom door in my face.

You’re my home.

Being around her did something to me. What I felt for Zelie wasn’t some fleeting childhood crush. I was in it for the long haul. I needed her to understand that. To take this seriously.

Sky above, the sounds she made when we kissed and touched was the sweetest medley my ears had ever heard.

But how did I show her what I truly felt in my heart without scaring her away?

If she rejected my advances, that was one thing.

Rejecting my feelings . . . That wasn’t something I’d bounce back from. Ronin and I had crushed on Zelie for so many years that we’d formed an attachment, a lasting bond, whether Zelie realized it or not.

I brushed my teeth, took a leak, and slipped inside the bedroom I shared with

Ronin.

“Well?” my twin demanded, sitting up in bed and folding his arms over his bare chest.

“You’re still awake?”

“Of course I’m awake. What happened?”

“Are you sure you want to know?”

Ronin lifted his brows. “We’re in this together.”

“We kissed.”

“And?”

“Things got frisky.”

Ronin growled. “You’d better be treating our female with respect.”

“Of course I am,” I said, glaring at Ronin. “Anyway, she liked it. She’s a grown female with needs, you know.” I stripped out of my clothes and tossed them at the laundry hamper.

“I know how to pleasure a female, Reed. Being a virgin doesn’t mean I’m without skills. Sex is the easy part.”

“So easy you’ve never gotten laid,” I muttered under my breath.

A snowball whacked me on the side of the head, breaking apart on impact and scattering over my covers. “Hey! Mind the blanket.” Ronin lifted his palm and formed another snowball. “Don’t you dare.”

“Zelie’s mine next,” the twat said.

“Zelie’s ours,” I reminded him.

“You had your time with her. Now it’s my turn.”

Pitberries! Ronin and I had made a pact as kids that no female would ever come between us. There were plenty of twins in the worlds who wanted their own lives and individuality. We were each our own unique beings, but we were also a team, Team Twin for life. At least, that’s what we’d been planning all our lives.

I sat heavily on the edge of my bed and stared across the five-foot space that

separated my bed from Ronin’s. “We made a pact,” I reminded him.

Water dripped down Ronin’s arm as the snowball melted in his hand. I could tell it was taking all of his willpower not to lob it at me.

“So, how do we make this work?” he asked.

I glanced at the door, then back at him. “We share, and I don’t mean taking turns. We. Share.”

Our eyes locked.

“You mean—”

“Yep.”

As my meaning settled in, a wicked grin lifted Ronin’s lips. The snowball puddled in his palm. He shook his arm over the side of his bed, dispensing droplets of chilly water—some of which splattered over my legs.

I pushed my cover aside. The top blanket was slightly damp from Ronin’s damn snowball. I settled onto my back and stretched my arms behind my head. “Sweet dreams, bro.”

I stared at the ceiling, unable to sleep because it wasn’t dreams but recent activities of the very real variety that were the sweetest of all.

Morning light flooded through the glass walls. Outside, waves crashed, gulls called, and the endless blue sky stretched on for an eternity.

Thin strips of bacon sizzled from the frying pan over a gas oven. I had another skillet beside it with hash browns, and a third ready to heat up for the eggs I’d whipped in a large glass bowl.

Ronin stood at the kitchen island, feeding oranges into the juicer. We’d risen early to make a big breakfast for the girls. My bro and I stood barefoot and shirtless in matching black shorts. Identical puka shell necklaces hung around our necks, symbolizing our solidarity.

Melody was the first to walk in. She took in the scene of Ronin and I cooking up a morning feast without comment, continuing to the cupboard, where she pulled out a box of Lucky Charms. Usually, Melody wasn’t a morning kind of critter, but today, as soon as her cereal was poured into a bowl with milk, she turned into a complete chatterbox.

“Okay, so yesterday we went to the spa, salon, and shopping.” She sat on a barstool and scooped cereal onto her spoon. “Today I’m thinking makeovers, tattoos, and piercings.”

Ronin stopped juicing. “Hold up. What were those last two items?”

The thing about our sister was she didn’t kid around. Melody always meant business.

“What exactly were you thinking you’d pierce?” I asked as I finished turning over the strips of bacon.

“My friend Candace got a really cute belly button ring last month.”

“I don’t think Mom would be too thrilled,” Ronin said.

“My dad has a piercing,” Melody said in her sassy voice.

That was another one of Melody’s quirks. She’d started referring to Lyklor as “my dad” and Ryo as “Dad.”

Ronin sighed. “Dad didn’t pierce his tongue as a fashion statement.” Nope, he’d done it so he could lie—disadvantage to being full-on Fae.

“It still looks cool,” Melody argued.

“And the tattoo?” Ronin asked. “You know that’s permanent, right?”

“I heard piercings and tattoos really hurt,” I chimed in.

Melody twisted her lips to the side. “Well, Zelie and Fraya might think it’s cool.”

“Sure, I bet Alok would really dig his mate returning home with fresh ink on her skin,” I said jokingly.

Melody sat up on her stool and lifted her chin. “He would if she got a heart with his name tattooed inside.”

I snorted. “Right. That sounds like Fraya—carving a dude’s name into her flesh.”

“Well, I think it’s romantic.”

Sky help us when Melody fell in love. Mom’s big fear was that Melody would end up dating a human. Mom was of the opinion that the mortal realm was a travel-only zone. “People aren’t aware of our existence, and it needs to stay that way,” she’d reminded us time and time again.

“Maybe stick to the makeovers,” Ronin said. He took the glass pitcher of fresh orange juice to the table.

“You could throw in bikini waxes,” I said. “Those aren’t permanent. Zelie and Fraya might decide they want to get really adventurous and go for the Brazilian wax.”

“Now that would make Alok happy,” Ronin said.

And us.

We shared a secretive smile. Yep. Definitely on the same wavelength on this one.

Melody wrinkled her nose. “Candace said those really hurt. How would you enjoy having all of your pubes ripped out?”

“Shit, Melody. What kind of friends are you hanging out with?” Ronin demanded. “Twelve-year-olds getting waxed . . .” He shook his head.

Melody licked her spoon clean and lifted it in the air. “Um, first of all, Candace is fourteen. Secondly, this is California. Nobody wants to see a hairy chick in a bathing suit.”

Ronin stormed over and set his palms on the counter in front of Melody. “If you return home with a tattoo and piercing, Mom is going to kill us.”

“Yeah, not cool,” I chimed in. “At least wait and do it next time you’re here with our mom and dads.”

“Better yet, wait until you’re older and know what you really want,” Ronin said.

“I’ll think about it.” Melody rolled her eyes and went back to eating her cereal. “Why are you guys dressed alike this morning?”

“No reason,” I answered. “The bacon and potatoes are looking good. I’m going to start the scrambled eggs.”

Ronin nodded. “I’ll set the table.”

While my brother put plates and silverware on the glass dining table overlooking the ocean, I poured the eggs into a hot pan and pushed them around with a spatula.

“So, I told Zelie that Ronin and I would be her dates to the Enchanted Forest Ball,” I said conversationally, my back to Melody.

My sister squealed. “Good on you, bro. She said yes, right?”

“Actually, we’re still waiting on an answer.” I glanced over my shoulder and saw Melody chewing on her lower lip.

“I know she probably thinks of you guys as little brothers, but it’s better than going alone.”

“Zelie does not think of us as brothers,” I growled.

Melody rolled her eyes. “Whatever you say.” She dipped her spoon into her cereal, screeching a second later when Ronin snatched the bowl away.

“Stop spoiling your appetite. Reed and I worked really hard on this breakfast.”

“You’re not my dad.”

“Thank fuck for that,” I said.

“What is that heavenly smell?” Fraya asked, padding barefoot into the kitchen. She wore the black cotton PJs she’d gone to sleep in, her long blonde hair pulled into a high ponytail.

Zelie walked in behind her in a short sundress with sunflowers printed over the thin white fabric. Her hair was brushed out over her shoulders, cascading in rich waves of brunette, copper, and gold. Damn. She looked like a goddess. My groin twitched, ing the feel of her breasts in my palms and the hard tips of her nipples on my tongue and between my teeth.

She returned my heated stare with her own perusal of my bare muscled chest. Unable to resist, I puffed out and flexed my arms.

“Hungry, Zelie?” I asked, low and smooth.

Zelie’s gaze dipped below my waist, then snapped back up. A blush entered her cheeks. If only I could push my sister and Fraya through a portal so Ronin and I could have Zelie alone for a few hours. We would lift her onto the kitchen island, strip her naked, and feast between her legs. We’d give her more orgasms in an afternoon than she’d experienced in her entire life . . . until Team Twin. Elmrays were exceptional. We had the family reputation to uphold.

“What’s with the buffet?” Fraya asked, licking her lips as she eyed the pans on the stove.

“All part of Zelie’s Earth experience,” Ronin said. “We can’t have her returning home without a big American breakfast.”

“Good call,” Fraya said, nodding. “Is it time to dish up?”

“You ladies sit while Reed and I dish you up.”

Fraya grinned. “Wow. What service. I won’t say no to that. Come on, ladies. Let’s have a seat while the boys serve us.”

While the females took their places at the table, Ronin and I filled five plates with bacon, eggs, potatoes, and buttered slices of toast. Ronin added a sprig of parsley to each plate. When we brought the meals over, Fraya was already pouring juice into glasses. “What a beautiful meal. Thanks, guys.”

“It looks delicious,” Zelie said, smiling at me as I set a plate in front of her.

Melody speared her fork into her potatoes. She’d started chewing when Ronin and I returned with our plates.

“Thanks for waiting, Melody,” Ronin said.

Ignoring him, Melody looked across the table at Zelie. “Oh my gosh. I heard my brothers asked you to the dance. You have to go with them.”

I raised my brows at Zelie.

“That’s nice of you guys,” Fraya said as she speared into her scrambled eggs.

Melody shoveled down more potatoes and quickly swallowed them. “It’s going to be so awesome when my brothers freeze the punch in Ren’s cup before he takes his first sip.”

Zelie’s lips parted, and her eyes widened. She looked more horrified than impressed.

Ronin must have noticed it too. “We’ll be on our best behavior,” he hurried in. “Reunion balls aren’t the place for a brawl, Melody.”

Our sister shrugged before picking up a strip of bacon and crunching down.

Fraya pointed her fork at Zelie. “You really should let the twins escort you to the dance, though. After all the planning and work you put in, you deserve to go with a date.”

“Or two,” Ronin said with a wink at Zelie.

It was nice having our cousin in our corner. Fraya pursed her lips. “Ren didn’t deserve you.”

Zelie stared at her plate and began pushing food around with her fork. I wanted to see her smile and laugh again, but clearly this topic didn’t lend itself to merriment.

I bit off a piece of toast, chewed it up, and swallowed. “So, we hear Melody has an exciting day all planned out. Tattoos and piercings.”

Zelie and Fraya looked at Melody. My sister grinned.

“Zelie might like taking a look inside the tattoo parlor,” Fraya said. “They have some beautiful portfolios of their art.”

Melody knocked her knees on the underside of the glass table when she lifted her legs onto her chair. “I want to get a little pink heart on my ankle.” She lifted her leg and pointed above her right foot.

Ronin set his elbows on the table and leaned in. “Fraya, please convince Melody that she should wait until she’s older or get her mother’s approval.”

Fraya grimaced. “Uh, yeah. As a mother, I’d definitely want Amelia to check with me first.”

Melody’s lips pouted as she lowered her leg.

“I can draw one on your ankle,” Zelie offered. “I know it’s temporary, but that’s fun, too, because we can change it up. You’re welcome to come by my cottage anytime for a refresh. I can do a heart made of flowers.”

“That sounds perfect for summer,” Fraya said, smiling at Zelie.

Melody shrugged. “I guess maybe that’s okay for now. Thanks for offering, Zelie.”

The sound of silverware scraping against plates replaced conversation for maybe a minute. Our mom and dads weren’t here to tell us not to talk with our mouths full. I stole glances at Zelie as she ate the breakfast we’d prepared. She had a hearty appetite, and her lips had softened into the smile I loved so much. I’d hated seeing her with Ren Norric. She hadn’t smiled much around him. The pit head forecaster was like an oppressive gray cloud that never cleared up.

After polishing off the food on her plate, Zelie picked up her glass of orange

juice and took her first sip. She smacked her lips. “This juice is delicious.”

“Thanks, Zelie,” Ronin said. “I squeezed the oranges just for you.”

Fraya snort-laughed and rolled her eyes before crunching down on a strip of bacon. In the past, Zelie had reacted in a similar way as our cousin, laughing off our attempts at flirting. Now a soft rosy color tinted her cheeks ever so faintly. She set her glass down gently and kept her focus on the place setting in front of her rather than meet the heated stares Ronin and I aimed her way.

Fraya continued munching bacon, but Melody looked at Ronin and me with a hawk-like shrewdness.

I knew we were in trouble when an evil smirk appeared over our little sister’s lips. Mom was constantly underestimating the youngest in our family because she didn’t train in swords or archery. But Melody was far more cunning than the rest of us. She waited until Ronin tipped his glass of juice back.

“Since tattoos and piercings are on hold until a later date, I suppose it’s makeovers and Brazilian waxes.” Melody smiled innocently when Zelie squinted at her. “A Brazilian wax involves removing all of the pubic hair. I was going to suggest regular leg waxing, but my brothers really wanted Zelie to go for the Brazilian.”

Ronin, who had just taken a great big swallow of orange juice, sprayed it across the table.

Zelie’s cheeks turned bright red.

Fraya pinched the bridge of her nose, closed her eyes, and muttered, “Sky above,” while Melody smiled smugly.

Yep. Our little sister was diabolical.

CHAPTER TEN

Zelie

Page after page of gorgeous art captured my imagination as I flipped through portfolios while seated on a red leather sofa at Alien Ink. The hum of an electric needle buzzed in the background, where a black-haired female with inked arms worked on a client.

The owner of the shop had a ion for drawing extraterrestrials, Fraya had explained to me in a rushed whisper. I felt like my entire universe, so to speak, was expanding during the two days I’d spent in the mortal realm. It made my life back in Pinemist feel simple and quaint.

Aliens were hardly the only drawings displayed in the portfolios. There were birds, butterflies, roses, daggers, skulls, moons, stars, and script. The details were stunning. The designs drew me in and made my jaw hang open at the creativity and skill that went into each unique piece.

“How does anyone ever decide what to get?” I mused aloud. “They’re all so beautiful.”

Fraya and Melody sat on either side of me, leaning in.

“I kind of want a black arrow,” Fraya said.

Melody’s eyes lit up. “Do it, Fraya! Someone needs to get a tattoo today, and since I can’t . . .” She finished her sentence with an eye roll.

A smile crept up Fraya’s cheeks. “Hmm.”

“A little feathered arrow would look so cute on your ankle,” Melody said.

Fraya tapped her finger on the edge of the binder and looked around the small tattoo parlor. Her eyes turned to me. “I will if Zelie will.”

Melody clapped the tips of her fingers together. “Yes! You should both totally get tattoos. You can the awesome trip we had together in California every time you look at them. Then, when I’m old enough, you have to come back with me when I get mine.”

“Well, Zelie?” Fraya asked, raising a brow.

I looked down at the drawings and photographs of tattoos on various parts of the body. Getting a tattoo did sound fun, but I really didn’t know how I could decide. Then there was the whole human currency issue. “Maybe another time.”

“No way! You should do it today—if they have an opening,” Melody said.

Fraya grinned. “How often are you in the mortal world?” my friend coaxed.

“Right, and what about mortal money?”

Melody put her hand on my shoulder. “I have stacks of cash, Zelie. You can pay me back in art. I’ll think of something to commission—a Zelie original for my wall.”

“I don’t know,” I said. “Maybe a small flower or stemmed rose.” It would be nice to have a memento of my visit to Earth. And it would make me feel good every time I looked at the tattoo. Ren’s comment about being bored with me had hurt the most. No more excitement or ion. Pfft. I could be plenty exciting. I was up for anything.

“You know what?” I said. “Let’s do it.”

“Yes! That’s the spirit.” Fraya bumped her shoulder against mine.

“Awesome.” Melody jumped to her feet. “Let me go make arrangements with Saturn.” Melody skipped over to the inked woman bent over a bald man lying back on a chair. She kept her eyes on the ink she was applying to his arm as Melody spoke to her.

“Well, this will be fun,” Fraya said, rubbing her hands together.

I nodded, feeling the excitement rise through my chest and beat in my heart. Indecision had turned into anticipation.

“You were thinking some kind of flower.” Fraya grabbed a sketch pad off a low table and opened it up. “I seeing some delicate ones in here.”

I was grateful she and Melody hadn’t mentioned the twins since leaving the condo after breakfast. I wasn’t used to feeling awkward around the males, but the dynamic had shifted since the kisses. Things had gone too far with Reed last night. I’d known it could only lead to weirdness, but I’d let my ovaries take complete control. Now, the twins thought they had an actual shot with me, and why wouldn’t they think that? They’d pleaded and teased, but I’d been the one to initiate both kisses. And I hadn’t stopped there. Nope. I’d ground all up and down them, moaning like a harlot. Pitberries. It was like ringing the dinner bell for a couple of famished, hormonal young males. The worst of it was I’d lost all control of my body when they were anywhere near. Being around them made me wet with desire. I had no way of knowing what they were thinking, but if it was half as randy as the fantasies I was having about them, the energy between us was only going to get more sexually charged.

I did not want to combust in front of Fraya and Melody. They might think I was so desperate for male attention that I’d decided to toy with the twins. They might conclude I was only using them as a rebound to get over Ren. Pit. That wasn’t me. I loved the Elmrays. Their entire family had a forever place inside my heart. I would not risk my relationship with them all for a fleeting moment of ion. I couldn’t.

The floral sketches blurred across my vision as Fraya flipped pages, blind to my inner turmoil.

It wasn’t too late. I hadn’t slept with either twin. We’d kissed. It had been more intimate than any kiss I’d shared before, but it couldn’t happen again.

Without warning, I doubled over on the sofa. It felt as though I’d been punched in the gut.

“Zelie, are you all right?” Fraya’s arm shot around me, holding me steady. Alarmed blue eyes peered into mine.

“Yeah, yeah. Fine. That was weird. I, uh, probably ate too much at breakfast.” I straightened out and tried to laugh it off, but my attempt fell flat.

Melody shuffled over, wearing a dejected frown. “Well, that sucks,” she said. “Their soonest opening isn’t for another month and a half. I’m so sorry. Maybe we could call around. Alien Ink isn’t the only tattoo parlor in Titan Beach. They’re the best, which is why they’re booked out, but there are a lot of talented artists in the area.”

Fraya studied my face, concern still etched in the wrinkles of her forehead. She squeezed my shoulder, then looked at Melody. “That’s okay. We can do it another time. We can even wait until you’re ready.”

I nodded and forced a smile to my lips even though my heart was in turmoil, which had nothing to do with tattoos and everything to do with a pair of attractive, funny, big-hearted twins.

I didn’t want to hurt them.

I didn’t want to lose them.

I didn’t know what to do.

Fraya set the sketchbook on the table and turned sideways on the sofa to face Melody and me. “Maybe we should go back to the condo and just have a relaxing beach day.”

“No!” I cried in alarm. Fraya and Melody squinted at me. “I mean, today’s our last day here, and there’s still so much I’d like to see and do—if you don’t mind.”

“Of course not,” Melody said, flicking her hand in the air. “We still have makeovers, waxing—legs only—and finding accessories to go with your dress. And if you get hungry later, there’s Café Yum, which is so yummy.”

“That sounds perfect.” I got to my feet. My smile must have convinced Fraya, because her worry lines receded and she laughed as Melody linked arms with us both and pulled our trio outside into the sunlight.

Melody kept us busy the entire day. I could have hugged her when she used a human electronic device to “text” Reed and Ronin and tell them we were going to dinner and not to wait up. “This started out as a girls-only getaway,” Melody said, “and we’re ending it that way with our last dinner together in California.”

“I know what’s on Zelie’s wish list,” Fraya said with a smirk. “How about

revisiting that Italian place?”

Back in Pinemist, rain drummed above my head like restless fingers. I woke up to dank, grayish light seeping in through my one small bedroom window. After Fraya, Melody, and I had returned to the condo, we’d found a note on the table from the twins saying they’d gone out for pizza and would be back soon. I’d taken advantage of their absence to ask Melody to open me a portal back home. She’d tried to get me to stay for one more movie night, but I’d claimed a stomachache that only an elven tincture could fix, along with excuses about double-checking the last of the reunion ball arrangements.

The event was now only three days away. My gorgeous green-and-gold gown was draped over the couch in my living room.

After getting dressed and emerging from my room to put on the kettle, I ired the dress anew, but the initial elation I’d felt at its purchase was gone, replaced by an empty ache.

I missed my friends. I missed the twins. I missed the ceaseless banter that took place in the presence of Elmrays.

California had been a beautiful dream. No more sandy beaches, sunshine, and palm trees. Worst of all, no more Reed and Ronin. How was I supposed to cut them out of my life? Then again, how could I hang out with them and ignore the urge to jump their bones? How much time would it take for the feelings to fade?

As I stared at the gown, an emptiness fell over me. I no longer cared about the reunion ball. I’d rather take a midnight stroll on the beach with Reed and Ronin or sit around in my PJs simply spending time laughing with them.

My feelings for the twins had changed. I was attracted to them. I cared about them. I missed them.

Pitberries. What would Melarue think of me if she knew I’d gotten kissy-lipped with her youngest sons? I’d always looked up to her, and I couldn’t stomach it if she thought less of me for corrupting her boys.

I made myself sweetberry tea and porridge. When I finished, the rain ceased. Even that made me sad. I was left with silence, alone in my cottage.

Why did it have to be summer?

Being ed up for the arts and crafts program no longer felt like the end of the world. I wanted to be teaching again. Keeping occupied. Smiling at the musings of my young students.

I sipped tea between bites of porridge at my tiny table adjacent to the living room. My eyes scanned the wall, working on a mental list of art projects to keep me busy in the coming weeks. The trouble was, I wasn’t feeling artsy.

Maybe my parents could use my help in Elkcan.

The thought of ing them lifted my spirits for all of three seconds before I slouched back over the table. Not only had Mother’s elemental powers ed me up, I had minus zero aptitude for sports or swordplay. Oh yeah, and I was a

lousy shot. Fraya had tried to teach me but given up after an hour, saying, “Good thing you’re a great teacher and artist.”

Okay, so I couldn’t help on the battlefront, but perhaps I could still visit. I missed my mom and dad. They were always leaving. Always gone. I think they thought Ren was keeping me company, but he’d constantly bowed out of dinner to perform his evening observations. I’d lost track of the number of food baskets I’d packed for him so he’d have a home-cooked meal while he took notes and measurements in the forests and fields of Pinemist. Meanwhile, I sat at home, eating by my lonesome.

Tears leaked from the corner of my eyes. I rubbed them away, finished my breakfast, and washed my bowl, spoon, mug, and cook pan.

When I stepped outside, the skies were light gray, sunlight trying to break through from the other side. The grass still glistened with raindrops. A riot of flowers bloomed from barrels and pots along the outer wall of my cottage.

I took a moment to look at my home with appreciation.

I understood how fortunate I was. My mom and dad had grown up in the ramshackle area of Pinemist and never moved away from those southern huts, which were made mostly of mud and crammed in together as though they were all part of a maze to escape as soon as the nearest exit was located.

I still ed the pride on their faces after Meadowbrook Elementary hired me and I procured a loan on a cottage. Dad helped me build my picket fence and window boxes. He beamed with joy anytime he helped me with a home project.

I think he still thought of me as his youthful daughter. I saw the difference in how Fraya’s parents treated her since she’d become a mated mother.

I was ready to start my own family. I had been for some time.

A sad sigh escaped my lips.

Yet another reason I needed to distance myself from the twins. Children had to be the last thing on their minds. Reed and Ronin were barely out of their teenage years. They could travel the worlds. They were freaking Fae princes back in Faerie. Females were probably lining up at the castle gates for a chance with them.

My stomach twisted into frayed knots that chafed at my heart when I thought of either of the twins with other females.

I was the one they sought, but for all I knew, I was just a conquest. Even as I told myself this, I didn’t believe it for one cold second. What I did know was that I could get over males like Ren Norric, but an Elmray was another matter. Lark was the worst heartbreak I’d ever experienced—and we’d never had any kind of romantic relationship. Even finding out that he was gay didn’t entirely stanch the ache in my heart. It didn’t matter what gender he was attracted to. I had loved him.

I didn’t want to it strong feelings for Reed and Ronin. I couldn’t handle any more heartbreak in the Elmray department.

Were the twins still in the mortal realm? Were they upset that I’d left early?

Gah! I had to stop thinking about them. The final touches for the reunion ball would give me something to focus on, but only for three days.

When I arrived outside Daisywhirl Hall, I was dismayed to see old classmates milling around, covering their mouths, shaking their heads, and frowning as though someone had died. With each step closer, my heart thudded in my chest.

Spotting Aimer, my best helper, walking out the door, I sprinted over. “What’s going on?”

Aimer blinked. “Oh, you’re back. Wild animals broke in. When I came by this morning, I noticed broken windows and the door wide open. We’ve been trying to salvage anything we could, but there’s too much damage.”

I sucked in a horrified breath. “What? How?”

Aimer grimaced. “Don’t know, but it’s a disaster. All our work was destroyed.”

I rushed past Aimer into Daisywhirl Hall, gasping at the destruction I saw inside. Table settings and centerpieces littered the floor. Plaster mushrooms had been crushed underfoot. My ivy swings had been ripped from the ceilings. All of our decorative trees were knocked over, smashing lanterns in their tumble. Rainwater had splattered the tables and downed decorations nearest the broken

windows, smearing paint and warping papier-mâché décor.

Nonie crouched over the ground, searching through the rubble for plaster mushrooms that had survived the carnage. She held her skirt out, setting slightly broken bits into her dress. Ren, of all elves, was there too, standing near the windows, looking from the shattered openings to the puddles on the floor.

Ren had never taken an ounce of interest in reunion ball preparations. Of course he’d be here to inspect the devastation in that proud, arrogant way he was such an expert at.

The hall had more volunteers cleaning up—or gaping—than we’d ever had while doing the work of preparing for the event. Suddenly, there were extra elves from the year below and above us, including Almon Ravak, who had brought his kids along to help clean up.

What a bowl of pits this morning was turning into.

Elves were sweeping up shattered plates and wine glasses, righting tables and chairs, salvaging silverware, and stuffing the remnants of our beautiful décor into burlap sacks.

Had Aimer said wild animals did all this? It looked as if ogres had broken in. That could not have been the case, though. Ogres would have had to smash through the door or ceiling to get inside.

In the center of the wreckage stood a force more menacing than any ogre. Thessalia had her hands on her hips, baring the whites of her teeth as she pierced me with her icy glare.

“Look who decided to show up,” Thessalia announced to all present. “I hope your holiday in the mortal realm was worth it.”

I swung my gaze to Aimer. I’d told our regular volunteer crew that I’d be away for a couple days, but only Aimer had known where. Guess he’d shared. When our eyes met, he frowned and moved toward Nonie, distancing himself from me.

“Was this your idea of overseeing the final days leading up to our class reunion ball . . . by bailing before our big night?” Thessalia continued. Her eyes took on a victorious gleam. “We’ve all been looking forward to an evening of enchantment for years. Well, almost all of us. Maybe you lost your motivation after losing your date to the dance.”

My glare was met with the rise of a blonde eyebrow. I caught the brief smile of triumph on Thessalia’s lips before she resumed her impertinent staredown.

Wild animals, my lily elf ass. This had to be retaliation for our stupid face-off about her mate not being around to escort her to the dance.

That she would go to such destructive lengths was sickening. I had no way of calling her out, though—not unless I wanted to make myself look like a worse monster than I already appeared.

“There’s still time to clean this up and have our reunion ball,” I said.

Thessalia released a rude snort. “Do you intend to host our event in an empty room with broken windows? That sounds abysmal.”

“I’ll figure something out,” I insisted.

“It’s too late, Zelie. You’ll never get this place looking the way it did before you took off. The reunion ball is ruined. You might as well call it off.” Thessalia tossed her hair over her shoulder and strode out of the hall.

The gathering stared at me with accusatory eyes. Well, not Ren; he was more interested in the puddles on the floor. What had ever possessed me to want to become mates with that prick?

“The ball will happen as planned,” I announced.

The elves present exchanged glances. First one female set down her broom, then another. One by one, they stopped cleaning and walked out.

“We need to clean this mess first,” I called out to deaf ears. “We can have this place spick-and-span by early afternoon with enough teamwork.”

Not one elf met my eyes. They continued to file out of the hall with somber footsteps.

Fabulous. Thanks for stopping by.

Pitberries!

I grabbed a broom from the floor and began sweeping in rough motions.

Fine, I’d do it myself. Zelie to the rescue, not that these pit heads would appreciate my efforts.

Nonie and Ren, the two elves I didn’t want to stay behind, lingered in the hall. Still holding broken bits of plaster mushrooms in her skirt, Nonie walked over. She stopped in front of me and looked down into her skirt. “Do you think we can still use any of these, Zelie?”

Sky, she was impossible to hate. None of the pieces looked salvageable, but I forced a smile when I said, “Maybe. Put them on the table over there—the one that’s not on its side—and I’ll take a look this afternoon.”

Nonie did as I asked, then looked around and gritted her teeth. She appeared to freeze up when she saw how much cleanup was still left.

“Why don’t you take a break and pop in later?” I suggested.

“Are you sure?”

“Yep.”

“Okay. See you later.” Nonie walked away without a goodbye to Ren. He didn’t glance her way either. Their relationship was looking about as romantic as the one I’d had with Ren.

As my ex circled a puddle, part of me hoped he’d put aside being a forecaster for three seconds and step into detective mode. Maybe he could help me prove that this wasn’t the work of wild animals.

I started sweeping toward him, watching Ren crouch over a puddle, then stand and stare at a broken window.

“So, what kind of animals do you think did this? A flock of flying squirrels pelting the windowpanes with acorns?” I joked. “Maybe they wanted to get inside to run around our papier-mâché trees.” A chuckle tickled at the back of my throat. Better to laugh than cry.

Ren looked at me all serious. “Zelie.” He sighed. “This isn’t a laughing matter.”

“But it is rather extraordinary, don’t you think?” I pressed. Come on, Ren, you’re a smart male. Supposedly.

When he glanced at the window and nodded, I thought perhaps he would finally reach an educated conclusion. “It is peculiar that the rain blew in from a southwesterly angle here at the hall when it came straight down in most parts of Pinemist, which leads me to believe there is a microclimate in this region I wasn’t aware of until this morning.”

I grasped the broom handle in my fist and hit my head against it.

Ren paced along the windows, stepping carefully over broken glass. “Such a wind pattern isn’t typical with the tree coverage outside the hall. It’s as though it swooped down from the sky in an L formation before reaching the windows, though the glass must have first been broken by wild animals for the rain to blow inside.”

Ren was still nattering on about wind and rain patterns after I set the broom down and walked out. He probably wouldn’t notice I’d left for several minutes.

Shoulders sagging, I trudged home, feeling lower with each step. I didn’t look up until I reached my gate. My heart stalled at the sight of Reed and Ronin, backs pressed against either side of my front door, their arms folded.

CHAPTER ELEVEN

Zelie

“Did you really think you could run away from us that easily?” Reed asked.

“This isn’t a good time.” I gripped the back of my neck and squeezed my eyes shut.

“Zelie, what’s the matter? What happened?” Reed’s arms loosened to his sides as he leaned in. His soft words and close inspection of my face pulled at the tears swarming the backs of my eyes.

Ronin hurried over and took me in his arms. “It will be okay, Zelie.” A tear rolled down my cheek. I was being ridiculous. I wanted to laugh. It was just a stupid ball. Who cared if my entire class now hated me? They should take a trip to Elkcan and see what it was like to have real problems.

But the truth of the matter was, I did care. There wasn’t a lot of excitement in Pinemist. We weren’t Fae royals who could just zip off to exotic locales with the wave of an arm. Each graduating class of elves waited ten years for their reunion ball. It was an evening of celebration, merriment, and socializing, a chance to revisit those carefree memories from childhood.

The reunion ball was an elven tradition that spanned decades.

It didn’t matter whether the hall had been torn apart by rabid squirrels or a vindictive blonde elf. When I volunteered as lead organizer, I had promised an evening of enchantment to our entire class.

I’d let everyone down. I’d failed them all.

I cried into Ronin’s shoulder, wetting his shirt. Reed closed in until I was sandwiched between them, secure inside their princely cocoon. The twins held me while I cried. The feeling of warmth and safety they projected made it hard to break away, but I couldn’t stand around blubbering like a baby all morning.

I sniffled and swiped at my cheeks. “It’s okay,” I said. “Just a hiccup with the reunion ball I was in charge of planning, but I’ll find a way to fix it.”

“Not without our help,” Reed said, tucking stray strands of hair behind my ear. The light touch of his fingers as they brushed over the pointed tip made my scalp tingle.

“Tell us everything that needs to happen,” Ronin said.

Where to start? I swallowed down a crazed laugh. Reed and Ronin watched me with patience and determination as though spoiling for a challenge.

I told them the gist of it, leaving out my suspicions. Even if Thessalia was guilty, I didn’t want Reed and Ronin turning her into an ice sculpture. Pulling off a halfway decent reunion ball would be vindication enough for me so long as I

saw smiles on the faces of my classmates during the dance.

“I should get back to Daisywhirl Hall and finish cleaning up,” I said.

“We’ll handle cleanup,” Ronin said.

“We’ll handle everything,” Reed intoned in a low rumble that vibrated through me.

I didn’t stop to think of what accepting their offer might mean for me later. I trusted the twins. And I needed their help. No one else was willing to back me up. Somehow, I knew the males wouldn’t let me down. I could always count on them; even when I tried to turn them away, they would be there for me. I only wished I could repay their devotion without messing everything up between our families.

That afternoon, I returned to Daisywhirl Hall after making myself a light lunch I could barely get down my throat. The twins had insisted I give them at least an hour to get organized—whatever that meant.

My eyes bugged open when I entered the hall. More than a dozen muscular males dressed in green-and-gold livery moved around the room clearing away debris. In fact, there was hardly any mess left to be seen.

Ronin sat on the edge of a table, swinging his legs as he watched over the males. Such a prince. A square package wrapped in shiny blue paper and a silver bow rested beside his hip. When he saw me, he grinned and jumped down, leaving the pretty box behind. “Hey, Zelie.” He lifted his hand as he strode up to me.

“Hi, Ronin. What’s all this?” I looked around at the fancy cleanup crew.

“These guys? We asked our uncle to spare fifteen of his royal guards for a matter of extreme importance.”

“Are you kidding me?” I exclaimed. “I can’t believe you guys did that.” I spun around, gaping at the Fae guards making swift work of clearing what would have taken me days to tackle on my own.

Reed swaggered over with a lazy grin. “We requested thirty guards, but our uncle is a bleached prick who loathes fulfilling requests.”

“Next time, we should ask for sixty guards so that he gives us thirty,” Ronin mused.

“Worth a try,” Reed answered.

“Fifteen is more than enough. You two are incredible!” If we’d been alone, I would have hugged them.

Apparently, it didn’t matter. My compliment made their eyes light up at exactly the same moment.

“This is nothing,” Reed said. “Wait until you see the new theme.”

“And décor,” Ronin added. “Your classmates are going to be wowed beyond words.”

“Wait a minute. What new theme?” I looked from one twin to the next, but no words escaped their secretive smiles. “I need to know so I can get a jump on decorations,” I pressed.

Reed lifted his chest. “You already put in enough work, Zelie. You deserve a night of enchantment as much as the rest of your classmates.”

“She deserves it more,” Ronin said under his breath.

“Allow us to surprise you. Let us give you a night to .” Reed’s sexy smile suggested more than dancing.

With the crisis seemingly averted, I felt the familiar slick of desire seeping between my thighs. I swallowed. “I suppose this means you’re attending as my dates.”

Reed glanced at Ronin and smiled before returning his attention to me. “We have one question for you, Zelie.”

Ronin jogged to the table he’d been seated on when I first walked in and retrieved the beautifully wrapped package. “Open it,” he whispered as he handed it to me.

I willed my hands not to shake as I carefully pulled the bow off the shiny blue paper. It reflected the sunlight now streaming in through the windows. The glass had been swept away, but the panes still needed replacing. With the afternoon warming up, the fresh air felt nice inside the hall.

I peeled off the paper delicately, setting the wrappings on the seat of a nearby chair to save for future art projects.

I was left holding a pretty light blue box. I removed the lid and sucked in a breath at the sight of a diamond-and-sapphire tiara. When I lifted it out of the box, the jewels caught the light. The surrounding walls shimmered as sunlight shot through the sparkling tiara.

“Zelie, will you—” Reed started.

“Be our ice princess?” Ronin finished.

Early on the evening of the reunion ball, Fraya and Melody showed up to help me get dressed for the grand affair.

True to their word, the twins had taken care of everything—even going so far as to send out elegant invitations that Melody helped design (and had printed in the mortal realm). Enchanted Forest had been buried in favor of the Winter Wonderland Ball. Invitations made of thick white parchment had been handdelivered to each of my classmates. Snowflakes in several shades of blue were stamped across the invitation with a small, reflective jewel in the center of each flake. I planned to frame mine and keep it forever.

Melody, generous sweetheart that she was, had surprised me with a new dress.

When I told her I couldn’t possibly accept two dresses, she said she could return the green-and-gold gown if it made me feel better.

Now I stood in front of my vanity in a steel-blue dress with a sleeveless V-neck top and full tulle skirt that felt like a cloud made of silk.

Melody had begged to do my makeup using an impressively large kit from the mortal realm. I had to say, the girl had talent. My brown eyes looked smoldering after her careful sweeps with an array of tiny brushes across my lids and below my eyebrows. She’d rubbed color into my cheeks until they were tinted with a faint glow and made my lips a lovely glossy pink.

It was difficult not to stare at my reflection in the mirror. My hair was brushed

out to a wavy shine thanks to the gorgeous California highlights.

“One more thing left,” Fraya said, lifting the tiara.

“I can’t wear that,” I said, alarmed. Donning the jeweled crown felt akin to putting on airs. I was no princess.

“You have to,” Melody said with a pout. “I helped my brothers pick that out.”

“You did?”

She nodded firmly. “All your hard work was destroyed. It’s like a Cinderella story. Think of me as your fairy godmother. Well, more like your elf-Fae benefactor.”

Fraya coughed.

“Oh my gosh, that’s right. You’ve never heard of Cinderella.” Melody covered her mouth in dismay. “We need to have a Disney movie marathon ASAP. That stands for as soon as possible BTW, which is by the way.”

I stared at Melody and blinked several times.

Fraya snorted. “How about we finish helping Zelie get ready for the ball and let her enjoy her evening before we go blowing up her brain?”

Melody looked me over with assessing eyes, paying particular attention to my face. She grabbed a piece of tissue and handed it to me. “Here, blot your lips on this.” After I did as she instructed, Fraya held the tiara to me.

“Really?” I groaned.

“Don’t make Melody mad,” Fraya warned.

I took the tiara hesitantly and set it on my head. Melody immediately went to work securing the jeweled headpiece in my thick hair.

“Shake your head gently,” she instructed.

I did as she asked, repeating the motion several times until she was satisfied the tiara rested securely in place. I slipped into a pair of silver flats, then returned to the mirror where Melody and Fraya stood on either side of me, smiling.

“You’re definitely going to be the belle of the ball,” Fraya said with a wide grin.

“I made my brothers promise to be on their best behavior,” Melody added.

Fraya leaned into me. “This is your night, Zelie. Forget about that pit head Ren, and just have fun.”

“Reed and Ronin aren’t on Lark’s level of dance skills, but they do have moves,” Melody said. “We’ve grown up attending so many balls it’s practically ingrained in us.”

Staring at my two friends in the mirror’s reflection, my throat constricted with emotion. My mom was still in Elkcan, thinking Ren was taking me to the reunion ball. Having Melody and Fraya by my side cushioned the hurt and made me grateful for the wonderful they were happy to provide at a moment’s notice.

I pulled both females in with my arms and hugged them. Fraya kissed my cheek and took a step back.

“Melody and I are going now. Your dates will be arriving soon. You look gorgeous, Zelie. You’ll probably have a better time with the twins than you ever would have had with Ren, anyway.”

Melody nodded. “Ren Norric is dead to me. If I were you, I would snub him all night long. If he asks you for a dance, promise me you’ll tell that jerk face where to shove it.”

Ren would never ask me for a dance, but Melody’s suggestion made me snort with amusement. “Not a problem,” I said. “I have no intention of dancing with Ren.”

Melody searched my face for several beats before nodding. I walked with her and Fraya to my front door, feeling a small pain of sadness as they departed, taking their jubilant banter with them. Nerves got me next. I paced the living room, slapping at my hands to keep from reaching up and messing with the tiara after Melody had set it just right.

I tucked my skirt in carefully to sit on the sofa and grabbed a scarf I’d started knitting a couple weeks ago. The needles clicked together, then went silent as I stared at the square of red and brown in my lap.

The knock at my door was a relief. I jumped up like my cottage was on fire, lifted my skirts, rushed to the door, and pulled it open.

My throat went dry at the sight of the twins standing outside in tailored suits. One twin wore dark gray slacks, a fitted white shirt, and a steel-blue tie that matched my dress. The other twin had on steel-blue slacks and a gray tie over his white button-down.

They were clean-shaven, black hair brushed into a dark shine, with strands that teased the edges of their ears and jawlines. The twins took me in, their brown eyes traveling up and down my body in appreciation.

“You look beautiful, Zelie,” Ronin said. He’d worn the steel blue slacks with gray tie.

“The two of you clean up well yourselves,” I said.

Reed swept his arm toward the lane. “Your chariot awaits.”

My mouth gaped open as I looked past him and saw the shiny white carriage on the other side of my picket fence. A liveried driver in blue and silver sat on top, holding the reins of two stunning white horses.

Reed offered me his arm. Walking with him to the carriage felt dreamlike, with the stars appearing in the dusky sky. I kept expecting to trip over my own feet, but it was like I was floating with him toward the lane. Ronin walked ahead of us and opened the door for me. He took my hand gently in his as he helped me step up and into the carriage first.

I settled onto the cushioned bench, tucking my skirts in to make room. But Reed and Ronin sat opposite me, grinning across the tiny space between our benches.

“You really went all out,” I said, lifting my head to look around the posh interior of the carriage.

“Wait until you see the ballroom.” Reed’s proud grin had me wondering what I’d find at Daisywhirl Hall.

The twins didn’t say much on the ride to the hall. Without their usual banter, I sat on the edge of the bench, anticipating my first look at what they’d arranged for the reunion ball. One thing was for certain—Reed and Ronin had gone above and beyond anything I could have ever asked or expected.

Ronin pulled the curtains closed over the windows as we neared the hall. Once the carriage rocked to a stop, Reed said, “Close your eyes.”

I met his gaze and held it for a couple of heartbeats that fluttered in my chest when our eyes locked. Then I did as he requested and lowered my lashes.

When the door opened, it felt as though cool air swept over my ankles. I kept my eyes closed, allowing Reed and Ronin to guide me out of the carriage.

“Keep them closed.” Reed spoke so close to my ear, his lips touched my lobe.

I shivered. “Is it just me, or has the temperature drastically dropped?”

Nice save, Zelie. Blame the shivers on the abnormally cold evening.

“Open your eyes, Zelie,” Ronin said, his voice rising in excitement.

My eyes opened, and my vision filled with a castle at least three stories high, made entirely from ice. Pale blue and purple light glowed from somewhere within the clear and white structure, illuminating a tunnel leading in.

“Oh, sweet frozen berries,” I said in wonder. “Did you make this? How?” I rushed on to ask.

Ice magic was by no means foreign to me, though my mom had used it sparingly, at least around me. She saved her skills for thwarting ogres.

“Talent and determination,” Ronin said.

The twins shrugged.

“It will all melt by tomorrow afternoon,” Reed said.

“I still can’t believe you did this. Did you encapsulate the entire hall in ice?”

“Just the front entrance,” Ronin said. “But you’ll love the inside. We got help from Dahlquist. Reed and I had our hands full with the ice palace. It was especially challenging in the warmer season, but we managed to keep the air surrounding the hall chilly enough to hold form as we built.”

“It’s a work of art.” I lifted my head to take it all in and commit the glacial palace to memory.

Reed and Ronin waited patiently for me to step into the ice cave. I threaded an arm around each of them, and together we walked through the lit-up age. Our breaths fogged the air.

The cavern led into the dim open hall surrounded by stark white trees, deep blue lighting, and fluffy fake snow that lay half an inch thick on the floor. Glittering snowflakes dangled from the ceiling all around. Love seats and chaise lounges upholstered in white velvet were tucked strategically between thick clusters of trees, giving couples a semi-private retreat if they so desired.

From a platform made to look like an iceberg, musicians played an enchanting melody while a fleet of servers handed out flutes of bubbly wine and finger food. I suspected the waitstaff, like the guards who had helped clean up, were from Faerie. They were all dressed in form-fitting white body suits, faces painted white with electric blue makeup surrounding their eyes. Every one of them had white hair, or perhaps wigs, with a spray of silver shimmer.

A male server drifted over with a tray of small glasses filled with light blue liquid. “May I offer the princess a blueberry shot?” he asked.

My mouth gaped open at being addressed as a princess. Before I could stutter a response, Ronin grabbed one of the pretty little drinks off the silver tray and handed it to me. “You have to try at least one. They’re delicious.”

I took the shot from Ronin, waiting to taste it until the twins had their own. They threw them back and gulped them down in one go.

“That’s how it’s done,” Reed said with a wink.

“Well, okay then.” I did the same, tossing my head back to down the fruity, boozy yumminess. Smacking my lips afterward, I said, “You were right. Yum. Yum.”

A female server appeared to whisk away our empty glasses. I looked around and saw my classmates were plucking drinks and delicacies off trays and gobbling them up with bright-eyed delight. A couple arriving behind us gasped, “Oh my winter Sky, this is incredible!”

My heart swelled up with gratitude at what the twins had accomplished in two short days.

As I turned to them, emotions swirled through me like a happiness blizzard. “Thank you so much for making this happen.”

“We did it all for you,” Reed said huskily.

My eyes dropped to his lips—lips that grinned like he knew how much I wanted to drag him and Ronin over to a velvet chaise lounge and make out with them both, privacy be damned.

“Well, well, well. Someone certainly pulled off a last-minute save.” Thessalia swept over on the arm of a tall blond male with a chiseled chest, partially revealed through a thin white shirt with a wide V-neck. He looked vaguely familiar.

Most of the females in attendance were wearing gowns adorned with flowers. Like me, Thessalia had managed a last-minute wardrobe switch. She looked stunning, as always. Tonight, she’d arrived in a white sleeveless gown that fit her delicate frame like a glove. A glittering diamond choker circled her slender neck.

An array of sparkling pins shimmered from her updo, and a sumptuous white cloak trimmed in fur draped over her shoulders, cascading to the floor.

She stole glances at Reed and Ronin, but the twins kept their eyes on me. Their attention filled me with goodwill. Whatever had or had not happened, I wanted all of my classmates to enjoy tonight—including Thessalia.

“This is Reed and Ronin,” I said, indicating the twins. “They constructed the ice palace with their elemental abilities.” I grinned proudly.

Ronin sidled up beside me, smiling as though I was the sun in his sky. “You want snow in summer, just say the word, and my brother and I will make it happen.”

“That’s right, anything you want, Princess. We’re at your beck and call,” Reed said in a husky timbre.

Thessalia cleared her throat and turned to the blond wall of muscle at her side. “This is my date for the evening. You might recognize him: Dattoron, current realm-wide archery champion.”

Yeah, only because Fraya had retired. I wasn’t impressed, but I pasted a polite smile over my lips.

“Nice to meet you. Enjoy your evening.” I grabbed the twins and pulled them with me to a male server holding a tray of thinly sliced cold cuts and deviled eggs. I wasn’t shy about eating in front of my dates, and I wanted to get dinner

out of the way so I could move on to dessert. The sugared cookies and powdered snowballs were making my mouth water. All of the delectable bites were washed down with fun and tasty little drinks in shades of blue.

Ren strode by and scoffed when he saw me with Reed and Ronin, not slowing or saying a word of greeting as he continued across the hall to Nonie beside a table filled with more drinks and food.

“Are we really not allowed to freeze his punch?” Ronin asked.

I lifted my chin. “Tonight, we’re on our best behavior.”

“Only during the ball, right?” Reed whispered by my ear. “What about later . . . when it’s only the three of us?”

A cool gust blew up my legs and tickled my thighs. The cold jumped to my breasts, encapsulating my nipples. I narrowed my eyes at Reed. “What did I just say?”

He squinted at me. Ronin snickered. Wait a minute . . .

I placed a hand on my hip and pursed my lips at Ronin. “Just for that, Reed gets the first dance.”

Ronin’s face fell as Reed’s eyes lit up. “Whatever you just did, thanks, bro.”

The unnatural cold I’d felt left my body as Ronin folded his arms over his chest. “Guess I’ll have to wait my turn.”

“Good things come to those who wait,” Reed told him.

“Easy for you to say,” Ronin grumbled.

Chuckling, Reed offered me his arm and escorted me to an area near the musicians. Elf couples were already dancing and laughing. A few females twirled so fast my stomach turned watching them.

“What was in those drinks?” I whispered.

“Nothing unusual,” Reed answered. “We brought in Faerie liquor. I guess it’s stronger than what elves are used to.”

Beside us, Aimer’s mate jumped into his arms. He caught her and spun her around. Tears leaked from the corners of their eyes as they giggled.

“Sky above.” I shook my head.

Reed placed his hands on my hips and pulled me to him, swaying to the music. “Everyone’s having a good time. That’s the measurement of true success—not

the décor or drinks or nibbles.”

“Not everyone’s enjoying themselves,” I said, nodding my chin in Ren’s direction. He studied the white trees with a tight frown as though they were an invasive species that needed eradicating from the hall. Nonie sipped a blue cocktail several paces away, chatting and smiling with another female, looking oblivious to Ren’s ire. Maybe she was perfect for him. It would take a saint to deal with Ren’s ego and mood swings.

It had been difficult to swallow at the time, but he’d done me a favor by ending our relationship. How had I been so blind for two years? I’d had my doubts, but loneliness and the dream of starting a family had stifled me from exploring my feelings deeper.

“Ren doesn’t count,” Reed said. “It doesn’t take a forecaster to predict his daily mood. Overcast and gloomy with a chance of thunder and lightning.”

“He does really care about his job,” I said. It hit me that I’d moved on from Ren. The anger and hurt had ed. I felt light and free. There was no reason to put my ex down. He was who he was, and I’d found two males I could be my true self around.

I laced my fingers behind Reed’s neck and swayed with him to the tune. After the musicians finished the final notes, Reed escorted me to Ronin, graciously handing me over to his brother for the next dance. That’s how it went for most of the evening, dancing with one brother, followed by the next, until I suggested the three of us dance together.

Ronin jogged over to the musicians and whispered something. Soon, the hall filled with lively music and drunk elves stomping, clapping, and spinning with gusto. Reed, Ronin, and I ed in the fray, moving our bodies close together with the beat. My cheeks ached from smiling.

If I ever got married, this was the kind of wedding party I wanted. An image bubbled to the surface of my mind—Reed, Ronin, and I exchanging vows on a glacier before portaling to the big party with family and friends.

The cold had officially gone to my brain.

It was one thing to allow the twins to escort me to a dance, another to imagine us mated. I still couldn’t figure out how that would work. Elves were more traditional in their relationships, whereas faeries had a reputation for their voracious appetites. Dad would never give his blessing to Reed and Ronin Elmray. Mom had refused to help them with their elemental abilities. If she was already that closed off, she’d never accept them as suitable in-laws.

All I knew was that they made me feel treasured and happy.

I’d always cared for the twins the way I cherished family; now they had taken up permanent residence in my heart.

CHAPTER TWELVE

Ronin

We danced with Zelie through the night and into early morning. Outside the windows, darkness held strong over the skies when we took our leave of the winter ball.

Melting ice dripped from inside the cavern on our departure. Zelie gave a startled little squeal when it splattered over her arm.

I touched the side of the sloping icy wall and conjured up arctic energy to reinforce the structure to ensure the remaining guests had safe age on their way out.

Inside the carriage, Reed loosened his tie and pulled it off his neck. “We have one more surprise for you, Zelie, but first I need to cover your eyes.”

She raised both brows and chewed on her lower lip. Staring at her mouth stirred a hunger in me that was hard to control. I wanted to freeze the outside of the carriage in sheets of thick ice, trapping the three of us inside with only each other for warmth.

“Do you mind if I take the tiara off first?” Zelie asked.

“Not one bit,” Reed answered.

She tried pulling the jeweled headpiece gently from her hair, but it was tangled. Zelie pulled harder.

“Here, let me help.” I delicately unwound Zelie’s hair from the tiara. “Looks like Melody did a fine job welding this thing on your head.”

Zelie laughed. Once I’d freed her from the tiara, she thanked me and leaned her back toward Reed. My brother secured his tie around her eyes, knotting it behind her head.

Outside the carriage, the horses clomped over the lane headed toward our family’s land and the portal access we had in the fields near the cottage. Hopefully, Melody didn’t spot us and come running out. We hadn’t told her about this part of the evening.

A slight tremor entered my fingers. I looked at Reed, who flashed me a reassuring smile.

We were taking a chance, one that felt destined. Reed and I wanted Zelie for keeps. Everything felt like sweetberries with her around.

Zelie circled her arms around her waist, shivering slightly.

“Are you cold?” I asked.

“Just a little. Not bad,” she answered.

“Not for long,” Reed said.

Zelie’s cheeks turned a soft shade of pink. Reed and I stared at the beautiful female in the lovely steel blue gown our sister had found. It was the perfect choice, just like Zelie.

Once we reached the field outside our family’s cottages, Reed and I hurried Zelie out. I created a portal while Reed escorted Zelie through. I followed on their heels. Wind rushed through my thick black hair, warming up at the end of the vortex that deposited the three of us in the foyer of my parents’ Titan Beach condo.

Reed removed the makeshift blindfold from Zelie’s eyes.

“Wait. What are we doing here?” she asked, tilting her head at the tall ceilings.

“You were cold,” I answered.

“So you portaled me to California?” She laughed. “You could have fetched me a cloak, you know.”

“Come on, Zelie. What’s better? A cloak or California?” Reed asked.

She looked at him with rounded eyes. “You guys are bonkers.”

My brother shrugged. “As long as we’re here, we might as well go for a dip in the Pacific—we’ve got the whole beach to ourselves.”

“I’m wearing a dress.”

“Don’t worry about the gown,” I said. “Come on.”

We opened the sliding glass door to the outside patio, taking a moment to remove our shoes. Then Reed and I each took a hand, escorting Zelie to the lazy lull of the surf.

The moon, recently full, cast silvery light over the gentle waves. Stars spotted the sky. Lights much closer to home dotted the streets behind the darkened condos.

When our feet touched water, I released Zelie’s hand and stripped down to my briefs. Reed did the same.

Zelie’s eyes widened more. “What are you doing?” She looked from me to Reed.

My brother grinned. “Keep the dress on.”

Taking her hands, we waded into the warm Pacific waves. Ocean water soaked the tulle on Zelie’s gown, traveling from the hem up to the fabric around her knees. When we were a little over waist-deep, Reed turned Zelie to face him. We stripped out of our briefs, letting the ocean take the garments in its current. My brother’s hands returned to Zelie’s waist. As soon as he started kissing her, she put her arms around his neck. I crouched in the ocean and took hold of Zelie from behind, lifting her up by her thighs. She weighed nothing beneath the water.

Still kissing her, Reed pushed the tulle skirt upward where it floated to the surface of the water. I knew when my brother entered her by the throaty gasp Zelie gave as she broke free of Reed’s kiss. She gripped my brother’s neck and leaned into him. I felt her hips move in my hands as Reed thrust inside her. Zelie rocked against Reed, moving as steadily as the tide. Her moan plunged straight down to my groin.

Fuck. This was happening. My first time. Soon Reed would turn this beautiful bombshell of an elf around and hold her up for me to mate with.

It happened sooner than I thought. Even in the throes of pleasure, my brother was serious about sharing. Zelie’s thighs lifted from my grasp as Reed spun her around to face me. Her swollen lips parted as she looked into my eyes with a dazed smile, breathing deeply.

“Don’t overthink it,” Reed said to me.

I stepped closer and slid my fingers between her legs. Finding her entrance, I guided myself into her glorious depths.

My breath hitched.

She was a perfect fit. I gripped her thighs, accidently crushing Reed’s fingers as I got carried away in the moment. He grunted and let go, letting me have her entirely. Zelie grabbed my shoulders and pushed on them, lifting herself to ride me beneath the waves. She moaned with each rise and fall of her hips.

Fuck. I was on the verge of coming, and we’d only just gotten started. First time or not, I didn’t want to blow my load within minutes of mating.

I tried taking even breaths to calm the blood racing to my groin. When that didn’t work, I sent a chill down to my dick.

Zelie gasped and bucked against me. “What was that? It feels like your shaft turned into a popsicle.”

Reed laughed. I grimaced at him over Zelie’s shoulder.

“Better to come than freeze your dick off.” The bastard floated on his back, smiling up at the moon.

Zelie ran her hand over my cheek, then leaned forward and whispered in my ear.

“It’s okay, Ronin. I know it’s your first time. If it makes you feel any better, I’m having trouble holding on. You and Reed are . . . well, let me just say, oh, sweetberries.” She took my face in her hands and pressed her lips to mine.

We steadied our rhythm, kissing and grinding to the sound of soft splashes against our undulating bodies. Reed, being the good brother that he was, didn’t interrupt even after we’d gone way past the brief time he’d gotten with Zelie. My brother floated soundlessly on his back beside us until Zelie cried out, taking me with her.

I held Zelie against me, covering her face in kisses. She rested her forehead against mine and sighed. I savored the feel of her weightless in my arms.

“What happens in California stays in California, right?” Zelie murmured. “I Lark telling me something about that years ago.”

I frowned at the mention of Lark. Reed swam over, his teeth gleaming in the dark. “Actually, that saying goes for a place called Las Vegas. It doesn’t matter, though. What happens in the mortal realm is happening back home in Pinemist. You’re ours now, Zelie.”

“My brother speaks the truth,” I said, relishing the shiver I felt go through the female in my arms.

“And by the way, Lark is a complete dingleberry,” Reed added, wading to our side. “Our brother’s lucky he found a male willing to put up with him.”

I snorted my agreement.

All too soon, Zelie pulled away from me and pushed herself gently out of my arms. She cleared her throat. “Time to return to the elven realm. I need to prepare a tincture.”

A proud grin spread over my lips. Planting my seed in Zelie felt like a claiming of sorts. Like Reed had said, she was ours now.

“Or we could stay the night—what’s left of it,” Reed suggested.

“I like that idea,” I said.

Zelie rubbed her lips together as she stared in the direction of the condo. Standing in the ocean, in the moon’s glow, she brought to mind a fabled siren— one I’d happily follow out to sea.

She tucked her hair behind her ears. “I’m ready to return home.”

Reed scooped her into his arms and headed toward shore. “Whatever you want,” he said.

Zelie laughed and slipped out of his arms.

Ocean water dripped down my chest. Disappointment clouded my head. Good thing my brother was able to act chill. I wanted us all to stay at the condo a little longer.

Making love with Zelie changed everything. I wanted to do it again every night and every day. I wanted to kiss her and hold her and love her for all time.

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

Zelie

My blanket and bedsheet ended up heaped on the floor, along with two sets of tros and my damp gown.

I had no idea what time it was when I woke up naked between Reed and Ronin. My narrow bed wasn’t made for two—let alone three—at a time, which was part of the reason the twins were plastered against me. My entire body felt feverish from making love until dawn. I could use a touch of the twins’ cooling powers right about now.

A satisfying ache bloomed between my thighs. I wanted to stay in bed longer and give in to days of pleasure. Once I’d invited Reed and Ronin to stay the night, I hadn’t held back. I had a tendency to get loud. Didn’t matter. This was my cottage. My domain. They’d loved every second of it.

My bladder forced me to wiggle my way out of bed.

A hand caught my ankle. “Stay,” Reed said.

Ronin dozed near the wall, breathing low and steady.

“Gotta pee,” I said.

Reed released my ankle.

I grabbed my fuzzy robe from a hook on the back of my door and stuffed my arms into the sleeves as I fled my room, feeling Reed’s wakeful stare on my back.

After relieving myself, I went to the kitchen and started heating water in a kettle while pulling specialty herbs from my cupboard. I measured ingredients into a small bowl, then crushed everything together with the back of a spoon.

When steam whistled in the kettle, I poured the hot water into a mug and stirred in the crushed herbs.

Reed emerged in his rumpled gray slacks, shirtless and grinning. “Now here is a sight I want to wake up to every morning.”

“I bet.” I smirked and blew on the surface of my mug.

“Need me to cool that?”

“Sure.” I handed Reed the mug.

Reed took the mug and peered inside. “What temperature would you like it?”

“Very warm, but not so hot that I burn my tongue.”

Reed stared at the mug, his brows furrowed in concentration. Nothing appeared to happen. He drew in a breath, released it, then looked up.

“Try it now.” He handed me the mug.

I took a tentative sip, swallowing down the warm liquid. “Just right,” I said with a grin. “I could get used to this.”

Reed’s face lit up like he’d just won an archery tournament. I couldn’t get over how cute he and his brother were about so many little things. Being around them made me happier than I could have ever imagined. In all the years I’d spent searching for a partner, I’d never dreamed that Lark’s little brothers would capture my heart.

As I drank down the last of my tincture, Ronin ed us in the kitchen. He’d put on his steel blue slacks and wore his white dress shirt unbuttoned.

“Good morning.” I set my empty mug on the counter.

Ronin sauntered up to me with a devilish grin, pulled me into a hug, and lifted me briefly off my feet. I laughed happily and gave him a quick kiss on the lips.

“I was about to make porridge. Do you want sweetberry tea while you wait?” I looked from Ronin to Reed.

“How about we make breakfast?” Reed suggested.

“Careful, boys, or I might never let you leave,” I teased.

“That’s the plan,” Ronin said huskily, slipping behind me and wrapping his arms around my middle. He pulled me against him, pressing his erection against my rear. I took in a shaky breath.

“Won’t your parents wonder where you are?” I asked.

Reed swaggered over and slid my robe over one shoulder, exposing my breast. “We told them we were going to hang out in California after the ball and not to expect—or bother—us for a week.”

I felt my face turning crimson. “Wait. What exactly did you tell your mom and dads? Did you tell them I might be with you in California?”

The twins had never been shy about showering me with attention in front of their family. I’d always laughed it off as boys being boys—something they’d eventually outgrow. Now that I was aware that their interest had only strengthened over the years, I wondered how much their family knew about their feelings for me.

Reed’s chilled thumb brushed over my nipple, leaving it hard and aching for his hot tongue. He touched my cheek, and a soothing breeze cooled my flushed skin. From behind me, Ronin nuzzled the back of my neck.

“Stop distracting me,” I rasped.

“Yeah, we told them,” Reed itted. He stepped closer, caging me in between him and his brother.

I bit back a groan as the pair pressed their lips over my skin and explored beneath my robe. Ronin lifted the back hem, letting a draft waft over my rump. He cupped my cheeks while Reed’s mouth closed over my breast.

My eyelids drooped closed as a moan escaped my lips.

Ronin spoke in a low, husky voice at my ear. “They know we’re serious about you. We told them we want you as our mate, Zelie.” Reed pushed my robe off my other shoulder and turned his attention to my other breast. I took a panting breath as Ronin continued speaking. “We told them we want to make you our princess. Mom was thrilled. She said you’re her dream daughter-in-law.”

“But, but—ohhh.” The twins’ distraction tactics were working like a charm. I swallowed and tried again. “But I’m so much older.”

“Mom says we need a woman to keep us in line,” Ronin said.

My robe fell to the floor as Reed kissed a trail from my breasts to my belly, then lower.

“She said we’d better not fuck this up,” Reed added.

I opened my eyes to the sight of him on his knees, black hair brushing at my thighs as he closed in.

The three of us ended up back in bed, a tangle of sweaty limbs and a mingle of slick liberation. My throat felt scratchy from shrieking while my stomach growled for sustenance. But my body was satiated and spent, and it demanded sleep above all other needs.

Five days later—or six?—the smell of bacon tickled my nostrils. My lashes fluttered open. I sat up in bed, alone, and stretched my arms above my head, yawning.

“I think our princess has awoken,” I heard Ronin say from the kitchen.

“She has,” I said. I leaned over my bed to scoop my nightgown off the floor, pulled it over my head, and propped a pillow against my headboard.

Ronin entered my room carrying a wood tray with a plate filled with delicious breakfast and a steaming mug. I’d taught the twins how to prepare a tincture. Not only had they taken on the duty with gusto, they always served it at the perfect temperature. Ronin wore a pair of snug boxer briefs. I ired his muscled chest, arms, and legs as he delivered my tray. This was service I could get used to. I’d rather be served by my males than by servants any day.

Ronin leaned down to set the tray in my lap, pressing a kiss to the top of my head as I picked up the fork.

“Smells delicious, as usual.”

Several days prior, Reed and Ronin had decided porridge for breakfast and stew for lunch and dinner wasn’t cutting it. The only time they’d left my cottage was to go on a food-shopping spree.

“Enjoy.” Ronin left me to my breakfast. He and Reed had a routine of eating while they cooked, then taking turns showering while I ate. They also took turns with the dishes. I was losing track of the days, giving in to my urges. I kept telling myself I wasn’t going to worry about anything for a week. This was the start of my summer break, and I couldn’t think of a more satisfying way to spend it.

The thought of Melarue knowing exactly what her boys were up to, and with whom, sometimes niggled at my mind, but before I could overthink things, Reed and Ronin swooped in to obliterate thoughts of the world outside my cottage.

I stuffed eggs into my mouth between bites of crispy bacon, licking my fingers clean after devouring each strip. I chuckled softly to myself. Real high-class princess right here. It had become something of an inside joke between the three of us. The first time Ronin called me “princess” in bed, I’d countered with, “I’m a princess alright. The pleasure princess.” We’d all cried with laughter.

I had to stop worrying about what my neighbors and colleagues would think of me having two mates. I was happy and in love. That was all that mattered.

I doubted my parents would see it that way. For the first time, it was a relief that they were off battling ogres in Elkcan. Perhaps I could enjoy an entire summer of bliss before breaking the news to them.

After I finished my breakfast, a freshly showered Ronin collected my tray. He was dressed in dark pants and a snug tee, black hair still damp. We needed a second dresser. For the time being, I’d cleared out two drawers for the twins.

I inhaled when Ronin leaned over to collect my emptied plate and mug. He froze, turning a grin my way. “Did you just smell me?”

A smile bloomed up my cheeks. “You smell good.”

“But not as good as bacon,” Reed said, sauntering in still dressed in only his briefs. “We need to wash up and get dressed. Mom wants us all to come over for lunch.”

My heart skipped a beat, then rocketed up my throat. I made a choking sound.

Ronin chuckled. “Don’t look so scared, Zelie. Our mom adores you.”

“Probably wants to present you with a trophy for taking us off her hands.” Reed grunted and folded his arms over his chest.

Oh my gosh. Was it really time to face reality? The twins claimed that Melarue was happy about the three of us hooking up. She knew better than anyone what it meant to juggle two males. But I was so much older. Was she truly okay with that?

I leapt out of bed, hurrying to my small closet, where I pawed through summer dresses. “What am I going to wear? Sundress? Tunic over leggings? Pit! Nothing in here looks right.”

“Zelie,” Reed said, stepping up behind me. “Chill.”

His word sent a nippy gust up my legs. It felt like his mouth was at my entrance blowing cool air over my bud. I clamped my legs and teeth together. I knew from experience that moaning only encouraged them.

“Not helping,” I gritted out.

Reed chuckled. His invisible gale glided over my breasts. I shivered.

“Now that you’ve cooled off, how about we take a hot shower together?”

“We?” I faced Reed and arched one brow.

“Better make it quick,” Ronin said. “If we’re late, Mom might hunt us down.”

Eep!

“Wait your turn,” I warned Reed before yanking a green sundress off a hanger, tossing it on my bed, and hurrying to the shower.

I was lucky to have a newer cottage that came installed with a water tank on the roof. There was a ladder for filling the tank during pauses between rainfall.

Sunlight was enough to heat the water on clear days, beaming through a glass pane to the black tank beneath. The water felt wonderful this time of year. The woodstove took a long time to heat in winter. But summer meant carrying heavy pails of water up the ladder—until the twins, anyway. It was another chore they’d taken on for me.

I opened the valve and sighed into a spray of deliciously warm water.

No time to enjoy, I reminded myself. I had to face Melarue and her mates. I knew them well enough to believe the twins when they said I would be accepted with open arms into their family, but that didn’t make me less nervous.

On the walk to the Elmray cottage, my feet dragged. Meanwhile, Reed and Ronin were practically skipping in their excitement to present me to their parents.

As the front door of the cottage loomed closer, my heart knocked against my ribs. Maybe there was still time to turn around and run. My steps slowed. Reed and Ronin were several paces ahead of me when the front door flew open and Melarue rushed out, her hair in a high, thick bun.

“Get in here for a hug, Zelie. I was so happy when the twins told me the wonderful news.” Melarue threw her arms around me, kissed both my cheeks, and squeezed me in a tight embrace.

“Zelie!” Melody yelled from behind us. “Oh my god! I’m so excited. We’re going to be sisters!”

“Um.”

Melarue grabbed my hand and tugged me toward the cottage. “Let’s head on back. Peridot prepared a beautiful outdoor picnic. You have to tell us all about your reunion ball. We went over before the dance and snuck a peek at the ice palace my boys created.”

“Wicked cool,” Melody said.

My legs moved with Melarue as she directed me to the back side of the cottage, where a large blanket was laid over the lawn. Baskets anchored the edges. There was a stack of plates. Peridot and Kaylin, the governesses all of the Elmray children had grown up with, stood at the ready. One held a pitcher of lemonade, the other a stack of glasses. Peridot beamed at me while Kaylin looked me over with a shrewd glance. She pursed her lips. Kaylin was the least of my worries.

The moment Lyklor and Ryo rounded the cottage, they aimed smiles my way.

“Hey there, Zelie,” Ryo said, giving me a hug. “We’re so happy you could us for lunch.”

Lyklor hugged me next, whispering “thank you” in my ear.

Kaylin poured lemonade while Peridot handed out glasses. She offered me one first.

“Thank you, Peridot.”

“My pleasure.” She nodded, then served Melarue next. Melody shook her head when offered a glass. The youngest Elmray’s eyes were on me.

I had barely sat on the blanket before Melody began firing off questions.

“Tell me everything. What did you think of the drinks and hors d’oeuvres? Did you dance? Which of my brothers had the better moves?”

“Melody, you know that we’re both equally awesome,” Ronin said.

The twins settled onto the blanket beside me. Reed reached for the plates and began handing them out. Peridot started for the basket.

“Thank you, Peridot and Kaylin,” Melarue said with a kind smile. “We can take it from here.”

Peridot nodded and smiled, her arms swinging as she headed in the direction of a smaller cottage across the field. Kaylin skulked away.

Food was ed around and set onto plates. Ronin scooped three different salads onto my plate, and Reed handed me a bread roll. Everything looked tasty,

but my usual voracious appetite was stunted by all of the attention directed my way.

Melarue raised her brows at Reed. “Were the Dahlquist attendants acceptable?”

“They were perfection,” he answered.

I set my fork on the edge of my plate. “The evening was absolute magic. Reed and Ronin saved the day.” Melody cleared her throat. “And Melody, of course. She made me presentable.”

“You would be presentable wearing a potato sack,” Ronin said.

“That’s sweet,” Melody said. “But you know Zelie deserves nothing less than the royal treatment. When’s your wedding going to be? I need to start planning, you know.”

Heat flared up my neck. Reed looked over. A second later, cooling air breezed over my flushed skin. I’d thank him later.

Ronin bit into his roll and set it on the blanket. “Well, we haven’t proposed yet, sis. We’re still working out a grand romantic gesture.”

Melody huffed and rolled her eyes. “Save the romance for the honeymoon. Don’t you want to propose in front of your loving family so we can all be part of

this special moment?”

“Melody, you’re putting Zelie on the spot,” Melarue chided. She chucked her roll at Lyklor like he was the one solely responsible for their daughter having no filter.

I didn’t mind. I’d always appreciated Melody’s openness. I wished my parents communicated better. I would have loved for them to stick around Pinemist to talk to regularly.

Sitting on this blanket, in the sunshine, surrounded by Elmrays, I already felt like part of the family. My newfound romance with the twins added an extra glow to my cheeks. I wasn’t used to such open talk when it concerned my love life, but it was something I didn’t mind one bit.

Reed and Ronin shared a nervous look. They put their plates on the blanket. Ronin held his hand to me. Heart thundering inside my chest, I set my plate aside and took his hand. Ronin lifted me to my feet. The twins stared at me like they were trying to read my expression. My heart went haywire. I felt trapped in their gaze. My lips parted slightly. My brain shouted words of astonishment, but my breath stilled.

“Oh my God. Oh my God. Oh my God. It’s happening! My brothers are going to propose to Zelie.” Melody squealed.

“Shh.” Melarue narrowed her eyes at her daughter.

Melody clamped her mouth shut and rocked back and forth in her spot on the blanket.

Reed looked at Ronin, and the twins got onto their knees in front of me. Two pairs of rich brown eyes stared up at me.

“Zelie, will you do us the honor—” Reed began.

“Of becoming our forever mate?” Ronin finished.

Tears of happiness welled in my eyes. For so long I’d dreamed of this moment, hardly daring to believe it would in fact happen. Right here, right now, I had not one but two incredibly sexy, kind, caring, powerful, and funny males wanting to spend the rest of their lives with me.

“Yes,” I said, falling to my knees. I threw my arms around both twins, hugging them at the same time.

“Yes?” Ronin asked.

“Yes.” I laughed.

“Can you say that one more time?” Reed said.

“Yes, I’ll marry you guys.”

Lyklor gave a loud “whoop.” Melody began talking a mile a minute while Melarue clutched her chest and sighed happily.

“I’ll go get the bubbly wine.” Lyklor sprinted around the cottage.

As soon as the twins and I got to our feet, the rest of the family crowded in.

“Congratulations.” Ryo gave me a hug. “And welcome to the family.”

“Zelie’s always been a part of the family.” Melarue grinned widely. “But now she can give me grandchildren.”

Heat flared in my cheeks. “Um.” I looked to Reed and Ronin for help, but they kept their comments, and cooling magic, to themselves on this one. Matching smiles lifted their cheeks. Ryo hugged each twin in turn.

Lyklor returned with a bottle of bubbly wine in one hand and three longstemmed glasses in the other. He set them carefully on the blanket. “Be right back with more.” He dashed to the cottage.

Ryo popped the cork on the bottle and filled the first three glasses, handing them to me, Reed, and Ronin. We waited for Lyklor to return before toasting.

“If only Lark and Crispin were here,” Melarue said. “Someone should portal over to Dahlquist and have them come over to our celebration.”

“Mom, no,” Ronin groaned.

Reed picked his fork up off the blanket and clinked it against his glass. “Ahem, I would like to propose a toast to my future mate, a beautiful, talented, creative, and amazing female my brother and I have loved in secret for many years.” Ronin smiled and nodded. “Zelie, I know I speak for myself and my brother when I say that you have made us the happiest we’ve ever felt, and we are committed to treasuring you for the rest of our days.”

I blinked several times. Was this really Reed speaking? It felt unreal hearing him it to such strong feelings.

Melody surprised us all by bursting into tears.

“Melody?” Lyklor hurried to her side.

“Why can’t a male love me like that?” Melody sniffed.

Melarue sighed. “Sky help me, you’re only twelve.”

Melody’s tears seemed to dry up in an instant when she glared at her mother.

“This is a joyful day for all of us,” Ryo spoke up, lifting his glass of bubbly wine. “I couldn’t be happier that my sons found such a wonderful female to spend their lives with. Cheers to love and to Zelie officially ing the Elmray family.”

We lifted our glasses and drank. As soon as I was able to get a private moment with Melody, I nudged her toe with mine and smiled. “Hey,” I said. “I’m super happy we’re going to be sisters.”

Melody smiled. “Me too.”

I glanced over at the twins, talking to their mom and dads, then returned my attention to Melody. “One day, you’ll find your Kristoff.”

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

Zelie

Dear Mom and Dad,

I hope this letter finds you safe and sound. I wish I could tell you my big news in person, but I imagine you would prefer to hear it by post rather than months from now. I am engaged!

I know what you’re thinking: Ren finally popped the question. But no, that’s not what happened. Ren split up with me as you were leaving for Elkcan. Fraya, Melody, Reed, and Ronin helped cheer me up. The breakup hurt, but I think I knew all along that Ren and I were not a good fit.

I know this news will surprise you, as I was never expecting it myself, but I am engaged to Reed and Ronin Elmray. The twins and I have become very close and found that our feelings went beyond friendship.

I know that it will be an unconventional marriage, but I care for them both deeply. I hope you will embrace the males into our family with the same love and that Melarue, Ryo, and Lyklor have shown me.

I look forward to celebrating this news with you in person after you return home. In the meantime, stay safe and take care.

All my love,

Zelie

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

Reed

I dreamed I was teetering on the edge of a cliff. Gravity pulled at my consciousness. I woke to find myself nearly falling off the edge of Zelie’s small bed.

I leaned my weight away from the edge, but there wasn’t anywhere to go unless I climbed on top of Zelie.

Not a terrible idea.

I resisted temptation. My future mate looked so peaceful with her eyes closed, chest rising and falling gently—her highlighted waves of copper, gold, and brunette hair spread over the pillow. Ronin spooned her from behind, his arms wrapped around her middle as he dozed with a happy grin on his lips.

I slipped quietly out of bed, showered, and got dressed in the bathing chamber. It was market day, and I’d had the bright idea of sneaking out for freshly baked sugared buns to enjoy with sweetberry tea. I also hoped to run into Alok. He went to market every week. I hadn’t had a moment alone with my cousin since sharing our news. It would be nice to get any advice he had to offer on keeping a mate happy long-term and raising children.

“Communication is key,” my father Ryo had shared.

Ronin and I asked Zelie what kind of living arrangement she wanted after the three of us became mates, if she wanted to keep her teaching job or live off our generous royal stipend from the Dahlquist treasury, whether she wanted to have children, and if she would rather wait or try for a family immediately.

One of the many qualities I loved about Zelie was that she said exactly what she desired.

Zelie wanted us all to live in her cottage, to continue teaching until she became a mother, and to try for a baby as soon as possible.

Ronin and I had already moved in. The three of us were practically inseparable and didn’t want to wait until our ceremony to live together. Plus, it made sense to spend every night with Zelie when she was eager to get a start on our own family. She’d stopped drinking tinctures and was already brainstorming baby names with us. Seeing her glow with happiness made my chest swell with pride. Far from being scared of taking our relationship to the next level, Ronin and I were in a continual state of pleasure. We’d grown up not wanting for anything, including love and attention. Our children would know the same affection and adventure we had experienced.

Tiptoeing past the bedroom, I crossed the living area, eased the front door open, slipped outside into the early morning sun, and closed the door behind me carefully.

I whistled a tune as I strode toward the colorful picket fence leading to the lane. My next note was cut off when I saw the white-haired female staring me down from the opposite side of the gate, hands on her hips.

It was Zelie’s mother. Mrs. Sana Omarel.

Her watchful, slightly narrowed, mistrustful eyes were ones I ed well growing up. She’d always intimidated me, though Lark had usually been the focus of her ire. She used to follow his every move whenever she brought Zelie over to play. She’d watched Lark like he was a snake waiting to strike the second she took her eyes off him. That same look was now aimed at me.

Uh-oh.

“Hello, Mrs. Omarel.” I straightened my spine, hoping she would see me for the grown-up I’d become and not the troublemaker she no doubt ed from youth.

The fierce female stood tall and lean in her snug tros, tunic, and leathers. Her white hair hung in two tightly woven ropes over her shoulders. She looked ready for battle.

“I have heard the news that you and your brother wish to marry my Zelie,” she said curtly.

More like my Zelie. But now didn’t feel like the time to be impertinent.

“Your daughter has made us extremely happy by consenting to be our life mate. We’ve loved her for many years and will continue to give her the royal treatment.” The chilly air coming off the female made it impossible to even fake

a smile.

“The royal treatment.” Mrs. Omarel sneered. “What a waste.”

I narrowed my eyes. “Excuse me?”

She turned her palm skyward, fingers sparking blue as a marble-sized ball of ice appeared, hovering an inch above her hand. The ball grew rapidly until it had grown to roughly the size of a baseball. The thing was solid ice, not the harmless snowballs Ronin and I liked to create and throw at one another.

Eyes on me, Mrs. Omarel kept the lethal-looking ice ball floating in her palm. “You and your brother were blessed by Sky Mother and gifted the power of cooling magic.”

I folded my arms, knowing an insult was coming. The fact that she hadn’t called me by name convinced me she wasn’t sure which twin I was, nor did she care.

A new ice ball formed in Mrs. Omarel’s left palm, identical to the one in her right. “You could use your elemental abilities for good, but instead you build silly ice castles. I spoke with Ren. He told me you’ve been abusing your powers.”

I bristled.

“Your mother begged me to teach you. I should have answered her plea from the beginning. You could aid the realm. Save lives. Ogres are ravaging villages that have little help except for those of us strong and brave enough to protect them. Melarue and Ryo once fought ogres in Pinemist before you were born. They helped us battle and end the monstrous invaders. But what of their children? Where is your elder brother with his fire magic? Does he no longer consider the elven realm his homeland or responsibility? Perhaps he is too busy hosting fancy balls.”

None of what she was saying was fair. Lark and his mate had made many improvements to unite the citizens of Dahlquist—a task our Uncle Liri had never bothered with. My brother-in-law wanted to live in his home world, and Lark had honored Crispin’s wishes the same way Ronin and I intended to respect Zelie’s desire to reside in Pinemist.

Mrs. Omarel’s words still stung. She made me feel like we were all a bunch of lazy royal heirs who couldn’t be bothered with serious matters.

The female gave me a considering look. “I think maybe you and your brother are different, though. I believe you are sincere in your affections for my daughter and that you care about the world she lives in.”

“We live in it too,” I said. My gums ached from clenching my jaw.

“Which is why I hope you will consider using your powers to the fight in saving Elkcan. If we don’t stop the ogres, Bluespark will be next, and after that . . . Pinemist.” Her slender white eyebrows dipped together. It felt like she was staring directly into my pupils. “Will you and your brother help? Prove to me and Zelie’s father that you are willing to wait until the citizens of Elkcan are safe before making merry with a wedding celebration.” Her last sentence

sounded like a command. For some damnable reason, I felt like saying no would make me a coward, a cad, a selfish prince who only cared about his own needs.

I pursed my lips, feeling as though I’d licked a frozen pole and was now stuck, waiting to be freed from the biting grip of entrapment.

Mrs. Omarel let the balls of ice fall into her palms. She wrapped her fingers around them and held tightly. “I used two ice balls like these to divest an ogre of his sight. He was about to trample a six-year-old elfling who’d gotten separated from her parents. I stopped him. Not every elf has been as lucky as she. I am the sole elemental on site, and I can only be in one place at one time, but with three of us, we could possibly end this thing by the end of summer. You would return home a hero.”

My ears perked up at that.

A vision of Ronin and I riding into Pinemist as conquering saviors at the end of the season entered my head. We would be on steeds, of course. After slaying ogres, and liberating the elves of Elkcan, our triumphant homecoming would be met with applause and celebration.

“Does it feel like you’ve had to suppress your powers since coming into them?” Zelie’s mom pressed. “On the battlefield, you’re encouraged to unleash everything you have. I could teach you skills you haven’t begun to imagine.”

The tips of my fingers tingled with the call to magic.

I thought of how proud our parents would be to see us as more than a couple of goofballs. It wouldn’t only be Mom and our dad Ryo talking about their glorious battle against ogres. We’d have our own stories to share. We’d tell them to our children.

I glanced over my shoulder and stared at Zelie’s cute little cottage with its colorful picket fence and army of pots brimming with unruly flowers. My heart squeezed inside my chest. The thought of being away from Zelie for even one night left me numb inside.

“It’s just for the summer,” Mrs. Omarel coaxed. “Not even that. We’ll be halfway through the season soon. Zelie’s not going anywhere. She’d be so proud to know you’re taking up arms with her parents.”

I turned slowly. My eyes went out of focus. Making a decision seemed impossible. How could I turn down the chance to help innocents? How could I leave Zelie?

“You don’t have to make up your mind right now,” Mrs. Omarel said. “You don’t even have to worry about turning me down. I’m headed straight back to Elkcan. If you and your brother decide to the fight, look for me there.” She dropped the two balls of ice on the dusty lane, swung around, and strode away.

I stood chewing on the inside of my cheek for a long time, thinking. I couldn’t make my legs move. Going to market for baked goods suddenly felt inconsequential. My mind swelled with a sense of duty. I’d never considered that I could make a difference. Save lives. Save an entire town and possibly more. In the process, Ronin and I could win over Zelie’s parents. It would make all our lives a lot more pleasant if Mr. and Mrs. Omarel gave Ronin and me their blessings. How could they deny us after we helped them remove the threat from

Elkcan once and for all? With three elementals, maybe we could wrap this thing up before summer.

But only if Zelie was okay with it. If she shed one tear, I wasn’t leaving her side. There was no one whose well-being meant more to me than my future mate’s. Sky, if she wanted to get married this afternoon, I’d do it.

I could tell her parents’ of our relationship meant a great deal to her. She’d agonized over how to tell them our happy news. Mrs. Omarel had given us an opening to bridge that gap. That reason alone would have been motivation enough. Saving lives was the icing on the sweetberry cake.

Unfortunately, there were no portal access points in Elkcan. There would be no quick travel back and forth to spend time with our beloved. It wasn’t a destination that interested faeries. We’d be stuck there until it was over. All the more reason to freeze the ogres out as soon as possible.

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

Zelie

Early morning sun glistened in dewdrops across the meadow. Two horses stood saddled outside the Elmrays’ cottage with full packs secured behind the leather seats.

Reed and Ronin were grinning, looking handsome in their tunics and leather wrist cuffs. They stood outside the shadow of the cottage, sunlight making their hair shine onyx.

I stood in the cluster of Elmrays and Keasandorals circling the twins. We’d all come out to see the twins off, including Aerith, Jhaeros, Fraya, Alok, Amelia, and Titus.

Melarue fussed over the boys. She’d added items to their packs and made suggestions on everything from the boots they wore to the weapons they should bring along.

“In battle, never rely on your magic alone,” she’d advised as Ryo and Lyklor presented their sons with swords. The weapons were now secured at their hips, tips aimed at the ground.

Melarue looked Ronin up and down. Her chin pointed down as she zeroed in on his boots. “Your laces aren’t tight enough. Let me fix that.”

“Ma!” Ronin took a step back. “I’ve got it,” he said, gentling his tone as he bent and retied the laces.

“You don’t have to do this, you know,” Melarue said for the tenth time. “If Sana’s so desperate for warriors, she should have come to me first.”

“Mom, we want to,” Reed said.

Melody did a cartwheel that ended in a high kick in front of her brothers. “You are going to kick ogre ass!”

“Yep,” Reed said, puffing out his chest.

I stood smiling, throwing in a merry chuckle every now and then, giving the performance of a lifetime. Watching the twins prepare to leave was ripping my heart in half—no, thirds. They weren’t even leaving me with half a heart.

They’d buzzed with excitement from the moment they began discussing the expedition. I’d recognized their need to venture out and discover that place of independence. I’d gone through that experience when I moved out of my parents’ hut into my cottage. Reed and Ronin deserved a taste of their own freedom before they tied themselves down. They were still young. I loved them too much to ask them to move directly from one household to another—from their mother to their mate without any liberty in between.

I was angry at my mom, though. She’d trekked back to Pinemist, manipulated

Reed directly outside my cottage, then left without a word to me. I’d never considered my mom a coward until that moment. It had taken a pitload of willpower to maintain a neutral expression while Reed relayed my mother’s goal of eradicating the ogres by the end of summer.

I knew all about the never-ending fight in Elkcan. The town was built at the bottom of a rocky mountain known for its numerous caves. The mountain was prime ogre territory. I’d once asked my mother why the citizens of Elkcan didn’t relocate to someplace less hazardous. Oh, Sky. She’d practically bitten my head off for asking such an outrageous question. Elves over ogres. Got it. Sorry for saying anything.

Fraya’s father, Jhaeros, stepped in, all business as he addressed the twins. “ everything we’ve practiced over the years, and always remain alert. These creatures may appear large and bumbling, but they’re able to cover a lot of ground faster than you’d think and, trust me, you don’t want them catching up to you.”

The twins nodded their understanding, looking up at the tall elf in his tailored slacks and jacket. Jhaeros had an old-fashioned air about him. He was the oldest elf in our group and sometimes came across as gruff. Fraya had lamented to me about him in recent years. She’d gone from daddy’s darling to the rebel daughter who married an Elmray traitor. It drove Fraya nuts that Jhaeros still couldn’t accept the male Alok had become.

“He merely tolerates him,” she’d grumbled on more than one occasion.

I figured we’d start our own group very soon. I hadn’t had any response from my father since writing to him of my engagement to the Elmray twins. His silence said it all.

“When in battle, always keep your sword in the ready position,” Jhaeros continued.

“Go for their ankles,” Melarue threw in. “Get behind them first, then strike.”

“But to avoid stabbing motions,” Jhaeros said.

“Right. Bring your blade forward first and step into the attack.” Melarue raised her voice as though she was competing with Jhaeros to be heard.

“Yep. Yep. We got it.” Ronin chuckled.

Sunlight nudged at the shadows, the temperature rising, time running out. The heat of the coming day threatened to burn up my soul.

Tears brimmed my eyes. At this point, I just wanted the twins to leave so that I could return home and release the maelstrom of anguish I’d had to hold in for the past few days.

We’d said our private goodbyes first thing in the morning, but when Reed and Ronin walked up to me for the final time before departing, the rest of their family moved away, talking amongst themselves while I hugged each male.

“We’re going to miss you every second we’re away, day and night,” Reed murmured.

Ronin’s brows furrowed. “Maybe we shouldn’t go. I hate leaving Zelie.”

“I’ll be fine.” I smiled and waved off his concern with a flick of my hand. “Go vanquish the enemy. Show my parents what you’re made of.”

“Testosterone and ice.” Reed smirked.

I laughed my first real laugh since they’d made their decision to leave.

Ronin wrapped his arms around me, leaning his sword hip away, and kissed my temple. “We’ll write to you every day. Will you do the same?”

“I won’t have any exciting news to share, not like you,” I said.

“We still want to hear from you,” Reed said.

Ronin leaned in closer and lowered his voice. “You’ll let us know if you’re pregnant. We’ll return home right away if you are.”

A flutter of anticipation took flight inside my stomach.

I could get through this. The twins were worth the wait. Maybe I’d be summoning them back in a few weeks to celebrate becoming fathers. Even my mom would have to concede that family duty came before a town of strangers who chose to live in the shadow of ogres.

I kissed Ronin, then left the warmth of his arms to kiss Reed. Reed pulled me in before I could step back and fused his mouth with mine, kissing me breathless. When we came up for air, I swayed, unsteady on my legs. Ronin stepped behind me and spun me around to face him. “I can’t let my brother have the last kiss when he goes planting a scorcher like that over your lips.”

Ronin tilted his head and executed his ionate assault. Our tongues tangled, pulling at invisible strings connected to every nerve ending throughout my body.

“Now I need to kiss Zelie again.” Reed pulled me gasping from his brother and turned me around for a repeat performance of tongue-swirling action.

“Ahem, boys.” Ryo’s throaty chuckle broke through the kissing contest. Ryo flashed me an apologetic smile. “Don’t want to ride in after dark.”

Reed gave my hand a final squeeze. I walked alongside him and Ronin toward the horses. Their family moved in, expressions turning somber. Peridot and Kaylin brought out water canteens and handed them to the twins.

“Be safe,” Peridot said.

“Look out for each other,” Kaylin commanded.

The nannies in them were coming out. I hadn’t stopped to consider that this was an emotional day for the Elmrays’ full-time Fae helpers. Peridot and Kaylin had helped raise all of Melarue’s children. They’d watched the boys grow up. Now Melody was the only kid left at home. It would be an adjustment. Peridot and Kaylin didn’t have any children of their own. I could understand why they felt protective of all the Elmray heirs.

Fraya squatted beside Amelia. “Say bye-bye to your Uncle Reed and Uncle Ronin.” Beside her, Alok bounced Titus in his arms. The smiley toddler giggled and waved at the twins.

Raising her voice, as though we were all deaf, Amelia belted out, “Goo-bye, Uncle Weed. Goo-bye, Uncle Wonin.”

The adults chuckled at Amelia’s mispronunciation of each of the twins’ names.

“Don’t worry ,” Ronin said from beside his horse.

“We’ll be back before you know it,” Reed added. He lifted his foot to the stirrup, then paused when Melody ran up behind him and hugged him around the middle. Chuckling, Reed faced her and put his hand on her shoulder. “It’s a happy day, sis. You can take as long as you want in the bathroom without worrying about me hounding you from the other side.” Melody’s lower lip quivered right before tears streaked her cheeks. A sob rocked her thin frame.

Reed drew back in alarm. “Hey, I was teasing. As soon as we’re back, I’ll come by regularly to give you a hard time.” This made Melody sob louder.

Ronin hurried over and tried to hug her, but she batted him away and rushed into the cottage.

“She’ll be fine in a few hours. I’ll go talk to her.” Lyklor nodded at the twins. “Keep each other safe. Don’t go getting yourselves hurt trying to show off. We want you both back in one piece. I’m sure your intended would like you returned without a scratch.” Lyklor flashed me a smile before returning his attention to the twins. “I love you.”

“Love you, Dad,” Ronin said.

“What he said.” Reed grinned.

Lyklor lifted his hand in farewell, then hurried into the cottage.

The twins mounted their horses. They waved to their family and blew me kisses. My heart clenched as they walked their horses across the meadow. The tears were coming. A storm of dark emotions clouded my head. I just had to hold on a little longer. Make myself stay put and not run after them.

Reed looked over his shoulder and smiled at me. A second later, Ronin did the same. I met one twin’s eyes and then the other. In those looks, I felt all the love they had for me. Concentrating on that tenderness allowed me to keep the tears

at bay longer.

Reed and Ronin looked back several more times and waved. I waved and waved until they were swallowed by the forest.

“Sana will make sure nothing happens to them,” Ryo said, as though he was trying to reassure himself.

“She’d better, unless she wants to feel the heat of my rage.” Fire erupted in Melarue’s palm, accentuating her threat.

Lyklor ambled out of the cottage, hands in his pockets. “Well, our daughter wants to be left alone. She’s barricaded herself inside her room and refuses to us for lunch.”

Melarue turned to her sister, Aerith. “Fraya was never this volatile at Melody’s age. Sky give me strength. One moment everything is daisies and rainbows; the next it’s the end of the world—raining tar and pits.”

I sympathized with Melody. Part of me wanted to run wailing straight back to my cottage and hibernate until the twins returned.

“Zelie, can you us for lunch?” Ryo asked.

“Oh yes, you must,” Melarue said, enveloping me in her smile.

I pulled at my fingers, one of my legs already inching away. I’d used up the last of my bravery for the twins’ goodbyes. I wouldn’t make it through lunch with their family. “Thanks so much for inviting me, but I’m not hungry and I told a friend I’d try to meet up with her later.”

Fraya raised a brow, probably seeing right through my lie. “Good time to catch up with your friends,” she said kindly. “You probably haven’t seen as much of them lately, with my cousins monopolizing your attention. I’ll pop by later this week and check on you.”

I nodded, afraid my voice might betray my emotions. If Melarue saw any outward signs of a breakdown, I feared she’d force me to stay and spend time with the family. Unlike Melody, I couldn’t get away with yelling and storming off. Being a grown-up sucked sometimes.

So I kept my brave face, said another round of goodbyes, walked home in a woeful daze, threw myself face-first onto my bed, and cried into the pillows that still smelled like my males.

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

Ronin

Shadows cast by the waxing gibbous moon fell over the mountain’s boulders like cloaks over mercenaries in the night. My breath fogged the air from atop a cave where I stood in thick snow with my brother and Zelie’s mother.

What had started out as a patch of snow barely three feet in length high in the mountains was now a heaping mass above a cave. An icy shelf hung precariously over the wide opening.

Everything was set. Now came the hard part. Waiting.

Reed and I took positions on either side of the cave’s outer slopes. We’d tracked a particularly nasty ogre back to his dwelling after he demolished the town’s assembly hall that afternoon.

Zelie’s mother, who had told us to call her Sana after we killed our first ogre, moved back and stood statue still away from the snow. The older elemental had decades of patience when it came to watching for the ideal moment to strike. She brought down ogres like they were pebbles in need of kicking out of her path.

I could still recall the way my bones rattled after Reed and I ended our first ogre with a spearlike icicle that knocked the brute to the ground. The thud of his monstrous body had reverberated from the soles of our boots up our legs.

Reed and I didn’t have the same fortitude as Sana.

I dug a rock out of the snow and chucked it inside the cave’s entrance. The stone clacked against the rough interior. We waited and waited. When no ogre emerged, my brother sighed, “The big lug sleeps as deeply as you.” He craned his neck to see around the edge of the cave and yelled, “Hey! Big guy. Wake up.”

We listened for the thundering footsteps of the ogre. When none came, Reed blew a piercing whistle.

I resisted the urge to throw a snowball at him. This was serious business, and Sana was watching.

A grumble sounded, booming from the cavern below us. It grew louder. Small rocks tumbled loose from the sides of the cave and fell to the ground. I held my arms out to keep my balance as the ground trembled beneath my boots. When our snow started to shake loose, Reed and I dropped the temperature to keep it in place.

As soon as the thick gray head emerged from the cave, I yelled, “Avalanche!”

“Avalanche!” Reed echoed.

The ogre roared down the mountain, not realizing we were above him.

My brother and I released our hold on the extreme cold we had conjured. Thawing was a lot trickier than freezing; our instinct was to make things colder, not less so. Sana had worked with us on reversal. It sorta felt like returning oxygen from my lungs back into the atmosphere. Not my favorite feeling, but certainly a new challenge.

Reed and I had to be quick. I was glad there were two of us—with a third if we needed Sana. Still, it was a delicate process. The snow needed to return to powder, not slush.

The snowy ice shelf loosened as ice crystals resumed their flaky constitution. Reed and I bolted across the snow until we were on mountain terrain. As though sensing our movement, the ogre turned and looked up. He gave a great roar.

I released energy in a burst like I’d punctured a balloon. The haste of it nearly brought me to my knees. Sana gazed intently at the snow we’d built up. Beside me, Reed clenched his jaw.

The first large section of our shelf broke loose and landed on top of the ogre’s head. More tumbled down the slope, looking like a white cloud getting bigger, spreading wider, descending on the cave’s entrance and the monster below.

When the ogre next bellowed, it was but a whimper compared to the thunderous roar of snow heaping down at once.

The avalanche filled our eardrums. It sounded like wind rushing in.

Once the deluge subsided, we held our ground, staring at the snow mound below, watching for any movement. I kept expecting a gray fist to punch through.

Moonlight reflected off the snow. The pileup stayed in place, like a shroud placed over a deep grave.

Reed rubbed his jaw. “I don’t think he’s coming out.”

Sana ed us, a slight smile on her lips. “Good job. We’ll wait ten minutes. If he hasn’t emerged by then, we’ll know he suffocated.”

I shuddered. What a way to go.

Reed patted my shoulder. “Had to be done, bro. the boy he crippled when he destroyed the assembly hall.”

I nodded, not only listening to Reed’s reasoning, but also picturing the youth whose left leg from the knee down had been destroyed as he fled the hall. The poor boy had tripped over falling debris, then had his leg crushed when the ogre trampled over it. My stomach still turned at the gruesome condition in which he’d left the boy. I couldn’t feel bad that the ogre was buried beneath several feet of snow.

Sana put her hands on her hips. “This right here,” she said, nodding at the snow pileup below, “is saving elven lives.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Reed and I said in unison.

Ten minutes ed without the slightest movement beneath the snow.

We trekked down the mountain. I was relieved for the movement and warmth it would bring. Using so much of my cooling powers had left me chilled to the bone.

The way back to Elkcan was slow going. Even with the help of the moon, it was tricky to spot protruding stones waiting to send us tumbling head over feet.

By the time Elkcan came into sight, dawn was nudging night from the sky.

We leapt over a small stream and clomped across a crude narrow bridge, crossing over to the village. There were still cottages that had been spared the ogres’ attentions, but many of the larger structures had all been smashed. Luckily, the village school was still intact, though a lot of parents were keeping their children home. I didn’t blame them after seeing the boy who’d lost the use of his leg.

It felt warm again, like I’d portaled from winter to summer. For the moment, all was quiet among the sleeping citizens. Over half the villagers had fled to Bluespark. More would leave over the weekend.

Keeping quiet, we made our way to the tent camp set up in a small public field. Reed and I shared a small tent next to Sana and Devdan’s canvas dwelling.

Outside his canvas tent, Mr. Omarel—who had not given us permission to call him Devdan—stood in front of an open campfire, heating water in a pot suspended over the flames.

“Another one down,” Sana crowed to her mate.

Mr. Omarel kissed her on the cheek. “I’ll pour you a mug of tea.”

“Boys, would you like tea?” Sana asked.

“We’re good,” Reed said. “Thanks.”

“We’re going to get some shut-eye so we’re fresh for the afternoon,” I added.

Sana nodded and took a seat in front of the fire. Resting in front of the flames with a hot cup of tea looked comforting. Sana’s mate, however, did not. He glowered at us and always appeared frustrated that he had no good reason to ream us out.

“Good job, boys,” Sana said as Reed and I headed for our tent.

At least we’d made headway with one of Zelie’s parents. Reed and I weren’t sure how to win Mr. Omarel over. Maybe Zelie could give us some tips.

Zelie. Stars, I missed her.

Sometimes it felt like a cruel joke to have discovered so much happiness only to put it on pause until some ever-extending date. I felt homesick all the time, but unlike Mr. Omarel’s displeasure with my brother and me proposing to his daughter, I kept it to myself.

Reed unzipped our tent and pulled the flap aside for me to enter. I pulled off my boots first, then climbed inside and crawled over my sleeping bag. I turned on my side and faced Reed as he settled onto his back, hands behind his head, staring up at the low domed nylon ceiling.

“Do you reckon some of those other caves we ed are ogre dwellings?” he asked.

“Who knows?”

“Do you think we could conjure up a blizzard and cover the entire mountain in snow? Bury them all?”

“Doubtful,” I answered. “If they are occupying caves, they’d probably just hibernate like brown bears in the mortal realm.”

Reed frowned. Several minutes of silence ed before he asked, “Are you asleep?”

“No.”

He turned his head my way to confirm, like maybe I’d answered while slumbering. Seeing my eyes open, Reed returned to staring upward. “I miss Zelie,” he said.

I released a deep sigh. “I miss her so much.”

“You know what else I miss?”

“What?” I asked.

“Big breakfasts with bacon, eggs, potatoes, and toast.”

“I miss being on our own schedule,” I said.

“I miss showers with warm water.”

“I miss a bed with a real mattress,” I said wistfully.

“I miss sex.”

“Dude!”

“What? It’s true.”

I grunted before saying, “I do too.”

We were quiet again. I was thinking about all the other things I missed, like my mom and dads and sister. I missed home. Pinemist. Most of all, I missed the sound of Zelie’s voice. I missed her smile and her smell and her skin. I missed her so much I felt like my heart had been punctured and I needed to freeze it in order to preserve the fragile organ during these long weeks apart.

I wouldn’t it it to anyone other than my twin. At least I had him. But I wasn’t about to complain in any of the correspondence we sent back home. I definitely didn’t want Sana catching wind of any whining. In some ways, we were constantly putting on a show for her. She was Zelie’s mom. We needed to impress her.

I closed my eyes, but sleep eluded me. As much as my brother liked to joke, I’d had a rough time snoozing in Elkcan. A village at the bottom of an active ogre mountain wasn’t exactly calming for the mind and body.

“Ronin, are you sleeping now?” Reed whispered.

“Nope.”

“Sheesh. There must be something really off about this place.”

I snorted. “You think?”

Reed turned onto his side, facing me. “Too bad there weren’t any portal access points located in these backwoods. We could create a giant portal and herd the ogres through—one-way age to Swampia.”

“They’d probably like it there.” I rolled my eyes. “Too bad we couldn’t shrink them until they were six inches tall.”

“Then stomp on them,” Reed said gleefully.

“You’re disturbed.”

“Whatever. It’s what they do. Would serve them right to be flattened into gray piles of goo.” Reed huffed. “Too bad this lame-ass town is located at the base of Ogre Mountain.”

“Too bad there isn’t a moat around it,” I threw in with a chuckle.

Reed’s eyes expanded. “That’s brilliant!”

“Um?”

Reed sat up. He splayed his fingers and spread his arms in front of himself. “If there was a moat, we could freeze it.”

I blinked several times as I caught up to his thoughts, then I sat up, feeling suddenly animated. “If we could freeze it, the ogres would slip and fall trying to get across to Elkcan.”

Reed nodded enthusiastically. “They might break through the ice or break their necks—either scenario works.”

“This could really help stop them from entering the village,” I said.

Had I really come up with a viable idea? Would Sana like it?

“Prevention rather than panic,” Reed said.

My twin would back me up. We were in this together. In all things, we were an unbreakable team. But we had a new member. Without Zelie we were incomplete. Getting back to our future mate was motivation enough to pick up a shovel and start digging the second Sana approved our plan.

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

Zelie

Blistering heat had left my lawn yellow and crisp. I had to water my flowers daily, refusing to let them wilt or die. It was hard to believe fall wasn’t far off. The sun appeared reluctant to let go. Usually, blue skies cheered me up, but week after week of the same weather had grown tedious. I felt trapped in time. Frozen in place while burning to a crisp in the process.

Despite my shaded spot beneath an elm tree, seated on a blanket in my yard, sweat dampened the back of my neck. I’d brushed my hair into a high ponytail and wore a stretchy orange dress with a flowy bottom half. A pair of large sunglasses covered my eyes. Melody had traded them for a crocheted purse I’d made using three different shades of pink wool.

“I actually made the purse for you,” I’d said. “I would give it to you anyway.”

“Well, I bought the sunglasses for you and would have done the same,” she’d countered.

On the blanket, I had a special carved wood box filled with correspondence from the twins. I set my tall glass of chilled lemonade on my opposite side, safely away from accidently knocking it over near the letters.

Summer had ed, as I knew it would, without any resolution to the ogre invasion in sight. My mom had known exactly what she was doing when she appealed to the twins’ sense of duty. She knew the battle would rage on and that

once Reed and Ronin ed, their sense of honor would keep them in Elkcan rather than abandon the fight before it was finished.

True to their word, the twins wrote to me every day. I could feel the emotion in their correspondence—all the excitement and homesickness scribbled over parchment. Distance could never destroy the love we shared.

Nice try, Mom.

I did not write every day, nor did I share the news they’d asked of me before departing.

My right hand rested on my baby bump. Nine and a half weeks pregnant and my belly looked like Fraya’s had at nineteen weeks. Oh, sweet pumpkin. At this rate, I’d be waddling around before I reached my third trimester.

Fraya and Melody had been sworn to secrecy. Ecstatic over the idea of confidential knowledge, Melody had wanted to make a blood oath. Fraya and I had talked her into a pinkie swear instead.

I had spent a lot of time with Fraya and Melody while Reed and Ronin were away. I even took a trip to California with them, where Fraya and I went to Alien Ink for tattoos, right after the twins left. My friend got the cute little arrow she’d wanted on her ankle. I had a snowflake inked in blue on each of my inner wrists. In the center of each was a little heart. It felt like the twins were with me in some small way every time I looked at the tattoos.

With the way my belly had decided to bloat, I stayed away from the rest of the Elmrays. Fraya helped make up excuses whenever her mother told her to ask me over the next time she saw me.

My original plan was to surprise the twins at the end of summer.

Welcome home, boys. Surprise! I’m pregnant!

It was torture not telling them, but I was still a long way from birth and didn’t want to end their adventure too soon. From their letters, it was clear they were proud of helping the citizens of Elkcan. The village school had been destroyed. Reed and Ronin wanted to help rebuild it but were always being called to the front line to keep the ogres from ambling in and trampling more structures while work on their trench project continued.

Our hope is that we can construct a place of learning for the kids by fall, Ronin had written. For now, we help keep the children’s spirits up by playing soccer with them in our free time . . . after we’ve written your letter of the day, of course. We have priorities.

Some of the letters were signed by both twins; some were separate. I had one near the top of the pile from Reed describing in great detail an erotic dream he’d had about me.

My mom was working with them closely, for which I was grateful. But if she thought that would get her off the hook entirely, she was so very wrong.

If this thing with the ogres wasn’t going to end soon, then I’d just have to go be with my males in Elkcan. It was time to tell them the big news. At this point, I didn’t have to say anything.

Fall. Bluespark.

“Two plus two is . . .”

“Four,” my students blared.

“Four plus four is . . .”

“Eight!”

“Eight plus eight is . . .” I raised my brows when no answer came.

My young charges sat in a semicircle around me on a thick rug inside our cozy little room at Thistlepine Elementary in Bluespark. I oversaw eleven students as part of my regular class, which was seven more than the school was used to. Families with the youngest children had been among the first to temporarily relocate from Elkcan to Bluespark.

In the past, first- through third-years had been lumped together. With the influx of new families, the school had filled past capacity—and there were still elves moving into town each week.

Principal Hazelroot had been near tears when I showed up at the school offering to volunteer as a teacher’s aide. “Never mind that. I want to hire you. Please tell me you can stay the year.”

“I can stay until my baby is born,” I’d said.

The frazzled principal had nodded. “I’ll take what I can get.”

It was refreshing to work for a female, one only a couple years older than I was. Not only that, she’d backed all my suggestions, including an after-school arts and crafts hour I taught to any child who wanted to stay late and make art.

I scanned the semicircle, smiling at each of my students. “Eight plus eight? Too difficult?”

Kuskyn, an Elkcan transplant with messy dark blond hair, squeezed his shoulders against his neck.

“Okay, let’s take out your satchels and count it out.”

The children picked up the little pouches filled with small stones we’d gathered last week and pulled rocks out one at a time, counting out eight, then counting out another eight, then counting them all together.

“Sixteen!” Ratha announced. She was an extremely sharp little brunette who had

grown up in Bluespark.

“Very good, Ratha,” I said. “Now let’s switch over to subtraction. What’s nine minus four?”

My stomach rumbled on the way to the staff break room at midday. Thistlepine Elementary had an amazing chef who prepared lunch for the students and teachers during the day and ran the town’s most popular restaurant at night.

When I saw the thick slices of cheese and vegetable quiche waiting on the table, I clapped my hands together. “Oh, sweetberries!”

Miss Maylin Dorhana, the teacher of the fourth- and fifth-years, handed me a plate. She was Ratha’s mother, and several years younger than I was. She wore her light brown hair in a low, messy bun, and a long necklace strung from dried rowan berries dangled from her neck.

Bluespark had a large population of elderly and young elves, but not a lot of middle-aged ones. Maylin had told me that a lot of elves had left seeking opportunities in larger towns like Pinemist. Bluespark had only recently begun to grow again with young families seeking smaller communities.

Maylin pointed behind the quiche. “Did you see the fudge cake?”

“Did you just say fudge cake?” I demanded. I hurried around the table to confirm there was cake. What I saw made my eyes roll into the back of my head.

Maylin and I dished up as two more teachers arrived. We all ate lunch together in one tight-knit group that included Principal Hazelroot. A wonderful group of volunteer parents supervised the children’s lunch and recess, giving the staff an opportunity to enjoy a much-needed break.

I carried my heavy plate—laden with crusty quiche, dandelion greens, and cake —to the table and sighed happily. “I don’t know whether to try the quiche or cake first.”

Maylin stuffed a forkful of quiche inside her mouth, chewed, and swallowed. “Quiche,” she answered. “It’s the perfect temperature.”

She didn’t have to tell me twice.

Later, at the end of arts and crafts, my dad was waiting for me in front of the school. He had his hands in his pockets as he stood beneath the shade of a tree. As soon as he saw me, a grin lit up his face. He pulled his hands out of his pockets and started toward me.

“Let me take that for you,” he said, sliding the satchel of books and papers off my shoulder.

I brushed my hair over one shoulder. “So, what’s the latest on the battlefront?”

“The ogres are still holed up in their caves and progress continues on the trench,” Dad answered, leaving it at that. He knew it was a sore subject with me.

Reed had learned the hard way that it was too dangerous to try pursuing ogres once they retreated into their caves. He’d nearly been crushed to death by a boulder. The twins had insisted it was fine, as he hadn’t been hurt, but since the

boulder incident, I could barely speak to my mom. Avoiding her wasn’t difficult during the week, since she was never around. She came to Bluespark every weekend to help escort refugees and speak with the town’s mayor.

The twins came every weekend to stay with me.

Young mothers held the hands of their children as they walked the stone path, smiling at me as they ed. Kuskyn ran in front of his mother, a short brunette snuggling a sleeping baby against her chest.

“See you tomorrow, Miss Omarel!” Some kids seemed to be under the impression that adults were hard of hearing. They felt the urge to yell every sentence.

“See you tomorrow, Kuskyn.”

My student’s mother glanced down and smiled with relief when she saw her son’s bellow hadn’t woken the baby. She hurried past me and my dad.

“I still can’t believe you gave up your job at Meadowbrook,” Dad said with a slight shake of his head.

“Leave of absence,” I reminded him. “Principal Lemonwick said he’d be happy to hire me back.”

“As long as there’s a position available,” Dad said dubiously.

“I’m the one who won’t be available.” I placed a hand on my belly.

“So that’s it? You’re giving up your teaching career?”

“Arg. Dad! You know I’ve always wanted to be a mother. One who, you know, sticks around home and actually takes care of her kids.”

Dad winced. He hugged my satchel against his hip. “Your mother loves you unconditionally. She’s always done the best she knows how. After being orphaned at age six, her life became one of survival.”

“I know, Dad, but that’s not the life I want.”

“Our biggest wish is for you to live a happy life, out of harm’s way, teaching in Pinemist.”

“But I wasn’t happy, not until Reed and Ronin.”

Dad scowled. His fingers tightened on my satchel as though he was imagining it to be the neck of one, or both, of the twins.

“I wish you could be more ive. Melarue is.”

Dad huffed. “Melarue lives in a dream world. Always has.”

“Melarue raised a bunch of great kids.” I put my hands on my hips. “Have Reed and Ronin not been putting their lives at risk to help the citizens of Elkcan? Sky above, there’s probably hardly anyone left to defend with how quickly they started fleeing to Bluespark.”

Dad pressed his lips together. When it came down to it, there wasn’t any fault to be found in the twins. He squeezed my knapsack beneath one arm, then moved it to the other. “Why can’t you be with one of the males? Why both? You shouldn’t have to share.”

“I’m not the one sharing,” I said with a contented smile. “Dad, how many times do I have to tell you? I love Reed and Ronin. They love me.”

Two plus one equaled three.

It was a late Wednesday afternoon at the end of October when I came home to the single-room cabin I rented near the school.

Smoke drifted from the chimney attached to the small woodstove within.

When I entered, it was to the unexpected sight of the twins preparing dinner on the small woodstove crammed into a corner of the tiny kitchen.

Ronin stopped stirring the contents of the stew pot, abandoning his task as he gave a great whoop. “Zelie, baby!” He rushed over, clasped my arms, and kissed me on the lips.

The twins had been in shape before, but all the mountain climbing and shoveling had sculpted them into a couple of rugged male marvels. While they fixated on my growing belly, I couldn’t stop my fingers from exploring the contours of their toned muscles.

I could feel my whole face light up every time we were reunited. “What are you two doing here in the middle of the week?”

“Ensuring that our female never spends another night alone.” Reed stalked toward me. Seeing that buff body approach sent shivers of anticipation through me.

I took a moment to ire my male before asking, “What do you mean?”

“The trench is finished and filled with frozen water,” Ronin announced.

My jaw went slack. I looked at Reed for confirmation. He placed his palm delicately over my belly and smiled. “We helped Sana freeze the moat. She said that one elemental is enough to keep it solid. The villagers have pooled together a small sum to cover the seasonal work for one elf every summer and early fall. The cooler climates in Elkcan should keep the moat frozen at least half the year. Your mother said she could handle it—that we should be with you.”

I knew it was more than that. My parents needed the income. They were always chasing down jobs—pest control, so to speak—and barely getting by between work. A steady job, even one that was seasonal, had to be a huge relief to my mom and dad. I never liked seeing my parents struggle. This contract had the added benefit of being so much safer than battle. I preferred the idea of my mom and dad safely behind the frozen moat, spending summers together while maintaining the village’s defense.

“So this is it? You’ve finished fighting?”

“Affirmative,” Ronin said.

Reed’s hand brushed over my belly. “From now on it’s you, me, my brother, and our baby.”

Ronin kissed my temple and returned to stirring the pot. “I cannot wait to return to Pinemist.”

“You’ll have to wait a bit longer,” I said. “Your duties might have ended, but I made a commitment to my students until this baby comes.”

A grin pushed up my cheeks. It didn’t matter where we resided, so long as we were together.

EPILOGUE

Reed

Winter Solstice. Wedding night.

Ronin, Zelie, and I inched our way past the guests crowding the castle ballroom. Every noble citizen of Dahlquist had turned out to imbibe bubbly wine and nibble locally sourced delicacies. This party felt like it was more for them than to celebrate our union with Zelie. Uncle Liri had insisted upon it.

Elmray princes were expected to put in an appearance, especially after choosing a princess.

Our wedding ceremony had taken place earlier in Pinemist at Daisywhirl Hall in the company of immediate family .

Zelie had once shared a fantasy of a claiming ceremony atop a glacier, then changed her mind and said she’d rather exchange vows in Pinemist with our families present.

Ronin and I shared a secretive smile. We had an arctic surprise in store for our mate tonight. It was even better than a glacier. We just needed to sneak out of our own party and be on our way. Zelie was in on the plan to cut out, but executing the getaway was proving challenging.

When we were stopped by yet another noble couple, I heard Zelie mutter, “Might as well eat more of these delicious little pastries.” She swiped two off a ing server’s tray.

Our beautiful mate looked like a fairytale princess in her pastel pink and midnight blue wedding gown with sparkles that sprayed over the full skirt like stardust. It was the full swell of her belly I couldn’t get enough of. Every time I introduced Zelie to another Fae lord and lady, I’d watch with pride as their gaze dropped to her protruding belly and think, Yep, my brother and I did that.

I was still feeling smug over Lark’s first reaction after portaling to Pinemist for the ceremony.

“Damn, Zelie. My brothers did a number on you,” he’d commented.

Zelie had flushed bright red and looked at me to do something about it. I didn’t like using cooling magic on my mate while she was pregnant. Zelie’s mother said it was perfectly safe, but Ronin and I didn’t want to take any chances. We’d been fanning Zelie the old-fashioned way. It was impossible to get our stupid shack to a comfortable temperature back in Bluespark. The wood-burning stove turned the small enclosure into a sauna. It was either that or freeze. Even an ice elemental had limits as to how much cold he could endure.

Bluespark had given me a new appreciation for Pinemist. Back home we had pubs, cafés, a charming town center, parks with fountains, a large market, and tournament space.

A little less than three months, I reminded myself. Once Zelie was a couple weeks

away from her due date, we’d finally return to our cottage back home.

“Indeed, it was not an ideal year for silver puff mushrooms,” Lord Somebody I Didn’t Care About droned on. “This is usually their peak season.” He lifted his long, elegant nose when a server attempted to offer him an artichoke-stuffed mushroom.

I snatched one and handed it to Zelie, who instantly popped it into her mouth, sighing as she chewed.

Lady Someone I Also Did Not Care About wrinkled her nose as she watched Zelie finish the appetizer with a throaty swallow.

“Well, good to see you again,” Ronin said before leading Zelie and me away. Thank Sky.

I whispered huskily into Zelie’s ear. “Well? Did it taste tolerable, or are all mushrooms inferior to silver puffs?”

Zelie snorted and covered her nose, lowering it again to grin. “Whatever it was, it tasted delicious.”

“You’ve said that about everything tonight,” Ronin said.

“It all tastes marvelous.”

“Want more?” I asked.

Zelie shook her head. “I’m ready to move on to the main event: our wedding night.”

“Time to go,” I mouthed at Ronin. He nodded.

We managed to slip out of the ballroom, only to run into Lark. Our brother had changed from the tux and bow tie he wore for our wedding ceremony to light blue slacks and a partially unbuttoned white top with a transparent silverthreaded scarf draped over his shoulders.

“Sneaking off?” he asked.

I folded my arms. “You gonna try to stop us?”

“Nope.”

“Smart move.”

With a mirthful smile, Lark gave Zelie a sideways hug, leaning his body away from her belly. “It’s good to have you in the family, Zel. Thanks for keeping the twins in line.”

Ronin snorted. “Whatever. We’re pretty much heroes back in the elven realm.”

Lark stepped back and smirked. “Oh yeah? Are they erecting stone statues in your likeness back in Elkcan?”

“Not yet.”

Lark rolled his eyes. “Go enjoy your wedding night while I savor the rest of your decadent claiming party.”

Ronin and I mock saluted our brother in jest before escorting Zelie to our room in the castle, where we’d laid out human coats, hats, and scarves. Once bundled up, we opened a portal to Chena Hot Springs in Fairbanks, Alaska. As though queued up by magic, the northern lights weaved in otherworldly greens above our heads in the clear sky.

Zelie lifted her head, fogging the air with her breath. “Where in the worlds are we?”

“Mortal realm,” Ronin supplied.

“This looks nothing like California,” Zelie said in wonder.

I chuckled. “No palm trees, but they do have glaciers. We booked several nights at the Ice Hotel. It’s up this way.”

We led Zelie around a cluster of frosted trees and through the snow to the domed structure made entirely from ice blocks.

“You didn’t do this?” Zelie asked.

“Manmade,” Ronin said. “It’s the only hotel made entirely of ice.”

Zelie’s eyes widened. We steered her to the arched entrance that led into a bar with ice stools carved around a sweeping counter. Purple, pink, and blue lights glowed from the ice crystal chandeliers suspended from the ceiling to the clear glossy floor, shining through the icy architecture.

A woman with short dark hair mixed drinks from behind the ice bar and served them up over the glowing counter to patrons bundled in thick jackets, fur hats, mittens, and scarfs.

“Is this the coolest thing you’ve ever seen?” Ronin joked.

Zelie craned her neck, taking it all in. “Most definitely.”

Ronin took Zelie’s hand. “Wait until you see the bedroom.”

We located the manager and were escorted through an icy hallway to an arched doorway covered by some type of hairless animal hide. The manager held it aside for us to enter. We had to duck our heads to walk through the low opening. The room inside was sparse, with a large bed carved out of thick slabs of ice and lined with posts that glowed purple along their bases and white at their domed tops.

“Wow,” Zelie breathed.

From the doorway, the manager said, “Let me know if you need any more furs or blankets. Enjoy your stay.” He let the animal skin fall back into place.

Zelie walked around the bed, each breath fogging the air. She ran a gloved finger over the smoothly polished ice framing the bed.

“Cold enough for you, Zelie?” I asked, arching a brow.

“You must feel right at home,” she teased back.

Ronin jumped onto the thick pile of blankets on the ice bed and tucked his legs in beneath him. “Don’t worry, Zelie; we’ll keep you warm.”

“And if that doesn’t work, there’s always the hot springs,” I added.

Ronin

Early spring. Pinemist.

Sweet baby blue Sky above, I’m a father!

While my mate took a nap in our bedroom, I cradled our newborn son in my arms. Reed sat beside me on the sofa, staring at little North. He’d been born with a tuft of black hair and deep brown eyes.

“There’s no mistaking who his father is,” I said. Reed and I looked at one another and said in unison, “Us!”

We laughed silently so as not to wake up North.

I bent down and kissed our baby’s soft head. “I love this little dude so much.”

Reed rubbed North’s tiny fingers, looking him over with the same fascination as I did. “The day North was born was the best day of my life,” my brother said.

“Same here.”

Zelie shuffled into the living room in her nightgown and slippers. Her hair was a beautiful mess that she pushed away from her shoulders.

“Hey, you’re up,” Reed said gently. He stood and had our mate take his spot beside me on the couch. Reed grabbed a footrest and set it in front of Zelie. Once her legs were propped up, he put a fuzzy blanket over her.

Zelie looked over at North nestled in my arms. “My dark-haired little angel is sleeping soundly again.”

Reed lifted Zelie’s legs to sit on the footrest, placed her ankles in his lap, and started massaging her feet. “Don’t worry. If he’s too well-behaved, Ronin and I will teach him how to get into trouble.”

“Phew, and to think I was worried.” Zelie chuckled softly. She reached out her hands. “Here, let me see him.”

My heart tugged inside my chest as I handed him over to his mother. Zelie would always have dibs when it came to baby cuddles.

As though reading my mind, Reed nodded at North with his head nestled against Zelie’s breast. “We’re going to need at least two more of those—one for each of us to hold.”

“I agree,” I said.

“Good,” Zelie said with a smile, “because I want five.”

And like that, my heart filled with the warmth of possibility.

“Princess,” Reed drawled, “your wish . . .”

“Is our command,” I finished.

###

The Royal Conquest Heirs continues with the final book in the saga THE FOREVER PRINCESS.

It started out as a dare. Get the name and number of the cute guy at the club. But when cute guy turns out to be undead guy, Melody finds herself saving the day for a clan of vampires and going Fae to fang with the group's provoking master.

Continue reading for a scene between Melody and Fabian.

THE FOREVER PRINCESS EXCERPT

A deep chill entered the club after the humans cleared out. I had watched one of the corseted females stare into the eyes of each person, her lips moving before sending them out one at a time. They were probably ensuring none of the humans ed what had gone down tonight. The vampire named Sandor sat at the bar drinking from a simple pewter goblet, speaking in low tones with the bartender. Lenora had pounced on Sandor the moment he entered with his disheveled dark brown hair and a loose blazer—somehow managing to look suave in spite of his devil-may-care attitude. While Lenora spoke rapidly, he’d flicked one bored look at me before cutting her off. “We’ll get the full report once my brothers arrive. Until then, I’ll be at the bar.”

I continued holding the chalice. I might need it as a weapon again. Unlike the smooth, simple smaller pewter goblets used for serving drinks—or possibly blood—the one I gripped was engraved with a large symbol. The pattern looked like a mix between an ancient cross and a dagger with sharp edges. It was topped by a dark crescent moon turned on its side like a headband over a six-point star. When I ran my finger over the raised engraving, Lenora looked over and glared at me.

I kind of wished someone would offer me a glass of water, but Club Vamp was treating me worse than a prisoner. When I’d tried texting Ronin an SOS, Lenora had snatched my phone from my still moving fingers and tossed it onto the adjacent booth along with my backpack. It wasn’t like my brother would receive my message back in Pinemist, but maybe he and Reed would worry about me leaving the party early and come looking in Titan Beach. More likely, they’d think I’d ditched the sleepover to hang out with my human friends. It wouldn’t be the first time. My family would probably brush the whole thing off without a care come morning.

The club had gone as silent as a graveyard until the elevator doors opened on the second floor and footsteps resounded down the stairs. Leon moved with a catlike grace through the gloom, blue eyes taking everything in. Upon reaching the ground floor, a corseted female ran to him with an ice pack.

“I’m fine, thank you,” he said, striding past her. At least he was polite and had a pleasant tone.

Sandor swiveled around on his barstool and lifted his goblet. “Bravo, little brother. From what I hear, you nearly lost the Eternal Chalice to a rogue wench. Good thing a human girl stopped her in time. I should be toasting your groupie over there.” He tilted his head in my direction.

Hey! I wasn’t a human, a girl, or a groupie. What a pit head. I clenched my jaw.

Leon looked over at me and stroked his jawline. “Never seen her before.” He started toward me with purposeful steps, making it halfway across the room before the front doors flew open and one of the bouncers yelped, “He’s here!”

Everyone in the room seemed to collectively hold their breaths (did vampires breathe?) for what felt like half a minute before a towering dark-haired male entered with gruff annoyance. He wasn’t pale like the rest of the group. He wasn’t tan either. I couldn’t think of any other way to describe him other than he was what he ought to be.

Yeah, that made sense.

He wore a crimson V-neck snug against a long, muscular torso, and a short black jacket open over the shirt. Tailored black pants covered lean, powerful legs that ended in polished black dress shoes. He had the barest scruff over his chin—just enough to darken his cheeks to his jaw and the cleft in his chin.

“So glad you could us, Fabian,” Leon said coolly, folding his arms.

Fabian strode up to Lenora and snarled, “How did this happen?”

Lenora lifted her chest and head, speaking in a strong clear voice while avoiding eye . “We believe a female rogue has been seducing Leon over the past couple weeks, waiting for an invitation to the penthouse—and access to the Eternal Chalice.”

“And you didn’t suspect anything?” Fabian roared.

“I have failed you, Master. I accept your punishment.” Lenora bowed her head.

What kind of archaic vamp den had I stumbled on? I should have never taken that dare. Nope. Should have stayed back in Pinemist and slept beneath the stars with the rest of my non-bloodsucking family.

Sandor carried his goblet over to the booth beside mine and leaned against the velvet back for a better view. What a bunch of chauvinist pricks. If no one would speak up on Lenora’s behalf, then I would.

“She’s not the dummy who let a duplicitous tramp seduce her way to the top floor,” I informed the “master.” I included Leon in my look of censure. “Nice going, stud. Good thing I happened to be around to save your clan’s cup.” I lifted the chalice and set it heavily on the table for emphasis.

A flurry of whispers filled the room, then abruptly died.

Fabian looked at Lenora. “Who is this person and how did she get inside my club?”

“Our club,” Leon said.

Fabian glared at him, then returned his attention to Lenora, who kept her head bowed. “Speak!”

Lenora lifted her head, still avoiding her master’s stare. “I thought Leon had summoned her.”

“Her? Seriously?” Leon asked incredulously.

I updated my former moniker for Sexy Blue Eyes to Mega Dickwad.

“The girl does make a valid point,” Fabian said to his brother. “You invited an enemy up to your rooms.”

“I didn’t know she was a rogue.”

Lame. From Fabian’s raised brows, I’d say he agreed with my assessment.

The imposing vampire stalked toward Leon. “What did you do? Bring the tramp upstairs and show off the chalice? Offer her a nightcap served inside our precious heirloom?”

Sandor snorted. Fabian’s head whipped around and Sandor quickly sobered up.

“She didn’t get away with it,” Leon said sullenly.

Fabian’s eyes widened and nostrils flared. “Because of her!” he shouted, pointing one long finger at me. “Well, I’m here now. Let her out of the booth. Let’s see to whom we owe our deepest gratitude.”

Finally, recognition for my daring action.

The bouncers who’d been bookending me hurried out of the booth as if their asses had been lit on fire. I didn’t wait for an invitation to slide out. Sitting still had never been my thing. I grabbed the chalice as I scooched my way to the end of the bench. No one else seemed to want to hand the magic cup to the master vamp.

Fabian’s eyes narrowed on my neck.

“Who bit her?” he demanded.

“Your brother’s vamp tramp,” I replied. Ugh, ing the feel of her fangs piercing through my skin and extending to my veins made my stomach swirl with revulsion. “And she stole my ID.” Now I would have to order a new one. I’d compelled a clerk at the DMV for the original. I had no interest in learning to drive—or driving—but I did want a human ID for clubbing with my friends.

As I slid my legs out of the booth, Fabian’s gaze fell to my glittery sneakers. Rich brown eyes traveled up my legs, pausing on my rhinestone belt. By the time he got to my pink-sequined halter top, his lips were curled back.

“We appreciate your assistance, but now it’s time you went home. Leave the chalice on the table.”

My body jerked in outrage. I kept a tight grip on the goblet. “Assistance? Try heroics, and how about a thank you for fighting off a super strength vampire to get your artifact back?”

Fabian drew in a violent breath. With a growl, he stormed over to me. I held my ground, though my heart raced wildly. I still had the goblet. I could bash him in the head. Well, shoulder. He was ridiculously tall.

He made no move for me. Instead, he stared into my eyes. Wow, from up close I

could see flecks of green and copper in his irises. Sexy Brown Eyes. Nope. Not making that mistake again. I tried to glare, but then his voice turned husky, which made it difficult to act natural when his attempt at mind control sounded like fine silk rippling in a gentle breeze. His tone was like a cool caress over a scorching blister. Too bad his words were so infuriating.

“You came to the Velvet Lounge tonight for a few drinks, then tripped and fell. You didn’t hurt yourself that badly, but it was embarrassing, and you never want to show your face at this club ever again.”

Fabian’s altered history was so lame! I didn’t care how sexy his voice sounded. I loathed how it swirled inside my lower belly when everything about the way he behaved lacked any semblance of genuine appreciation for the good deed I’d performed.

Glaring into his stupid multicolored eyes, I leaned forward to show just how little he intimidated me. “Well, you have one thing correct. I never want to return to your awful club. So go ahead and take your stupid cup back and stick it where the sun don’t shine.” I thrust the goblet at him, but instead of taking it, he reared back as though I’d struck him.

A hush fell over the room. I kept holding the goblet out and Fabian kept not taking it. His attention wasn’t on the cup at all. He was staring wide-eyed at me.

“Who are you?” he demanded.

Because he asked who and not what the way the vamp tramp had, I gave him my full title. “Melody Elmray, princess of Faerie,” I announced, lifting my nose.

“Great Lucifer!” Lenora cried. She slapped her hand over her mouth, then lowered it. “Is it true? Do faeries exist?”

“Of course faeries exist,” I said.

“She can’t lie,” Lenora said, looking around the room to address the assembled cast of Dracula. “Fae can’t lie.”

“Well, I’m actually half elf so I can lie. For example, I really love what you’ve done with the place. All the dark ing and red velvet is truly inviting. Really uplifts the spirit. And the music”—I sighed wistfully—“moves my soul.” I placed a hand on my heart and batted my lashes.

“Ha ha,” Leon said. “If we can’t compel her, what are we supposed to do?”

“Master,” Lenora whispered. She strode to Fabian’s side, keeping her voice down. “Before the harlot escaped, I saw her drink from the faerie. I witnessed the euphoria. Her skin started to glow after she swallowed. I didn’t have time to think about what it could mean in the chaos of the moment, but I now. I her look of”—Lenora lowered her voice another octave to finish —“ecstasy.”

“Fae have really great hearing too, you know.” I said it in a joking voice, but suddenly every pair of eyes in the club was drinking me in.

In a flash, Sandor was out of his booth, fangs extended. Pitberries! They all had their fangs out, stalking toward me.

###

Never underestimate a Fae princess in pink. Continue reading THE FOREVER PRINCESS.

For more laughs, be sure to read THE ICE TWINS bloopers on the following pages.

BLOOPERS

“Why do you smell life cherry blossom and vanilla?”

(Life, how sweet it smells.)

Ronin worked his magic on the next puddle. I ran ahead of him toward a hug pothole filled with water ahead.

(How about a huge hug . . . after you finish freezing all the puddles.)

Dressed and ready for Ren’s proposal, I tied up my cottage.

(Tidied. Maybe Zelie’s thinking she’d like to be tied up. Get your head out of the gutter, girl!)

Melody blinked several times, a wounded expression feeling her face.

(Her face is feeling it alright.)

“Someone’s a soar loser.”

(Reed’s not soaring right now, Ronin.)

“What?” Mom asked, tilting her head slightly. “My sister loves the beach. Get her some of that pinacolato mix, and she’ll be happy for days.”

(Piña colada. Gah! Wish I could blame this one on drinking but it was just my super sucky spelling at its worst.)

“Oh my gosh. I heard my brothers asked you to the dance. You have to with them.”

(Have to what with them, Melody? Heh, heh. This is “go”, of course, but I’m sure Team Twin has other ideas in mind.)

Chapter Elven

(Eleven. I’m surprised this doesn’t happen more often in this series.)

I tossed the dress on my head and hurried to the shower.

(Bed. I don’t think a dress would work well as a showering cap.)

A woman with short dark hair mixed drinks with her gloved hands from behind the ice bar and served them up over the glowing counter to patrons bundled in thick jackets, fur fats, mittens, and scarfs.

(You won’t find fat-free fur in Alaska. Gah! Hopefully it’s faux.)

AUTHOR'S NOTE

Fun Fact: In its first year, the Aurora Ice Hotel, made entirely of ice, was shut down by the Alaska Fire Department until all rooms were equipped with smoke detectors and fire extinguishers were installed. The hotel had a short existence before becoming the Aurora Ice Museum, which is open daily thanks to the geothermal technology used to keep it at 25 degrees Fahrenheit (7 degrees Celsius) all year.

Most of this book was written during the shut-in phase of the COVID-19 pandemic. I started it back in January only to freeze up. My beloved cousin died on January 4 and all sense of joy withered from my soul. From there, we made the gut-wrenching decision to sell our first real home in over a decade and ended up donating all our furniture and most of our possessions. We’d planned to work seasonally for my family’s Alaskan souvenir business only to see them close up during the pandemic. Suddenly, I found myself at my parent’s home with five pairs of clothing, plenty of books (because there’s no giving those away!) and a lace crown. I asked myself, “What’s the best way to take a break from the shitstorm that is life?” The answer, of course, was to spend time with the Elmrays.

Thank you for ing in another Royal Conquest Heirs adventure. You have one more portal to take before this series concludes.

I am so excited for you to see what happens next. If you think that being the only Elmray heir not to inherit elemental powers puts Melody at a disadvantage, think again. This Fae princess is a firecracker who sparkles, shines . . . and kicks butt when necessary.

Thank you to my awesome, incredible, amazing team: Najla Qamber (cover design); Kelly Hashway (developmental editing); Liz Ferry (copy editing); Seb (formatting); my advanced reviewers; and bookstagrammers who help spread the magic of fictional escapism.

Finally, I want to thank my Royal Readers. You are the snowflakes on my eyelashes. No two alike (not even twins). Be uniquely you and no one else.

xo, Nikki

May 2020

NEXT UP: THE FOREVER PRINCESS

It started out as a dare. Get the name and number of the cute guy at the club. I don’t back down from dares . . . and I definitely don’t cower for vampires.

Turns out cute guy is undead guy with terrible taste in she-vamps. The vixen tries to steal his clan’s magic cup, excuse me, I mean Eternal Chalice. But I intervene.

Instead of a thank you, the guy’s imposing older brother attempts to compel me into forgetting everything that went down. I don’t think so. Guess they’ve never met an elf-Fae before. Fabian is the no-nonsense, commanding head of his clan. He thinks it’s his duty to keep me safe.

A rival clan is after the chalice and now they want me, too. Apparently, my elven Fae blood is like an aphrodisiac to them.

My newfound friends need me more than they realize. And Mr. Moody Broody definitely needs more sparkle in his life.

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BIBLIOGRAPHY

Slaying, Magic Making, Running Wild, and Ruling The World!

Discover your next fantasy fix with these riveting paranormal romance and fantasy titles by Nikki Jefford:

AURORA SKY: VAMPIRE HUNTER

Night Stalker

Aurora Sky: Vampire Hunter

Northern Bites

Stakeout

Evil Red

Bad Blood

Hunting Season

Night of the Living Dante

Whiteout

True North

SPELLBOUND TRILOGY

Entangled

Duplicity

Enchantment

Holiday Magic

WOLF HOLLOW SHIFTERS

Wolf Hollow

Mating Games

Born Wild

Moon Cursed

Animal Attraction

Bear Claimed

Forever Free

ROYAL CONQUEST SAGA

Stolen Princess

False Queen

Three Kings

Holiday Crown

The Golden Prince

The Dark Pretender

The Ice Twins

The Forever Princess