Of Werewolves and Curses by Emma Hamm
Chapter 23
Freya and Eldridge walked down the beach, hand in hand. She watched the small boats approach in the distance. The Summer Lord had hung lanterns from the bow of each boat, and the bright lights lit their way as the sun set on the horizon. The stars twinkled and all the crystals Eldridge had enchanted gave the entire beach a lovely glow that could not be beaten by any fairytale.
Cora waited at the edge of the shore. The waves kissed her toes with every small movement and she held the crystal in her hand like a candle. This was the kind of scene that inspired artists to paint, Freya was certain of it.
The boats hit the sand and Leo remained standing at the bow. He wore billowing white pants and a golden vest, lacking a shirt. Freya knew he’d done that to show off the muscles of his arms and chest.
Someone had painted gold symbols all down his arms in tiny, decorative marks. She leaned over and whispered, “Do the marks have meaning?”
“They’re runes.” Eldridge squinted, then smiled softly. “They’re for good luck. Clever man, I’m certain she’ll remember those.”
Freya hoped Cora did. The runes were a cry for pity, or perhaps for the chance to make up for what he’d done. With a swift leap, he struck the waves and waded through them to Cora’s side.
No one could say Leo didn’t have a flourish in his movements. And the tactic was working on Cora. Her eyes were wide and her mouth dropping open as she watched this prince from the storybooks fall onto his knees before her. Exactly as Freya had said he would.
“My Summer Lady,” he said, his words quiet though somehow ringing over the sands. “I have made you wait for too long. I beg your forgiveness, and for a single night to convince you that I am still worthy of your grand attention.”
“Is that so?” Cora held the crystal higher so the light could bask on Leo’s handsome features. “You have a lot of explaining to do, Summer Lord.”
“And anything you ask of me, I will tell.” He lifted his head and stared up at her with so much love in his eyes all the women in the crowd swooned. “My greatest mistake was in not finding you sooner, Cora. I’m ashamed to admit I’ve been hiding. Afraid of what you think of me.”
“What changed?”
Leo glanced over at Freya and Eldridge, the flick of his gaze telling in the movement. “A very dear friend reminded me that people can be forgiven, and that sometimes change isn’t as hard as we make it out to be.”
Freya’s heart twisted in her chest. Apparently her words had sunk in, and that meant all the difference to her. She truly believed he deserved a second chance.
“I’m willing to listen,” Cora replied. “Because I believe a similar friend convinced me that a future without someone to love is a bleak future, indeed.”
Eldridge squeezed her tight to his side as the Summer Lord and Lady led the other elves down the beach. Their entourage trailed along behind them, farther than the others but still close enough. The elves with the Summer Lord all jumped from their boats into the ocean, then raced down the beach to join the handmaidens.
Now that she was looking at them, there weren’t as many elves as she had thought. The boats were small, so they couldn’t fit so many people without the entire thing sinking. The Summer Lord had brought roughly fifty elves with him. Only a small fraction of the Summer Court.
She’d have to track down the handmaiden who’d said he brought everyone with him and scold her.
“Where are we going?” she asked. Sand slipped into her shoes and slid between her toes. Though the grit should have annoyed her, she didn’t mind it so much. Not when the moon was lighting up the entire beach with a lovely silver glow, and the elves were already singing even though they hadn’t reached their destination.
“We set up a small area for them to all enjoy each other’s company.” Eldridge twisted their fingers together again, linking them even closer if that was possible. “I thought it might be smart if they were all together. Even the other elves.”
She wanted them to have a few moments alone, but he might be right. The Summer Lord and Lady weren’t exactly friends. They had a lot of catching up to do, and two hundred years of heartbreak and disappointment was a lot to cover. They might have forgotten who the other was, and they needed those moments to grow and learn from each other.
“Probably a good idea,” she muttered. “Are we going to watch them all night?”
Eldridge lifted his brows and bit his tongue before replying, “Do you think they’re both mature enough to be left alone for a while?”
She wished she could say yes. But already she could see Cora’s shoulders lifting to her ears. Leo took yet another step away from his intended bride. Freya sighed and shook her head. “No. No, I don’t think they’re ready for that just yet.”
“Shall we go babysit the children, then?” He lifted her hand to his mouth and pressed a kiss to her knuckles. “All we have to do is get tonight over with. Then we can finally have an evening to ourselves again.”
Yes, that’s exactly what she wanted. A quiet evening by a fireplace with a bottle of wine and her Goblin King stretched out on a sheepskin beside her. That’s it.
But she didn’t have that yet. And she was damned frustrated.
She sighed and started toward Leo. Eldridge framed her other side, his eyes set on Cora. They had to fix this before the two of them ruined it again.
Maybe that was a sign that they didn’t belong together. Freya knew there was no one keeping Eldridge and her together. They figured out their relationship on their own, even though it would be easier to have a go between.
Speaking of.
A little black and white body weaved through the throngs of elves to reach her side. Arrow was out of breath. But he had made it here when she needed him most. “At your service, Miss Freya.”
“Where have you been?”
He nodded toward the handmaidens, baring his teeth in a nasty snarl. “I don’t trust any of these elves. I’ve been keeping an eye on the servants to make sure no one decides to poison the food.”
Freya dropped onto a knee and patted his head gently. “We don’t deserve you, Arrow. You’re a faithful companion that no one could ever beat.”
Arrow straightened his shoulders, sitting regally in the sand. “It’s my pleasure. How might I help?”
Pointedly staring at the couple awkwardly lingering beside a table of golden refreshments, she sighed. “These two are bound and determined to make this meeting as awkward as possible. And Eldridge made certain that meeting was public.”
“Why would he do that?”
She turned that stare to him. “Why do you think?”
“Right.” Arrow sighed and snapped his jaws at the Goblin King who passed by them. “Ridiculous man. He seems to think his way of wooing is the only way to romance, and he knows much better than that.”
“Apparently not.” She stood and started toward the Summer Lord, knowing that Arrow would follow her. “Let’s not interrupt at first. We should listen and see how they’re doing. Maybe they’ll surprise us.”
And considering they were next to the refreshments, she didn’t have to worry about looking suspicious. She did want a drink to soothe her parched throat. The sand was dry this evening.
Leo’s voice was easy to hear, even over other conversations and the faint sound of musical instruments being tested for tuning. “I’m just saying, I think it’s fine for you to stay on the island if that’s what you want. I have a life on the mainland. You have a life here. It’s okay if you don’t want to return.”
The look she shared with Arrow was one of complete and utter disappointment. What was the Summer Lord doing now?
She turned around and bumped into Leo’s back, almost spilling her drink all over him. “Oh! Leo, I’m so sorry.”
He spun in surprise, then softened when he saw her. Leo caught the drink in her grip and helped her still the wildly swinging liquid. “Please, don’t apologize, Freya. There are many people here and anyone might bump into someone else.”
Freya caught his hand and tugged him close so she could hiss in his ear, “What are you trying to do? Scare her off?”
“I’m trying to tell her that whatever speed she is comfortable with is how fast we’ll go,” he whispered back. “Was it not coming off like that?”
“No. It was coming off like you wanted her to stay here.”
“But I don’t!”
Freya pulled away with a bright grin on her face, even though she was grinding her teeth. “Thank you so much, Leo. I’m so sorry again. I’ll leave you two alone now. Be nice!”
She realized her voice was far too high pitched for anyone to believe she meant what she said. But how else was she supposed to get her point across other than with waggling eyebrows and overly emphasized words?
The foolish man was going to run this woman off because he didn’t remember how to be kind to someone other than himself. Maybe she should have asked Eldridge to talk with Leo as well. Cora’s predicament was rare, and she imagined it was difficult for anyone to put themselves in her shoes. Leo needed to know how Cora was feeling. Really feeling.
God, she hated admitting Eldridge was right.
Freya picked a place far enough away from the other elves that they wouldn’t bother her while she sneakily watched the couple in the distance. Arrow sat down on her foot and surveyed with her. “How bad was it?”
“Bad.” She sipped her drink, then winced. “And this liquid is awful. What even is this?”
“Probably a honey wine that the fae make. Humans find it very sweet. Is it?” He reached for the cup and then took his own sip. “Yes, this is the good stuff. Eldridge wanted to impress Leo, apparently.”
“Good?” She looked back at the crystal glass and frowned. “It’s awful. I don’t know how you all drink this.”
“Well, it’s not for humans, is it?” Arrow grabbed the cup from her and drank again, grumbling about mortals that didn’t know what tasted good and what didn’t.
For a little while, it seemed like Leo and Cora were enjoying themselves. They laughed together and meandered from the crowd. They sat down under a pagoda that Eldridge and the handmaidens had built, with twinkling crystal lights and white fabric that billowed in the warm summer breeze. Cora even scooted closer to Leo for a few seconds, their fingers nearly touching on the bench.
Freya was comfortable enough to wander through the crowd and take her eyes off the couple. Another table had been set up a little farther away and laden with food. Freya’s stomach grumbled, and she realized she hadn’t eaten in quite some time.
She loaded a plate with bread, cheese, and honey. At least that would give her a reason to not talk with anyone. Even the elves wouldn’t speak to someone stuffing their face with food.
But only a few bites in, something happened with the couple. She didn’t know if one of them said words that were hurtful or what. Cora jumped up and stalked away from Leo, who stared after her with wide eyes.
“Damn it,” she muttered. “What now?”
Eldridge appeared from the shadows behind her. “I’m on it.”
“Good,” Freya grumbled, leaning back against the table of food she’d commandeered. “It’s your turn, anyway.”
She waited until he was far enough away from them before flicking her gaze at Arrow. The goblin dog immediately trotted off to “help his king”, when in reality he was spying for Freya. At least their connection was tighter than Eldridge and Arrow. She wanted to know everything the King said to Cora.
Arrow returned in no time, but Eldridge and Cora were still lost in the shadows somewhere.
“What happened?” Freya asked, setting down her plate of food. “Things looked like they were going so well.”
“Apparently Cora thought she was getting too close to him and then she thought he must think she was a harlot or something ridiculous like that. Being that close to someone else after so long has been messing with her head.” Arrow shrugged. “Eldridge has it under control. Surprisingly, the Goblin King has a lot of good advice for someone suffering from that.”
Did he? That was surprising. He had never cared about touching her, even when they didn’t know each other well enough for those touches to be warranted. She still vividly remembered him dressing her in this court the first time they were here, and how that had made her entire body tingle.
Cora returned, this time with darkened cheeks and a sheepish smile. She tucked a loose curl behind her ear, though it popped out again. Leo appeared to think that was quite captivating because he reached forward to tuck it himself. Obviously, that didn’t work.
The couple shared a small smile and then returned to the dance floor where many of the elves were already dancing. They were swept into the sway of bodies, curling into each other as though no one else existed on the beach.
How lovely.
She pressed a hand to her chest and sighed at the romance of it all. They might not be in love with each other again, but they were on the right road to becoming head over heels just like they were when they were children.
A warm hand tucked into the curve of her waist. Eldridge tugged her closer to the comfortable haven of his arms and murmured in her ear, “I think they’re on the right track enough for us to dance. What do you say, my love?”
“Yes,” she replied, staring up into his handsome silver features and seeing the stars in his eyes. “I think we could manage.”
He swung her into his arms and spun her through the crowd like she was lighter than a feather. He held her in his arms with utmost care. And Freya knew with every spin that she didn’t have to fear or lead in any step. While she was in the Goblin King’s arms, she was safe.
In return, his gaze warmed, and he stared down at her like he’d seen nothing so beautiful in his life. His hands flexed on her back and his lips curved into a warm smile. “Freya, there’s something I’ve been meaning to talk to you about.”
A hissed, “Hey!” interrupted them.
Freya glanced over her shoulder as Leo and Cora spun by them. Leo gave her a thumbs up with a wild grin.
She chuckled and shook her head, “Well, I’m glad they’re getting along. I thought we’d have to follow them around like two lost puppies tumbling over each other.”
Eldridge sighed, but still managed a sharp smile. “They’re adults. They will either figure it out now, or they won’t. But I believe they have a good chance. Look at them! They haven’t been happier since we arrived in the Summer Court.”
He was right. Both of the Summer Court leaders wore smiles that were brighter than the sun. And when they snuck off the dance floor and down the beach with each other, Freya gave a long, relaxed sigh. “Finally. I think they’ll be fine.”
“I do too.” Eldridge tugged her in the opposite direction. “Now, perhaps we can sneak a few moments together?”
That sounded like everything she’d been wanting for a long time. “Maybe for a little while.”
As they strode away from the crowd, Freya gave Arrow a quick wink. He waved a paw and toddled off to the drink table once again. At least he’d enjoy himself while they stole a few moments together.
Now, she could only wonder what Eldridge wanted to talk to her about that was so important.
