I sighed and laid my head on his chest. “Why were you fighting out there?”
“A few princes said I was hiding behind your skirt, that I wasn’t a man enough to accept their challenges, so I showed them.”
“Mom said no fighting in her hall.”
“We were outside.”
“Semantics. I was very impressed and proud of you tonight. You kicked some serious ass, and you are going to teach me how to pull those moves, too. But now, I gotta go to bed.” I kissed him. “Love you. I’ll see you tomorrow for breakfast.”
He waited in the hallway until I entered the room.
There were no sounds from my parents’ bedroom, yet the door opened before I was halfway across the room. I turned and faced my parents.
“How bad was the fighting?” Mother asked. Trudy was right. Nothing happened in her hall without her knowledge.
“Not that bad. They seemed to enjoy it. It wasn’t Echo’s fault,” I added quickly. “They insulted his honor, and he had to defend it.”
“Unfortunately, our people can be unstoppable when they want something. They will continue to challenge him until the two of you are officially married,” Father said.
“He will rise to the challenge, and his brothers have his back.” I grinned, remembering the way the Druids had rallied behind him.
“Don’t forget your brother. He will never let anything happen to him because of you,” Mother added.
I noticed that. Eirik was an amazing brother. “And he has me. I’m going to start training tomorrow.”
Mother grinned with approval, but Father looked worried.
“What about your work with souls and your abilities?” Father asked.
“I’ll train when I’m not on soul duty. Right, Mother?”
“Right, Daughter. She’ll be fine, dyrr mín. I’ll work with her, too, when Echo is busy. Goodnight, Daughter.”
“Night, Mother, Father.”
I couldn’t wait for the next year to pass so Echo could officially be my consort, but I was also looking forward to learning more about my new family, other realms, Mystic Academy, and exploring my abilities in the coming months. My life was as perfect as it could possibly get.
Epilogue:
A Weekend Later
“Where are they?” Mom whispered.
I rubbed her arm reassuringly. She was tense, and Dad was wiping his glasses, a sign that he was nervous. Echo had brought them to the hall from Kayville and left to find my other set of parents.
“They’ll be here, Mom. Dad, your glasses are clean.” He gave me a sheepish grin, put his glasses back on, and studied the ceiling.
“This is fascinating. Just fascinating. Will you show us around?”
“Of course, Dad. We have the whole weekend after the wedding.”
I wasn’t sure what Dad found fascinating, the architecture of the hall or the wedding decorations. Strings of crystal lights formed a canopy along the ceiling, and silk bows decorated every column. Pink-ice protea plants and assorted tropical plants in full bloom lined the walls and continued through the Waiting Hall to the Banquet Hall, where the wedding would take place. Maera told me she’d found the plants in álfheim. According to her, the realm had lush vegetation and fertile soil.
Mother and Father’s voices reached us from the hallway leading to our private quarters, and I blew out a breath. I was nervous. I wanted my two sets of parents to like each other. Bond. They all shared an equal place in my heart, and I wanted them to get along.
“Here they come,” I said, and Mom gripped my hand. Dad adjusted his glasses.
Father wore his signature gold and white clothes while Mother’s moss-green gown had a dropped waistline and intertwined runes in gold along the hem and sleeves. They didn’t wear cloaks, which would have made them look even more intimidating. Echo walked behind them. Mom released another deep breath beside me, and I glanced at her.
“She is striking, nothing like I’d imagined,” she whispered.
“I know. You’ll like her,” I reassured her.
The last week had passed quickly. Eirik had taken Celestia to visit friends in J?tunheim and Vanaheim while we prepared for their wedding. They were coming back tonight. Raine, Torin, and Dev had left, but were returning for the wedding with the rest of the entire Kayville crew—Svana, Lavania and her husband, Femi, Hawk, Blaine, Ingrid, and Andris. Raine was still looking for Baby Hannah’s family. They’d moved, and someone was stopping her from opening a portal to wherever they were.
Helping with the wedding were Celestia’s aunt Genevieve, Tammy, and Hayden. Celestia’s uncle wasn’t going to make the ceremony, but Zack was already here. Tristan and the Grimnirs had been invited, too. The setting was in the Banquet Hall and, the last time I’d checked, everything had looked perfect. I didn’t think the people from Asgard would show up since this ceremony was really for the benefit of Celestia’s family, but Mother had hinted at a surprise visitor.
“Welcome to Helheim,” Mother said, shaking Mom’s hand and then Dad’s. Father hugged Mom and kissed her on the cheeks, making her blush. He even surprised Dad with a manly hug. His warmth eased the tension. Echo came to stand beside me, and I inched closer.
It was amazing to see both sets of parents smiling and comfortable with each other. For the next hour, Echo and I stayed with them as they toured the hall. They included us in their conversations. I had to stop the dads when they started on Echo.
When we reached the gym and headed upstairs to watch the Grimnirs, the men bonded over sports. They settled on seats to watch a basketball game.
“They’re not going to leave, are they?” I asked, and both my mothers shook their heads, looked at each other, and smiled. I loved seeing them bond over the similarity in their husband’s behavior.
We left the men, including Echo, and went toward the Sorting Hall. The goddess explained to Mom what I’d been doing with souls, and when a soul reached out and touched me, I listened and reassured her.
“Isn’t she something?” I overheard the goddess whisper.
“Yes, she is,” Mom said. “From when she was baby, she was drawn to them. It scared us so much, and that was why we used special warding runes to stop her from seeing them. I’m sorry if that stopped you from feeling her.”
“No, it’s not your fault, and I will not allow you to blame yourself,” the goddess said firmly. “I didn’t know she was alive, so I didn’t look. What did you think about Echo when she brought him home?” she asked, smoothly changing the subject.
And that was my cue to leave. I went in search of the girls and stayed with them until Maera came to announce that dinner was served. Echo and I ate with my parents. The conversation flowed effortlessly. Each hour I spent listening to them get to know each other meant the world to me. My world was perfect.
Eirik and Celestia arrived right after dinner. We’d already told Modgie to warn us when they entered the realm. I got the girls and ran to the front entrance to wait for them. Genevieve, Tammy, and even the parents joined us.
The look on Celestia’s face when she saw the decorated hall was priceless. She teared up and punched Eirik’s chest when she realized he’d known all along. Then she kissed him. We whisked her to the guest room where Maera had been closeted for days. She’d refused everyone entry, including Trudy.
Maera pulled Celestia into the bedroom and told everyone to wait in the living room. It took forever before she opened the door, and Celestia stepped out in an exquisite, white princess gown made with illusion netting and shimmering floral appliqués.
Our jaws dropped, and awe filled the room. Now I knew why Maera had refused to show anyone the gown. It was one of those creations that made you sigh and tear up when you first saw it. Celestia grinned as she watched our reactions.