So I Married a Sorcerer (The Embraced #2)

She lounged back, smiling at him. “I’m enjoying the view.”

He unbuttoned his breeches. “I never want to be separated from you again. I missed you every minute we were apart. And every five minutes, I wanted to go back and grab you and never let you go.”

Her eyes glimmered with tears. “I missed you, too. I kept hoping and praying that you would come.”

He dropped his breeches and stepped into the tub. “Move over.”

“Rupert!” She gasped as he settled in, pulling her on top of him and splashing water onto the floor. “What are you doing?” She swatted at his chest. “This tub isn’t big enough for two.”

“That will be my next invention. A bigger tub.”

She snorted. “And a bigger mop for the mess.”

He slipped his hand around her neck and leaned in for a long and leisurely kiss. Her hands smoothed around his shoulders, then up into his hair. Their legs entwined in the soapy water.

“Brigitta.” He kissed a path down her neck as his hand caressed her breast. “I missed you.”

“I missed you, too.” She touched his face. “I suppose I should call you Ulfrid, but to me, you will always be Rupert. The Wind Sorcerer and infamous pirate who stole my heart.”

He smiled as he played with her nipple, rubbing the hardened tip between his fingers. “I hope you’re well rested. Because I intend to keep you up all night.”

“Really?” She smoothed a hand down his belly, then circled her fingers around his swollen cock.

He hissed in a breath. “What are you doing?”

She smiled. “Sweetheart, don’t you know when you’re being ravished?”





Epilogue

THREE MONTHS LATER …

“So ye married a sorcerer,” Sorcha said in their island dialect, her eyes twinkling with humor.

“Rupert is Embraced, like us,” Brigitta explained to her sisters as they all sat around a small table. “He can control the wind, that’s all.”

“That’s all?” Gwennore gave her a wry look. “I would say that was plenty.”

Luciana’s mouth twitched. “Just be careful if he blows in your ear.”

“Aye.” Maeve nodded. “He might blow ye all the way to Norveshka!”

They all laughed.

“I missed you so much,” Brigitta told them.

Her sisters had traveled by boat up the Loure River to see her and King Ulfrid’s official coronation at Lourdon Palace. Now they were all resting in her sitting room while Luciana’s twins took a nap in the adjoining bedchamber.

“Ye must stay for at least a week,” Brigitta said. “Ye won’t believe what’s going to happen.”

Sorcha leaned forward. “What?”

Brigitta grinned. “Sister Fallyn, or I should say Mistress Fallyn, is getting married to our general, Stefan.”

They all squealed.

“And ye must come to the ball tonight,” Brigitta added. “I don’t care what Mother Ginessa says about being careful and hiding yerselves away. I had beautiful gowns made for ye all and I want to show ye off.”

Maeve clapped her hands together. “I can’t wait! Thank you!”

Brigitta nodded. She was worried about her youngest sister, but didn’t want to say anything that would alarm her. For she really didn’t know what to say.

The day before, Brody had given her a cryptic warning. Maeve’s time was coming soon. Something to do with her scent. But when Brigitta had questioned him further, he’d refused to say anything other than Maeve would need their support.

Gwennore turned her head in the direction of Brigitta’s bedchamber. “The babies are stirring. I’ll go check on them.” She hurried off.

“I didn’t hear anything,” Brigitta whispered. Gwennore’s hearing had always been better than theirs.

Luciana sighed. “Poor Gwennore. She spends all her time at Ebton Palace, either hiding in the nursery or the library. I appreciate her help with the twins, but I want her to attend the parties and have fun.”

Brigitta frowned. “She’d better come to the ball tonight.”

“I’ll drag her there me self,” Sorcha declared, then lowered her voice. “She knows everyone looks at her strangely because she’s an elf.”

Luciana sighed. “When people see her, they don’t know what to think of her.”

“The babies went back to sleep,” Gwennore said softly as she entered the sitting room. She gave them a wry smile. “Don’t worry. I’m used to the odd looks.”

“They don’t know you like we do.” Brigitta grabbed Gwennore’s hand and squeezed it.

Gwennore sat next to her. “That’s why I love being with you all. Ye’re my true family. Even if I went to Woodwyn, I wouldn’t be comfortable there. I don’t know any more about the elves than anyone else.”

“Ye don’t want to be a queen like Luciana or Brigitta?” Maeve asked.

Gwennore shook her head, smiling.

Sorcha pressed a hand to her chest. “I might be destined to become queen of Norveshka.”

“What?” Maeve laughed.

“I’m serious.” Sorcha sat back, crossing her arms. “Luciana went back to her home country and became queen. Then Brigitta did the same. So why shouldn’t I?”

Gwennore gave her a dubious look. “Norveshka already has a queen.”

Sorcha waved a dismissive hand. “It could still happen.”

“Let’s play the Game of Stones and see if ye’re right,” Maeve suggested.

“Excellent idea!” Sorcha dashed over to a travel chest to dig through the contents, while Maeve emptied the fruit bowl on the sideboard.

Brigitta exchanged a worried look with Luciana. Her older sister’s predictions had an odd way of coming true.

“Here they are!” Sorcha brought a drawstring bag back to the small table.

Maeve set the brass bowl down.

“Wait!” Gwennore draped a shawl in the bowl. “We don’t want a loud clatter that might frighten the babies.”

“Oh, good idea.” Sorcha emptied the stones into the bowl, and they made a muffled noise. “All right, Luciana, show us what ye can do.”

Luciana leaned forward. “Are you sure about this?”

“Aye.” Sorcha nodded.

Brigitta winced, remembering how her prediction from the Telling Stones had haunted her for eight months.

Luciana stirred the stones with her hand, then suddenly Sorcha reached out to stop her. “No. I don’t want to know.” She glanced at Gwennore. “Gwennie is older than me. It should be her turn next.”

Gwennore snorted. “What future could I have?”

“We all have a future,” Maeve insisted, then turned to their oldest sister. “Go ahead.”

Luciana closed her fist around some stones.

“O Great Seer,” Maeve whispered. “Reveal to us the secrets of the Telling Stones.”

Luciana opened her hand and set two of the stones on the table. Green and brown.

“Maybe she’ll meet a tall and handsome stranger with brown hair and green eyes,” Maeve suggested.

Gwennore’s eyes twinkled with humor. “Or brown eyes and green hair.”

Sorcha sat forward. “This is an easy one. The royal flag of Woodwyn is green and brown. A green tree on a brown background. Gwennie will be returning to the elves.”