Although I’m extremely mad at Magnus and Alec, I can’t help but notice the big grin on the guard’s face at Kadva’s announcement. The witches all have their mouths gaped open. I turn and see everyone is still and quiet. Poor Kadva scratches the back of his head nervously.
‘Well, where’s the music, and what are you all looking at? You all act as if you’ve never seen a gay mage before,’ I say.
Taking Kadva’s hand, I pull him back to where we were dancing and glare at the musicians who start up the instruments. Others begin to sing and dance again as Kadva, and I continue our dance.
Everything has returned to how it was before, except for Magnus and Alec sitting there elbowing each other and arguing, blaming each other for what had just occurred.
The dance ends.
‘I think a certain man is trying to get your attention?’ I say to him.
Kadva glances at the guard, who still has his eyes and smile on Kadva and nods.
‘I’m too nervous. I wouldn’t even know what to say.’
‘Pour a couple of goblets with wine, offer him one, and go from there?’
‘Good idea, thanks, Luna,’ he says and walks over to the barrel of wine and fills two goblets.
My eyes are now on my troublesome two lovers. I march over, hands-on-hips and sit opposite them.
The elbowing stops, and they look down at their hands with guilt.
‘So, which one of you is going to apologise first?’ I ask.
Magnus is the first to speak, ‘I’m sorry, really sorry. I thought Kadva was making moves on you, I swear. If I had known you weren’t his preference, I would not have taken it in the way I did.’
‘I’m sorry for taking Magnus’s word for it. I will treat anything he says to me in future as a blatant lie,’ Alec says.
Magnus glares at Alec, ‘I’m not a liar! I just misjudged what I saw,’ he growls.
‘Well, I think you both also owe Kadva an apology,’ I reply.
We look towards Kadva, who is now making out with the guard against a stone wall.
‘I think Kadva has happily moved on,’ Alec smirks.
‘Regardless, you two will still apologise as soon as you can,’ I order.
‘Yes, Luna,’ ‘Yes, My Queen,’ they say simultaneously.
‘Now, which one of you is going to dance with me?’
Magnus shoves Alec to the side, jumps over the table, takes my hand and pulls me into the crowd, and we dance while Alec stares daggers at Magnus.
My parents arrive with Ryker, Astrid, Flint, Josie, and the Wolfwell pack. I notice Quinn hiding under a table. She cheekily pulls faces at me and sticks her tongue out.
Reaper now sits on Alec’s shoulder. It’s obvious they are mind-linking.
‘What are you two conspiring?’ I say, joining in the mind-link whilst dancing with Magnus.
‘Just contemplating how we can get rid of Magnus,’ Reaper says.
‘Reaper!’
‘What? You asked,’ he says.
‘If anyone should be contemplating anything, it should be me figuring out what I’m to do with you two,’ I retort.
Alec laughs but stiffens as my parents sit on either side of him.
It’s now me laughing as I hear my parents asking Alec if he has been doing right by me and taking care of me.
‘Sucker,’ I mind-link him.
Alec gives me a devious look, ‘Oh, I’ll be sucking some of that sweet delectable blood from your nape later. Don’t you worry about that, my dove.’
A blush creeps its way across my face.
‘Why are you blushing?’ Magnus asks.
‘I’m not blushing,’ I say.
Magnus looks over at Alec and smiles when he sees his discomfort as my parents lecture him about something.
‘Sucks to be him right now,’ Magnus laughs.
I throw my hands up in the air, ‘Okay, enough with the suck, sucker and sucking puns,’ I say, now blushing even more.
‘But?’
‘Don’t worry, come on,’ I say.
Taking Magnus’s hand, we join Alec, who is relieved to see us join him.
‘Mum, Dad,’ I smile.
They reach their hands over the table and hold mine.
‘It’s so good to see you, darling,’ my mother says, smiling between Magnus and Alec.
‘You look well, sweetheart. I’m glad to see you look so happy,’ my father says.
‘Thanks, I am,’ I smile, ‘I’m glad you could make it to the festivities.’
‘Would never miss a feast like this,’ my dad says, filling his plate with bread, meat and cheese.
‘Magnus,’ Flint calls and takes a seat next to him.
They pat each other on the back, and Josie sits beside me.
We squeal and embrace each other.
‘How is everything going at Wolfwell?’ I ask Josie.
‘It’s been a lot of fun. Except for Quinn, the mischievous little fairy likes to stir up trouble all the time. We find her in our kitchen every day, eating everything she can find. She tricked Flint and got him with a douse of fairy dust. He ended up on the roof, and Dad had to get him down in case he was to fall down the chimney.
We burst into laughter.
I notice Sir Hugo take a pitcher instead of a goblet, fills it with wine from the wooden barrel, and joins us at the table. He drinks straight from the pitcher, and I give him a look.
‘What? I get to drink Queen Maia’s share, too,’ he shrugs.
We laugh.
It’s nightfall. Most of us are intoxicated from all the mead and wine. King Damon uses a lit torch and has the honour of lighting the large bonfire. Men and women step out from the woods with ravaged hair and clothes, smiling and giggling at one another. It’s very clear what they’ve been doing. They join the rest of us as we sit around the fire in a large circle. I spend a while sitting on Magnus’s lap before shuffling onto Alec’s. Yiselda puts on a fire show using magic. We watch the flames form and tell a story.
Afterwards, Kadva puts on a show of magic fireworks that beam high up in the sky like explosions of magic that combust and rain down in different colours.
‘I’ve never seen the moon such a bright blue like this before,’ I say to Alec and Magnus.
They nod and admire it.
‘It’s only this blue during the midsummer solstice. It’s to indicate the veil is now weakened between worlds. Once the night ends, the veil will become unbreakable again.’
My wolf is stirring, and I don’t know why but she wants me to look towards Oak-Paw Mountains. A tiny silver speck of light falls from the sky, and whatever it is has landed on the mountain’s peak.
A massive explosion of fireworks above us brings my attention back to the festivities. We reach out to catch the glistening sparks that rain down upon us. I feel Alec’s fangs glide along my neck, and he sinks his teeth in, sending a jolt of electricity through my body. He licks the mark as soon as he finishes, sending my heart into a flutter.
Women stand and dance around the fire as the men admire and watch. Josie and May take my hands and pull me up to join them.
We sway and shimmy our hips, and our hands twirl and glide elegantly around in the air. Hours go by, and the magic of the solstice takes over our senses. The men have since joined in, and we dance to the beat of the drums. Alternating between them, one moment, I have Alec’s arm around my waist, and we gaze into each other’s eyes, then the next moment, I have Magnus with his arm around my waist, gazing into my eyes. The magic of the solstice runs through us. It’s a euphoric feeling of elation and glee.
As the solstice ends, the ground beneath our feet suddenly rumbles.
