Shalador's Lady

to build a life with you that spans the seasons.”
    “You’re in love with me?” His eyes looked a little less blank, but she wasn’t sure his brain was fully working.
    “Yes, I’m in love with you.”
    “Cassie.”
    He kissed her with enough heat to sizzle through her body and melt bone. Then he wrapped his arms around her and held on.
    “I fell in love with you the first time I met you,” he said. “That’s what gave me the courage to wake up and grow up. So that I could be with you.” He eased back enough to look at her. “You’re going to buy me a wedding ring, right?”
    Happy tears stung her eyes. She laughed. “Yes, I’m going to buy you a traditional ring.”
    “Come on,” Gray said. “Let’s—”
    *Gray? Cassie?*
    Vae trotted up to them. She wagged a greeting, then stared at both of them.
    *Cassie is crying, and you are happy,* she told Gray, her words accompanied by a growl. *Why?*
    “I’m happy too,” Cassie said, wiping tears off her face. “Gray and I are going to get married.”
    “Do you know about human marriage?” Gray asked.
    *I know.* The growling stopped and the tail wagged with more enthusiasm. *Is this a secret?*
    Gray laughed. “No, it’s not a secret.”
    Vae lifted her muzzle and howled. A few moments later, Khollie howled from the other side of the stone fence. A few moments after that, Lloyd and Kief joined in. Then Darcy. Then Keely.
    They heard another faint howl coming from the direction of Eyota’s main street.
    “Hell’s fire,” Gray said. “They’ll tell the whole village before we have time to get back to the house.”
    “Then we’d better hurry.”
    Laughing, they ran back to the house, stomped snow off their boots, and smacked into Ranon and Shaddo, who were heading outside to find out what had stirred up the dogs.
    By the time the First Circle gathered in the court’s parlor and Dryden opened bottles of sparkling wine for the first of many celebrations, everyone who lived with or worked near a Sceltie had heard the news about Prince Jared Blaed and Lady Cassidy.

EBON ASKAVI
    Daemon walked into one of the sitting rooms. Lucivar came in a step behind him and immediately swung to the left to give them both working room. Their father stood by a window, looking out and smiling an odd little smile.
    “Where is Gray?” Daemon asked. “You said he needed to talk to us.”
    “Is he outside making mulch?” Lucivar asked.
    “He’s outside,” Saetan replied. “And once in a while he stops grinning and remembers what he’s supposed to do with the piece of wood he’s holding.”
    Daemon looked at Lucivar, who shrugged.
    *I’m not picking up any temper,* Lucivar said on an Ebon-gray spear thread.
    *Neither am I,* Daemon replied. But what his psychic probe was picking up from the boy was damn peculiar.
    “Don’t give him a hard time,” Saetan warned as he rapped on the window. “The only reason I chucked him out there was because he insisted that he wanted to wait until he could tell all three of us the news, and he’s so bouncy it was exhausting to be in the same room with him.”
    “Ah.” Daemon smiled.
    A minute later, still dressed in his heavy coat and holding a piece of wood, Gray bounced into the room.
    *He’s spending too much time with Vae,* Lucivar said.
    Daemon stifled a laugh.
    “Hi!” Gray said.
    Looking at those bright green eyes and sensing the almost skin-bursting excitement, Daemon didn’t need to hear the words to know the news. But he kept his expression politely interested—and noticed that Saetan was wearing the same expression.
    Lucivar shook his head and said, “Give me that.”
    “What?” Gray looked at the chunk of wood Lucivar took from him and vanished. “Oh.” Then he just grinned at all of them.
    “Okay, brainless,” Lucivar said. “Use words.”
    “Lucivar,” Saetan groaned quietly.
    “I’m getting married. To Cassie. And she’s getting married to me. It happened yesterday. Not the getting married part. The asking part.”
    “Congratulations, Gray,” Daemon said.
    “That’s wonderful news,” Saetan said. “And worthy of a celebration.”
    Lucivar stared at Gray until the weight of that stare quieted some of the excitement in the young Warlord Prince.
    “So,” he finally said. “You’ve decided to live right up to the line.”
    “Yes,” Gray replied. “I did. I am.”
    “Good for you, Gray,” Lucivar smiled. “Good for you.”
    Draca entered the room, followed by a servant who