Riella grinned. "Don't be sorry Blaithin. I am excited too!"
The cù-sìth pup grinned her lethal canines before standing and barking again, looking at her back and then at Riella expectantly.
Shea waved his hand and suddenly a soft blanket of silver was laid across the pup’s back. Picking up Riella, he gently placed her up on her perch. "You wont hurt her holding onto her fur, but if you don't the blanket is enchanted to keep you astride."
The sky shifted and suddenly the stars swarmed, dancing happily in merriment around Riella and covering her in glittering dust. In that moment she captivated all of us—her innocent cherub face tilted up to watch the stars swirling, her eyes wide with pure wonderment, her mouth parted with an inhaled awe, and her hairflowing around her, illuminated by the shimmering glass crown upon her head.
"She is her mother's daughter,"Emon's deep sultry voice whispered in my mind as he shifted closer to me.
I blinked and turned towards him, realizing his eyes had been watching me this whole time."I don't want her to ever lose that—the feeling of this moment."
Emon nodded solemnly, kissing my forehead."We will protect it, protect her…"Then he snorted."As if anything can stop us."
The cù-sìth hound nudged me one more time before my father raised his hand and both Emon and I were being lifted by the shadows to sit atop her massive form. She was not as large as Emon's fierce panther but she was close.
The pain that ached deep in my chest intensified, thinking of Ethereal and the destruction we left behind in Finlandia, what I had done to Quinn…Jar. I was even worried about Eshe, her bitchiness must have grown on me.
"Say goodbye to your family for now, my beautiful soulmate," Emon's voice rumbled behind me, dropping a kiss to my shoulder. "Our worries can wait at the very least for that."
Sniffing, I looked downward, meeting the eyes of my brother, mother, and my…father. Yes, I could accept that now…just. I placed my hand to my heart. "Till we meet again."
"We love you, our little chickadee," my mother called out while all three of them placed their hands on their hearts as well. "Stay safe on the path."
"Abeamus Sadhbh.” Let's go, Sadhbh.Leaning forward, I patted the space between her ears.
The stars that danced around my daughter shot back into the sky, exploding around her into bright bursts of color, saying their goodbyes.
The cù-sìth howled.
A haunting and foreboding sound. Its eerie call sent an unwelcome shiver down my spine—and I prayed it was not an omen for what was to come.
Chapter 19
InarrowedmyeyeswhenI saw our cub slowly slump in her perch. She had been riding with such ease for the past two hours that I hadn't given a moment’s thought that she had been tiring until now.
Tucking my chin over my soulmate’s shoulder, I growled low. "We should stop fora bit. Riella is not used to this type of travel."
Remnant nodded. "I agree, a break is well needed." Leaning forward, Remnant softly patted the death hound between her ears. "Sadhbh, let us rest for a few, beautiful one."
The cù-sìth hound barked once before slowing to a trot. Following her mother, Blaithin fell into step beside her, taking her new role seriously although she could not contain all her excitement by the way her large black tail wagged, stirring up the sands that rose up to inspect us.
Dutifully staying on the silver path, I vaulted off the beast that had finally come to a halt and landed lightly in a crouch, my feetonly a whisper on the smooth reflective surface. I rose to my full height and looked up expectantly. Never to be one upstaged by my antics, Remnant did not disappoint.
Dismounting on the silver path with a graceful flip in the air, she landed in front of me with a sultry smile on her lips.
"Well done, little umbra," I purred.
She grinned and winked, her hips sashaying as she walked over to the cù-sìth pup to assist our daughter down. I licked my lips, suddenly back in the Wildwoods, that first day when she truly smiled at me, life igniting in her eyes—sweet goddess I would never tire of seeing her this way—
Distracted by my mate there was no way for me to avoid the large black tail crashing into my face. Cursing, I was sent stumbling sideways, spitting out a mouthful of coarse hair.
Did I just get fucking slapped to Faerie and back by a damned cù-sìth tail?
Righting myself, I met the innocent eyes of Sadhbh, I snorted at her facetious demeanor as if she hadn’t just purposefully annihilated my face with her powerful tail for drooling after my soulmate.
"Mother, my body hurts," Riella whined, as Remnant steadied her wobbling legs.
"That makes two of us," I muttered, rubbing feeling back into my bruised face.
