“We’ll be all right.” Jade looked around the group. “There is none finer than these people. If any can vanquish Vile, it is them.”
“Us,” Luc corrected.
“Yes,” Rell said. “We will vanquish him. We’ve already done so much in such a short time and all of us have so much to fight for now.”
A murmur of agreement rippled through the group.
“We will do what we can here,” Willie said. “You can count on us.”
“Indeed we will,” Orvis nodded. “Indeed we will.”
Rell yawned at the same time Ravyn did.
“It appears our guests grow weary.” Orvis rocked forward and stood. “Come, I’ll show you to your rooms. The entire upstairs has been prepared for you.”
Rell sent up a prayer of thanks. All she wanted was to undress, wash, and crawl into bed next to Siban. He obviously had the same idea from the way he snaked his arm around her waist and pulled him to her. She went willingly and laid her head against his shoulder.
“Oh, no you don’t,” Willa said, tugging Rell free from his grasp. “The bride and the groom are not to see each other on their wedding day.”
“It’s not our wedding day yet.” Siban reached for Rell, but Willa laughed and pulled her away from his reach.
“If you sleep in the same room, you will wake and see her in the morning.” Willa gripped Rell’s arms and marched her toward a door near the hearth. “You will sleep upstairs, and she will sleep down here, where I can make sure you leave her alone.”
Siban groaned. “I find that fiercely unfair.”
The rest of the group laughed. Luc slapped him on the back. “Tough luck, friend. But just think, after tomorrow Willa won’t be able to tell you what you can and can’t do with her daughter.”
Willa scowled at him. “If you have the faintest notion of asking for Jade’s hand in marriage, Luc, I suggest you watch what you say.”
He’d just taken a swallow of ale and choked at her comment. Rhys pounded Luc on the back. “You all right?”
Despite his fit of coughing, Luc managed to hold up a hand in surrender.
Rell went willingly, enjoying Siban’s anguish over being parted. “I’m sorry.”
He stood there watching her being led away from him, his eyes round and forlorn. Willa clicked the door closed behind them and turned with an evil smile. “It’s always good to keep them wanting.”
“I’ll remember that.” Rell fell onto the bed and stared at the wood beams running through the ceiling. “It’s good to be here.”
She sat up and Willa joined her on the bed. “It’s good to have you here.”
The room was small but cozy. A small fire burned in the hearth on the wall opposite the hearth in the great room. Rell smiled when she saw her wedding dress hanging in the corner. “I can’t believe I’m getting married tomorrow.” She looked at Willa. “I never thought such a thing would be possible.”
“You are a testament that miracles do happen.” Her mother brushed a lock of hair from her forehead. “You are my miracle.” Willa wrapped her arm around Rell’s shoulder and kissed her on the cheek. “Never doubt that.”
“I won’t.” She gripped her mother’s hand. “Thank you.”
Willa furrowed her brow. “For what?”
There were so many things she wanted to thank her mother for, too many to say at once. “For everything. The Bringers gave me my body back, but you and Siban have given me a family again.” Tears burned at the back of her eyes. She met her mother’s gaze. “I still struggle with the darkness sometimes, but it’s getting easier now that I have a place in this world and people who love me.”
“We all feel like that sometimes, Rell.” Willa stroked her hand. “But know that you and Jade are just as much a part of this family as any of us. There’s always a place for you here, no matter what happens.”
“Thank you, that means everything to me.” Rell yawned.
“All right. To bed with you.” Willa stood and walked to the fireplace to stoke the fire. “Morning will come quick enough. There’s water in the basin or if you prefer a bath, I can draw that for you.”
Rell shook her head. “I’m too tired. I’ll wash up and bathe in the morning.”
“All right, love.” Willa walked to the door and opened it. “Sleep tight. I’ll wake you in the morning.”
“Good night, Mother.” Rell watched her mother leave, feeling truly at peace for the first time in a long time.
Chapter Twenty-eight
Rell rolled to her side and stared out the window. Thin rays of sunlight streaked through the crack in the drapes. Tiny dust specks danced with what seemed like joy for the happy occasion. Today was her wedding day.
Rell stretched, extending her limbs along the warm, soft linens of the bed. Sadly Siban was not there to share the time before the activities of the day began. She smiled. Every morning after today, she’d wake up to him beside her. It was more than she had ever dreamed of.
The idea of getting up tumbled around her head for a few seconds, but instead she snuggled deeper into the pile of pillows, determined to get a little more sleep. This was her day and after everything she’d been through the past several weeks, she deserved to rest and not worry about routine or responsibilities.
A knock sounded at the door. Rell groaned and pulled the pillow over her head, willing the intruder to go away. The muffled click of the door sounded and the quiet squeaking of the hinges signaled that whoever knocked would not be deterred by her feigned sleeping.
“I know you’re not asleep, so you might as well stop pretending.”
Rell cracked open her eyes and glared at her mother. “One more hour.”
Willa slid a breakfast tray onto a table and walked to the window. She gripped the edge of the curtains and threw them wide. “It’s nearly noon.”
Rell flung her arm over her eyes. “Noon? It can’t be.”
“It is.” Willa walked to the large tub in the corner and opened a cabinet against the wall. “Eat first and then have a bath.” She pulled on a lever, which let the water run free. “Are you nervous?”
Rell sat up and yawned. “No, why would I be nervous?”
“A woman’s wedding day is very special and can be a little scary.” Willa laid out a large bath sheet and smaller towel. “It’s the time when she leaves her family and becomes a wife.” After setting several bottles on a table near the tub, she moved to sit on the bed next to Rell. Willa brushed a stray strand of hair away from Rell’s eyes and then cupped her cheek. “Then again, you’ve been away from your family for a very long time and you and Siban’s relationship is not ordinary.”
She covered her mother’s hand with her own. “No, but it will still be a good marriage despite its—” She searched for the right word. “Its uniqueness.”
“I believe it will as well.” Willa lowered her hand. “So…” She gave a little shrug. “We didn’t get much of a chance to speak last night. What do you think of your brothers and sisters? I know they can be overwhelming at times, but they really do mean well.”
“They are a like a large litter of puppies, always busy and inquisitive.” The thought of how they had argued over who would carry her pack brought a smile to Rell’s face. “I think they’re wonderful.”
Tiny creases formed next to Willa’s eyes when she smiled. “Good, because they are determined to help you get ready for your wedding.”
“Really?” She sat and pushed the covers from her legs. “Well, I guess I’d better get my bathing done.” She swung her legs over the side of the bed and stood. “I’m not sure I’ll ever get used to having so many people around.”
Willa rubbed her back. “You will when you have children of your own.”
“Children?” Since she and Siban had talked about it at Alba Haven, the idea had lingered. “I don’t think I’d make a very good mother.”