Summoner 20, p.9
Summoner 20, page 9
“Hello, there,” she greeted me once I took my place.
“Hello, yourself,” I said softly, and after I returned her smile, I turned my attention back to the aisle, where the rest of my women had started to advance down.
First down the aisle, with Varleth on her elbow, was Erin. The pilot was outfitted in a long-sleeved dress with an extremely short, but still tasteful, skirt and a pair of black high-heels that wrapped around her trim white legs like vines. Her vibrant hair appeared more copper than orange, and I had a sneaking suspicion it’d been dyed before the wedding. The darker tone made her amber eyes pop, and I made a note to compliment her on it later.
The mimic held a small bouquet of white roses in one hand, and her other arm was entwined with Varleth’s. The gypsy’s dark eyes were bright as he walked down the aisle, and his lips formed a genuine smile. It was still taking me time to get used to the banisher’s newfound positivity, but it was a welcome sight. Varleth had been through so much, and he deserved to be happy.
Once the pair took their respective places, Gawain and Layla made their way down. The fire mage and the petite summoner shared a strange relationship, but I knew from their smiles they were better friends than they wanted to let on. Layla winked at me as she approached, and Gawain offered me a slight nod as he stood beside Varleth.
Next came Arwyn and Mur, and the moose shapeshifter looked especially thrilled to be paired up with the gorgeous healer mage.
Arwyn’s crimson hair had been brushed until it was a perfectly straight curtain down her back, and under the lights of the trees, it shone like silk. Her long-sleeved velvet dress had a plunging neckline that showcased her cleavage, and a calf-length skirt that showed off an elegant pair of matching black velvet heels. She looked mature but incredibly refined, and she offered me a lovely ruby-lipped smile as she took her place.
Next down the aisle came Ashla and Orenn. The ice mage’s dress was more of a two-piece than an actual gown and consisted of an off-the-shoulder strappy top and a long, silky skirt that flowed like water to the ground. In between the two pieces, there was a sliver of Ashla’s toned umber-skin on display. The ice mage was still too early into her pregnancy to be showing, so her midriff was still just as taut and muscular as ever. Her midnight-black braids had been coiled into an elaborate updo and called attention to her long, dangly gold earrings.
Ashla’s burgundy-painted lips curved up into a smile as she shot me a wink from down the aisle.
Finally, my best man and Cyra’s maid of honor came down the aisle, and as Freya and Braden approached us, I stifled a gasp. My shapeshifting wife looked incredibly beautiful, and her smile was brighter than the sun.
Freya’s wild blonde mane had been smoothed down so it flowed in perfect waves over her shoulders. Her gown had a corseted bodice, thin bejeweled gold straps, and a delicate and slightly see-through skirt that flared out at her curvy hips. The flowy dress clung to her perfect figure and called attention to her smaller-but-still proportional breasts and her curvy lower-half.
The hawk-princess’ golden-flecked brown eyes had been enhanced by smokey brown eyeshadow, and her naturally pink cheeks gave her porcelain skin a beautiful glow.
With everyone in place, there were only two people left to enter, and my hands shook as I waited for my bride.
“Breathe,” Nia whispered.
I took my wife’s instructions and filled my lungs with the afternoon air. It was a little chilly, but not unpleasant enough to shiver, and the sun had come out in full force just for us. It was the perfect day for a wedding.
“Wow,” I heard someone murmur, and my heart stopped when Cyra and Maelor came into focus. The summoner had always been stunningly beautiful, but she looked downright ethereal in her wedding attire.
Just as my other women had mentioned, Cyra’s dress was a showstopper. The fabric was a deep burnished gold color, and the entire surface was covered in tiny beads that reflected the lights glowing from the trees. The color made her umber skin look even richer and gave her chocolate-brown eyes a honeyed tone.
Her nest of raven-colored curls had been tamed into a sleek hairstyle that flowed over one shoulder in perfect waves while the other was pinned back behind her ear by a golden bejeweled comb. Her exposed ear held four small diamond earrings that matched the comb, and just behind it flowed a billowing veil.
The dress itself looked like it’d been hand-made for the summoner’s curvy frame. It had two thin straps, a deep V-neckline, and a high side slit that gave me just a glimpse of Cyra’s trim legs. Bejeweled sandals and an enormous bouquet of white roses and greenery finished out the look, and I could hardly contain my awe. Cyra looked like an exotic golden queen, and I was the luckiest man in the entire realm to be marrying such a beauty.
Once she reached the front of the aisle, Maelor squeezed Cyra’s hands and kissed her gently on the cheek. Cyra gave the older summoner a beautiful smile and then took her place across from me.
“Hi, Gryff,” Cyra greeted me softly.
Up close, I could see the flawless smokey-brown makeup that made her eyes smolder, and the light touch of lipstick that made her already full lips look even fuller.
“Hey, beautiful,” I whispered back as I fought back tears.
Maelor took his seat next to Meriden, and once everyone was in place, Nia cleared her throat and began the ceremony.
The elementalist kept the script as brief as possible. Cyra hadn’t wanted anything too long, so Nia’s words were lovely, but to the point. She gave a brief welcome to our guests, said a quick prayer to the Maker, and then went right into the vows.
“Gryff, will you take Cyra as your wife, to love and cherish, to protect and defend for the rest of your life?” the elementalist asked me as I waited to place the wedding ring on Cyra’s finger.
“I will.” I smiled at Cyra, and then I slid the simple rose gold band onto Cyra’s finger.
Once the ring was in place, Nia turned to the dark-skinned summoner.
“Cyra, will you take Gryff as your husband, to love and cherish, to protect and defend, for the rest of your life?”
“I will,” Cyra replied with a gleam in her eyes.
“Then by the power vested in me, I happily pronounce you husband and wife,” Nia managed, and her sapphire eyes welled up with tears. “Gryff Porter, you may kiss your bride.”
Cyra flashed me a grin before we leaned forward and kissed each other deeply. The dark-skinned summoner’s familiar vanilla and cloves taste danced against my lips, and I nearly collapsed from sheer happiness. Cyra was finally my wife, and once again, I thought I had to be the happiest man in the entire realm.
Applause crescendoed around us, along with a few whistles I knew were from Layla, and once Cyra and I pulled our lips apart, my dark-haired wife gave me a heart-melting smile.
“I love you,” she whispered.
“I love you, too,” I whispered back, and then I leaned in for seconds.
The rest of the evening was spent drinking, dancing, and celebrating our love and our growing family. Our guests divided their time between dancing around in the backyard and filling themselves with delicious food inside, but Cyra and I spent most of the reception wrapped together in a slow dance.
“So, I had a question,” Cyra began in a vague tone as she stared lovingly into my eyes.
“What’s that, my love?” I asked as I placed my hands on her waist and pulled her close.
“Now that we’re husband and wife… I was wondering if you wanted me to take your name?” she inquired with a small smile.
“Cyra Porter,” I tried aloud. “That doesn’t have a bad ring to it, does it?”
“Neither does Milo Porter,” the umber-skinned summoner pointed out. “I like the idea of all of us sharing your family name, but only if that’s something you’re interested in. If you’re not--”
“You are my family,” I interjected as I stared into my wife’s enormous dark eyes. “It would be my honor to share my last name with you and Milo. If that’s what you want.”
“I do.” Cyra nodded.
“Mrs. Cyra Porter,” I tried again, and Cyra’s lips curved up into a soft smile.
“I love the way that sounds,” she said, “and I’m sure Milo will as well. You know, once he starts understanding Mistral.”
“He’ll get there soon enough,” I laughed. “Before we know it, he’ll be taking his first steps, uttering his first words…”
“Maker, don’t remind me.” Cyra shook her head. “He’s already growing up too fast to begin with.”
“He is,” I agreed with her. Milo’s firsts were going to come sooner than I was prepared for, and while part of me was scared of my first-born son to grow up, the other part of me looked forward to the amazing young man I knew he would become.
“Do you think he’ll be a summoner as well?” Cyra wondered as we danced. “I know it’s way too soon to think about that…”
“With two summoners as parents, I wouldn’t be surprised by that at all,” I said thoughtfully. “I bet he’ll be an awesome one at that.”
“Oh, I have no doubt there,” my umber-skinned wife agreed. “His father is the greatest summoner in all of Mistral--”
“You’re such a flatterer,” I interjected, and I leaned down and kissed my bride on her full lips.
“I do what I can,” Cyra murmured against me.
Eventually, we tired of dancing and decided to find sustenance. We headed inside, and once we filled our plates with delicious food, we stepped into the dining room and joined the rest of our family and friends at the table. The kids were fast asleep upstairs, except for Milo and Lahrra, who were perched in Ashla and Erin’s laps.
“I love weddings,” Layla sighed dreamily as she rested her chin on her hand.
“Enough to want one yourself one day?” Erin inquired with a waggle of her eyebrows.
Layla’s cheeks darkened, and instead of answering the mimic’s question, she sat up and grabbed her champagne flute. The auburn-haired mage downed the contents quickly and peered off toward the corner of the room, but Erin’s questioning stare didn’t waver.
“Oh, someone’s got it bad,” Ashla teased the petite summoner. “Do I hear wedding bells on the horizon, Bethel?”
“I don’t have it bad.” Layla stuck her tongue out at the ice mage. “I just think weddings are fun. What’s wrong with that?”
“Nothing’s wrong with that,” Ashla assured her with a soft smile. “We’re only teasing, Layla.”
“Yeah, I know,” Layla murmured, but she didn’t seem convinced by her words.
“I would want something small like this one day,” Erin decided with a thoughtful expression. “Something lovely and intimate, not a lot of people.”
“Me, too,” Ashla chimed in. “I prefer simplistic ceremonies and smaller receptions. There’s a lot less pressure that way, and you don’t have to worry about taking care of so many people. It gives more emphasis to the bride and groom.”
“I agree with you completely.” Erin nodded. “I’d just want to make it as easy as possible. You know, let’s just have our wedding together, simplify the whole thing for everyone.”
“I can’t tell if you’re joking or not, but that’s not something I would be opposed to,” the ice mage responded with a raised eyebrow. “It would be easier for us and Gryff.”
“What do you think, Gryff?” Erin turned to me with a curious expression. “How do you feel about the idea of a group wedding?”
“It’s not something I’ve ever put much thought into, but I feel like it could be an option.” I shrugged. “When it comes to weddings, I’m just along for the ride, so if there’s a certain thing you’d like to do, I’m totally okay with it. Big, small, whatever makes you all the happiest, I’m down for it.”
“We’ll have to keep that in mind,” Ashla noted, and she and Erin shared a conspiratorial gaze before they looked over at Arwyn and Layla. “What about you two?”
“I’m not certain.” Arwyn shrugged. “I’ve always been so focused on academics I’ve hardly put any thought into what I would want for my own.”
Though the crimson-haired professor wasn’t a liar by any stretch of the imagination, I could tell by the way she bit her lower lip that she had, in fact, put some thought into her own wedding. We’d decided to wait a little longer to worry about marriage, but I vowed one day, when the time came, I would make Arwyn’s wedding as special as possible.
Erin seemed to sense Arwyn didn’t want to be included in the conversation, so she turned her attention back to Layla. “What would you want, Layla? Group or solo?”
“Solo, I think,” Layla admitted in a softened tone, and then she raised her hands up. “Nothing against you and Ashla, of course--”
“Oh, don’t worry about it,” Erin quickly assured the summoner. “I don’t take any offense to that at all. I was just curious about what you’d want.”
“We can do whatever you’d like, Layla,” I reminded my auburn-haired girlfriend.
“We aren’t wasting time here, are we?” Nia joked. “Sitting at a reception, planning other weddings--”
“Hey, you already got your wedding, Nia,” Erin pointed out. “You and Freya got yours out of the way--”
“Ours had different circumstances,” Freya spoke up from her seat beside Nia. “It was Hawk Clan tradition, not Mistral tradition of a large party. Not that I would have it any other way. I love how my husband and I celebrated our union.”
Heat spread to my cheeks as I recalled the day myself. Near the end of my stay in Hawk Clan territory, I’d had sex with the hawk-princess on Eyrie Island, and by Clan tradition, that made us married. While it hadn’t been a traditional union in the Mistral sense, I wouldn’t have had it any other way, and I made sure Freya knew that from the smile I gave her.
“Well, no matter how they happen, I look forward to celebrating more weddings with all of you,” Cyra declared. “This day has been absolutely wonderful, and I’m so happy to officially be a sister-wife.”
We all toasted at that, and as I peered around at my family, I felt comforted. Growing up in the Wilds with Maelor hadn’t been bad by any means, but the old man had been my only family for years. I’d never known what it was like to be surrounded by such amazing friends and lovers, and now that I had an enormous family, I couldn’t imagine it any other way.
As the evening died down, Cyra and I gave a round of farewells to our guests and prepared to depart for our honeymoon. Per Braden’s recommendation, we decided to stay in the small village of Nattanger, just outside of the Enclave. It was only a short carriage ride away, so we would be able to make it to the bed and breakfast we’d booked for our wedding night.
Cyra’s gown was absolutely stunning, but I was more than ready to rip it off her.
“I’m happy ‘fer you two,” Maelor said gruffly, and I could tell the older summoner was fighting back tears as he blinked rapidly at us. “I know ya already have the kiddo and everything, but I wish ye nothing but happiness in yer marriage.”
“Thanks, old man,” Cyra whispered, and before the tears could erupt from her own eyes, she wrapped her arms around the old man.
Maelor embraced my new wife tightly as if she were his own daughter, and the sight of it made my heart swell.
“Get in here, ya little shit,” Maelor grumbled at me, and he and Cyra opened up the hug to include me.
I stifled a laugh as the pair of summoners enveloped me into their arms.
“Alright, alright, enough of the lovey-dovey shit,” Cyra sniffled once we pulled away. “I’m pretty sure I heard the carriage pull up outside.”
“Have fun on yer honeymoon.” Maelor smiled at us. “And don’t worry ‘bout the kids. Meriden and I are gonna stop in and help out. Maybe steal Milo for an afternoon, if that’s alright with ye.”
“You’re his grandfather,” I reminded the old man with a soft smile. “You’re welcome to take him any time.”
A blush spread across Maelor’s cheeks. My adoptive father likened himself to a no-nonsense hardass, but he had a soft spot for babies, especially little Milo. Of course, Milo could charm even the hardest of criminals with that adorable smile of his.
“Thanks, Gryff,” Maelor replied, and then he peered out beyond us. “Ye should probably get goin’. Don’t want to keep the carriage waiting for too long.”
“I love you, Maelor,” I said sincerely.
“I love you, too,” the old summoner whispered.
“Don’t have too much fun, you two,” Layla teased as she interrupted the moment and reached up and ruffled my hair. “We have more than enough kids in this house, and we’re running low on cribs.”
“Hush, Bethel.” I smirked as I ducked away from her. “Don’t tell me you wouldn’t love another baby around here.”
“Yeah, you’re right,” Layla admitted as she smoothed the skirt of her dress down. “Milo is pretty cute. Okay, I’ve changed my mind. Don’t come back until you’ve made the little guy a brother or sister!”
“We’ll see,” Cyra giggled. “I think I’m okay with just one for right now, but that could change later.”
“How do all of our conversations always revolve around Gryff’s sex life?” I heard Varleth mutter to Gawain.
“I haven’t the slightest idea,” Gawain murmured back. “There are times I feel jealous that he has so many women, and others I have no idea how one man can juggle so many.”
“I wouldn’t trade it for the world,” I called out to my friends, and the banisher and fire mage flashed me wide smiles.
“We’re happy for you, summoner,” Gawain said, and his emerald eyes moved between Cyra and me. “You’re lucky to have such an amazing family.”
“Thanks, Gawain.” I smiled at the golden-haired mage. “Though, you realize you’re included in the family, too, right?”
“Yeah, yeah.” The fire mage waved me off, but he had a pleased expression on his face.
The rest of my women gave us their farewells, and after one more round of hugs and kisses, Cyra and I picked up our luggage. We were only going to be gone for a few days, so our suitcases were light, but Orenn and Braden took them from us anyway.
