“Good,” she replied. ‘You’ll do us all proud.”
“Are you ready?” Hazel asked, appearing next to her mother. I smiled in relief. I had experienced enough emotions for one day.
I glanced back once to where the Oracle disappeared, and then fixed my focus once again on my beautiful wife. Now isn’t the time for wondering about that strange creature.
“I’m ready,” I said.
The Oracle was forgotten as we made our way toward Shayla. She would be transporting us to our honeymoon destination—a secret that had been kept from me. Not that I minded in the slightest; as long as Hazel was by my side, I would have gone anywhere.
Ruby
I gazed out at the snow-capped mountain in the distance. The sun was starting to set, the sky blazing in a beautiful red hue. We were in the highlands of a remote Tibetan valley. I had known that Ash would have his work cut out for him when we returned to Nevertide, and I had wanted our honeymoon to be as peaceful and relaxing as possible.
We were staying in a renovated farmhouse that still maintained elements of old-world tradition—like the handcrafted wooden bathtub, and the rich hues of red and copper that made up the charming décor.
Our farmhouse was adjacent to an old temple that now served as a luxury spa. Corrine and I had made sure that we would be the only guests staying that week—we had the facilities to ourselves, and no one around for miles to disturb us. It was heaven.
“Ash?” I called, stepping out onto the terrace.
He turned to face me, relaxing in a wicker chair that looked out over the valley. A pot of mint tea was brewing next to him, and the smell wafted through the air on the fresh breeze.
“It’s incredible here, Shortie.” He smiled, opening his arms for me to join him. I came and sat on his lap, leaning against his chest as I took in the magnificent views.
“It really is.” I sighed with contentment.
We sat in silence for a while. We had arrived in the early afternoon, due to the time difference, and now I felt drowsy—completely overwhelmed by the events of the last twelve hours. My mind drifted back to our wedding ceremony. Ash’s eyes had fixed on mine as he had gently taken my hand, the breeze swaying the tendrils of his hair. My family, friends, the sparkling water, the beautiful redwoods and Ibrahim had ceased to exist. He had spoken his vows in a low voice – unwavering and more sure than I’d ever heard him. “You saved me from death and darkness. From losing myself and everything that I am. You have always brought me back into the light – have given me reason to keep going when it seems like everything is lost. I love you, Ruby. And I will always love you, till the end of time.”
Ash and I had an eternity to be together, and it was at the ceremony when that had first hit home properly. A bubble had swelled inside my chest, one of disbelieving happiness that still hadn’t dissipated…and I wondered if it ever would.
“We’re husband and wife,” I murmured eventually, coming back to the present and stating the fact with astonishment. I felt like I was dreaming; the scenery, the quiet time with Ash with no danger lurking in the distance…it all felt so unreal.
“We are,” he breathed, running his lips softly down my neck. His arms closed around me, and I felt my insides melt.
Before we could go any further, and I was carried away in a haze, I refocused.
“Ash, there are some things I need to tell you,” I began, speaking slowly so I could find the right words.
“That doesn’t sound good.”
The kissing of my neck paused, and I turned toward him in alarm.
“No! It is good news, I’m just trying to get this out properly—and I guess I’m not. I wanted to talk about Nevertide, about us going back.”
He was silent for a few moments, and then he sighed against me.
“I don’t want to talk about that. Not now. I just want to be with you. Let’s enjoy the time we have.”
I half-laughed. I was making such a mess of this.
“That’s what I mean. I want us to start our life in Nevertide. It doesn’t mean never returning to The Shade. I’d like to come and go when we want to, but to have Nevertide as our home.”
“Do you mean that?” he replied in a broken tone.
“Of course.”
I looked him deep in the eyes. I wanted him to know how serious I was about this—that living in Nevertide was no hardship if he was there.
“What about GASP… your life in The Shade?” he questioned.
“We’ll still be members of GASP. We’ll just live in Nevertide, like many dragons live in The Hearthlands. And my life in The Shade would be nothing without you, Ash. You’re my husband. How could I not live by your side? Leaving you to rebuild Nevertide on your own? I want that to be something we do together.”