Page 172 of Heimlock

When he folds into the hug, closing his eyes, I hear him whisper, “Thank you.”

Biting ‌my trembling lip — because it’s way too early for tears — I find a seat next to Joulian. Moxie’s stomping through the greenery in the center of the table, pretending to stalk Greg, Joulian’s familiar. The blue crow hops, knocking over a small ornamental gold ball.

“Joulian,” Orliana scolds. “Get your familiar off the table, now.”

Moxie chews on a leaf, flicking her little tail. Joulian gives the purple ugopeg a pointed look.

Orliana rolls her eyes and snaps her fingers. “Moxiellie, stop causing havoc and set a better example.”

The ugopeg promptly trots to Fynn’s glass of water and starts drinking from it. The red Dragon watches her with amusement, but far more focused on twirling a strand of Orliana’s hair around a finger.

Trinte sits next to me, leaning on a hip and resting an arm on his knee. Grabbing a grape from a bowl, he pops it into his mouth and grins. Now that we’re all seated, the waitstaff opens the bottles of femire. Once everyone’s glasses are full — minus Joulian, who’s drinking sparkling femire — we cheers in celebration of Trinte’s success.

Dinner is lavish, with five courses. Much to Orliana’s delight, it’s a lot of garlic infused dishes. Dessert is a chocolate cake, which Trinte informs me is the same cake they ate at the Têasté during the Weyr reunion.

By the time we’re done eating, the two moons are rising in the sky and the quiet desert comes to life with the sound of wildlife. The waitstaff have cleared the table, leaving us with mint tea.

Fynn grabs his teacup and clinks a spoon against it, quieting us. The golden eyed Dragon looks at us each. “Today was an intense day, to say the least.” Everyone chuckles, because that’s an understatement. “My brother had the privilege of glassing a mountain after slaying the beast.” He lifts the cup of tea. “To Trinte.”

We all do the same. “To Trinte.”

Fynn clears his throat, his demeanor suddenly nervous. “Three months ago, all of our lives changed. Two worlds collided, and all of it led to this exact moment.” He looks at Talia with a soft smile. “To gain a mother is a gift, but to gain a mother full of such compassion? Priceless.”

Joulian’s already sniffling when Fynn looks at him. “Having you in my life is a joy. I’m so blessed to hang out with you every day, buddy.”

Joulian nods wordlessly, face already crumpling. Talia wraps arms around him, smiling.

To Trinte, Fynn says, “My brother … you’ve saved my life more times than I count. Even when it was the darkest, you never wavered.” Fynn chokes up; suddenly, everyone is sniffling a little. After inhaling a shuddering breath, Fynn says, “I’m so proud of you.”

I place a hand on Trinte’s arm, watching his face twitch with unshed emotions. He feels my stare and returns it with a smile.

“To Kyrielle.” Fynn’s use of my name forces me to look away. My cheeks burn when he says, “You helped save my brother. You’ve kept Orliana safe. You’re as much my family as anyone else at this table.”

Catching a tear at my lashes before it can fall, I nod, unable to speak.

He turns to Orliana. She looks at him with glistening eyes. He sweeps her hair over her shoulder, scanning her face. My pulse picks up, and I reach for Trinte’s hand.

“To the woman who brought me back to life, I can never thank you enough for standing beside me in the darkest times. For never shying away from the hard things, no matter how much it hurts. For giving me your patience, trust, and love.”

Fynn reaches underneath some of the greenery, pulling out a small, velvet green box. Joulian gasps, and finally, I can’t hold back my tears. Orliana’s face twists in confusion; understanding dawns, shifting right into joy and shock.

“No!” she says, reaching for his arm. To stop him or steady herself, it’s unclear. He beams, revealing a dimple, as his fingers split the box, revealing a gold ring featuring a large princess cut ruby surrounded by onyx stones.

“Orliana Veritas, I know it’s fast. I know it hasn’t been long. But I learned a long time ago that life is short and you need to embrace every minute of joy possible. Will you be my wife?”

“YES!” she screams, flinging herself at him, toppling them both over. I let out a laugh that’s close to a sob, tears fully streaming down my cheeks now. There’s not a dry eye as Orliana lands loud smacking kisses all over her fiance’s face. Trinte kisses my shoulder as his brother slides the ring on Orliana’s finger.

Moxie lands on Fynn’s forehead, stomping on it with joy. He laughs deeply, ducking from the affectionate attack.

Joulian sobs, then scrambles around the table. Fynn makes an oof! sound as Joulian flops onto his broad chest. “Does this mean you’re going to be my dad?!”

Fynn rests a hand against the boy’s dark hair. Rising onto an elbow, he says with a soft smile, “If you want, buddy. I’d be honored.”

“Okay!” Joulian sobs louder. Orliana piles on, and the three of them clutch one another tightly.

I snuggle into Trinte’s chest, enjoying the scene of happiness. I have no idea if he and I will ever get engaged or married. Something worth discussing — further in the future.

When they’re all sitting up, a melodic voice behind us says, “Well, that was perfect!”