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Lark…

Then there was Lark. Looking back at the last few months, as May almost jumped April in the queue, it didn’t feel like enough time had passed. Mere months. And yet, it could as well have been a lifetime. One of the many lifetimes Seren wanted to spend with her.

The small box in her pocket felt cozy and snug. She had gotten it from the family vault at the bank. Victoria had asked her to get it months ago, and Seren had never gotten around to it. So with Victoria in a tenuous coma, Seren made the trek to State Street Bank and found a note waiting for her along with the box.

“I knew you’d propose to Lark the second I saw you look at her. And no, don’t worry, it’s not my engagement ring. That one I sold recently and donated the money to the Refuge. These are your grandmother’s rings. My mother’s rings. Unlike many Crowhart love stories, hers was a happy one. Perhaps because it was with a woman. And while she never had an actual wedding, they did exchange these. They will look amazing on you and Lark. I bet they’ll fit.”

Seren’s sight had gotten all misty, and her finger shook as she tried one of the rings on.

Of course, it fit. Victoria would’ve won that bet.

Seren rolled her eyes at the old witch and smiled. Victoria had planned everything. Sure, she had been planning everything for her own rather foolish and premature demise, and Seren would let her know, or better yet, let her have it from both barrels once she woke up—and she would wake up, if Ceridwen had anything to say on the matter.

Love filled her chest, her heart, her mind. Love filled the streets of Crow’s Nest with people eating hot dogs and ice cream as they walked up and down Broad Street. Greg winked at her as he waved goodbye to a group of happy customers.

Marsha spotted and beelined for her, clearly wanting the most recent gossip and updates, but Seren was in too good a mood to allow anyone to catch her right now, and so she headed toward the Tavern, still closed but surely a safe port from nosy neighbors and town busybodies.

But she found the back door propped open and the kitchen windows open, letting spring air in.

Mop in one hand, Ceridwen stood in the middle of a now spotless space.

“She just uses magic, you know?” Seren smirked at her sister, and Ceridwen poked her tongue out.

“I needed to do something with my hands. Woke up antsy. I can’t explain it, Rennie. Have you, I don’t know, sensed something? Something in the air?”

Seren looked closely at the beautiful features of her sister’s face. Really, Ceridwen Crowhart was a different kind of beauty, contrasting the wild of Rhiannon’s, and yet arresting like nobody else.

The forest-green eyes were tired and the cheeks drawn, but otherwise she was surprisingly devoid of shadows for someone in her particular position. Seren shook her head and pushed the thought and the curse and the family history away.

“No, I’ve been a bit busy, you could say. I stopped by the bank. Turns out Victoria had made some arrangements for me.”

The moment she pulled the ring box out of her pocket, the click clack of high heels sounded by the back stairs, and Rhiannon, hair windblown and just this side of crazy, shrieked.

“I knew it!” She all but lunged at the jewelry. “Gimme, gimme! Show me, Rennie! Are these…”

Eyes wide, Rhiannon covered her mouth with her red-tipped fingers.

“She and I had a bet going for years, nay decades, about which one of us would get hitched first. And no, Rhiannon’s first marriage did not count.” Deryn came in and laid her chin on Seren’s shoulder, winking at Rhiannon. “Plus, we made it after that unfortunate choice of yours, Rhy. Anyway, Victoria’s condition was true love, and she put her money on Seren. Looks like she won. I owe her a few Benjamins.”

“She put her money on me? Also, you realize you just keep losing hundreds of dollars to her?” Seren asked, trying to stay still and not disturb her twin, who hugged her from behind. She could feel the corduroy of the dark crimson jacket against her skin and smiled at her twin wearing Mayor Allende’s clothes. It was very cute.

“I know, she is a wily one, Aunt Vicky. And yes, she sure did bet on you. First to propose and first to marry.” Deryn snickered and squeezed her waist.

“What was wrong with the lot of you, then? Why not Rhy or you or Ceri?” Seren asked and made her sisters laugh.

“Well, Aunty said Rhy was a stubborn dumbass, Ceri would be on some mission to never marry, and I would not be the one doing the proposing, which disqualified me on a technicality.”

The answer felt both extremely funny and completely appropriate.

“It warms my heart that she has such deeply philosophical opinions of me.” Rhiannon rolled her eyes.

“I mean, was she wrong?” Seren earned herself a smack on the arm from Rhiannon.

“I might’ve been a stubborn dumbass, but no longer. And as it stands, I’ll have you know I am looking for the perfect ring.”

Ceridwen lifted an eyebrow. “There’s a perfect ring? Are you saying what I think you’re saying, Rhy?”

Rhiannon’s cheeks were suddenly tinged with pink, her eyes soft.