Chapter 86

*The night of the Summer Solstice ball was the night he kidnapped me the first timeBut it certainly wasn't the last time.*

"Where are you taking me?" I ask on a laughing breath, trying my best not to trip over anything as I'm being tugged along, "And is the blindfold really necessary?"

"Oh, it's necessary alright," Arden says, as she and Xavier tug me along, "And stop fidgeting so much, we're almost there."

I huff, "Where is *there*?"

"No more questions," Xavier grumbles.

I roll my eyes and then remember that they can't see it with my eyes covered the way they are. The crack of cool air breaking across my cheeks tells me that we've stepped outside of the mountain castle, and as I move blindly the tip of my boot catches on an unseen rock, "*Hey*-"

"Sorry," Arden snickers.

We go on like this for a few more minutes, tracking up a steep incline into what I'm guessing is the forest surrounding the castle. Finally-*finally*- they tug me to a stop as we crest what must the the top of the hill.

There's a nickering sound coming from somewhere in front of us and I turn blindly to the sound, "Was that a horse?"

"Hold still, I'm taking your blindfold off now," Arden tells me, ignoring my question as she moves up behind me. I feel the tug of her fingers working the knot until she's able to pull off the black scrap of fabric.

Blearily, I blink around trying to clear my foggy vision as I peer around.

There *are* horses in front of us. A pair of them. A familiar black warhorse and a sleek spotted mare.

"What's going on-" I cut off as my hazy vision settles in on the figure standing in front of the horses. A figure that's as familiar to me as my own. Damion levels a wicked grin at me, his eyes sparking with amusement at my mulish expression.

"Damion?"

He turns to where Arden and Xavier stand, nodding to them, "Thanks for bringing her up here."

"Of course," Xavier says, "Though I can see now why you pawed that job off on *us*. I'm pretty sure we deserve a raise for that."

Damion chuckles, "She's not the easiest person to surprise."

I purse my lips, moving my hands impatiently to rest on my hips, "Will someone please tell me what's going on?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Damion grins, stepping toward me to grab my hands in his larger ones, "I'm kidnapping you."

Kidnapping? A little thrill works its way through me.

I pinch my bottom lip between my teeth in an effort to bite back a smile, "And where are you going to be taking me?"

"I'm taking you traveling for a few weeks," he tells me with a mischievous smirk, "Just you and me. I know that you never had many opportunities to travel much during the years while you were sick, so I to make up for it with you now. I have a few places planned already. Though if you have any ideas of where you'd like to stop as well, we can do that too."

With every word that Damion says, tears well up in my eyes spilling over onto my cheeks. Traveling. With Damion. He's taking me on a trip to see all of the places I've dreamed of seeing my entire life. All of the places I'd hoped to visit one day and never actually believed that I would. I don't know how I got so lucky.

Damion's dark brows come together in concern, his arms rubbing comforting lines up my arms, "Lily?"

"Don't worry," I say on a sniffle, "these are *happy* tears. I justno one's ever done anything like this for me before. And I justI can't believe"

When my words cut off, Damion lowers his head to press his warm lips against mine, "I love you, Lily," he tells me, "More than anything, more than anyone. You deserve the world, and there's nothing I want more than to give it to you."

"I love you too," I say with a watery grin as he helps walk me over to the horses.

I hug my friends goodbye, more than excited for the days ahead.

Who would have thought all those months ago when I had been stolen from the Seelie gardens that my life would change so thoroughly? That I'd find so much love and family and adventure. That the life and love I'd hoped for was would be waiting for me on the other side.

THE END

BONUS