Polly rushed to her best friend’s open arms and they hugged.
“I am so happy for you both,” Zoey said as she hugged Polly tight.
“I am too. I can’t even describe it.”
“Nice eyes,” Slade said, wrapping Polly up in a bear hug as Zoey smiled at Samuel. “I thought they’d be neon yellow, so that’s a relief.”
Polly smacked Slade and they laughed as Galen poured the champagne.
“To love and friendship,” Samuel said, raising his glass.
They clinked their glasses and took a sip. “You know,” Zoey said with a little grimace, “I don’t mean to sound like Lauren, but tomorrow is the Autumnal Equinox.”
“I was going to say the same thing,” Jane said with a laugh. “I’ve been having dreams. The balance of power between good and evil is off. The Autumnal Equinox symbolizes balance. The day and night are almost equal in duration. I have a feeling it’s meant to be this way.”
“Excuse me for a moment,” Samuel said as he stepped back from Polly and poofed away.
“Y’all! It took him four hundred years to realize I’m his True Love and now you’ve scared him. And what’s wrong with waiting a bit to plan a lovely wedding?” Polly would have been angrier, but she still felt Samuel in her heart. He hadn’t left her. At least he hadn’t withdrawn his love.
“We wanted to wait to tell you until tomorrow, but maybe we should tell you tonight,” Jane said as she looked to Zoey.
“Tell me what?” Polly asked. She didn’t know why but she was filled with dread.
“It’ll be easier if I show you.” Zoey reached out and touched her. Blood, screams, terror. They stood on the bridge in Moonshine Hollow fighting a darkness so evil that Polly could still feel it when Zoey let go of her arm.
“Together then,” Polly said finally. “Three True Loves bound by love and friendship.”
Samuel popped back into the room with a look that could kill. “You told her. I could feel her distress.”
“I’m sorry,” Zoey said to Samuel, who looked ready to fight anyone for causing Polly distress.
Polly reached out and took Samuel’s hand. “I needed to be told. We have tonight. Tell Lauren to plan the wedding for tomorrow at sunset, the exact time that day and night will be balanced.”
Polly took a deep breath and felt the rightness of it all. “To tonight. To True Loves. To friendship.” Polly held up her glass for another toast. When she lowered the drink, she found Samuel on his knee in front of her.
“I know time hasn’t been our friend, but I will cherish every moment we have together from now until eternity. Polly, will you marry me?”
Polly looked down at the old ring he held out. “Yes, of course!”
Samuel smiled and slipped the ring onto her finger and Polly sucked in a breath. Love radiated from the ring straight to her heart.
“My family only married for True Love. The stone has been in the Mannering family for generations. My mother was the last one to update it. It’s a little out of style, but I wanted you to have it.”
“It’s perfect,” Polly said before kissing him again. In the back of her mind she knew their time was limited, but tonight wasn’t the night of the battle. Tonight was about love. “I love you, Samuel.”
“A wedding at the Equinox!”
Polly jumped back as Grand Mistress Lauren appeared with Neferu, Agnes, and Vilma by her side.
“There’s so much to do, but we can handle it all. Go, enjoy your engagement,” Lauren said to them.
“Zoey knows what I want,” Polly said as Jane grabbed a basket of food and drink and headed for the back door.
“I want whatever my bride does,” Samuel said with eyes only for her.
Together they followed Jane to the small cottage and then finally, they were alone. They stood outside the heavy wooden door as Jane walked back to the main house.
“I’ve dreamed of this for four hundred years,” Polly admitted as Samuel took her in his arms.
“So have I, love. I’ve had four hundred years to come up with the perfect night.”
Polly laughed as Samuel swooped her up into his arms and carried her into the cottage, into his heart and into his bed.
5
Polly didn’t care if she walked up the path to the standing stones in a burlap sack as long as Samuel was there to meet her. Grand Mistress Lauren planned everything while Polly and Samuel spent the night together. Tonight would serve as their honeymoon instead of taking one after the wedding. They’d learned that tomorrow was not guaranteed after what they’d witnessed in the new prophecy. While love and celebration were here now, there was war in the future.
Polly pushed it all aside. She had today. As she walked the path from the cottage to the standing stones, she took the flowers handed to her by the families who’d come to the wedding. Samuel stood next to Grand Master Magnus with Slade by his side. Grand Mistress Lauren stood on Magnus’s other side with Zoey opposite Slade.
Polly looked toward her love, her future, her happiness, and smiled with pure joy. She would remember today forever. The way Samuel looked at her, the way she felt when Magnus laid a cloth embroidered with Samuel’s family crest over their joined hands, and the way she felt when they were pronounced husband and wife.
The six of them hadn’t told anyone about the prophecy as if by unspoken agreement. There was time for that tomorrow. Tonight, they danced among the stones, celebrating and offering up good thoughts and thanks to the Goddess. They’d let everyone have one last hurrah before they told the council the bad news.
“I love you,” Samuel whispered into her ear as he held her close and swayed to the music. “I think it’s time for me to show you how much.” Samuel swung Polly up into his arms to a resounding cheer from their friends.
Polly laced her hands together around Samuel’s neck and laughed as he ran from the stones to their little cottage. While it may not be happily ever after, it was happily for now and Polly vowed to cherish every moment with her True Love until their time was at an end.
Jane was up early making breakfast for the meeting when Zoey joined her in the kitchen. Zoey was the first witch friend Jane had since, well, forever. Her father kept her separate from other witches while she was growing up. Then he’d betrayed her by making a marriage contract with the horrible Ian—a contract that gave him her powers upon marriage. It was Zoey who had protected her and given her the strength to find and use her own powers. So Jane was glad when it was Zoey who came into the kitchen when it was still dark out to help with the breakfast. She’d known this talk was coming and it was finally time to have it.
“Can I help with anything?” Zoey asked. Jane nodded and laid out the ingredients for muffins.
“Let’s bake and talk,” Jane said before taking a deep breath.
“You know something and it’s not good,” Zoey said sadly. “Well, lay it on me. It can’t be worse than your betrothal to Ian.”
Jane gave a little chuckle. Leave it to Zoey to make her laugh at a time like this. It was hard being isolated at the stones, but Zoey came monthly to spend the day with her and that made it easier. Plus, now that they were open for business again, witches from all over the world were starting to trickle in to partake in the old traditions and the healing powers of the stones.