Back For Ever Save as PDF
Chapters (63)
  1. Cover
  2. Dedication
  3. Map of the Willowhaven
  4. Map of Rosehill City
  5. Foreword
  6. 1
  7. 2
  8. 3
  9. 4
  10. 5
  11. 6
  12. 7
  13. 8
  14. 9
  15. 10
  16. 11
  17. 12
  18. 13
  19. 14
  20. 15
  21. 16
  22. 17
  23. 18
  24. 19
  25. 20
  26. 21
  27. 22
  28. 23
  29. 24
  30. 25
  31. 26
  32. 27
  33. 28
  34. 29
  35. 30
  36. 31
  37. 32
  38. 33
  39. 34
  40. 35
  41. 36
  42. 37
  43. 38
  44. 39
  45. 40
  46. 41
  47. 42
  48. 43
  49. 44
  50. 45
  51. 46
  52. 47
  53. 48
  54. 49
  55. 50
  56. 51
  57. 52
  58. 53
  59. 54
  60. 55
  61. Epilogue
  62. Map of Rosehill City
  63. Also by Jenny Hickman

Curse my aunt and her problem-solving. Nia takes advantage of my distraction and steals the basket, then she slips out into the garden.

I burst out of the back door behind her. “Isn’t it a glorious day?” I say far too loudly, a warning for any Unseelie who might be trying to escape. From the corner of my eye, I see Ever freeze on the thatch.

So much for being stealthy. If Nia looks up, she’s going to see him in all his bare-chested glory.

The next time I feel like cuddling, I will have to ignore the urge.

Nia stops dead and narrows her eyes at me. “What is wrong with you?”

“Nothing at all. Just loving the fresh air and sunshine.”

With a roll of her eyes, she ducks inside the coop without noticing my Unseelie visitor. I wave for him to hurry up, which earns me a grin.

I cannot help but grin back.

“You’re smiling like a loon,” Nia remarks as I enter the coop behind her.

She’s right, but I cannot seem to stop.

26

“Save your cakes and tarts and pies.

The sweetness I crave is that of my lover’s lips upon mine.”

Author Unknown

My heart leaps with joy when I find Ever waiting for me on my side of the bridge. He asks about my day, and I tell him all about the pies and fresh loaves of bread we baked. Aunt Cordelia’s kitchen has turned into a proper bakery. If one more dessert gets added to the ice box, the thing is liable to explode. I swear the oven sighed with relief when we finished.

He listens intently, escorting me to where Maddox and Gryffin sit around the fire. A short distance away, a blanket has been stretched on the ground with two more stacked beside it.

Ever must catch me looking at them because he nudges my arm with his elbow and says, “You will not be cold tonight.”

It’s incredibly sweet that he remembered to bring them, but part of me mourns the fact that we won’t need to sit as closely.

On the other side of the fire, Ever’s unicorn stamps his hoof. Two more beasts have been tied to the same post, but their saddles aren’t quite as intricate.

Hesitantly, I step toward the animal. They’re almost like Seelie horses only bigger. Kind of like the Unseelie themselves. Then there’s the spike on its head. Imagine finding yourself at the wrong end of that thing.

The unicorn watches me through careful eyes, much like his master. “He’s beautiful. What’s his name?”

Ever positions himself between the unicorn and where I stand. “Onyx, but I call him Nyx.” At hearing his name, Nyx nudges Ever’s shoulder with a snuffle.

Onyx. Suits him. “Hello, Nyx.” The beast’s ears twitch, his wide eyes landing on me as I inch closer.