Page 16 of Solstice, Spice & Everything Nice

Sass and Val were deep in conversation by the fire, Val’s red scarf lengthening steadily while they talked. Across from them, Korl sat in one of the large chairs, his dark head bent as he listened intently to Erindil. The elf was holding forth on something, and Korl was giving him the same focused attention he gave to all things he found interesting.

As if sensing Lira’s gaze, Korl looked up. Their eyes met across the room, and his lips quirked in a slow, warm smile.

Heat rushed to her face, and she ducked her head, pretending to be fascinated by the surface of the bar. Even after months together, even with a wedding planned for after the solstice, Korl could still make her pulse race with a simple look.

Her wedding. The thought still felt surreal, like something that was happening to someone else. She’d spent so many years moving from place to place, job to job, never quite feeling settled. And now here she was, planning a future in Wayside with an orc who built stoves and made her heart flutter across crowded tavern rooms.

She didn’t know exactly why, but the nerves she’d been feeling about her upcoming wedding had vanished. Maybe it was the sense she’d gotten during the festival that her gran would be with her always, no matter what, that had banished her nerves.

“I won’t really be walking down the aisle alone, will I?” she whispered to herself and maybe to the spirit of her beloved gran.

Then she took in the crowd in the tavern and laughed to herself. No, she didn’t need to fear being alone anymore. Not when she was surrounded by friends who were like family.

The Winter Solstice Festival hadn’t gone exactly as planned, but it had been perfect in its own way.

Lira couldn’t wait to see what came next.

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