Clockwork Blue (87 page)

"
Glissando
, it will be dangerous.
Even with buckets of pixie dust, we still
might not make it back alive.
"

"
Do hippos fly? Are trolls trustworthy and goblins clean? Of course it
'
s treacherous. How else are we to become famous?
"
Glissando
flew ahead.
"
Well? Are
you
coming or not?
"

"
What about your loss of powers?
"

"
Can
'
t we stay here a bit, revel in our success with
Nicola
and
Malcolm
and allow my powers to return?
"

"
I don
'
t see why not.
"
Deep happiness swelled inside of Allegro, so strong that he felt weak with it, dipping in the air for a moment. Then he let out several treble notes.
Glissando
harmonized with
deep baritone
slip notes
.

"
Together we
'
ll make it,
"
Glissando
called out.

"
Yes
, with pixie power!
"
Allegro agreed. With a proud salute to each other, the
pixie
s flew toward the woods, already planning their strategies for their adventures with the trolls.

"
Where are you taking me?
"
Nicola
asked as
Malcolm
carried her through the woods. Soft light from the late afternoon sky shone through the leafy canopy of the trees.

It had been a little
more than a month since the ac
cident had nearly taken her life. Her head still ached occasionally, and she was just now able to go out into the sun, but overall she was hale. Since the accident, her father had visited her, as well as all the stockingers. Lady
Teresa now spent time recalling fond memories about William with
Malcolm
.

The healing those discussions generated was awesome to see. Even the Duke of York had sent his condolences. Not to mention Ramsey, who still periodically apologized for his reckless behavior, who promised to study and bide his time for Parliament. And now
Malcolm
served in Parlia
ment regularly, talking to
Nicola
about issues and in
cluding her on all major decisions.

Her beloved
Malcolm
. The clouds had lifted from his
eyes
. She marveled over the sound of his laughter, the manner in which he experienced life with her.

"
I
'
m taking you where I can have you for myself.
"
Malcolm
gave her a tender look.
"
Have I told you that I love you?
"

"
At least five times today, but I
'
m not complaining. I
'
ll never tire of hearing you say it.
"

He stopped suddenly and hugged her close.
"
Bloody hell,
Nicola
, I was such a damn fool. I have loved you almost from the start, when I first saw you defending Ramsey in that brawl. If not then, it must have been when I caught you with that axe in the workroom.
"
His arms trembled as he continued to hug her to his chest.
"
I love you, sweeting, and
I
almost lost you.
I
would have if not for your pixie
s
.
"

"
So I didn
'
t imagine it. You do believe in magic,
"
she murmured, cupping his face.

"
How can I not? I got scolded rather harshly by Allegro—not that I
'
m complaining. He showed me how to channel my love to bring you back to me.
"

"
Oh, my
dearest. A
nd it was beautiful the way it happened.
"
She smiled, happiness swelling her heart so much that she felt as if she would burst into a million stars.
"
You never told me—how
did
you find me in that mob?
"

"
A strange light came from the sky.
"
His e
ye
s widened
in wonder.
"
As if from the heavens. I didn
'
t know it then, but it must have been from one of the pixies.
"

He continued to carry her through a ravine and across the stream.
"
I
'
ve had several revelations these past weeks.
"

Patiently, she waited for him to speak.

"
When I first found you lying unconscious amid the violence, I sort of went berserk. I lashed out at Ramsey.
"
His face twisted in agony.

Nicola
squeezed him, hoping to give comfort.

He stopped and looked at her.
"
Then I realized my reaction wasn
'
t that different from my father
'
s when he banished me. I discovered
myself comforting Ramsey, tell
ing him he was not to blame for your injury. I realized the incident with William had been an accident, too.
"

Her
eyes
burned with the knowledge of how hard it was for
Malcolm
to have lost his brother because he
'
d loved him so much.
"
I
'
m so glad that you
'
ve found peace within.
"

His gaze was melancholy but not tortured.
"
So am I.
"
When he turned toward the cliffs, she knew where he was taking her.

"
Our little hunting cottage,"
she whispered.

"
Our refuge.
"
Nibbling her ear, he walked down the path with her snug in his arms. Then he swung
open
the door.

The cottage had been redecorated. Georgian chairs and a chaise longue had been recovered with the Forsythia and
Clockwork
Blue
fabric with miniature
pixie
s woven in the pattern.
Her grandmother's old clock sat on the mantle, the inspiration for the dye that had brought Malcolm to her in the first place.
Tears pricked her lids.

"
Those stockingers are amazingly talented. The whole village worked on making this our
special
retreat.
"

A tapestry depicting Allegro and
Glissando
with amazing likeness hung on one wall.
"
So Allegro truly did reveal himself to you. They
'
re not ever supposed to reveal themselves to a
human
who isn
'
t a Chosen One.
"

"
They did it because they needed my belief, my love for you to bring you to the living again.
"

Her heart was so full of happiness that she could barely take a breath.
"
How very wonderful,
"
she whispered.

"
Life couldn
'
t be better.
"

"
No? Not even if I told you that we are going to have a baby?
"

"
Life just became better.
"
Joy shone in his silver
eyes
and he cradled her close.

She stroked his cheekbone
and square jawline, her Fal
con, her savior, her love. As she became lost in his spell, she glanced through the window. Allegro and
Glissando
waved from the clouds, knapsacks on their backs. With a last merry salute, the pixies laughed in harmony before spinning away and dissolving in a shower of glittering fireworks.

"
Thanks to the Clockwork Blue
,
I found my salvation
,
"
her hus
band whispered. Then his lips found hers.