Page 66 of Dark Witch: Entangled Fates

His talents had not diminished after their union but had only grown stronger, as if Mey's love had unlocked some hidden reserve of power within him.

He had never been happier, and he owed it all to Mey, Annani, and the group of friends gathered on his balcony.

Smiling to himself, Yamanu pushed to his feet and lifted his whiskey glass, the amber liquid glowing in the soft light of the setting sun. "To Mey." He raised a toast. "My one and only, my mate, who became the owner of my heart and gave me a reason to live. And to all of you, whom I'm honored to call brothers, thank you for always having my back."

After they had all clinked their glasses and emptied them in one go, Arwel grabbed a bottle and refilled them. "To Yamanu." He lifted his glass. "We all owe you big time for sacrificing so much to protect our sorry hides."

Arwel had sacrificed himself plenty and was still sacrificing almost daily, but Yamanu didn't think this was the time or place to mention it. He planned on toasting his brother-in-arms at his own bachelor party, which would happen tomorrow, the last day of the cruise.

Nodding, Kian rested his cigar on the lip of an ashtray. "I don't even want to speculate about what would have befallen our clan if not for your immense shrouding and thralling abilities, Yamanu. And you did that all while keeping secret the great sacrifice you were making to be able to do so."

Yamanu felt self-conscious. "That's precisely why I kept my vow of celibacy a secret from you all. I didn't want this." He waved the hand holding the cigar. "I didn't want to be treated differently and put on a pedestal. Each one of you would have done the same given similar circumstances."

As the others averted their gazes, Yamanu laughed. "I know what you are thinking. No way would you have given up sex to grow your power, but I assure you that you would have done it if you knew that your sacrifice would save your loved ones from annihilation by our enemy or by humans. After all, what are our lives worth without those we love to live it with? Nothing."

A few moments passed as each of the males contemplated his words and tried to imagine themselves in his position.

"I agree," Kian said. "When I was still a bachelor, I would have sacrificed everything to protect my clan. But now, I'm not so sure. My wife and daughter will always come first, then the clan, and lastly, my own needs."

"I'll drink to that." Yamanu lifted his glass again. "To our mates!"

Onegus waited until they all emptied their glasses before opening another bottle of fine whiskey and refilling them. He raised his glass in a final toast. "To Yamanu and Mey and their everlasting love and commitment to each other and to the clan."

Yamanu clinked glasses with everyone before downing another shot. Fine whiskey was meant to be savored, and it was a shame to drink it like that, but it was for a good cause.

Julian raised his glass, his eyes shining with mischief. "Now that the toasts are done, it's time for a song." He bowed to Yamanu. "I believe that the one about the bonny lass in the blue dress is most appropriate for the occasion."

It was one of the favorites on karaoke nights, and the girls asked for it each time.

"That's a fine one, indeed." Bhathian wrapped his arm around Julian's shoulders. "We will join you for the chorus."

Yamanu grinned. "Aye, 'tis a fine choice." The song was more funny than romantic, but the melody was lively, and it always put everyone in a good mood.

He cleared his throat, and as he began singing, the others joined in, their strong voices blending in a harmonious chorus despite some of them slurring their words. Bhathian's deep, rumbling bass provided a solid foundation, while Julian's smooth tenor wove a melodic counterpoint. Anandur added his rich baritone, and Brundar tapped his foot to the beat, which made Yamanu stupidly happy because Brundar never actively participated in things of that sort.

The chorus swelled, and the men clapped their hands and stomped their feet in time with the tune. The sound carried on the breeze, and soon, more voices joined them from the other balconies.

As the final notes faded away, the men erupted in laughter, and applause sounded from the other balconies.

"Thank you!" Yamanu called out to his impromptu audience.

"A toast!" Onegus leaned over the railing, raising his glass high to the spectators from the other balconies. "To all the bonny lasses who've captured our hearts!"

49

SYSSI

"Sweet dreams, my precious." Syssi kissed her sleeping daughter's cheek.

After exhausting herself and her granddaddy in the pool, Allegra had fallen asleep in Syssi's arms on the way back to the cabin. The girl needed a bath, but Syssi knew better than to wake her up for that.

Allegra was a sweet child, but if anyone dared to wake her up before she was good and ready, she was cranky for the rest of the day and had a hard time falling asleep again at night.

The good news was that she would not wake up during the next two hours, so Syssi could use that time to summon a vision about Khiann and his fate, but the bad news was that Kian wasn't there, and he didn't like it when she induced a vision without him watching over her.

It wasn't necessary, and Okidu could help her if she ended up needing it, but Kian wouldn't be happy with the butler doing that, and maybe he was right. After all, Okidu had limited executive functioning, and he might not know what to do.

Tiptoeing out of the bedroom, Syssi walked over to the couch and pulled her phone out of her purse. Amanda had watched over her during a session before, and Kian had accepted her as a good substitute, but she might be busy doing something else.

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