Page 36 of A Snowed in Valentine's

She felt his breathing cease. “And what is that?”

A smile tugged at her lips. “Love.”

Epilogue

Valentine’s Day

“I still don’t understand why you won’t just let me create a new cabin for you,” she grumbled. “Magic makes things like this so much easier. It'll only take a few—”

“Spells?” He shook his head, staring ahead. “I want my cabin built by hand, not by magic words.”

“Maybe magic words are the best way to get things done.”

He turned slightly, his dark eyes boring into hers. “If I used words instead of my hands, your pleasure wouldn’t be guaranteed, would it?”

He had no idea how wrong he was about that, she thought, feeling a warm wetness gathering between her thighs at the memory of August telling her just how wet she was for him. Holding back the tiny sigh that threatened to escape her lips, she said, “Touché. So what now?”

They both stood at the top of a hill overlooking a village. From their vantage point, they couldn’t see much, but the plumes of smoke rising to the sky suggested that it was inhabited.

And, of course, there’s food down there.

Her stomach growled slightly. She could whip up a meal without draining too much magical energy, but it wasn’t really the same. Maybe August did have a point about wanting to build a new cabin himself.

“So…Petrichor?”

“Caprichor,” August corrected. “I learned about the village last year. It’s a peaceful place, somewhere we can spend the next few days. And then we can keep moving.”

Daphne sighed and rested her head against his shoulder. “At least we’ll be spending Valentine’s Day there instead of trekking like nomads.”

They’d been traveling for the past few weeks. Caprichor was, if nothing else, a breath of fresh air. Today was Valentine’s Day, and they would be spending the rest of it among whoever lived in that village. She smiled at the thought.

Over the past few days, she and August had discussed it. After what happened to Alaina, he viewed Valentine’s Day as one of pain and regret. But things were starting to change, or at least, he was ready for them to because, this time, his reluctance to kill a witch wasn’t a mistake. He’d made the right choice. It was something to be celebrated.

“So what happens after Caprichor?” she wondered aloud.

“We keep moving and find somewhere new to settle down, build a new life together, make new…”

He trailed off, swallowing as he looked at her, and she realized what he’d been about to say.Make new lives.The thought of having children with August filled her with anxiety, but at the same time, her heart fluttered with excitement. Would their children be witches, too? A witch hunter raising witches sounded ironic, but she was willing to entertain the idea.

“Let’s go,” he said.

They resumed walking, heading downhill, her hand in his. She looked up at the sun shining brilliantly in the afternoon sky. It was just magic, she knew, a sort of illusion, like the clouds, stars, and moon. But none of that mattered to her. Frost Mountain was as real as she needed it to be for her. It was a world teeming with wonders and possibilities, none of which could possibly compare to the man she had by her side.

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