The faerie paused, and I fought the urge to sigh. Cecelia definitely wasn’t going to win any awards for motivational speaking. She turned toward me and motioned me to step forward.

“Catherine Marie Morrow, do you accept the position of Titania, and agree to perform as liaison between the realm of the Faerie and the Midwestern region of the United States of the realm of Earth?”

“I do.”

Cecelia turned to Lex, and he stepped forward. “Alexander Duquesne, do you accept the position of Oberon, and agree to perform as liaison between the realm of the Faerie and the Midwestern region of the United States of the realm of Earth? If you choose to do so, you agree to forfeit your position as guardian and the abilities that accompany it.”

“I do.”

There was no hesitation in his voice, no tinge of regret, and it made my heart flutter and my face flush-he loved me, he wanted to be with me.

Cecelia’s eyes sparkled, and her smile widened. “Excellent. You have passed your third test.”

“What test?” I asked, confused.

“Because Alexander did not participate in the first test with the other candidates, the council decided to give him a separate trial. We chose to test his willingness to make sacrifices for this position. Though you were willing to give up your guardian abilities, we have…negotiated on your behalf. You will be allowed to retain most of them, and as is tradition for guardians, your children will be born with guardian blood.”

Lex and I glanced at each other in surprise. It looked like his family wasn’t going to have to kill me after all. Though the prospect of trying to manage a herd of little drawling guardians was intimidating. Possibly even terrifying. But hey, if I can deal with Portia, kids should be a piece of cake in comparison.

“Now, shall we proceed with the handfasting?” Cecelia asked.

Handfasting? I didn’t recall a wedding being a part of the process of becoming Titania…but then again our situation was unique, and we were already planning on the marriage thing, and our families were here.

Why not?

“I knew I should’ve worn a dress.”

“You look beautiful,” he assured me with a grin.

Smiling, I turned to Cecelia. “We’re ready.”

About the Author

Robyn Bachar was born and raised in Berwyn, Illinois, and loves all things related to Chicago, from the Cubs to the pizza. It seemed only natural to combine it with her love of fantasy, and tell stories of witches and vampires in the Chicagoland area. As a gamer, Robyn has spent many hours rolling dice, playing rock-paper-scissors, and slaying creatures in mmorpgs. Currently she lives with her husband, also a gamer and a writer, and their cat.

You can learn more about her at www.robynbachar.com. Robyn can also be found on Twitter at www.twitter.com/RobynBachar.