“You did, chéri, and it was a good one. I did not see it failing. And I did not wish to cause alarm by suggesting that it would. But you must admit, it is always wise to have a backup plan, no?”

I looked to Apollo’s profile and saw a muscle jump in his cheek.

That meant it was wise, he just wasn’t going to admit it out loud.

“Were you aware the witches could beat your enchantments and our women would be in danger?” Frey asked and Valentine looked to him.

“Was I aware they were that in danger?” She shook her head. “No. Again, I did not see the protections on this palace beaten.” Her eyes went languid when she stated, “I am rather good at what I do.” Her lips tipped up. “But I did know they carried great power so I asked Noctorno to be on call, just in case.”

“Uh, just to say, no one calls me Noctorno,” Noc stated, sounding irritated.

Valentine’s lips tipped up further and she glanced his way.

“How did you do it?” I asked and Valentine looked to me. “They said you couldn’t use your magic there. How did you?”

“You, ma colombe, and your sisters broke that enchantment,” she answered. “This, I had hoped you would find your way to do. And you did.”

“But I don’t have magic,” Cora remarked.

“I don’t either,” I said.

“Neither do I,” Finnie added.

Valentine looked among us. “We women all have the capacity to carry magic. We just need the motivation. And love is a powerful motivation, don’t you agree?”

Well, that couldn’t be argued.

“Regardless,” she went on, “Circe has magic and she was the channel to pull up yours. It was, as I’d hoped, quite powerful. Alas, I could not send your men or battalions of soldiers there for even with their protections down, the triad was still at full strength and someone might have been harmed in the ensuing fray. The instant they saw any of us, they would pull up defenses, vickrants, toilroys, etcetera. Therefore, once I could transport someone there, I sent someone they would not see as a threat, Franka, instilled by a spell to open a line for the elves to get to Lavinia as well as to create a diversion for”—she glanced Noc’s way—“Noc to arrive and finally make it safe for myself and the men to come, without the tedious bother of dealing with armies of creatures.”

Tedious bother.

This woman was something else.

“So Franka has magic?” Finnie asked, looking Franka’s way.

“She is, of course, a woman. A woman with her own motivation,” Valentine murmured.

I was looking Franka’s way too.

She was avoiding everyone’s eyes.

Even so, I said, “Thank you.”

Her head jerked and she looked to me.

“Thank you,” I repeated. “That took a lot of courage and I…well, I appreciate it.”

“I didn’t do it for you,” she stated coldly.

“Maybe not, but in the end, you still helped us and I’m still grateful,” I returned.

Apollo’s arm around me gave me a squeeze.

Franka’s mouth got tight as she held my eyes for long moments before she looked away.

“Are you okay, Lavinia?” Finnie asked and my gaze went to the witch.

“It is not fun being dead,” Lavinia replied, then she smiled a small smile. “But as I am no longer thus and all is well in my Lunwyn again, I am fine.”

“Are we done?” Valentine asked into this exchange. “I’m sorely in need of a beverage.”

“I am as well,” Queen Aurora murmured, straightening from her chair. “Perhaps two of them. I’ll call for a servant.”

She moved and thus endeth the debrief.

Cora, followed by Tor, moved Noc’s way.

Finnie went to Lavinia.

I got off the arm of the chair, grabbed Apollo’s hand, pulled him out of the chair, and I headed us Derrik’s way.

He looked only at me as we moved to him. I didn’t know what this meant, but things needed to be said now so I decided to ask Apollo later.

For then, I just smiled at Derrik and when I reached him, I let Apollo go, got close and moved in to give Derrik a hug.

His arms closed around me and I felt his jaw at the side of my head.

“That had to suck, hanging with them for so long,” I noted and I heard his chuckle as he gave me a squeeze and leaned a bit away without letting me go.

I tipped my head back to look up at him.

“It was not fun, but I am no longer hanging with them, so I am fine,” he said.

“I’m glad,” I whispered then finished with feeling, “And thank you.”

“I would do anything for you, Maddie,” he whispered back and I felt my throat close because he’d proved that true.

His arms loosened and I shifted to his side as he looked to Apollo.

“And I would do anything for you,” he declared.

The second he did, Apollo shot a hand out, curled it around the side of Derrik’s neck and yanked him forward so they were nose-to-nose, eye-to-eye.

“My gratitude, my brother,” Apollo stated and I swallowed as my nose started to tingle.

They both looked into each other’s eyes for some time and I waited, watching and deep breathing.

Apollo finally let his friend go and I moved in quickly.

“Okay, I hate to interrupt the reunion,” I started, giving Derrik an I-hope-you-understand grin then looking up to Apollo. “But I really want to see the kids.”

“Then I will take you to them,” Apollo replied immediately.

“And Meeta and Loretta,” I added.

“I will find them for you as well.”

“And then I have seriously got to eat,” I finished.

He grinned down at me.

Then he bent to me and touched his mouth to mine.

After that, as was his way, Apollo did not delay in getting me everything I wanted.

* * * * *

A week later, I stood in an antechamber of the Dwelling of the Gods, staring at the glittering bundle of delicate branches Finnie just shoved into my hands.

“Before you go in there and participate in the longest, the most boring wedding ceremony of all time…something borrowed,” she said. “I carried that when I married Frey.” She grinned. “Of course I had no clue who he was at the time, but it ended okay.”

Yes. One could certainly say it ended okay.

I grinned back at her.

She moved away as Circe moved in.

“Something old,” she said, grabbing my hand, lifting it palm up and pressing a golden feather there.