“Do you?” He narrowed his eyes when she nodded and carefully wrapped her arms about his waist.
His heart ratcheted up a notch whenever she initiated touch. It was something he knew she was still learning to be comfortable with, but she seemed more and more desirous of it as their days together grew.
Slipping his palm up her back, until it rested against her naked shoulder blade, he inhaled her unique fragrance. “And why is that, little butterfly?”
It was a moniker he’d now taken to calling her. It fit the duality of her nature, the seeming fragility of her beauty.
Her eyes seemed to hint at a secret, but she shook her head. “I hear that Leonard has made us his famous lemon curd.”
More nervous than he cared to admit, Aeric ran a hand through his hair. “Last time I met your father it didn’t go so well.”
Taking his hand, she whispered, “I do not think that will at all be the case this time, hunter.”
Dinner had been a spectacular success. Alice and Leonard both had outdone themselves. Now the women were in the living room, reconnecting and talking, leaving the men to clean up.
Drying the final plate, Aeric willed his nerves away and taking a deep breath, turned toward the Hatter.
Peaked brows were lifted. “I’ve been expecting you to get to the point already,” Hatter’s deep voice rumbled. “Do you love her?”
His face was serious and Aeric tried not to take offense at him, if it was his daughter he doubted he’d be any different.
“I love Lissa with all my soul,” he finally admitted.
He nodded. “And what about my Chrysa? To you, she may be two different women. To me, she is simply my daughter. And if you cannot love both, you cannot have either.”
Nodding, Aeric spread his arms. “I couldn’t agree more. I feel great affection for Chrysalis. And each day that affection grows. I do want you to know that I only want what’s best for the both of them.”
“That’s good.” Hatter reached for a cupcake, taking a bite of one and slowly chewing before saying, “Then we’re on the same page here.”
“Yes. And in fact,” Aeric cleared his throat, “there is something else I’ve wanted to ask you.”
Never taking his eyes off the Hatter, Aeric waited for the man to finish eating his cupcake. He’d already had four of those, clearly he was obsessed with his wife’s cooking, which, no surprise, Alice made the best cakes in all of Kingdom.
“And what might that be?”
“I want to take Chrysa through a door.”
Dusting off his hands, scraping his fingers through his disheveled black locks, he grunted. “I can arrange that.”
“Thank you.”
And while he knew that Hatter would always be watching, Aeric sensed they too might be finally turning a corner.
That night Aeric led Chrysalis to the door Hatter had fashioned beside the moon pool. It was an ordinary door that hid an extraordinary secret.
Guiding her to it, he chuckled.
“What is this, hunter?”
Feathering his knuckles down her cheek he shook his head. “Not telling. Open the door, Chrysa.”
Brows twitching, she gave him a last questioning look before wrapping her fingers around the knob and slowly opening it.
She gasped as she gazed upon a world full of stars. Covering her mouth with her hands she murmured, “You remembered.”
Tucking a strip of hair that’d fallen out of her bun behind her ear, he nodded. “Sit down, there’s something you won’t want to miss.”
Dropping to her knees, she tucked her gown around her legs. He sat beside her. After a second, she moved so that she was on his lap. Folding his arms around her, he sighed as she exhaled a heavy breath and leaned all her weight on him.
All around them the night sang with the chirping of birds and croaking of frogs. Golden bugs danced through the sky and a gentle breeze stirred. But inside that door a star was ready to be born.
She bit her lower lip, eyes peeled inside the door. And just then right at the center of a million stars, another came into being. The navy and teal sky glimmered as if from a heat wave and then there was a brilliant shimmer and then a burst of silver.
Chrysalis laughed and the sound of it was so indescribably lovely because of its rarity that he squeezed her tighter.
“Oh, Aeric,” she twisted in his arms and this time she didn’t try to hide her tears. Tossing her arms around his neck, she planted a quick, soft kiss on his cheek. “Thank you.”
And the region of his heart that was already so full became just a little bigger, a little wider. “You’re welcome,” he said with a voice grown husky.
Another month passed and things had definitely begun to change for Aeric. Chrysalis was coming to mean as much to him as Lissa did. Her quiet thoughtful manner was so contrary to Lissa’s wild exuberance, but it worked and ever since the night of the stars he’d noticed a definite change in her too.