Chapter 9

The celebratory dinner took place at Castle O'Connelly that night. The old castle's dining hall was large enough to accommodate all of the families, and the centuries-old structure felt familiar to the vampires. Baldwin had honored his promise to Giles and invited him and his mate too.

"We only do this a few times a year now," Nora had explained to Ysabeau. "And now our family has grown larger with the addition of all the de Clermonts. Luckily the castle was built to accommodate hordes!"

"It has been a long time since we entertained this way at Sept-Tours," Ysabeau said. "It is long past time to start again."

Philippe smiled from the seat next to her. It was good to see her fully recovered from her grief and embracing life as the de Clermont matriarch again. She was prepared for his leaving this time. This time together had been good for both of them.

"Atta," Verin said as she raised her glass to him. "I'm so happy to have had the chance to share this last day with you. Thank you for sending for us."

"Hear, hear," Freyja said and Stasia echoed her words.

"It has been a joy to have all of my family again, in one place. So interesting that we have witches to thank for it," he said, "don't you think?" Ysabeau kicked him in the shin under the table.

"Yes, well—" Stasia murmured uncertainly as she turned to watch Matthew and Diana, Baldwin and Caitlin, Ciara and Gallowglass, and Jack and Áine whirl around the dance floor among a host of other witches, daemons and humans. "Well, all I can say is, thank God for Marcus."

At the table next to theirs Phoebe and Marcus overheard and shared a quiet laugh before he stood and took her hand to lead her to the dance floor. The evening progressed and finally the McCormac stood and called for everyone's attention.

"I have been honored tonight to host this gathering to celebrate the engagement of my granddaughter Caitlin to Baldwin de Clermont. And my granddaughter Ciara to Eric de Clermont. All of us, the McCormacs, the O'Neills and the Ò Conghalaighs are delighted to welcome you all to our family. From this day forward, we will be a strong and united front. My wife tells me change is coming—" he glanced lovingly at Brigid, "and as all of you married men know, a wife is always right."

"That's a little harder for vampires to admit than the other creatures!" someone shouted from within the laughing crowd.

"But entirely do-able with the right incentive, maybe even for Baldwin," Marcus said, eliciting further laughs, and Matthew clapped him on the shoulder. The younger vampire had come into his own in the past two years.

"Well, every man makes his peace with it his own way," the McCormac said with a chuckle. He turned to where the two couples were standing near each other. "I wish you long, happy lives, prosperity, peace… and many children."

"I still can't believe that part," Giles said to Matthew and Diana. "You will have to explain it all to me again. And then help me find some of the right kind of witches for my sons to mate with."

He moved off and Matthew looked at Diana. "If you checked 'the Book of Life' now—"

"All of their names are written in it now. Everything is happening, just as the Book says it should."

"All thanks to you, mon couer," he said, kissing her gently on the lips.

Across the room, Baldwin had accepted congratulations from nearly every man in the room including his soon-to-be brothers-in-law. They were not as annoying as he'd originally thought. They loved their sister and wanted to see her happy. That alone made Baldwin appreciate them.

He sought out Caitlin, who was emerging from a gaggle of witches. She smiled at him and it warmed every fiber of his being. As he put an arm around her, intending to take her to the dance floor again, Matthew approached to tell them Philippe had asked them to meet him in the library.

When they arrived, Philippe was there, Ysabeau beside him. Dimitrios stood by the large fireplace. Philippe's three daughters and two of their mates were there, and Marcus and Phoebe. Gallowglass and Ciara followed them in, and then Jack and Fernando.

"You called us here to say goodbye," Diana said, and a solitary tear ran down her cheek.

"No tears, daughter," the family patriarch said firmly. "We have all been happy tonight, and I don't want that to change. But—" he looked at Dimitrios—"it is time for me to go. This time with all of you, though brief and eventful, has been among the happiest I can remember."

"It was good to see you, to spend this time with you," Baldwin said, and he looked at Dimitros. "Thank you for that."

The other man looked touched and replied, "It has been my pleasure."

"Will we see you again?" Marcus asked.

"I have been able to project myself to some of you occasionally, particularly the children, as a 'ghost—'."

Dimitros tsked. "You're not supposed to do that," he huffed.

"I had to keep an eye on them, particularly the next generation. And there will be more children so you may still see me." He gave Dimitros a side glance. "And perhaps, just perhaps, I can convince Dimitrios to let me visit, on very special occasions."

The other man shook his head. "You have always been incorrigible, Philippos."

"I will take that as a 'maybe,' then," Phillippe said with a grin. He looked at Fernando. "You should know Dimitrios is my oldest brother. He was never reborn, so I had not seen him in a very long time before I died."

"And at this moment, I think it was not long enough," the other man chuckled. "Come now. We must go."

Hugs and kisses were exchanged and finally Philippe took Ysabeau to the side. "I will see you again, my love," he said.

"I know," she replied, as he kissed her once more. Then he stepped back and Dimitrios put a hand on Philippe's shoulder and pressed a button on a device in his hand that looked much like a cell phone. And the two men disappeared from the room.

There was a moment when no one spoke and then finally Ysabeau said, "Now we return to the party. The de Clermonts must hold up our end among all the Irish. And next time at Sept-Tours, we'll show them the French know how to celebrate too!"

They started to move en masse back to the great room until only Baldwin and Caitlin were left.

"Do you really need a month to pull together a wedding?" he asked, nuzzling her ear. He had insisted he'd wait to bed her again until they were married, and now was regretting that nod to tradition.

"A month is the shortest time possible," she laughed. "Most weddings take months to plan. And as Philippe said, ours must be one the world notes. You have a public profile, and so do I. When creatures begin to be known to the humans, we'll be part of the proof that we're not so different after all."

"Just humans with a difference, as Matthew says. But I could never call you 'just' anything. You are the miracle I never thought I deserved, m'anam."

And as he kissed her again, stars appeared above their heads and exploded, showering them with golden starlight.