Months passed and school ended. Chase and Maddie graduated from Coal Creek High School with plans to attend the local community college in the fall. Their associates degrees would transfer to the state college if they wanted to continue their educations, and in the meantime they could stay close to their families.
Draoi spent the morning helping with preparations. The wedding was to be held at their church at two o’clock that afternoon and everyone was late. The cake had yet to arrive, the bridesmaids were still at the hairdresser’s, and the groom’s tuxedo didn’t fit. If it could go wrong, it had. But it was still going to be a gorgeous wedding; she could feel it in her old bones.
During yesterday’s wedding rehearsal, both Maddie and Chase had had the same thought at the same time. They’d stopped in the middle of the aisle and stared at each other while the music had slowly died around them.
“Protectors can only have sons.” Chase’s eyes had been wide as baseballs.
Maddie had laughed. “And eochairs can only have daughters.”
After a breathless moment, Chase had joined in. “Oh, man, this is going to be fun!”
Rising from the last flower arrangement, Draoi drew in a deep breath. Once Maddie had a child, whatever it turned out to be, it would be in immediate danger. No more gryphons had been spotted since that ill-fated day, but Draoi knew better than to take anything for granted. It seemed impossible to believe that all of the black gryphons had flown back into the tower, that none of them had snuck away and remained at large. She thinned her lips. She hadn’t protected her daughter, granddaughter, and great-granddaughter to let her guard down now.
The wedding hour approached. Chase stood at the altar with the minister. He looked handsome in his rented tuxedo. His father walked a blushing Maddie down the aisle, then stood with his son as best man. As Maddie and Chase said their vows, a feeling came over Draoi. She looked at the back of the church but saw nothing. But someone was there, watching; she could feel it.
When she returned her gaze to the couple, they were being introduced as husband and wife. And then she knew. From somewhere unseen, Cian and Arin smiled upon them, together again. Light filtered through the stained glass windows and Draoi felt the power of darkness lift from her family. Dougal had found redemption and Maddie and Chase had found love. What more could a grandma ask for?