Page 196 of Visions & Shadows

“Thanks,” I murmur.

“Luna, bring her to dance with us,” Lucius calls out to his sister.

She gestures with a jab of her thumb over her shoulder, then asks, “Want to dance?”

I glance at Raighne, who waves a hand at the dancing group. “Go have fun.”

I take hold of Luna’s hand, and as we walk to the middle of the group, she says, “I should warn you, I suck at dancing.”

“We can suck together,” I chuckle as I start to bounce and move to the joyful tune.

Fleur joins us, and soon, our laughter fills the air. I’m taught how to do some kind of sidestep dance, which feels more like a workout than anything else.

Night begins to fall around us and cosy fires are lit for everyone to sit around.

When I’m completely out of breath, I walk back to where Raighne is sitting with a smile on his face. Not once has he taken his eyes off me.

I hold out my hand, and when he climbs to his feet and links our fingers, I begin to walk toward the Virtutes Waterfall.

With the sound of the music, laughter, and talking fading into the distance, the calmness of the night settles around us.

The stars shine bright above us, and for the first time in a long while, I feel at peace.

When I spot flickering lights in the long grass, I ask, “What are those?”

“Fireflies.”

A smile spreads over my face, and grinning at Raighne, I whisper, “Yes.”

“Yes?” He asks.

“I’d love to become your wife,” I explain my answer.

I’m yanked to a stop and wrapped up in his strong arms. His eyes sparkle in the dark as he stares at me. “Do you mean that?”

“Of course. I love you, and you’re my home.”

He looks deep into my eyes, then his voice sounds up in my mind.“We are bound as one and will never live as two again.”

“Forever,” I agree as I push myself up on my tiptoes and press my mouth to his.

Chapter 35

Alchera

Standing on the stretch ofbeach of a lake that has an eerie mist creeping over the water, I stare at a great willow tree to my left. Its roots are covered in the greenest moss I’ve ever seen.

Looking to my right, my lips part and the air is ripped from my lungs. Beyond the forest, everything is dark. There are massive tunneling clouds looming overhead. The one nearest to me surges with bolts of lightning, ripping a tree from the ground, roots and all.

What’s happening?

Unable to stop myself, I walk toward the darkness before I float into the sky, the pull unbelievably strong.

I stare beneath me at the landscape that’s turning from green and colorful to dark and gray and soon find myself hovering over a barren land where a man is kneeling.

Ares.

His head snaps back, and he looks up at me.

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