Page 315 of Castings & Curses

“You had to. Your wound…”

I shush her. “I should have followed you. The house would have healed me, and you wouldn’t be dead.”

“Am I dead?”

“I don’t know. Are you?”

Bella checks her hands and spots the ring. “My magic. You took it with you, so the house couldn’t work anymore. And I couldn’t live without you, anyway. So I let death ensnare me. I knew you were safe. I saw in the mirror. I just wanted to be with you, so I came here, and I drowned in your smell.”

“But now you’re alive again, aren’t you? Or am I going to live the rest of my life with a ghost?”

Bella frowns. “What do you mean, the rest of your life?”

“Well, I’m never leaving you again. Look at how dramatic you become when I’m gone.” I suppress a smile and choke on a laugh, but really, I’m so relieved she’s alive, the sheer improbability makes me giddy.

Her eyes gleam and she smiles. Her smile turns into laughter and in an instant, she lets go of all the walls she’s built up over the years to let me in on her glee.

The sun shines bright through the open window and the rose beams on her finger. Bella jumps on her feet, fresh energy flowing through her. She takes my hand and pulls me out of the room.

“Come on! We’ve got a home to build!”

We run down the aisle, and I glimpse the magic happening as room after room restore themselves to their former glory. We stop on the balcony and Bella twirls and swirls, hair dancing in the light of the great hall rebuilding itself, chandelier ablaze on the ceiling and sunshine glowing through the crystals in gazillion rainbows painting the marble surfaces. We laugh like children as she draws me down the stairs and into the kitchen to find the table set with a feast fit for a queen’s court. What was a smoking pile of rubbles only a minute ago is now steaming with the flavors of paradise.

Outside the fully repaired window, the garden blooms under my eyes. Colors explode everywhere in fireworks of petals and leaves. I run to the side door and open it wide to inhale the glorious fragrance of a thousand flowers sprouting into life. I step outside to bask in the radiance of our own little Eden.

Bella joins me but stops at the threshold. She leans on the doorjamb, her gaze fixed on me. Her smile is more timid, borderline envious. She’s scared to go out. She’s just survived death, but it seems she can’t survive the beast anymore.

I hold out my hand. “I love you Bella, beast or no beast. You are magical and wonderful, and I love you.”

Her features decompose as she takes in my devotion. Tears gleam on the edge of the sapphires imploring me.

I amble towards her, taking my sweet time devouring her with my ravenous stare, grinning like a kid at Christmas. I embrace her and kiss her lips. A deep, long, loving kiss. She loses herself in my arms and replies to my kiss with all the passion she can muster—and it’s searing hot. She doesn’t realize I’m leading her outside, or maybe she doesn’t care anymore. She’s given up fear and embraced hope. I’m all for it.

I open my eyes and dive into the ocean of hers. Gold frames her face and the scar across her eye appears more healed than ever. She’s still Bella. She always was, and now she’ll always be.

“How?” she whispers, marveling at her hands and arms and legs and belly.

I fix on her gorgeous boobs and snicker. “It’s the curves.”

“What?”

I shrug. “Don’t ask, I have no idea. The other asshole said something about my ass breaking the curse. He was a psycho, so nothing he said made sense, anyway. But hey, it worked! My ass saved the day!”

We burst out laughing, the most glorious sound ever. Our mouths find each other, and our tongues meet, and glee makes room for desire. Bella’s earlier bout of passion rekindles, and she doesn’t waste time undressing me. We melt into the grass, fingers gliding on each other’s skin. Her mouth leaves mine to scour my body and I lose myself in bliss. The sun bears witness of our love as the forest sings the magic returned. I sing too, praises to her expert tongue and fingers.

My turn.

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