Page 103 of Heir of Darkness

With that, he left the room. Finn coming to the harsh realization of what this life actually was could only be done with him and him alone. Valerio had dealt with true loss before, so he was able to understand that nothing was more valuable than true love. That was why he was willing to fight for it.

He wanted to consider that their conversation had held some hope, but all it showed him was that Finn was a liability. He needed to listen to his gut, but he would worry about it after his wedding.

He deserved at least one bit of happiness before the war had begun.

FORTY

LUNA

“It’s almost time,”Finn announced, walking into Luna’s bedroom that was now the official bridal suite. She looked at him through the mirror, noticing how much older he looked when he dressed up in a tux and tamed his crazy hair.

Once upon a time, Finn would have hated her being at the Vitali mansion. Now, he was prepared to walk her down the aisle to the Vitali heir himself.

Luna nodded, allowing Blair to fix one of her curls. On short notice, Luna was able to get the perfect dress. A satin A-line dress with small straps that sat on her shoulders. The back was cut out with a white bow attached to her lower back. The dress cinched at her waist before it flowed out and down her body.

With the dress on, hair and makeup done, the girls helped her slide the satin gloves up her arms, finishing the traditionally elegant bridal look.

She had never been the type of person to plan her wedding in extensive detail, mostly because she’d always dreaded the day it would come. Today, however, that dread wasn’t present, and because of that, she now wished that she had more time to plan it the way she wanted. But the number one thing she asked of the girls was to make her feel beautiful. And she did.

“She’s ready,” Cecilia said. She straightened out the silky dusty rose dress that all of the girls wore. Hers was fitted at the chest, the straps hanging off her shoulders. Blair’s was in a halter top style, pinned at the back of her neck. Gianna’s was strapless, a large slit down her right leg.

“You guys can go have a seat,” Luna told them. “I think I can manage to get myself down there.”

Gianna pressed a kiss to her head. “We’ll see you out there.”

Luna let out a deep breath once it was just her and Finn in the room. A new emotion came over her. She used to imagine a world where her father changed his ways and decided to let her marry whoever she wanted rather than forcing her. Her mother would help her plan the wedding and shop for the wedding dress, while her father, despite his flaws, walked her down the aisle. She could forgive them both because they were capable of change and proved they loved Luna.

Again, it was just a dream.

It was tragic how she’d managed to gain someone she loved deeply but lose someone simultaneously. Her father had done the damage though. He sent someone to kill her. He wanted her dead. If she didn’t fight back, that exact thing would happen. Those were the things she had to tell herself every time her dreams pushed on her naivety, forcing her into the same startling reality check repeatedly.

On the bright side, she had her brother there. The one blood relative she had left.

“Thanks for walking me down the aisle,” Luna said, turning to face him. “I know you’ll never like Valerio, but it means the world to me that you’re here.”

Finn shrugged. “You're my sister.”

“You’re not obligated to stay and help me just because we’re siblings.”

“You’re not the only one who lost their family. I don’t think any of us are allowed back home. Definitely not once Father finds I’ve betrayed him.”

“You could still go home,” Luna said. “I’ll tell you what I told Valerio: I’m not going to force you to have any part of this. I’m definitely not asking you to pull the trigger. If you want to keep your innocence, you can go home, but I’m letting you know that I’m still going through with it.”

Finn looked at her, confused. “Why are you doing it?”

“Because I want my justice.” She shook her head. “No, I deserve my justice. Because of him, my life could have been so much worse than it is right now. I got lucky. Somehow, someway, I did. I could have been dead, I could have been in the worst marriage of my life, I could have been trapped in a cage. There are so many ways my life could have played out because of him. He deserves worse, but this is all I can give him. You don’t have to understand or agree, but that is my truth.”

“And yet you’re still willing to let me go?” Finn asked, almost in disbelief. “What if I ran back to him and told him everything? Would you still be so kind to me?”

“I’m not him, Finn. I never want to be him,” Luna said. “Forcing you to do what I say is what he would have done. I won’t take that choice away from you, away from anyone.” She forced a small smile onto her face. “I just ask that you still walk me down the aisle.”

He stared at her for a long moment, completely silent. She couldn’t tell what he was thinking based on the stoic look on his face. That was her brother. Always good at hiding what he felt. Finn approached her, allowing her arm to grab onto his.

“I’m not going anywhere,” he decided.

She felt the unease leave her body. “Thank you,” she whispered.

They walked out of the room, their footsteps being heard in the hallway.

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