Page 13 of Stars in Umbra
Along with their friends, the pair found their places in the inner ring of a semicircular amphitheater carved into the forest floor.
They took their seats alongside rows of elegantly dressed guests, diplomats, warriors, and royalty.
Overhead, levitating lanterns bloomed and spun slowly, their blossom-gold petals trailing luminosity.
The sky above the jungle canopy was a velvet vault of stars and twin moons as dusk fell.
A trio of Sacran demi-god harpists stepped onto floating platforms near the altar.
They were almost too celestial to be real, tall and luminous, their silver skin dusted with opalescent light, their robes billowing around them like mist.
Their harps were crafted from crystal vines and cosmic strings, and their first notes fell like moonlight on water, a sound that made every heart in the vicinity ache.
The crowd stirred as the groom appeared, drawing an audible breath of admiration and a few whistles from the Riders.
Ki’Remi strode down the aisle with the gravitas of a war general and the lithe grace of a bladed warrior.
Power rippled underneath the black ceremonial robe that hung from his shoulders, fastened with metallic clasps shaped like twin lions.
His collarbones were etched with glowing meta-sigils symbolizing his upcoming union.
A wreath of midnight laurels crowned his locks that fell in a wave over his upper arms, flickering with kinetic energy.
He stopped before Kainan, who was officiating the first part of the ceremony.
With a jerk of his chin at his bosskhan, he took his place beneath a ring of suspended lanterns that hovered in a halo of gold.
‘May we be upstanding for the bride?’ Mirage intoned, and all guests, mortal and meta alike, rose.
The music shifted into a lilting wedding march, as the floating chandeliers above them shimmered.
Issa glimmered into view at the start of the aisle, and the crowd gasped.
Rina craned her head to get a look at the bride and forgot to breathe.
As did her groom, for when Rina swiveled her head to glance at him, Ki’Remi was blinking hard to fight back tears.
The stunning woman moved forward like starlight incarnate, her silver-threaded gown clinging to her curves, the gossamer trains behind her drifting like spun cloud.
The fabric caught every flicker of the lanterns above, scattering sparkles of illumination with each step.
Her golden hair cascaded down her back in soft, brushed waves, crowned with a diamond tiara shaped like a crescent moon rising over a forest canopy.
She was barefoot, grounding her ethereal beauty with the touch of the earth.
In her hands, she carried a bouquet of rare Eden II blossoms, glowing gold and white, their petals glimmering.
When she reached Ki’Remi’s side, he turned, jaw tight with emotion, his meta eyes still misting over.
With a possessive growl, he drew her into him with a sinewed arm around her waist.
The pair radiated an incandescent love, so profound and visible that it cloaked the space encircling them.
Their guests released a soft, unified sigh.
A knot formed in Rina’s throat, envy curling hot for a fraction of a second before she tamped it down and let herself smile.
She was truly happy for them.
