Page 54 of Sprite Wedding
I’d feel bad for him if I wasn’t on such a high from Zoe’s declarations. She didn’t express her feelings often, but when she did, they had such an impact.
“Have a safe trip home,” Zoe said.
He turned and walked away but then paused and faced Zoe. “I’m really sorry for what I did to you. You’re right. I never should have blamed you. I hope you can forgive me.”
With her chin thrust forward and shoulders rolled back, she looked like a five-foot fortress. I beamed at her. I was so proud of my love, my mate.
“Apology accepted.”
“I’ll find my way. Goodbye, Zoe.” He walked away.
Zoe exhaled with a shudder. That must have taken a lot out of her.
She walked toward me, and my anticipation skyrocketed. Her scent wrapped around me, even permeating the stone. That hadn’t happened before, had it?
My chest lifted with hope. My heart fluttered as if it had wings. That was the effect my mate had on me. Her presence soothed me even in this dire circumstance.
She fixed her gaze on me, locking eyes with my stone ones as if silently asking if I’d heard what happened.
Yes, I did, and it meant so much to me. If I ever got out of this stone cage, I’d wrap my arms around her and tell her I love her. No more secrets. Even with the best of intentions, they could lead to more pain.
She broke eye contact to address Pandora and Cassandra. “Any updates?”
“We’re still trying,” Pandora replied.
Zoe nodded, appearing to keep a brave face, but her shoulders slumped. I wanted to assure her that everything would be okay, but my lips remained locked.
“Who’s the elf?” Cassandra asked, nodding toward where Zoe had been talking to Bryan.
She grimaced. “Someone from my past.” She straightened and ran her hands along her sides.
“Whatever you were talking about looked intense,” Pandora said.
“Yes,” she agreed. “But it also made me realize something.”
“What’s that?” Cassandra asked.
“I have to let go of whatever hurt me back then to let it not affect my future. And I think that I’ve finally shaken off the last of that grip.”
Pandora nodded. “Good for you.” She sighed. “It’s harder than you’d think.”
Both Zoe and Cassandra turned and stared at Pandora as if waiting for her to elaborate. She didn’t. Instead, she cleared her throat and motioned across from her. “Oh good, more witches have arrived.”
The back yardremained a lively scene throughout the afternoon as various witches and supes attempted to get a read on the magic binding me.
Come sundown, Diego came outside to join the supernatural circus. “You doing okay in there, buddy?” He patted my stone in a placating way.
Yes, just peachy. I needed a break and couldn’t think of a better way to rest than to lock all my bones in stone.Of course, he didn’t hear my sarcastic reply.
Would anybody ever hear me again? Or would I forever toss my thoughts into the ether?
I lost track of time as the sky darkened, and my mood turned just as bleak. Eventually, like last night, it ended up being Zoe and me.
“It looks like it’s you and me again.” Zoe kept her tone light, but the tension around her mouth didn’t fool me. “If you heard Bryan, don’t let anything he said bother you. He doesn’t know what he’s talking about. He doesn’t know you.”
It had bothered me until I heard her stand up for me. Heard how she truly felt.
She brought her fingers to her lips. “Oh, Lucas, I meant to play some music out here for you. I thought you might like that.” She exhaled. “Sorry about that. I got distracted, and it slipped my mind.” She raised her index finger. “I’m going to run inside for a minute. Just run to the bathroom and grab a speaker. Don’t worry, I’ll be right back.”
