Page 42 of To Love a Vampire
His hands fly up in a defensive stance before backing away to stand at the edge of the cliff again.
“I didn’t want to make you nervous. Jumping is the closing of the ceremony. It’s an old ritual done in our culture for centuries. The couple jumps as an offering to the ocean, and if they are not a true match, a perfect match, the water fae will correct the error and whisk away the untrue heart.”
“What? I’m not only jumping into the ocean off of a cliff,” I say slowly, “but then I have to hope water fae don’t drag me under as I doggie paddle my way back to land? Does Asher know about this, about the… the water fae?”
She nods impatiently, peeking back around the curtain at the audience.
Luca drops the drape back down and spins on her heels to look at me, fury and determination in her eyes.
“Do you love Asher?” she asks loudly.
I do. I haven’t said it yet, to anyone, not even him. But I do.
I nod my head slowly, forcing air into my lungs, fighting the tight bodice for air.
“Then trust him. Believe that when you leap, he won’t let you fall, and he would never let anyone take you away from him. Because he won’t, Fallon.”
I take another shaky breath and nod stiffly at her. She’s right. Of course, she’s right. I’m being dramatic. I’ll be fine. It’s fine.
“Are you ready?” she asks, her hand already clutching the curtain.
I tilt my head up, smoothing my dress and wiping the sweat from my shaking hands against the nice fabric, forcing my nerves away.
I nod at her again, my head bobs with vigor.
She smirks at me and laces her fingers through mine. Her hand is cool and steady against mine.
The music hums through the air again. It’s possible that it never stopped but I really have no idea.
Luca slowly pulls back the curtain and leads me into the crowd of Wanderers. There are hundreds of them. Kaino stands at the front, near the edge of the cliff. Lord Raske smiles broadly at me from the front of the crowd. Gabriel waves his bionic fingers at me, his eyes focused intently on Luca, who smiles shyly at him.
And then I see him.
Standing at the edge of the world, the ocean dark behind him, the sun surrounds him, sinking low into the water. The sea breeze lifts his dark hair, like a whirl of emotions flowing around him. And his beautiful silver eyes are glistening as he looks at me. His eyebrows rise slightly, his lips parting, his intense eyes drifting over my exposed body.
The nerves that were drowning me just seconds ago are washed away under his gaze. I walk confidently toward him, closer and closer, wanting to ambush him where he stands, among all the people. My bare feet pick up the pace against the dirt and I realize the music is strumming around us.
I look for the source of the perfect melody. My eyes drift over the crowd until I realize, next to Asher, at his right-hand side, is his grandfather.
Jim stands smiling at me, his fingers moving effortlessly against the cords of his guitar. The gray hair that was so disorderly when I first met him, is now neatly combed back from his lined face. Shae stands proudly at his side, the wind ruffling her long silver hair, piled high on her head. They look so out of place against the ocean side but I can’t imagine this day without them.
Asher smiles at his grandpa, who beams back at him, their features matching, the two looking similar for only an instant.
It’s perfect.
Everything is perfect.
He’s perfect.
Luca leads me to the front of the standing crowd, my legs move without thought, the crowd falls away. Luca slips my palm into Asher’s. His fingers wrap around mine, strong and warm and assuring.
Luca slips away to stand at Gabriel’s side. At the head of the crowd, just before me stands… my mother. The breath is knocked out of my lungs and a gasp slips from my lips as my eyes lock onto the Infinity witch, her bare feet practically teetering on the edge of the rocky cliff before us.
Lines crease around her olive eyes as she smiles down at me, knowing exactly what I see. Today I’m doing something my mother never could; marrying the person I love. I bite my lip and look away, into the white clouds as tears sting my eyes. My chest aches as a shuddering breath fills me and I wipe quickly at the corners of my eyes.
Asher gives me a curious look but takes my hands in his again, giving me a half smile as he leans closer to me, pulling me toward him, his hands seemingly begging to hold me.
My eyes rake over his tall frame. His lips are set in this half-open smile like he isn’t sure if he should celebrate yet. Like our fate might fall away from us again, tumbling over the cliff before we’ve even started.
