Page 105 of Dark Night Golden Dawn
He turned to her. “We did. Speaking of that, I have something for you. Do you want to get dressed first?”
“Sure,” she said, slipping from his arms, letting him watch her as she pulled out what he’d bought her. A long linen dress and a pair of flip flops were inside the bag, along with a silky set of panties.
She turned, watching him watch her as she pulled the panties on, and then the dress, which was comfortable and loose, but very low cut. He moved in a flash to the edge of the bed, his long arms drawing her between his legs.
“You’re so fucking beautiful,” he sighed, his hands skimming the line of her generously curved hips. She ran a finger down the tattoo on the inside of his forearm, her eyes flicking up to his when his muscles tensed in response to her touch.
“Lilacs are my favorite flower,” she said, almost feeling shy.
He caught her fingers, kissing them. “I know.”
“And this moon is the same as the symbol on Akatei’s temple.”
He nodded, his face grave. “It is.”
A small frustrated breath escaped her lips. She wished she could just ask him what it meant, but that seemed rude.
“I got this the year I found out about the Knights, Harlow.” He drew a long breath in. “I wanted a reminder of what I was protecting. What I gave up my chance at happiness for.”
“Oh.” The single word couldn’t convey everything she felt in that moment. Nothing could. “Did joining the Knights help?”
He stared at the window shade. “Yes, it gave me purpose. Something else to focus on, besides losing you.”
She traced the lines of his face with her fingers, memorizing him in all his smoldering glory. She was the one with dark liminal magic, but he was the one who lived in the shadows. They complemented one another well, the perfect mix of dark night and golden dawn.
“We are going to have a good summer, you know that?” he said as her fingers brushed over his chest.
She nodded, pressing a kiss to his lips. They were warm against hers. His hands closed around hers, and a small velvet box appeared in her palm. She broke their kiss and looked down.
“You still have this?” she murmured.
He nodded slowly. “I’d like us to go out there and make a show of my proposal.”
“Okay,” she replied, knowing that it was the right thing to do. It would complete the charade, maybe even buy them a few more weeks or months of time to figure out their next move.
“Before we do that, I want you to know something, though. If you say yes now, everything I say out there will be real. I know it’s probably fast, but…”
She interrupted. “Yes. I want it to be real. This is already real,” she said, her palm against her heart. “I love you, and I don’t care if it’s fast. We’ve waited years for this.”
Finn took her hand and kissed her palm. “Then come on, everyone is waiting for us.” He bent down, sliding the flip flops onto her feet, returning the velvet box to his pocket. When he looked up at her, his face was relaxed and serious.
They left the tiny car that had begun to feel like the whole world to her; she let out a little gasp as the windows in the hallway let in a view of the coastline. Unlike the dark blue roiling waters that surrounded Nuva Troi, here the ocean was calm, and a deep aquamarine, with sandy beaches that stretched along the coastline as far as the eye could see. The train was rounding a huge curve as they entered the dining car.
Outside the windows, the white buildings of Nea Sterlis were stark against the rocky coast and myriad evergreen varieties that dotted the shoreline. The Alabaster Citadel that housed the Temple District rose high above the city, contrasting sharply with the dark sky. A storm was moving in, but perhaps it would pass quickly and they’d dine under the stars tonight. Harlow hadn’t had the opportunity to spend more than a few days in Nea Sterlis, and she was looking forward to spending at least part of the summer in the Alabaster Citadel’s many libraries.
Finn squeezed her hand, bringing Harlow’s attention back inside the train. Her friends and family sat together at a small cluster of tables, already drinking tea and eating baskets full of buttery croissants. Harlow’s mouth watered at the sight of them, but Finn shook his head, a smile curving one corner of his mouth as his fingers laced through hers. There were plenty of other people in the dining car, and most of them at least pretended to mind their own business, though Harlow thought at least one human couple was trying to take photos of Thea and Alaric. She reached for a chair and Finn stepped in front of her.
They were taking up the aisle of the dining car. She glanced back at the servers, worried they’d be upset, but she saw the trays of sparkling wine they held and their grins, and understood. Slowly, she turned to face Finn, her cheeks flushing as her heart beat so loudly she was sure the whole car heard.
“Hey, Harls,” Finn said, the sound of his deep voice quieting all conversation in the car. He didn’t say anything else, but dropped to one knee, taking her left hand in his. She saw him struggle for words, his throat bobbing. She brought his hand to her heart, a tear escaping, rolling slowly down her cheek as she nodded at him. A big speech wasn’t necessary; they’d said everything they needed to in private.
He took the velvet box from his pocket, pulling her hand back to his level. “Be my girl?” he murmured, his voice rough with emotion.
“Forever,” she agreed, as he slipped the sapphire ring onto her finger.
The dining car exploded with applause and cheers as he stood, sweeping her into a kiss so deep she was almost embarrassed to have her family witness it.Almost. In the background, she heard Aurelia comment to Selene, “I think we can stop worrying about Harlow drying up, my love.”
“Indeed,” Selene replied, sniffling a bit.
