by Wendi Wilson
“What’s happening?” I asked.
“As soon as Sebille died,” Charles said, “they stopped fighting us and looked really confused.”
“She was using Glamour and her power of command to control them,” Shaela explained. “After we were sure they wouldn’t attack, we went and talked to a few of them. They never wanted to go to war with us. They don’t want to destroy the humans. They don’t want any of it. It was all Sebille.”
“Did you see?” I asked, my voice low.
Shaela knew I was talking about my fight with Sebille and nodded her head.
“The lightning caught my eyes and I looked up just as it struck her black heart,” she said, her expression filled with the fire of vindication. “Her body fell right over there.”
My head whipped to the side to see where she’d pointed, and my mouth fell open in shock. Not because the queen’s cold, dead body lay there, legs and arms twisted into unnatural positions, but because of what surrounded her.
Plants.
Baby shoots sprouted up from the ground around her body. My eyes widened as my gaze travelled across the expanse of muddy terrain. Life grew everywhere, bright green leaves glinting in the moonlight.
“It was your rain, December,” Freya said, coming to stand behind me. “I can feel it in the earth beneath us. Your rain healed the soil. Life blooms wherever it touched, cleansing away the contamination.”
Shock rocketed through me as my mind tried to make sense of what she was saying. I’d healed the soil? I hadn’t even thought about infusing the rain with healing magic.
“How?” I asked, my mouth hanging open as I tried to make sense of it.
“It’s the goodness inside you, December,” Mom said, rubbing a palm up and down my spine. “Your true feelings and desires are manifested through your magic.”
“Is that…normal?” I asked, but I already knew the answer.
It wasn’t normal. I was not normal.
But as I gazed at the new life growing around me, at my friends and family, unscathed, gathered around to relish our victory, I realized a few things.
It was okay to be abnormal.
It was okay to be the first ever half-Sylph, half-Zephyr hybrid.
It was okay to be me.
CHAPTER 38
“Stop fidgeting, D.”
I huffed out a breath and clenched my fists at my sides, letting Shaela add the sprigs of tiny blue flowers to the intricate hairstyle she’d woven my black hair into. The buds matched my lacy dress, which flowed to the floor in shimmering waves.
Once she was done, I studied my reflection in the full-length mirror. The last few months had changed me. I was no longer that young, scared orphan that was thrown headfirst into a whole new world she didn’t understand.
I was a woman. Matured by experience. Wizened by adversity. Strengthened by love.
“It’s time.”
Mom popped her head through the door as she said those words, then froze with her mouth hanging open. Her eyes glassed over as she stepped fully into the room, fat tears leaking from the corners of her eyes.
“You look beautiful, honey,” she said, her voice cracking with emotion.
“Don’t,” I said, sniffing back my own tears. “If you cry, I’m going to cry, and it will mess up the makeup Shaela spent the last hour perfecting.”
Mom laughed and swiped a thumb under her eyes. She looked me up and down again, this time a wide smile gracing her perfect features.
“You look positively regal,” she declared.
“Thank you,” I replied. “You don’t look so bad yourself.”
She was wearing a dark fuchsia dress that hugged all her curves, including the new bump that curved out from her belly. I smiled and rubbed my hand across it as I always did. In a few months, I was going to be a big sister.
I looked up and blinked as tears threatened, the way they always did when I thought about the new baby. My life just kept getting better and better.
A knock sounded on the door and I called out for whoever it was to enter. The door swung open and my dad filled the entrance, looking debonair in a black suit with a tie that matched my mother’s dress. He froze, his eyes roaming up and down the length of me.
A smile brightened his features as he started moving again, striding over and holding out a wrapped gift box.
“This is from your mom and me,” he said.
I held the small box in one hand and gingerly pulled the ribbon from it as I said, “You guys didn’t have to get me a present.”
“This is a momentous occasion,” Mom insisted. “And you deserve it.”
I tore off the paper and opened the lid, my eyes growing wide. Nestled in a bed of velvet was a necklace. The chain was made of thin, shiny silver and held a small pendant. Encased in silver, a marble-sized pearl glistened. But it was no regular pearl. Black and blue swirls encompassed the stone, with only the tiniest hint of white showing.
It was beautiful, and unlike anything I’d ever seen.
“Thank you,” I stuttered as Mom took the chain from the box and moved behind me to fasten it around my neck.
“It represents both sides of you,” Dad explained. “Sylph and Zephyr combined to make something gorgeous and unique.”
“It’s beautiful,” Shaela said, a slight edge to her voice, “but if we don’t leave now, we’ll be late.”
I shook myself and stiffened my spine against the nerves. I could do this. I was ready.
Easton was waiting.
THE PARK WERE we’d decided to hold the ceremony was beyond amazing. In the heart of the city, plants and flowers grew around the edges and in the center stood a large, stately oak tree. The tree, which hadn’t been there a few weeks before, had popped up and matured in less than a month thanks to my healing rain. Its branches shaded the grass that carpeted the ground, making it the perfect spot for today’s festivities.
As I climbed out of Celeste’s car, which she’d graciously lent us, the crowd gathered turned as one to watch me approach. I caught myself fidgeting again as my eyes scanned the faces. Sylphs, Zephyrs, and humans all congregated together, here to bear witness to the occasion and celebrate with me and Easton.
As if my thoughts had conjured him, the crowd parted and there he stood. His eyes flooded with awe when he spotted me, his jaw slack with the dopey look on his face. I laughed, and just like that, the tension was gone.
I walked confidently toward him. I could do this. We could do this.
As I stepped up beside him, we linked hands and he kissed me gently on the cheek.
“Ladies and gentleman, we gather here today to bear witness to this world-changing event.”
Councilman Seamus Bransson spoke with passion and reverence, and a small smile curved my lips as I thought of how far we’d come since our first meeting. He was now firmly on Team December, and one of my staunchest supporters.
“A new era has dawned on this great planet,” he continued, “and starting today, these two brave young souls shall lead us into that bright and happy future. It is time to officially crown your new Sylphid king and your new Zephyr queen.”
Easton and I had chosen to hold a joint inauguration, with representatives from all three species present. The ceremony was symbolic of our vision of the future—all of us working together to heal the planet and live in harmony.
It was also to prove that though we were young—I’d only turned eighteen a few weeks before and Easton was nineteen—we were dedicated to ensuring the world became a place we all wanted to live in, and that we’d be creating it together.
We wanted no more separation between the Sylphs and Zephyrs. We also wanted the humans to feel they were on equal ground with us. While we would keep a watchful eye on them to make sure they didn’t repeat the mistakes that got us all here in the first place, we would try not to hamper their free will.
After crowns were placed on our heads and solemn oaths were sworn, Seamus and a representative of the newly formed Zephyr counc
il presented us, officially, to the crowd as king and queen. Uproarious applause and cheering made me flinch, and Easton laughed. He held up hand, and the crowd fell silent.
“Thank you all for coming today,” he called out, magically amplifying his voice. “December and I are so pleased and humbled to have your support and will do our very best to never let you down.”
I nodded at the crowd, showing them I fully agreed with him. Polite applause followed his words, then died out as he held up a hand again.
“I spent much of my life feeling lost and alone,” he said, shooting Freya an apologetic look. “In an effort to protect me, my mother sent me to Oberon Academy to live with my grandfather, Finn, when I was very young. He was all I had for a very long time.
“Then a fiery, dark-haired beauty barreled into my life,” he continued, smiling at me. “She turned my world upside down and inside out. She taught me that people weren’t always what they seemed—that I needed to open my mind, and my heart, to greater possibilities. She taught me how to believe in the impossible, to depend on people other than myself, and how to never give up.
“But most of, she taught me how to love. That all-encompassing, self-sacrificing, drives you crazy kind of love that every person should never live without.”
My eyes burned with tears as he spoke. It was like he dug his fingers straight into my heart and pulled the words from me. He took my hand in his, and squeezed my fingers.
My heart stopped at the look on his face. I knew that look. It was uncertainty. Maybe even a little fear.
But then he dropped to one knee and my heart thumped back to life, beating triple-time as his smile shined up at me. I heard the voices in the crowd pick up, but it was all background noise.
“December Thorne,” Easton said, his voice confident and clear, despite his earlier case of nerves, “I love you. That love will never grow old and will never die. I am here today, in front of our friends and family and all these people, asking you to spend your life with me. December, will you be my wife?”
Blood whooshed through my ears in sync with the rhythm of my pounding heart. Was this really happening? We were so young. Too young. What if this was all for show? Was I getting excited for nothing? Was it excitement, or was it fear?
The incessant drone of questions in my overstimulated brain screeched to a halt when he held out a ring. I looked at it in surprise, my eyes flitting to meet his as he took hold of my left hand.
It was my ring, the one he’d had spelled so I could see his aura. I’d taken it off and given it to Shaela for safe-keeping…at her urging. She’d said it didn’t really match my dress and I shouldn’t be distracted by Easton’s aura during the ceremony.
I met her eyes and arched a brow, but she just shrugged and shot me a wink. I shook my head in awe. Apparently she’d inherited some of our grandfather’s trickster ways.
My attention shifted back to Easton when he squeezed my fingers. He looked so handsome, down on one knee as he slipped the ring back on my hand—only this time, it was my left hand, not the right. As soon as the metal hugged my finger, his aura lit like a beacon in the storm.
The bright pink of love and affection swirled with the golden hue of hope. Yellow and purple streaks showed me happiness and satisfaction, while a tinge of blue around the edges portrayed worry. I cocked my head and looked at his face.
A soft sheen of sweat glistened on his brow and I realized he was still waiting for my answer.
“Yes,” I whispered, then louder, “Yes, of course.”
The crowd went wild as he jumped to his feet and swept me up into his arms. He kissed me with wild abandon as I cried tears of happiness.
So much had changed for me since the dark days in foster care. I had parents who loved me and a grandfather who catered to my every whim. I had the very best friends who would always stand beside me, no matter what. I had the perfect fiancé, a future husband that wanted to make all my dreams come true. Oh, and I was officially a queen.
I never imagined things would turn out this way.
I never dreamed life could be this good.
EPILOGUE
FIVE YEARS LATER
“Your trip to the eastern territories was a success, Your Highness. I’ve received word that the crops are growing tall and strong, the young trees are healthy, and the streams are clean and appropriately acidic.”
I looked at my advisor, giving him a nod.
“And the academy? How is the integration going?”
It had taken a few years and a lot of joint council meetings, but Easton and I had finally convinced the Sylph council that allowing Zephyrs to attend the academy was a good thing and would only serve to strengthen the bonds we were building between the two races.
After they finally agreed, it had taken even more time to convince the Zephyr parents that their kids would be welcomed and not shunned or humiliated. The Sylphs had been surprisingly open-minded and accepting of the changes.
But that had a lot to do with their king.
“Everything seems to be going well. No real trouble between the students besides normal, teenage drama,” he said, rolling his eyes before catching himself and clearing his throat. “Headmaster Everest has it well in hand.”
I couldn’t suppress my smile. I was certain he was right. If anyone could handle sassy, self-centered teens, it was Shaela Goodman Everest. And I was sure her husband Charles did his part, too.
“That is good to hear, Sawyer,” I said, excusing him. “Thank you.”
I watched as my advisor bowed and backed from the room, shaking my head with impatience. I’d told him time and again there was no need for such formality and reverence, but old habits die hard. After years of servitude to Sebille, he simply could not bring himself to treat me casually.
“A Miss Aurora Finley Oberon to see you, Your Highness.”
“Ah, my most important appointment of the day,” I replied, looking up from the paperwork on my desk.
My smile widened until my cheeks hurt as Easton stepped into my office, carrying our chubby-cheeked, eight-month-old daughter. He leaned over and plopped her on my lap, pressing a lingering kiss to my cheek before straightening.
“What have you been up to today, Finley?” I cooed, earning a gurgling laugh.
I stroked my hand over her fuzzy golden head. Her Grandma Freya was over the moon that Finley had inherited her coloring. With the same blue eyes as me and my mother, and Easton’s nose and chin, she was already charming every person she met—Sylph, Zephyr, and human alike.
I tickled Finley’s bare feet and she giggled, jerking them away from my fingers. Her wings popped out, and I admired their beauty as her tiny hand snaked out and grasped my pearl necklace. The light blue color in the center was the exact shade of Easton’s wings, but the edges were black.
The two-tone effect was absolutely stunning.
“Our daughter is one-of-a-kind, isn’t she?” I asked, tearing my eyes from her to look at Easton.
“Just like her mommy,” he replied, giving me a warm smile.
“And her daddy,” I smiled back.
Finley yanked on my pendant, and the silver chain bit into my neck, making me flinch. I extricated the necklace from her fist, and her expression pinched into one of displeasure. I sensed a fit coming on, so I quickly handed her over to Easton, who had a special way with her.
He bounced her up and down, then swung around in a circle. Finley’s frown disappeared and was immediately replaced with a wide smile, her two teeth gleaming in the light streaming through the windows.
“Can you imagine her as a teenager?” Easton asked as he stopped spinning and set her on the floor with a box of toys I kept there.
“No,” I laughed. “I can’t even imagine her as a five-year-old.”
“I bet she’s going to be a hellion.”
“Shut your mouth, Mr. Oberon,” I said. “My daughter is one hundred percent pure angel.”
I stood and moved around the desk to stand beside him,
linking my fingers through his as we watched in silence for several moments as she stacked cups and blocks. Tears stung my eyes as I thought about our happy family and the drastic changes that were headed our way.
“Can you imagine her as a big sister?” I asked, keeping my tone light.
“Oh, she would be an amazing big sis…ter…”
He trailed off as he spun to face me, his ice-blue gaze trapping mine and demanding the truth. I nodded, letting the tears I’d been holding back trail down my face.
“Really?” he asked, his voice filled with awe. “Another baby?”
“Yes,” I confirmed.
With a loud whoop, Easton snatched me up by the waist and spun me around, much the same way he’d just done Finley. He stopped spinning, and my feet had no sooner touched the floor than his lips sealed over mine in a searing kiss.
“Da-da.”
We jerked away from each other to look at Finley. Easton’s wide eyes matched my own when he turned to me.
“Did she just say da-da?”
“I think so,” I said.
“Da-da.”
“That was definitely da-da,” he exclaimed, striding forward to sweep her up in his arms.
She snuggled into his chest as he walked back to me. I pressed forward to hug him with Finley sandwiched between us. In less than a year, our family of three would become a family of four.
I marveled at the life I’d lived and was eager to experience everything the future had in store for us. It would be magnificent. I just knew it.
And just like the Aurora and her prince in the storybook Easton gave me so long ago, we all were going to live happily ever after. Together.
AFTERWORD
I hope you enjoyed the final book of the Oberon Academy Series! I’d love to hear your thoughts! You can leave a review on Amazon and/or Goodreads. Or, if you’d like, you can email me directly at [email protected].