by A. J. Macey
Ever since my mom let him have it, he’d been more open-minded, and when it came down to the council confrontation, he’d really had our back. When Aris told me he’d saved her life, it conflicted me even more, though I’d always be grateful.
Glancing up, I noticed the guys were all looking at something on Cas’ Witches Glass, fully dressed, and my tux was still sitting on my bed. Not wanting to fall too far behind, I pushed away my musings and pulled on my outfit for the night. Moving in front of the mirror, I tried to figure out the bowtie, not really knowing a spell to help it along.
A quiet knock sounded on the door, so I gave up for a moment to answer it. My dad was there, already in his tux and looked uncomfortable.
“Hello, son. Can we talk for a second?” His cheeks tinted pink as he glanced past me, looking so unlike himself, I wouldn’t have said no even if I wanted to.
“Sure,” I said, gesturing to the hall and following him out before closing the door behind us. The bowtie made the perfect distraction, and I fumbled with it, so I didn’t have to make awkward small talk or eye contact while he got himself together.
“Listen, I know I haven’t been the best father. The intention was there, but my execution was catastrophic. I never meant to make you feel like you couldn’t be yourself, I just wanted you to have a successful future and knew I could help with that. Somewhere along the way, I let the council and their opinions muddle my own. I’m not proud of the man I’ve become over the years, and I wanted to apologize, for whatever that’s worth, and say I’d like to get to know you. If you’ll allow it,” he said, his voice strong as he met my eyes, the genuine honesty in his words leaving me speechless.
Before I could think of anything to say, he laughed and gestured at my bowtie. I nodded, and he stepped forward, expertly tying it and smoothing out my collar. He took me in with a small smile.
“I’m so proud of you for what you’ve done for Akasha. I’ll see you tonight.” He walked away, leaving me in stunned silence. He was clearly giving me time to process and not making me feel obligated to respond, though I wanted to give him one.
“We’ll see you tonight, Dad. I’m looking forward to it,” I called after him, and the smile on his face as he turned back around to look at me was blinding. He nodded once more and hurried around the corner. I hadn’t expected such an apology from him, but it was nice. No, not just nice. The idea of having parents who wanted me to be happy and approved of my relationship was everything.
As my hand rested on the doorknob, it twisted and opened, Torryn smiling as he waited for me to step aside. His eyebrow raised in question, but I just smiled and gave a quick nod, letting him know without words, I was good.
“Let’s go get our girl.”
Aris
My fingers trailed over the black lace of my dress. The tailor shop had delivered it earlier, and I wasn’t sure what it was going to look like. I’d let Brynn handle it for me, which seemed to make her ridiculously happy. Olive had just left to get hers since it wasn’t quite ready yet, leaving me alone in her room to shower, with the threat of an acne hex if I didn’t save my makeup for her.
Before I could pull the dress out of the box to inspect it, a knock on the door distracted me. I tied the strings on my robe and hurried over, opening the door to see a nervous Brynn. She opened her mouth to talk but couldn’t seem to get the words out. The poor girl needed a friend in the worst way after dealing with the assholes on the council. Grinning, I pulled her into the room.
“Where’s your dress? I’m assuming Olive sent you here to get ready with us?” I said, trying to breeze past the awkwardness. She gave a small sigh of relief and nodded.
“Yeah, the tailor had both of our dresses ready, so she went to grab them with Allain. Apparently, she didn’t trust the council staff to handle it,” she explained, laughing. “I would have just sent Sebastian.”
“Well, Olive does what she wants,” I joked, shaking my head. “She threatened me with a hex if I didn’t save my makeup for her, so I just have my hair to figure out.”
“Oh! I love doing hair. I can help!” she squealed, her whole face lighting up, making her look like a different person. We’d only seen her when she was stressed by Altermin or imprisoned, so I was happy to have the chance to really get to know her. Then she shrank down before my eyes, wincing at her own excitement, which broke my heart. “Only if you want.”
“I do want to!” I promised, walking over and placing my hands on her shoulders, so she’d look at me. “I’m not them. We’re friends, Brynn... or I’d like to be. Don’t second guess it. I’m not the type to judge or ridicule you. Promise.”
“Thanks.” Her smile returned, and her shoulders relaxed. “In that case, point me to your toiletries and hair items!”
Excited to find another friend, I hurried into the bathroom and scooped up my meager supply of hair products. I was fairly lucky in that department, so I didn’t have much. When I pulled out the curling wand, though, she was lost.
“What is that?”
“I got it from Aureus. It heats up and curls your hair. The humans use these holes in the wall to plug it in and filter in electricity, but I just use a small flow of magic.”
“You don’t use magic on your hair?” she asked, clearly confused. I was likely the only witch in Akasha who felt this way.
“I don’t unless it’s a potions assignment,” I joked, giving a shrug. “But I’m not the one doing it, so you do your thing. I trust you.” Her eyes lit up, and she nodded, moving a chair, so I was facing away from any mirrors.
“Alright. Challenge accepted. Up or down?”
“You know the dress, so you pick.”
“I know my bestie isn’t in here getting makeup done yet!” Olive sang out as she burst into the room. “Brynn! Yay!”
“I hope you don’t mind me crashing girl time,” Brynn said, some of her confidence slipping again.
“We’re happy to have you, especially if you let me do your makeup, too. Let’s blow Sebastian’s socks off.” Olive grinned, clapping her hands.
“Oh, we’re just friends.” Brynn waved her off, but the deep blush on her cheeks said otherwise. Olive and I shared a look, and she shook her head.
“Honey, that’s not friendship,” Olive teased. “Let’s just see how he reacts, seeing you all dolled up.”
“He was just nice to me when this place was hell,” Brynn argued, but the question stuck with me for a few minutes before I had to ask.
“Brynn... don’t take this the wrong way, but why did you work here? Did they threaten you?”
Brynn moved to the mirror, her eyes distant in the reflection as she twirled a lock of dark hair around her hand. When she took a breath to speak, it was shaky.
“Altermin was a family friend. My dad was his old buddy from academy days, so he would never have believed badly of him. If I had left, I’d have disappointed my family. Bringing that kind of dishonor to them would have meant living on the streets or trying to fend for myself, and here in Divus, that’s pretty difficult. I’m sure you can guess what could happen to a witch alone on the streets. It was smarter to stay,” she said, sounding sad.
“I hate that man,” Olive bit out, yanking her makeup bag out of her luggage more aggressively than necessary.
“Well, thanks to you and Aris, I don’t have to worry about those men again. Dad was horrified by everything and almost made me leave, but I really do love my job, and with the Prime Minister back, they need me now more than ever.”
Olive grinned and wiggled her eyebrows. “Plus, Sebastian is there... right?”
“Oh, broomsticks, stop,” Brynn whined, covering her cheeks and laughing. Before it could continue, a knock on the door had Olive rushing over. I expected one of our guys, but when Sebastian was there, holding a tray of snacks and drinks, I had to bite back laughter.
“I thought you ladies could use some refreshments since the party is still a couple hours away, and you’re holed up in here, getting ready,” he s
aid, his smile sheepish as his eyes flickered to Brynn.
“If you stay, we could make you look pretty, too,” I teased, holding up the curling wand while Olive pulled out her spelled makeup brushes. His eyes went wide as he slowly backed away, dropping the tray on the small table before making it to the open doorway.
“I have some things to do, but, uh, thanks for the offer,” he rushed before practically running out, closing the door behind him. We burst into laughter again, converging on the snacks and devouring the small sandwiches and sweets before finally getting ready.
“Alright, sit here, Aris,” Brynn said, starting on my hair. I felt the slight tingle of magic as she murmured spells under her breath, using nothing other than magic and her hands. It was oddly relaxing as she rearranged the curls on the top of my head. No more than ten minutes later, she announced I was done and rushed Olive over. Time was ticking down, and we still had makeup and dresses to put on.
“Oh, my goddess, Brynn! It looks amazing!” I squealed, loving the intricate twist she had secured my hair into. It rested at the base of my head, a loose braid on one side, twisted over the rest, all coming together in a loose but classy knot. She’d formed some sort of black and pink flower from her magic and secured it at the end of the braid. The pretty black petals were stark against my pink hair.
“I’m so glad you went with black. Your pink hair will really pop,” Olive said as Brynn did something similar to Olive’s hair, only more smoothed out and tightly done to accommodate her straight hair. She tucked tiny red flower buds along the top of the twist in Olive’s hair, which looked amazing against her strawberry blonde hair.
“What about yours?” I asked when she finished Olive’s hair.
“Oh, no worries,” she said with a grin, walking over to the mirror and securing hers in a half updo with soft waves falling down her back. It was fascinating to watch the magic work, her hands guiding it with quick movements as the hair twisted and pinned exactly where she wanted.
“Both of you sit,” Olive ordered as soon as our hair was in place. She didn’t hesitate, brushing makeup across our faces so quickly, it shouldn’t have been possible, but she was practically a pro.
I mean, she did convince an entire nation she was someone else.
“Done,” she said with one final brush across my cheeks, smiling smugly at her handiwork. She moved to the mirror to finish hers but refused to let us see ourselves, claiming it would ruin the moment.
“Fine,” I grumbled, finally pulling the dress out of the box. It took all three of us to help each other get into the formal gowns. The number of buttons, zippers, and snaps shouldn’t have been an issue for witches, but that clearly didn’t extend to ball gowns.
“You look amazing!” I said, getting emotional, seeing my friends so confident and pretty. Olive’s dress was a deep burgundy satin with beadwork glittering from the neckline all the way down to the skirt. In the low light of the dining room, it would glow even more.
Brynn’s dress was a soft blue, the light color bringing out her eyes and dark hair. It was simpler, the off-the-shoulder sleeves and sweetheart neckline dainty and pretty, just like her. The skirt was poofier than mine, making her look like a princess.
“Come look,” Olive urged me forward, placing me in front of the mirror. I looked like a whole new witch. My dress had a plunging neckline and long sleeves, the entire top made of lace. The skirt was black satin, sweeping down to the floor with an intricate layer of lace over the top. With the soft, curled updo and the dramatic makeup, I looked amazing.
“You’re gorgeous,” Brynn said, picking up a small box from the bed. “Your guys picked this out.” She opened it to reveal a silver chain with a dark pink teardrop crystal and matching earrings. It was simple, not taking away from the dress, but it reflected the light, making it gorgeous.
“That’s everything,” Olive said, grinning as she took us all in. A soft knock on the door meant time was up.
I can’t wait to see the guys all dressed up!
December 22nd
Sunday Evening
Aris
Taking one final steadying breath, I smoothed my hands over the front of my dress, the lace soft against my palms. I readied myself to see them, but for some reason, I was nervous. There was no conflict, no high-stress situations, no need to hide who we were as we’d had to back at Aether… just them and me, spending the night together in a jubilant celebration, and I wasn’t sure on how to conduct myself. All the nerves and worry left me as soon as the door opened. My breath whooshed from my lungs as I finally got to see my men.
They were painstakingly handsome, every one of them in black tuxedos and black bow ties neatly tied around their collars. Caspian grinned and rushed forward, stopping just short of sweeping me into a hug.
“You look amazing, Cupcake!” His eyes raked over every aspect of my appearance.
“You’re breathtaking, Gorgeous,” Torryn agreed, his reaction more subdued, but I didn’t miss the misty quality to his eyes.
“I can’t wait to show you off. We’ll be the finest dressed coven in the history of Akasha!” Drayce declared proudly, leaning forward and brushing a kiss across my forehead.
“Beautiful,” Kye said simply, giving me a soft smile without coming too close.
“Guys… she’s not breakable. Her hair and makeup are literally spelled to stay in place,” Olive snorted, brushing past us to where Allain was standing. He didn’t hesitate to reach out and take her hand, spinning her around to appreciate her before sweeping her into a kiss. When they pulled back, she looked as perfect as she did before.
“Wow,” Sebastian breathed out, all of us turning to see a blushing Brynn step from the room, peeking up at him from under her lashes. “You’re perfect.”
“Thanks,” Brynn managed before Torryn and Xan were ushering us down the hall. Everyone was in a great mood, whispering and chattering as we made our way to the extravagant dining hall.
“You excited for tonight, Angel?” Drayce asked as we walked.
“Yes, but also nervous. I’m really looking forward to the rest of the Yule festival, though. I can’t wait to peruse the holiday market, the ice-skating rink, and all that fun stuff! I heard there’s even going to be a stage and non-stop musicians for the next three days.”
“I’m looking forward to that, too,” Caspian said with a cheerful smile. I wanted to keep chatting about the festival, but we reached the door to the dining hall. Reaching out, I went to go for the handle, but Xan stopped me.
“Wait, we have to be announced first,” he said, gesturing at the guard who was standing vigil at the side of the door. Sebastian and Brynn stepped forward, pointing out each of us as they spoke. The guard nodded and opened the door, announcing us to the room, one by one.
“Please welcome, Brynn Galene and Sebastian Barclay. The council would like to recognize their incredible bravery and dedication to the council and Akasha as a whole. They’ve proved themselves to have exemplary character in a crisis.” Brynn and Sebastian walked in, a roaring round of applause echoing into the hall where we stood.
“This is crazy,” I whispered, already nervous about being in the spotlight. Xan smiled and took my hand, waiting as the usher announced Allain and Olive next.
“Next, we have Olive Voss and Allain Bisset. The Prime Minister and his council would like to thank them for their hard work to keep the people of Akasha safe and informed. They were bold and innovative, and the council thanks them for their contributions to uncovering the truth.”
Olive turned and made a face at me, clearly feeling just as out of place with the recognition as I did. When she swept into the room, there was a similar greeting and round of applause, and Olive did a cute curtsy before letting Allain sweep her off to their table.
“And the guests of honor. It is my esteemed pleasure to announce Aris Calisto, Torryn Kersey, Caspian Kersey, Drayce Nodin, Xanthius Eideann, and Kyelerian Tanan. They successfully helped bring Akasha together and weed out the
corruption in our council. Despite being labeled as criminals, they refused to give up and brought attention to the greater problem, the inequality in our world. Something we intend to rectify in every way we can.”
As his words finished, Xan hooked his arm through mine and led us into the room. Everyone stood from their chairs, even the Prime Minister and remaining council members, clapping and cheering as we moved to our table. Pride welled in my chest, knowing we’d worked our asses off to get to this point, and that Mixtas would have a better chance from here on out.
Once we were in our chairs at a fancy, decorated table, I started to look around. I didn’t recognize many of the people, but it was still more intimate than I had imagined. They must have kept it to family and the council members’ close friends.
“Mom? Dad?” Caspian called out, his entire face lighting up as he leapt from his seat. Torryn turned and joined him, nearly toppling over two people I could have easily picked out as their parents. His mom had the same deep red-brown hair as Cas, in long, pretty waves. She had Torryn’s eyes and friendly smile, which made me like her instantly. Her long blue dress was made from a shimmery fabric that moved like waves as she walked. Their dad was next to her, looking handsome in a full tux, his bowtie matching his wife’s dress perfectly. He hugged Torryn tight, clapping him on the back before they switched.
Me, being me, stood and waited awkwardly at the side, not sure how to approach, but I shouldn’t have worried with my guys around. They reached out at the same time, pulling me forward and introducing me.
“This is Aris Calisto, our girlfriend,” Caspian announced proudly, Torryn beaming on my other side. Their parents didn’t miss a beat as his mom pulled me in for a tight hug, his dad doing the same a moment later.
“Thank you for keeping my boys safe,” his mom said. “I’m Lysandra, and this is Vidarr.”
“It’s so nice to meet you,” I said quickly, giving them my best attempt at a smile. I hated feeling so odd being introduced to parents, but even after meeting Kye’s, it was still hard.