“That one’s special,” he said.
There was a pause as I wondered what exactly his angle was. “Yes,” I said. “Rose is special.”
“There aren’t many like her.”
“There certainly aren’t,” I replied, holding his gaze steadily. You’re preaching to the choir, dragon.
“I trust you will treat her right.”
I frowned at him. “I’m not sure I understand the purpose of your visit.”
Closing the small distance between us, he motioned to touch my shoulder but stopped, his hand hovering midair. “May I?”
I looked from his hand to his face. Then shrugged.
He closed his hand over my shoulder. As we were practically the same height, his eyes were level with mine as they stared straight at me.
Of all the crazy experiences I’d had in my long life, this turned into one of the most bizarre. His pupils dilated and the amber of his irises became more brilliant. Although I had no intention of breaking eye contact, I had a strange feeling that I couldn’t have averted my gaze even if I had wanted to. The intensity of his stare felt like he was digging a hole right through my pupils and carving out a tunnel through to my soul.
But whatever he was trying to see in me, I wasn’t afraid. He could challenge me about my worthiness of Rose’s love, but I knew what I felt for her. I had nothing to hide. He could rip right through to my soul and he would see that I held nothing but devotion for that woman.
I wasn’t sure how much time passed, but it felt like at least five minutes before his eyes dimmed to their former color and he let go of my shoulder. He stepped away from me, though he still held my gaze.
Silence fell between us as I looked back at him, unflinching.
“Well?” I said. “Did you see all that you wanted to see?”
“I saw more than enough,” he said quietly. “But, admittedly, it was not what I’d hoped to see… Vampire, you have a strong heart. Stronger than I’d thought. If there is anyone deserving of that woman other than a dragon, it is you.”
He stepped back further, moving toward the steps.
“I bow out, with respect.” Without another word, he turned on his heel and strode off down the mountain.
I remained staring in his direction long after he’d disappeared, trying to make sense of what had just happened.
Still unsure of whether there was anything to draw from the experience, or perhaps even some reason to feel offended by it, I turned my back on the night and entered the cabin.
Whatever the case, even if nothing else, it would make a good tale to tell our children one day. That I had passed the test of the artist of romance, the dragon prince himself.
Chapter 39: Rose
Corrine was over the moon to work on my dress. We spent the rest of the day fixing my outfit, making arrangements for the venue, and then organizing invitations. All throughout, I kept thinking back to what Caleb was doing, but I didn’t have much time to ponder.
I would’ve loved to go personally around the island to invite everyone, but instead Ashley, Becky, Abby and a few other classmates offered to do it. Rumors spread like wildfire among my peers, so I wasn’t worried about the message making its way around the island.
Once I had finished all the tasks that I needed to be directly involved in, my mother returned with me to the penthouse. I washed off the subtle makeup we had applied during the dress rehearsal, and then my mother took me to my room and tucked me into bed, as she used to do when I was a child.
“Sweet dreams, my darling,” she said, planting a kiss on my cheek.
“Good night, Mom. I love you.”
“I love you too.”
She gave me a watery smile before retreating out of the room. As her footsteps disappeared, I could have sworn that I heard a sob.
I tossed and turned that night, trying to fall asleep. My mind was just so alert. I was thinking about all the things that we had discussed today, and how everything was going to go tomorrow. But more than anything, I was thinking of Ben. How he should be sleeping in his bed further along the corridor. How I would have barged into his dark room early in the morning to wish him a happy birthday. How my mother would have cooked us both our favorite breakfast.
How he would miss my wedding.
Perhaps that had been the cause of my mother’s sob.
* * *
The next morning went by so fast I could barely believe it. Before I knew it, I was staring at myself in the mirror, dressed in a gorgeous white gown that covered my feet, my hair flowing down my shoulders in soft curls.
Although I hadn’t gotten much sleep, I was buzzing more than if I’d just shot myself up with ten cups of coffee.
Today’s the day Caleb’s going to make me his.
Everyone who’d been floating around the apartment helping with final preparations had now left for the venue. It was just my mother and I left in the apartment.
She approached behind me, running her hands down my arms and kissing my cheek.
“How are you feeling?”
“High,” I murmured.
She chuckled.
“Is that how you felt when you married Dad?”
“Something like that… Are you ready to leave?”
“I think so.”
I looped my arm through hers and we made our way out of the apartment, down the elevator and along the forest path. I could hear the chattering of a large crowd even from this distance. My palms began to grow sweaty—something I’d noticed a lot since I discovered my fire powers.
I suddenly had a horrible vision of my mascara melting from my body heat and dripping down my cheeks as I walked down the aisle.
“Is it usual to imagine everything that could possibly go wrong?”
“Yes,” my mother said, giggling. “You’re going to be fine, honey. Before you know it, it will all be over. Just enjoy it while it lasts.”
As we approached, I was taken aback by the sheer number of people who’d gathered for my wedding. I’d expected many to turn up, but not quite this many. For as far as I could see, chairs were spread out among the trees, all circling around the main gazebo that Corrine had set up. The gazebo was draped with light pink and white silk fabric and lined with roses, and it had been erected on a raised platform. Hanging back from the crowd, and standing on the path before us, were my father and my bridesmaids, Abby, Becky, Ariana and Ashley. The bridesmaids were dressed in matching lilac dresses.
I gave them all a weak smile.
As soon as my father laid eyes on me, he choked up. I said hello, but he didn’t respond. He just nodded, his eyes sparkling. My mother, tears in her own eyes, took his hand and kissed his cheek before hugging me once more.
“Good luck,” she said. “I’ll see you on the other side…”
“Thanks,” I croaked.
Ariana handed me a delicate bouquet of roses. Then I turned to my father. He held out his arm for me to take and I clasped it tight.
“Thank you,” I whispered, “for being the best dad in the world.”
He looked down at me, then shook his head. “No, Rose,” he said, his voice hoarse. “Thank you. I couldn’t have wished for a braver, smarter, more beautiful daughter. I couldn’t be prouder of you.”
I felt my own eyes well with tears.
“Dammit, Dad. You’re making me cry. My makeup is going to smudge.”
“You don’t need makeup anyway,” he muttered, turning to face the gazebo.
From where I was standing, I couldn’t yet see Caleb. We were standing a little aside from the aisle, so I couldn’t see straight down it, and there were too many people still taking their seats.
Once everyone had settled and the chattering had died down, my bridesmaids walked around me and picked up the hem of my dress. I exchanged a final glance with my father before lowering my veil.
“Here we go…” he whispered.
I gripped my father’s arm harder as we walked forward along the forest path and ap
peared at the end of the aisle. Straight ahead of me was the gazebo, under which stood Ibrahim—who usually took on the role of leading couples through the wedding ceremony—Micah, Caleb’s best man, and right in the center, the man himself. The love of my life. Caleb Achilles.
Wherever Caleb had gone, I could see that Corrine had managed to make sure he looked presentable in her eyes. He wore a gorgeous black tuxedo coupled with a crisp white shirt. His hair wasn’t slicked back—it hung naturally, touching the sides of his handsome face—which was the way I liked it. I could see the warmth in his eyes even through my veil and from this distance. They were positively sparkling as he stared at me.
My face flushed. Heck, my whole body heated up.
My feet felt shaky, and I was glad to have such a strong support as my father.
“Almost there, darling,” he whispered.
My heart racing, I barely noticed the guests. My eyes were fixed on the brown-eyed vampire who would soon own every part of me.
We neared closer and closer until we had arrived within five feet of him. Stretching out his arm and helping me up onto the platform, my father guided me toward Caleb and stepped back.
So close to Caleb now, I could make out every detail of his chiseled face. I felt grateful for the veil, because a stupid grin split my face as we locked eyes. It seemed to be contagious, because soon he was grinning too. Only he didn’t have a veil to hide behind.
I tried to rein myself in. At every wedding I’d attended, the bride always smiled gracefully, not grinned like a fool. I felt like such a dork. Still, I couldn’t help myself. Caleb just had that effect on me. He made me burst to life.
When it came time to exchange vows, my throat felt so dry I was sure that I’d sound like Lilith when I opened my mouth. I was glad that Caleb went first.
“Rose,” Caleb began. His expression was serious now as he looked deep into my eyes. “When you collided with my world, I was afraid that you might break. I put all my efforts into locking you away, trying to shelter and hide you from danger. With time, it became clear that my fears were unfounded. You revel in adversity—it only makes you stronger, braver… more beautiful in my eyes. I want to wake up to your smile every day for the rest of my existence. You, Rose, are the one, the only one, for me. And I’m honored that you’ve chosen me as the one for you.”
My grin had sure vanished by now. It was everything I could do to not let my emotions overwhelm me. The love I felt for this man was all-consuming. How could I even begin to articulate it?
“Caleb,” I said. “If someone had told me exactly one year ago that I’d be walking down the aisle by the age of eighteen, I’d have laughed in their face. No other man could have made this happen but you, Caleb. Anyone who knew me then will agree. From our first encounter, I was drawn to you in a way I didn’t even understand. But I knew that you were different than the company you kept. You didn’t belong in that dark castle. It was during the time I spent between those cold stone walls that you captured my heart. So much so that it didn’t matter when you returned me to The Shade. You still held me captive… Even though we haven’t known each other long, it feels like you know me better than I know myself. You know when to reel me in and when to let me go. When to comfort and when to challenge me. And now, even though we’ve dealt with the black witches… I hope we’ll find another crazy wave to ride together.”
Caleb chuckled, beaming down at me.
We exchanged rings and then Ibrahim gave permission to “kiss the bride”.
Caleb closed in on me, lifting my veil and reaching both hands behind my neck. Bending down to me, he pushed his lips against mine. He kissed me softly, slowly, allowing me to relish every second our lips touched. When he drew away, the crowd erupted in cheers.
Rose Achilles. That’s who I am now.
“Rose, you’re supposed to throw the bouquet,” Micah whispered behind me.
I was too entranced with my new husband to think about what I should be doing. Husband… I can hardly believe—
“Throw the bouquet,” Becky bugged.
Okay, okay.
Closing my eyes, I raised the bouquet over my shoulder and threw it blindly into the crowd. It looked like it was heading straight for Mona, but Helina leapt into the air and caught it just in time.
“I think it’s time for a dance,” Caleb said, placing his hands either side of my waist and leading me down the steps to the ground.
Everyone who had been seated on the chairs within the clearing stood up, and the witches moved them further into the trees, in order to create space for a dance floor.
A group of witches set up with instruments in one corner. I noticed Shayla among them, beginning to play the piano.
As Caleb began leading me in a dance, I thought back to our first encounter. Dancing. That was where everything had started for Caleb and me. If he hadn’t arrived at that beach, and if Ben and I hadn’t gone partying with Kristal and Jake, I likely never would’ve met this man. I never could have dreamed that night that this man would end up becoming my life partner. How strange it is, how people come together.
It was only now that I looked around more closely at the wedding attendees. I spotted Adelle and Eli standing at the edge of the dance floor, holding hands and talking. Micah and Kira had started dancing near us, and so had my grandfather and Kailyn. My mother and father were just about to join in along with Vivienne and Xavier.
“The ogres are here, too,” Caleb said. He indicated with his head to our right.
Brett and Bella were sitting on the ground with overflowing plates of food on their laps. Food hadn’t even been served yet, so I could only assume that they’d helped themselves. A smile spread across my face as I realized that they’d dressed up. Brett wore a large white shirt and—shock, horror—pants. I was so used to him wearing a loin cloth, I had to look twice to check I wasn’t seeing things. Bella on the other hand wore a long cream smock that reached beneath her knees. Though cross-legged on the ground, she was not sitting at the most strategic of angles. She was flashing her underwear to everyone who looked her way. Which was probably why nobody was looking her way.
Corrine must have attacked them both with a wardrobe. Not the best choice of colors, though. Their smart-looking clothes were fast being soiled as they overfilled their mouths with wedding food.
At least they looked like they were enjoying themselves.
“Happy birthday, Rose!” Griffin called to me. He swerved next to us, dancing with Becky.
“Thank you.” I laughed, even as joy mixed with melancholy.
“Happy birthday, Rose,” Anna and Kyle called, also taking to the dance floor.
“Thank you,” I said again, giving them a smile.
I noticed Ariana in one of the seats looking after baby Kiev.
I continued looking around and greeting people. I was amazed at the turnout with such short notice. I couldn’t spot a single dragon anywhere, though. I guessed that they were still feeling sore that their prince couldn’t have me. Otherwise, the only familiar faces I couldn’t spot were Yuri and Claudia. It saddened me that they weren’t here, but I knew that I could count on them to be having fun in Paris.
We danced for about half an hour more, and then it was time to cut the cake. Corrine floated it into the center of the dance floor on a table and beckoned to Caleb and me to approach. Laced with white and light pink icing, it was a gorgeous cake. I felt almost bad cutting it. Holding the knife together, Caleb and I sliced a piece.
As was custom, Corrine insisted that we take the first bite. Unfortunately, Caleb couldn’t or it would make him feel sick. He picked up the piece of cake and dug a spoon into it, feeding me.
He smiled, watching my reaction. “Good?”
I nodded, licking my lips. It was delicious. We moved to a seat at the side of the dance floor and Caleb pulled me onto his lap. He spoon-fed me the rest of the cake, watching me with interest as I swallowed.
“Don’t you miss dessert?” I asked.
I reached my fingers through his hair and ruffled it, winking back.
After Corrine and Ibrahim had finished dishing out the entire cake to our guests, they began serving the main course.
The piece of cake Caleb had fed me was particularly large, and I wasn’t hungry for anything else, so Caleb and I entered the dance floor again while everyone was busy with lunch. I enjoyed having the area to ourselves. I draped my arms around his neck, resting my head against his chest and listening to his heartbeat. I closed my eyes, blocking out the rest of the world, locking myself in our own little bubble.
When people finished eating many took to the dance floor again. The music sped up and became more lively. I enjoyed Caleb walking me through the different moves at various paces. I even tried a few moves of my own—something I didn’t usually do with him since he was so expert at leading me. As I did a little twirl, Caleb paused, looking at me with raised brow.
“Getting a bit adventurous, aren’t we?”
I snorted, before doing another twirl. I definitely felt more confident at dancing now than a year ago—all credit to Caleb. At least, I didn’t feel like such a klutz.
“Why don’t you try leading me?” he asked, taking my waist again.
“Leading you… into embarrassment?”
He laughed. “Just give it a try.”
“Okay.”
As the music picked up pace, I took the lead. It was surprisingly effortless. I was so used to mirroring Caleb, flowing with music came naturally to me now. I barely thought about it.
“I’m impressed,” he said.
“Well… you’re a good teacher.”
More people joined us on the dance floor again once lunch was over and we continued dancing for hours. I’d long lost track of how much time had passed, but I knew it must have been a lot because my feet were beginning to ache. Kicking off my shoes, I continued barefoot.
Then it was time for my presents. My mother approached us and pointed to the seats where a pile of wrapped gifts were stacked. I felt bad to see how large it was. I sat down and began unwrapping them one by one. My parents had gotten me a brand new phone. Vivienne and Xavier gave me an e-reader pre-loaded with dozens of my favorite novels. I opened Ibrahim and Corrine’s package to find my passport, reverted to its original state with my real date of birth. I looked up at Corrine guiltily. Also in the package was a collection of intoxicating perfume—apparently hand-crafted by Corrine.
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