Winter's Fall

  I understand everything she said because I grew up knowing how special and important a ceremony like this is. Scarlet looks slightly confused but determined as she pinches her mouth closed; I know she wants to move on, learning as she goes.

  Without an explanation of what is to happen, Scarlet watches with an innocence that reminds me just how unblemished she is by our eternal world. To be reminded of how incredible she is, so powerful and valiant, and yet still so new to the world of Eden is still remarkable. It will always keep me grounded and appreciative of what I have, who I am.

  Belle walks forward and places two thick rope-like strings of the same length in Ava's palms. Turning around, she returns to her place in the circle and raises her palms in the air. Ava and the other Elders repeat the gesture and lift their faces to the light of the moon.

  Ava holds the pieces of string in her fingertips and dances them slowly around the space above her head, where she can reach the moonlight most. In a trance over the way her hands are moving through the air, even I gasp as I watch the strings glow when she pulls them away from the light. With a magnetic pull, the strings lift on their own and twirl around each other in their own intimate dance.

  “With the blessing of the moon, these pieces are connected by love and power for all of eternity. With the blessings from your family and friends, these pieces are surrounded by support. With the blessings from my fellow Sisters and I, these pieces are protected by strength and loyalty. And with the blessings from the Gods and Goddesses of our worlds, these pieces are bound to you both, together as one, for the rest of your eternal and beautiful lives.”

  Opening her palms towards Scarlet and I, the strings leave the air above her and circle our bodies in a slow and steady motion. As we watch them glow around us, their movement is slow at first, but they then begin moving faster and faster; becoming so rapid that it makes my head spin with dizziness.

  Suddenly they freeze directly in front of our faces and, before I can even blink, they separate - one flies down Scarlet’s left leg and she gasps as it wraps around her ankle. She lifts her leg to reveal the string has now turned to a bright metallic white chain that looks delicate enough to break away. Simultaneously the other one travels up my left hand and I feel a weird sensation on my wrist as I see the string also turning into a white chain.

  I inspect the chain that now sits on my left wrist. We both turn them over in amazement and, as I pull at it to test its strength, it doesn't budge, not even a little. The beginning and end of the chain are indistinguishable, so it looks like they are there to stay. What a wonderful gift to show that we are bound to each other for all of eternity.

  A smile grows on my face as I admire the chains that connect Scarlet and I, and it fills my heart more than I thought was possible. Scarlet matches my smile and blushes as she realizes the intimacy behind the chains. Taking her hands in mine, I squeeze them with reassurance as we wait for Ava to complete her part of the ceremony.

  “They have found their forever places and have sealed this half of the ceremony. You both are now linked with the chains of the Collegati and have the blessing of the moon with you always. If either of you are ever in a place of sorrow and need to find each other, look to the moon and she will guide you there. And the rest of us, your Sisters, family, and friends will be there to assist you in any way we can.”

  The group shouts in celebration as Ava closes her portion of the ceremony.

  “Tomorrow Hunter will seal the bond of your souls and complete the ceremony in its entirety. In mortal traditions there is a party to celebrate which follows the ceremony. However, here in Eden we believe that the couple should be left alone to reflect on what this ceremony means to them and to rejoice.

  The moments following the ceremony are new and foreign because you came here as two people, but you now leave as one. So, with that being said, I congratulate you two beautiful casters and I am beyond honored to get to witness this relationship flourish and grow. I love you both dearly. Enjoy your time together.”

  Hugging us tightly, Ava begins the line of goodbyes. Seeing everyone’s love and support really makes me feel like I never want to wake from this incredible dream. But Ava is right; as grateful as I am to have this group of people here with us, I can’t wait to be alone with Scarlet so I can show her just how much of my heart she has.

  By the look on her face, I know she’s on the same page as me, on the same cloud as me. When the last person departs and leaves us to ourselves, there isn't a single word that can express the level of emotions running through my body.

  All I can do is gently hold her and kiss her passionately under the moonlight in our special place, linked as one. Always and forever.

  Chapter 40

  The Big Night Part I

  Charlie

  Even with all of the chaotic events that surround us, the fact that Scarlet and Evan are letting the love they share rise above the madness is inspiring. The happiness they have together is enough to give me hope that the caster world will conquer this war. I'm bummed I missed the first half of their ceremony. But even if I was mortal I would have missed it, as well.

  Eden is untouchable by anyone who isn't a caster. The fact that I know the head Elder is a privilege in and of itself. Mack was most upset about missing out, but Derek convinced her to look at the bright side, which is that she can still wear her fancy bridesmaid dress at the second ceremony and can look forward to the fun they are going to have at the after-party.

  My bright side is that love still overcomes hate, even when the Dark Coven permeates so much of our present with their ugliness. They have tried so hard to bring Scarlet down, but our girl is relentless. She has matured and learned so much, I am certain she will persevere and come out on top.

  The fact that she has someone as amazing and supportive as Evan standing by her side throughout these challenges will only make her stronger. Theo disagrees with this wedding, and I can’t really blame the way he’s feeling when I try to see things from his point of view.

  In an alternate universe, if Scarlet had met Theo first, it would be them getting married. It didn't happen that way, though. Maybe I'm biased because I was there when Scarlet and Evan met and fell in love, but I'm glad they're together.

  Theo thinks they're making a bad decision going through with the wedding because he says someone could get really hurt. Unless he’s talking about himself, I'm not entirely sure there can be any other analysis for his reasoning. Even if his thought process is unbiased, Evan is making certain there will be enough demon hunters patrolling the area to ensure everyone’s safety.

  If something unexpected does occur, I’m positive that with our training we can assemble and take care of the problem. Since becoming an angel, positivity has taken over my sarcastic pessimism. There definitely are times I miss it, though.

  Lucas loves the new me. I'm unsure if I should be offended by that or if I should embrace it. He says that the optimism is sexy. But when I was mortal he also thought my negativity was humorous. I think I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt because of how devastated he was when he lost me and was immediately by my side the moment I came back. This wedding gives me hope in whatever future is possible between a guardian angel and a demon hunting caster.

  I'm going to have to present one heck of a case to the council if I want to continue my time down here with Lucas and my friends. I wonder if it would be too much to ask Scarlet to continue to be in constant danger. Snickering to myself I laugh at the fact that I can still be witty, even if it’s only internally.

  Mack squints her eyes and gives me a sideways look as she wonders what I can be laughing about. But I know that’s something I should keep to myself for now, because when this war is over one way or another I’m going to have to face the council. I lift my brows and shrug my shoulders as a way of an explanation.

  Theo, Finn, and Sage have offered to take the morning to do surveillance before the ceremony so there was no added stress on me. Without any new
developments, the pressure is rising for us to come up with a lead, any lead. But since we’re angels, by nature we tend to stick to the bright side of things, so I hope we’re going to catch a break.

  Except for Theo. He’s the exception. He can hold a grudge for days, and is big on letting it show on his face. Even with a flawless face like his, a pout can grace it for an incredibly long time.

  Ever since Scarlet and Evan came back from Eden half linked, Theo’s face has been in a permanent scowl. Everyone has been steering clear of him, afraid of hearing his moaning and groaning. Scarlet, on the other hand, looks like she is under the deepest spell of love and lust with Evan.

  We can all feel their tension thick in the air whenever they're together. The atmosphere is so electrifying that the hair rises on our arms the moment they touch. It was too much for the rest of us to handle so, as in mortal tradition, we separated them. For our own good.

  Evan went with the guys to Demi's house just across the park, and Scarlet stayed here, at her dad's house, with us girls. Theo and Finn are on the roof scouting out the area for any enemy presence. And Sage decided to stay with us for the ultimate caster/mortal wedding. And I don't blame her one bit.

  I couldn't be more excited to see what they have in store for this wonderful occasion, especially when someone as amazing as Demi is planning it. I haven't been to many weddings, being an orphan and all. But whenever I would read about one, I would daydream, picture the wedding and the couple getting married in my mind, and it would make me feel intoxicated with love. I never thought I would be lucky enough to find a love so strong, then Lucas came into my life.

  Scarlet appears to be calm as we get ready together. Demi is more frantic, but I can tell she’s doing her best to hide it. Demi keeps saying that the last-minute change is throwing her off her game. But with their casting, I think everything should still fall into place perfectly. Well, as perfectly as we can expect, considering the dark cloud that continues to follow Scarlet and the rest of us.

  As I squeeze into the velvety black bandage dress Scarlet picked out for Mack and I to wear, the butterflies in my stomach are spreading their wings and getting ready to take flight as the time draws nearer to the ceremony. When the dress is finally fully on and my boot heels are zipped up, the butterflies are completely airborne. Staring at myself in the mirror, I’m mesmerized by the image staring back at me. After all this time, the transformation I see is so amazing that it brings tears of joy to my eyes.

  I look like me, just a prettier, more powerful version of my former self. I'm still uncomfortable in my own angel skin because it’s not something I'm used to seeing, not used to feeling. I liked myself as a human with all of my flaws, and this upgraded version of me still feels unreal.

  Walking out of the bathroom, Mack and the rest of the girls shout and holler their approval. Loud whistles and playful taunting follow me as I make my way to their circle of beautification. I look around at the gorgeous women I get to call my friends and it grounds me, knowing they have my back when we’re in battle and I will always have their friendship.

  “Damn y’all, we are smokin’ hot; we are a squad of bad ass chicks.” Mack snaps her freshly manicured fingers and casts a round of shot glasses for all of us. Without another word, everyone reaches for their glass and lifts it high up into the air for a toast.

  “To y’all, my squad.” Mack squeals her toast and throws back the fiery hot liquid. As we repeat her toast, accent and all, we swig back our shots.

  “So, Scarlet, how are you feeling? You seem really chill, which, I gotta say, is inspiring.” Chloe asks her, as an invisible makeup artist applies a dark red lipstick onto her lips.

  “I'm really good, actually. After last night, I have no worries about tonight, or our future.” Scarlet smiles as she recalls their intimate night alone. Some of the girls tease her with “oohs,” bringing a blush to her cheeks.

  “You guys better stop. They know better than to seal the bond before the ceremony is complete.” Hunter, who looks shocked that we would make that kind of assumption, raises her eyebrows sternly.

  We all laugh at her innocence, then laugh even harder as we realize how much more red Scarlet’s cheeks have gotten. Demi pats her back gently, then slides in closer to her for a side hug. Demi has been wiping her tears all day as she reflects on Scarlet’s life. Being the one who was there as a mother figure for her, I can only imagine how proud she feels.

  “Alright, enough teasing of the bride. Let’s get our faces and hair done so we can get some pictures taken. Silas is already back from photographing the guys. Of course, they're all ready. All they have to do is get their clothes on.” Demi rolls her eyes as she waves her hand through the air.

  Scarlet’s hair suddenly lifts into the air and some of the strands begin to twist into an enchanting braided crown. The bottom half of her hair starts to spin the other way, undoing her signature curls and becoming straight and shiny, cascading down her back and over her shoulders. Dainty white flowers fill the braid in her hair, making her look like a majestic fairy.

  A short and lacy white veil gets pinned underneath the braid in the back, covering the top half of her back. Another wave of Demi's hand and Scarlet’s eyes close. Eyeliner draws itself in a perfect wing as her eyelashes get coated with mascara.

  Her lips are tinted with a matte pink shade that looks natural against her porcelain-like skin. For the finishing touch, bright white sparkles highlight some parts of her face and arms. The caster marks on her skin glow with a neon brightness as they relish in the energy that radiates off of her.

  I feel a cast starting to work on me, as well. I slowly get up, afraid I’ll mess up the cast; I walk over to stand by her in front of the mirror. The sides of my hair, above where my ears are, twist into three thin braids on each side, coming together to meet in a high ponytail that runs down the middle of my back. With my mouth open in awe, I watch my lips fill with an almost black shade that reminds me of what I liked to wear when I was mortal.

  The smokey eye makeup paints itself perfectly as it shapes the tilt of my eyes. And for my own finishing touch, silver rings are placed into each of the braids, completing my look with a rebellious kind of style. Just the kind of style I was obsessed with before my mortal life ended and my new life began as Scarlet’s personal protective angel. Pulling Demi in for my own hug, I silently thank her for making me feel like the old me under angelic circumstances.

  She moves on to Sage as Scarlet walks out of the large walk-in closet. Her Grecian style trumpet dress hugs every inch of her body, shaping it wholly. She looks like a Greek goddess standing before us.

  The shimmering silver undertones of the dress shine with every move she makes. Her thin glittering heels poke out the front of the dress, and her matching sparkling jewelry are dainty and just the right touch. My breath actually hitches, along with every other girl in the room. There just isn't enough gushing that can convey how incredible she looks.

  “If you guys don't stop, you're going to make me cry.”

  Scarlet shines her radiant smile and at this moment I see her for the true warrior she is; a unique caster with angel blood who sits on the Council of Casters. Now that I'm an angel and know how sacred that is, appreciating how close we are and always will be is an honor.

  “It might already be too late for me.” Mack fans her eyes as she looks up at the ceiling, trying to stop the tears from escaping them.

  “Yes, we must get this show on the road before I become a mess. We are down to the last few minutes before the guys make their way over.” Demi grabs her dress off of the hanger and runs to her closet, where Scarlet just came from.

  “Knock, knock.” Silas comes into the room without actually knocking. His hand is over his eyes as he waits for someone to give him the all-clear signal. A few of the girls run to the bathroom together to finish getting ready, and Scarlet lets him know he’s okay.

  “Wow, Scarlet. I am speechless. Do a little spin.” Silas raises his camera to h
is eye and snaps a few photos of Scarlet doing her gracious twirl.

  “Okay, let’s go to your old room. The window up there is the money shot, especially for you.” He takes her by the hand and pulls her out just as Demi walks out of the closet.

  “Where did the bride go?” She looks momentarily frenzied, until Mack tells her she went with her husband to take pictures.

  “Phew. Good. It’s perfect timing. You can all start making your way to the backyard. Except for you two. You two stay with me.” Demi points to Mack and I in our semi-matching dresses and waves the other girls to the door.

  “You ladies are in charge of showing everyone to their seats.” She shouts to the group before turning back to us.

  “Even if there’s less than a dozen guests.”

  Demi takes our hands and leads us downstairs to the entry room, where Derek and Lucas are both waiting. She raises a finger and leaves the room in a hurry. If I thought my breath hitched before when I saw Scarlet, seeing the man of my dreams all dapper and done up almost makes me stop breathing.

  By the look on Luke’s face, he feels the same way about me. His mouth hasn't closed since I walked into the room. He and Derek are both in black English-cut suits tailored to fit them just right.

  Lucas’ hair is cut short in an undercut and styled back. It makes my stomach growl with a hunger that takes all of my might to control. He takes his hand out of his pocket and walks to me as if he is in slow motion. Or maybe I am full on swooning and just seeing it that way in my head.

  “You look so…yummy.” Luke whispers in my ear, causing my stomach to go wilder.

  “Right back at ya.” I want to sound more flirty than I do, but it doesn’t come out exactly how I want.

  Luke pulls me into his arms and leans down for a gentle kiss. We fall into a hug afterward and my eyes land on Derek and Mack, who are full on making out. His hands roam all over her body as she tangles her hands in his wavy hair.