Winter's Fall

by Alessandra Jay

  Luke clears his throat, causing them to realize where they are and separate. Mack smirks with her makeup still in perfect condition as she runs her fingers through her hair. Derek snaps his fingers and her hair returns to their pretty pre-make-out session state.

  “Okay, I'm back. Are you ready? We’re all going to stand in our designated area out back and Scarlet is going to walk out by herself. We do the ceremony, they kiss, we celebrate, done. Sounds easy enough.”

  She began speaking to us, but then seemed like she was actually speaking more to herself. She waves her hand for us to follow her to the backyard, and on our way we meet up with Scarlet and Silas.

  Scarlet walks down the last few stairs and again practically takes my breath away. Luke and Derek both compliment her on her obvious beauty, which brings a blush to her cheeks. Her innocence still runs through her and that makes me love her even more. The fact that she can still be herself after everything she’s been through…what we’ve been through… is really amazing.

  “Gosh, Scar, you are a beautiful sight to behold. Wait until Evan sees you!” Demi squeals her excitement and pulls her little sister in for another hug before the commencement of the ceremony.

  “Alright, you wait here. When you hear music, make your way to the backyard.”

  “That’s it?” Scarlet sounds confused that it seems so simple.

  “That’s it, girl. You got this. Finding your Anima Partem is a blessing. This day is a blessing.” Demi kisses her on her forehead and rubs her shoulders.

  “I'm so proud of you, Scarlet. You're an inspiration to all casters and angels out there. You deserve to be happy.”

  With one last run of her fingers through Scarlet’s weirdly pin-straight hair, Demi spins around and leads us to the doors. Beyond that is the ceremony we’ve all been waiting for.

  Chapter 41

  The Big Night Part II

  Stepping out of the house and into the fairytale setting that lights up the night surpasses all of my expectations. All-white snowdrops float in the air above our heads with a faint illuminated glow that twinkle with the stars that fill the night sky. There are silver and white snowdrops floating just above the ground in straight lines that lead to different sections of the backyard. Delicate white lace is draped over an archway in the very center of the backyard where Scarlet and Evan will complete their ceremony.

  Chairs and pillows that match the white lace arch are scattered around the archway in a perfectly layered circle, which is filled with Scarlet’s family and closest friends. Strands of lights wrap around the trees and bushes that fill the backyard garden area. A transparent canopy with the same lights is placed just beside the bed of snowdrops that cover the garden. Long rectangular tables line the dining and dancing area with lace placemats and lace chair bows.

  By a table near the wedding cake are white paper lanterns waiting for their candles to be lit so they can fly into the night, carrying with them our good wishes for Scarlet and Evan. The wedding cake is featured on an elegant table. It’s small and traditional, but a classy all-white cake with lacy silver details. Even the cake shimmers with an ethereal glow.

  Classical music begins playing through invisible speakers and I scurry to find my place next to Mack. She is still gawking at the magical job Demi accomplished on such short notice. Everyone in the backyard turns and focuses on the silhouette of Scarlet’s petite body that appears in the frame of the doorway.

  Being that I have already seen Scarlet, I turn to look at Evan to watch the reaction to his bride. As the tears roll down my face, I am not disappointed. Evan doesn't blink. It looks like his breathing has stopped, like he’s afraid to move and miss a moment.

  Scarlet commences her bridal walk towards the altar to stand beside her beloved and it appears like everyone who is holding testimony to this wedding is also holding their breath. As she gets closer, Evan’s eyes sparkle with pride, and a smile on his face grows from ear to ear. He looks towards the heavens and, as his lips move in silent gratitude, he wipes his eyes as they begin to tear. Everyone aware of his emotions can’t help but join in his tears of joy.

  Finally, Scarlet makes it to Evan’s side and instantly his hands are intertwined with hers. The moment they touch, the tension we all felt before returns in full force, making me feel light-headed and weirdly hungry for the same love that they have. By the way he’s looking so intensely at her, I know they must be doing that mind speaking thing that casters love to do. I quietly thank them for keeping their sappy thoughts to themselves because I can’t afford to shed anymore tears.

  Hunter loudly blows her nose directly in front of the couple and all of us can only laugh. Looking at us with a wide-eyed look, she snaps her fingers and the napkin disappears into thin air. Smiling nervously, Hunter clears her throat and fumbles with the paper in her hands.

  “Why on all of the realms did Ava pick me to do this? I am way too sensitive for a job like this.” She tries to mumble to herself, but we all hear her loud and clear, again bringing on the laughs from the guests. Hunter snaps her fingers again and the papers now disappear.

  “Forget the papers, we’re gonna wing it. I think I’ve been present at enough of these ceremonies to know what to say.” Again clearing her throat, she steadies her breathing with her eyes closed, and a second later her eyes open and a smile is spread wide on her face.

  “Ava has already completed the first half of this ceremony, so thankfully she left the easy part for me. Today we will complete the Anima Partem ceremony and bind your auras together. Scarlet has requested we skip the vows and go straight to the good stuff because, apparently, they said what they had to say last night…when they were alone…on the roof.”

  I'm sure she doesn't mean to sound like she is assuming something inappropriate happened, but it does come out sounding that way. The laughs have now turned to snickers. And the blushing that is on Scarlet’s face matches Hunter’s.

  Scrunching the bridge of her nose, Hunter takes a deep breath and attempts to regain her composure to continue after her rocky start.

  “Alright, let’s just begin. I'm going to have to ask the casters here to refrain from letting their auras show until the ceremony is over. Scarlet and Evan, you two will be the only ones here with your auras out and your powers fully released. But since we’re in the mortal world, we won’t have them out for long.”

  Looking at them expectantly, Hunter raises her brows to signify that they do just as she asked.

  Obviously, Sage and I can’t see the auras that the casters can, but we do feel a blast of power that hits us like a wave. It feels like someone filled my entire body with an adrenaline boost and, as my heart races with the lingering sensation, I shiver to return my body to its normal state. If it could even go back.

  “Perfect. Wow, Scar, seeing your aura never gets old. Please promise to keep it in check or all of us will be zombies through this thing.” Getting off task, Hunter shakes her head.

  “Now I want you both to place your palms onto each others and try to balance your breathing. When you're both circulating as one, we’ll see a spark in your auras. The moon will assist us in completing the ritual and bind your sparks together. Everyone remember to brace yourselves because once those two sparks become one, that wave of power is going to intensify…by a lot.”

  Hunter looks at the group surrounding the bride and groom with a serious look in her eyes.

  As Scarlet and Evan balance themselves out, Hunter raises her hands towards the glowing moon. Her eyes are closed and I can see her mouth moving, but she’s whispering the words so softly that even with my angel hearing it’s hard to comprehend. Very slowly she brings her encased hands down to the front of her chest and her eyes open to look around Scarlet and Evan’s bodies.

  We only wait a few moments when she shouts that the sparks have joined. The new thin chains that Scar and Evan received last night glow as bright as the stars in the sky. Her eyes close again and she pulls her hands away from each other in the exact
same slow motion. A ball of what looks like a million thin strings glow with a brightness that you can only collect from the moon.

  My eyes are drawn to the brightness and I can’t look away. Hunter squints her eyes and, just at the right second, she extends her hands towards Scarlet and Evan. The brightness encases their bodies and a blast suddenly blows us back. It’s so intense that it knocks some of us off our chairs.

  We all get to our feet to find Scarlet and Evan still in the exact same place. Only now it looks like their bodies are vibrating. Their eyes stay locked on each other and their palms are still stuck, like they have melded together. Hunter steadies herself and, with a single loud clap, their vibrating bodies suddenly stop.

  Hunter is so entranced with what I imagine their new auras look like that it takes her a moment too long to continue. Sage and I exchange glances as we relate to the unfairness of not being able to see what they do. Even still, the entire process has been magical enough to please my heart. Mack places her hand in mine and squeezes it as she wipes her tears with her other hand.

  “Now that your auras are bound, the next step is for your souls to merge. But that is done on your own time on your own terms. We have completed the Anima Partem ceremony and you two are now bound…forever and ever and ever and ever. There’s no turning back.”

  It’s good to see her humor has replaced the numb look of awe.

  “Before we go and begin the celebrations, I just want to say that I'm beyond honored to be standing here with the two of you. To be able to witness such a deep love in a ceremony so special like this one has been one heck of a privilege and I will remember it for all of my days. This love story will be one for the history books and we all are a part of it.

  I might be older than you, but I look up to you both in so many ways, and I know it’s true for the other casters and angels that are here bearing witness to this ceremony, as well. I wish you both nothing but happiness, and I truly can’t wait to see what the future holds for you two.”

  Again the tears escape my eyes and I temporarily worry about my smokey eye makeup smearing all down my face. Bringing my hand to wipe under my eyes, I try to fix my makeup mess. But as I look at my fingers to see the damage, there is none. Mack must've seen my confusion and leans over.

  “The joys of caster makeup.” She flips her hair and returns looking at the bride and groom.

  “And as the custom calls for, you may now kiss the bride.”

  Hunter takes a step back, as if she’ll be in the way of their kiss. Evan gently pulls Scarlet in and slowly drops his head to share a soft, but hot and heavy kiss. He wraps his arms around her body and lifts her up in the air.

  They pull away and face everyone with cheeks the color of tomatoes. With their hands still linked together, they raise them up in the air together and we all clap to show our support. Demi signals the newlyweds to move to the center of the dance floor, where they will share their first dance as Mr. and Mrs. White.

  As they pass us, I feel a pulsing energy around them that is almost addicting. They're still so entranced in each other that they go straight to the dance floor without looking away from each other’s face. When they reach the center of the dance floor, we all stand to follow and watch.

  Demi waves her hand and a song I’ve never heard before plays all around us. It sounds like a sexy and intimate song, and I fall in love with it immediately. Scarlet and Evan fall into a subtle tango and they look like professional dancers.

  I know they haven't had any time to practice, so for them to be so in tune with each other without going over it once is just as uncanny and rare as Hunter was talking about. They really are perfect for each other. Scarlet laughs when Evan lifts her high up into the air. When she comes back down, they fall into a slow two-step dance.

  Silas and Demi join them on the dance floor, as do Mack and Derek. Luke's arms reach around me from the back as he holds me in a hug that I could stay in forever. Swaying to the music, he takes one of my hands in his and spins me around, twirling me onto the dance floor.

  A few more people join us to finish the song. When it ends, it rains snowdrop petals. They fall all around us, covering the entire dance floor with their bright white petals. Catching some in my hands, I do my own spin and throw them up in the air.

  Laughing and enjoying every moment of the night so far, Luke softly places his hands on my cheeks and presses his lips down on mine. Weddings really do bring out the romance and devotion in people.

  “One day that will be us.”

  Luke's words strike me directly in the heart. I’m not even sure if I’m going to be allowed back down here after the war is over. But I don't want to ruin his night, so I nod and smile. I wish it could be so simple.

  Demi leads us to the long table and tells us to find our names so we can be seated for dinner. Dinner has already been placed on the table, teeming with hot and delicious-smelling food. I eagerly take my seat and lift the champagne glass to my mouth, and am pleasantly surprised when it doesn’t taste like champagne, which I hate.

  With a sparkling berry fizz, the drink tastes like a piece of candy. Mack throws back her first glass, then taps the glass and refills it using her new caster powers. It’s something I'm still coming to terms with, which I'm sure is the same for her, along with the fact that I'm an angel.

  As we enjoy our dinner, I silently thank the gods and goddesses for such a quiet and chaos-free evening. Scarlet and Evan deserve to enjoy each other without having to worry about wars and battles.

  And by how smoothly the wedding and dinner went, I am sure we are going to be lucky enough to have a stress-free night. But I should have known that’s not possible for anyone in this group.

  Chapter 42

  Vincent Valentine

  Scarlet

  More than once I’ve had to pinch myself to make sure I wasn't in a dream or a vision. Even with everything still in shambles with the Dark Coven, I have never felt so safe and entranced as I do right now, in Evan’s arms. I can’t help but wonder how this night would have been if we kept our plans to have it in Eden.

  How the Dark Coven would have carried out their plan is still a mystery. I still have a slight worry that they didn’t believe our ceremony was cancelled and may have tried to carry out their ambush as planned. I just hope everyone in Eden is alright.

  These things keep trying to rush to the forefront of my brain, but I'm just too lost in Evan’s love to focus on them. After our auras connected, I’ve never felt so close to anyone before. It feels like I am completely in tune with Evan’s emotions, and it’s as if I know what his next step is going to be before he makes it.

  It showed most when we had our first dance. It looked as if we had practiced the choreography for weeks. In reality, it was the first time we stepped on the dance floor together to dance to that song. I thought my senses couldn't get any more heightened than they already were, considering I have angel blood running through my veins. But I was wrong.

  Now that Evan and I are linked, I feel even more alert to everything around me. I can hear the sounds of Finn and Theo’s voices on the roof, I can hear the clicking of the camera from Mack's phone, who is on the other side of the backyard, and I can hear the loud thumping of Evan’s heart every time we touch.

  We sit under the canopy with the chocolate strawberry cake Dimitri made, and even the simple act of eating has me hot and heavy for him. I keep getting distracted by the things I loved about Evan before we became one, because now my love for them has intensified tenfold. His lips look juicer, his laugh sounds deeper and happier, his apple scent has surrounded me entirely, among many other things I’m noticing. I can’t help but swoon over our eternal love.

  Evan is on the same love high as I am. I can sense it. Especially whenever our eyes connect. It feels as if I am inside of him, seeing through his eyes. He can’t keep his hands off of mine, and I don't think I’ve ever seen him so calm about the outside world. Maybe now, since he is linked with my power, he can feel how
prepared I am, how prepared we are to take on whatever challenge is thrown at us.

  I also notice that after our ceremony the same hunger that we feel towards each other is also affecting the guests that are here. Hunter and Owen have not left each other’s side and, not that it’s any different from any other time, but Derek and Mack have been all over each other. Lucas and Charlie have been glued to the dance floor and Silas has had his camera pointed at Demi practically the entire time.

  I mean, how can they not get lost in our love? The magical decorations alone are like a fairytale. The fact that Evan’s power and my power are intertwined with our love and literally set free is icing on the cake.

  I can’t blame them for soaking in the love. I wish Ava was here so Dimitri didn't have to dance without her.

  But it’s nice to see him and my dad in true bliss over Evan and me. The happiness that surrounds this occasion stirs so many emotions about what it means to be a family. After everything is said and done, their support means the world to me.

  “I have a toast to make before the night ends.”

  Dad clinks his glass with a spoon as he stands tall in the middle of the dance floor as he casts himself a microphone. Evan and I make our way out of the canopy and walk hand in hand to stand by my smitten father. Snapping his burly fingers, a small glass appears in everyone’s hand.

  “Evan, you are a wonderful addition to our family. I couldn't have asked for a better son-in-law. Your family has always defended the defenseless and you always fought to uphold their honor. There is no better man that I would wish to be by my daughter’s side.”

  I know Theo is listening in on the speech because I hear a low grunt come from him in the distance.

  “I’ve had the pleasure to watch you both evolve as individuals and then become even more powerful and valiant together as a couple tonight with your union. I am just so damn proud. I love you Scarlet, and I’m so excited to welcome another son into our family. I wish you both nothing but peace and happiness. I look forward to witnessing your bright future together.”