Page 8 of In The Shadows

I lean forward and give her a soft kiss. “I’ll be right back,” I say and take in her sweet smile one more time before leaving to race to my own chambers to change into dry clothes.

When I return, she’s sitting at the table in a simple light-blue dress eating a handful of crackers. The lack of crunch tells me they are likely stale.

“Has your mother returned?” I ask, scanning the quarters.

Lily shakes her head and takes a sip of water from her mug. I kiss her on the cheek before taking a seat in the chair beside her.

“If you’re feeling up for it, I thought we could go pick some flowers from the meadow. A fresh bouquet would look beautiful on your table for our celebration tonight,” I say to Lily, hoping she has the strength to go. I want nothing more but to bring back the lightness and joy we felt for a brief moment when we finally revealed our feelings for one another.

Her face lights up with the idea, and I’m happy to see she is feeling like herself again.

“We also need to stop at the shore to get our things. Mainly, we need to get my necklace before my mother returns. And never let me take it off again, Theo,” she demands.

I smile and give her a simple nod. “It’s a date. Shall we?” I say, standing and offering my arm to her.

Lily rises to join me. We interlace our fingers and then head out the door.

We wind through Brightwick, making our way to the other side of the castle where the meadow sits along the hillside. We follow the gray stone wall along the pathway leading up the hill to the meadow.

Flowers of all colors stretch out before us, their strong fragrances almost overwhelming our senses. Lily runs her fingertips along the velvet-soft petals as we enter the meadow.

Thunder booms loudly overhead, and we both look up at the ominous sky.

“Astra is angry.” Lily’s voice is low.

Gray clouds hang thick above us as large streaks of lightning flash in vibrant blue. Our goddess often expresses her frustration with mortals through violent storms across the realm. By the look of the clouds, Astra’s furious, and I say a silent prayer, hoping it isn’t because of us.

Warm tingles along my wrist force me to look down. Faint wisps of black shadows wind around our joined hands, and I smile as they appear to knit us together, locking us in their black cords.

“Oh, no,” Lily whispers beside me.

I bring my gaze to her to see her eyebrows raised in panic as she stares at her shadows dancing along our arms.

I grab the back of her neck and pull her to me, so her forehead presses into mine.

“Take a deep breath for me,” I command.

I watch her eyes close, and her chest rise.

“That’s it. One more,” I say again, and I watch as her shadows slowly coil back into her skin as if they were never there.

“That’s my powerful goddess,” I say, filled with admiration and adoration. This beautiful, kind, and strong woman is all mine. I’ll thank the gods and the fates every day for this honor.My flower.I’ll cherish every moment we share for the rest of our lives.

We set to picking beautiful, vibrant-yellow sunflowers, deep-red roses, and light-pink primroses to make a lovely bouquet.

“I feel like it’s missing something,” Lily says. She is standing with her hands on her hips, scanning the meadow. I continue to pick purple pansies as I watch her.

“Daisies! It’s missing daisies. I’m going to head over there and pick some while you finish up,” Lily says with glee while pointing across the meadow.

Far in the distance, there’s a grouping of delicate little flowers with white petals and a stunning yellow center.

“Ok, I’ll be over in a moment,” I reply hesitantly, not wanting her to leave my side.

She bends down and gives me a kiss that nearly knocks me to the ground. Lily makes quick work of the distance, switching between frolicking and jogging.

The clouds darken and a boom of thunder echoes in the distance. The hairs on my arms rise as the charge in the air increases with the storm.

A loud croaking sound comes from above, and I stand to see what animal could have made it.

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