Page 208 of The Call of Crimson
I tilt my head, trying to read him. “Why the sudden trip down memory lane?”
“I thought you could use the reminder right about now.”
The song comes to an end, and Ayden steps forward, tapping Elijah’s shoulder. “May I steal your partner?”
“Of course, Prince,” Elijah says, smiling warmly. “She’s all yours.”
OPHELIA
“Your turn, darling,” Elijah whispers, taking my hips in his hands from behind. He nips at my earlobe, sending a shiver down my spine.
He turns me so we’re face to face, his grip firm as we sway in time with the music. This tune is slower, meant for lovers.
I wind my arms around the back of his neck, pressing close. He leans his forehead against mine, whispering softly, “You are so beautiful, Ophelia. The gods have truly blessed me.”
I soak in his words, trying to find something to measure up to that declaration. “It is I who has been blessed.”
He kisses me tenderly before speaking again, “When you ran into me in that hallway, the only thing I could think was, ‘This looks like someone I could spend my life with.’”
I lift a brow. “We had barely spoken before then.”
“Ah, but you forget, I saw into your soul that day. I saw your memory of healing Lyla and countless others. Your memories showed me who you were, and I knew then that I could fall in love with you.”
“I was only doing what I knew to be right. I’ve also taken life…” My voice trails off, memories of my father and that male’s final breath clouding my mind.
“Because that is who you are at your core. You may have lost yourself along the way, but your soul was created for love. The darkness in you isn’t evil. There’s darkness and light in us all. You just have to remember where to look for the light when the darkness feels like too much.”
“Is it the end of the day yet?” I ask, wishing to utter the words I felt in my soul.
“Not quite.” He grins. “Tell me, what do you think forever would look like together?”
“With you?” I sigh contentedly. “I think it would look like joy.”
“And what does joy look like, Ophelia?”
“A summer wedding, so we could honeymoon in Amala. I think Layne would want you to take me there in his place.” A bittersweet smile crosses my face at the thought of going without my brother, but instead with my love.
“Tell me more,” he urges.
“It looks like two beautiful children with my hair and your eyes.”
“Boys or girls?”
“One of each.”
“What else?”
“Story time with hot chocolate around the fireplace on Winter Solstice. Slow dances to no music when we’re alone. Falling asleep next to you every evening.”
“And waking you up every morning with my tongue,” he adds in a low rasp.
“You did promise that,” I say with a giggle.
“I like the sound of that, Ophelia. It would be a perfect life.”
“Itwillbe our life, Elijah. I want nothing more than that life with you.”
“Of course.” The smile doesn’t quite reach his eyes.
