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Lucas’s hands shook in mine, and tears fell from his eyes. He squeezed my hands tighter, like it took everything within him to hold himself together. I squeezed him back to let him know that if he needed to break down, I’d be here to help him pick up the pieces.
But that didn’t happen, because a smile stretched across his face then, and he whispered to his brother, “I love you.”
Eric placed his hand over his heart to show Lucas he knew exactly how his brother felt.
Beside the others, I noticed a girl with the kindest eyes. Amy smiled brightly, opening her arms wide to me, and tears began streaming from my eyes. All these people had moved on. I never thought I’d see them again.
I wanted to run over to them, to say goodbye one last time, but they were there one moment and gone the next. The faces I so desperately missed faded into the forest. The cats looked upward, meowing as pieces of their souls faded away.
Lucas reached out a hand into the empty forest, as if begging his brother to come back. I shared his sentiment; we hadn’t had enough time with them.
“Your ancestors have appeared, and given their blessing,” Talia said. “And with it, they will bless you with a message.”
Talia pulled a deck of tarot cards from her cloak. They were unlike any deck I’d seen before, with beautiful silver foil on the backs that shimmered under the orbs.
“You will select a card for your union, to guide you into your marriage,” Talia announced.
She spread the cards out, and Lucas and I reached for the same one. Together, we pulled the card from the deck and flipped it over.
The card depicted a warrior on a chariot being led by a white sphynx and a black sphynx. The warrior appeared to be driving the chariot, but there were no reigns. In his hand, he simply held a wand.
“You have chosen The Chariot,” Talia announced. “Together, you are strong and courageous. Though you may be pulled in two directions, you two hold the power to lead your relationship in any direction you choose, and you will find strength in navigating those opposing forces together. Rely not on what others expect from you, but know that you are in control of your relationship, and through determination, you two can achieve anything together.”
I knew relationships required work, and that effort didn’t end when we got married, but I knew whatever we faced, Lucas and I could do it together.
“Finally, you will receive a blessing from the Earth,” Talia said.
Lucas kept hold of my hand as he led me to the base of the oak tree at the edge of the clearing. Grammy had told me about this part of the ceremony, and I’d memorized the incantation by heart.
Lucas shot me a glance, and I nodded. We spoke in unison.
Heart of oak and love’s pure light
We seek your blessing on this wedding night.
Together, we pressed our palms to the base of the tree. Something shifted beneath our hands. My fingers curled around a long stick, and we pulled it from the trunk together. A wand appeared in our hands, and we held it up for our friends to see. The wand was eleven inches long with a twisted blade and engravings of roses on the handle.
It was a Wedding Wand—a special wand that could only be forged during a Miriamic wedding ceremony. Lucas and I could use it together in relationship rituals, in order to strengthen our marriage.
“Now for the rings,” Talia said.
Grant pulled the rings from the breast pocket of his suit, and he handed them to us.
“Do you, Lucas Taylor, choose Nadine Evers to be your one and only, for as long as this incarnation lasts?” Talia asked.
Lucas beamed and spoke with firm conviction. “I do.”
He slipped the ring on my finger, and my heart filled with so much joy I thought it might explode. The light glowing around our forms began to twist together, glowing brighter as they merged as one.
“Do you, Nadine Evers, choose Lucas Taylor to be your one and only, for as long as this incarnation lasts?”
“I do!” I could hardly get the words out fast enough. We’d been waiting for this moment for so long, and now, it was finally here. I beamed as I placed a white gold ring on his finger. I’d never been happier.
“Your word is your intention,” Talia said. “I now pronounce you warlock and wife. You may now seal this union with the show of your love.”
Lucas let go of my hands to take my whole body in his arms. I threw my arms around his neck, and we fell into a deep, passionate kiss.
Our friends cheered so loud it echoed through the trees. A white light shone so bright I could see it through my lids. I opened my eyes to see our forms glowing brighter, then all at once, the light exploded upwards. I watched in awe as the magic burst like fireworks, then turned into a million tiny bits of starlight that rained down upon us like confetti.
