Page 94 of Whisper Falls

“Now crown me, and let’s do this thing.”

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I stumble when I reach the clearing at the end of the paths to the Falls. Not because the walk was especially arduous; the Woods has been rather accommodating, making the walk short and relatively painless.

No, I stumble because I cannot believe this is my Falls.OurFalls.

The creatures of the Woods line the edges of the Woods, my nabras herd keeping careful watch over the proceedings. Leading the way to the gathering of our friends—our family—is a path of white flower petals.

And at the end? I’d expected Seff to construct something simple—a wooden arbour, perhaps with flowers and a podium for the ritual. But no, the man had pulled out all the stops.

An archway, made of the most incredible stained glass, frames the view of the falls. In front of the arch is my brother, tears leaking from his eyes behind the stone altar.

And Roan. My lungs lock when I finally allow myself to look at him, the entire world falling away except for us. Gods, he looks incredible. Everyone dressed in their most flamboyant outfits and Roan wasn’t about to be left out of the fun.

His black shirt is unbuttoned low, and his matching suit is tailored to mould to his thick muscles, with gorgeous golden embroidery on the shoulders just for the drama.

I canfeelhis gaze on me, but I cannot bring myself to look him in the face just yet. I am going to sob like a baby the moment that I do, and I just want a moment to soak it all in before I drown in it entirely.

My arms begin to tingle, the emotion and the power fizzing together dangerously, and so I tip my head up to the sky, inhaling deeply. Breathe in. Hold. Release.

And again.

I commit this absolutely perfect moment to my mind. Then I meet Roan’s eyes from across the clearing, and let myself fall.

I’m not even aware of my steps as I make my way up the petal path to Roan, completely transfixed by him. I come to a stop in front of him, and the closeness instantly rights my off-kilter world.

“Hi.” He chokes out the greeting through a tear—filled smile. I don’t know what to do with my hands, and for half a second,I regret not having a bouquet like Edith suggested, but then I noticehishands squeezing tightly in front of him. For some reason, the small display of anxiety makes me laugh.

“Hey, Boss Daddy.”

He chuckles to himself, shaking his head at my ridiculousness. “You ready to do this thing?” There is still a rough edge of emotion to his voice as he tips his head towards Tor. Thankfully my brother is fussing with the ceremonial items on the altar to give us the illusion of privacy.

“Absolutely,” I agree, and we turn as one, shoulder to shoulder, to face Tor. He sees us standing at attention and straightens, clearing his throat.

“It’s time to begin,” he announces, raising his hands high, the glowing green of his magic shining in the dappled light of the glass.

The candles flicker on the altar, the incense pungent in the air as he begins the rights. I can feel it as he guides us through the ritual that will bind me to Roan forever and him to me. Tor speaks the words of magic as we raise our hands and, with the silver boline, Tor slices a small cut into our palms. We place them together, palm to palm, while he wraps our hands in white ribbon, and I can feel our spirits knitting together with each pass of the fabric.

“It’s time to declare your vows.” Tor intones, and I have to tryveryhard to not giggle at how serious he is. Our hands are still tied, as they will be for the remainder of the night until we can sneak away toconsummate the union, and we turn to each other. We agreed for Roan to go first because I’m always happy to follow wherever he leads, and so I take a steadying breath to brace myself for his vow.

His slate eyes dance over my face, a soft smile crinkling the corner of his eyes while he composes himself. “Theo,” he begins, his voice so tender my knees almost collapse from underneathme. I don’t think I can get through this without embarrassing myself entirely. “Before I met you, I thought my life was full. Complete. The road I was on was set in stone. And then you came along, and I knew that every step on that path led me to you.” He takes a shuddering breath, squeezing my hands in his.

“You are my sun. Without you, my world has no light, no warmth. You are the spark that lights the joy in my life. I promise to show you every day how much I love you. There is nothing that we cannot face so long as you are by my side. My days begin and end with you. Theo Hivercouer, I am yours. In body and in spirit, I give myself to you.”

A thread winds its way between us. I can feel it in my solar plexus, just below my chest. Roan’s mouth drops open on a sharp intake of breath when he feels it, too. The first thread of our bond.

Through the tears streaming down my face, I beam up at him, my golden glow lighting him up.

“Roan.” A little sob escapes with the word, sending a ripple of laughter through the crowd, making me laugh, too. It takes a moment to compose myself, my tears too close to the surface. I take a few breaths, my heart skipping giddily. “Phew, okay. I can do this.” I shake myself off, our hands still joined between us.

“Roan.” I start again. “If I am the sun, you are the moon, lighting my way in the darkest moments. I never knew anything could feel like this. My greatest achievement will be the life we build here together; my legacy is our love. I could live a thousand lifetimes, go on a thousand adventures, make a thousand new discoveries, and not a single thing would compare to even the simplest moments I get to share with you. It is everything I ever wanted and never dared to dream of. Roan Henrikson, I am yours. In body and in spirit, I give myself to you.”

My last words are a muddled warble, but the magic still takes, that connection in my chest pulsating and growing, joining us together for life.

Tor is speaking again. Well, trying to. He’s sobbing like a baby. But I can’t focus on what he’s saying, too enchanted by Roan’s face as he smiles down at me like I’m his entire world.Mine. The word rolls around my head as we stare at each other, completely consumed by our love.

“For the love of the Gods,kiss already!”Edith’s shriek breaks through the spell. Laughter once again rings through the Falls, along with the shrieks, squawks, and caws of the creatures watching like sentinels as Roan snatches me up, bending me back over his unrestrained arm, and captures my lips in his.

While our friends hoot and holler, Roan’s mouth meets mine in a teasingly chaste way that only makes me need more. My free hand raises to thread through his hair, tugging on his horn to encourage him to deepen the kiss. But my plans are thwarted when our friends swarm us, Roan only having just enough time to pull me up straight and brace before the impact of everyone—Edith, Caelan, Mauvy, Seff, Rafe, Tor, and his parents—slams into us.

From under the crush, I look up at Roan, my face aching from my smile, and he winks. And I know that everything is going to be okay.

The End

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