Violet The grand doors to the banquet hall swung open, and the hum of voices swelled into a roar. I held my head high, schooling my expression into one of serene confidence as Theodore and I walked in together. The crowns of light still lingered, drawing everyone’s attention. The banquet hall of M
The woman, dressed in a flowing emerald gown, seemed hesitant, her hands fluttering at her sides as though unsure whether to reach out. The man, tall and broad-shouldered with a slight flush on his cheeks, finally stepped closer. I couldn’t hear their words over the music, but his lips moved in what
Violet My hands shook at the thought. It was unsettling, to say the least. I had been so sure. We both had been so sure that we were mates. It had been the only reason we’d gotten married in the first place. The thought that it had been a lie made me doubt the past seven years, made me doubt the m
Her gaze softened. “He has… left a deep wound in you.” I flinched and looked away. “I’m fine.” “You are,” she said. “I never doubted it, but that does not mean that the wound is not still there.” She leaned against me. “You fight too hard against your draw toward Theodore,” she said softly. “It
Violet “How long have you been skulking around listening to my conversation?” I set my jaw. “I would think you had more important things to worry about.” “I’ve had enough of this, Violet,” he hissed. “You’ve taken it too far.” “What—” “Humiliating me like this… He must have fucked you pretty
“If this so-called evidence is so decisive, why didn’t you bring it out during the first trial?” His smirk faltered for a fraction of a second before he recovered, straightening his posture. “Because I didn’t need to. I didn’t think it would come to this.” Lie. So he had to be planning to get
Theodore The banquet hall hummed with laughter and chatter, but I couldn’t shake the nagging feeling crawling under my skin. Violet had stepped out with Helena a while ago, but I hadn’t seen her return. My eyes scanned the crowd, searching for a flash of her dress or the shine of her hair, but she
I stumbled, my legs barely holding me up. “I’ve had enough of this!” He kicked me hard, back into the pool. Then his hand was in my hair again holding me down as I struggled. My lungs burned. I reached down into the pool, hoping for a weapon. My hand fell on a rock. I grabbed it and slammed it aga
I dropped the trowel and frying pan next to the baseball and bat, shaking my head at this makeshift arsenal. “My baby is already too smart for its own good.”Bennett opened his mouth to respond, but he was interrupted when we were distracted by Theo suddenly vanishing into thin air. My cousin and I
Violet’s POV“Just try.”It didn’t matter how many times I explained to Bennett that Auntie had said the baby’s magic would sway my magic toward more innocent manifestations. He wasn’t convinced.Theo was on the other side of Marcy’s backyard, fists clenched, gaze unfocused, as he tried to complete
Theodore’s POVI was searching the archives’ computer for anything related to forehead bands when my phone rang. My phone screen showed, “Aunt Lillith”. Adding her to my contacts with the title of “aunt” was partially an affectionate and respectful decision, but mostly it was to avoid Eva’s wrath in
Violet’s POVPart of me wondered it not worrying Theo was an excuse. If the years with Lucas not being the partner I needed had subconsciously trained me to stay independent. To never lean on anyone, even temporarily, because they couldn’t be trusted to hold me up. Even still, Theo was right. So I
We pulled out of our kiss, my head dizzy with love and hope. We would find the answers we needed. We would find a future together.“You said there were answers to four questions.” I looked between the two of them, tallying the three they’d already shared. “What’s the fourth?”Violet thought for a mo
Theodore’s POV“Alari, please wake up!”I held Violet’s head in my lap, her jaw terrifyingly slack. I dared a glance at the High Priestess who had collapsed in a heap at the same time that Violet’s body had gone completely limp. “High Priestess?!”This wasn’t happening.I reached for my phone, thank
Theodore’s POVIn one breath, the love of my life laying still in the grass let out a gut-wrenching scream and the High Priestess dropped to her knees. I lunged for my wife but was thrown back by an invisible force. When I pulled myself upright, the High Priestess had a hand outstretched, clearly us
Auntie folded her hands in front of her. “Altrosis is an attempt to control magic enough to pin it down and examine it. One could more easily pin down the wind.”As if to illustrate her point, a cool breeze swept through the clearing, though not a hair on Auntie’s head swayed in its drift.“Magic is
Violet’s POVThe jungle outside the village my family lived in was beautiful. It was lush and alive, humming with magic like the air itself was breathing. I had only visited this village and its surrounding area a few times in my life, but I’d always made time to come stand among the ferns and frond