The Heirs of Dark and Light

Chapter 53

His violet eyes pierced into mine.
"Star..."

The air seemed stagnant as I shifted around to face him fully.
Just as I hadn't before, I didn't know what to say. Where to even start.

It was all too difficult, all of it. So hard to hold onto one of my emotions long enough to decipher what it was, what it meant. And even if I could, I wasn't sure I would be able to put it into words. The sheer complexity and madness of this situation kept rushing over me like a wave that was too big to escape.

The bells started to ring, offering some sort of relieve to the quietness that had stood between us.

I gasped and his grip around me tightened as if to shield me from something neither of us knew.

But it was happening. After everything, the streets of Velaris, Eli's family, the spring court, the days of walking through fields full of long grass and past the tallest of trees. After the fights and despair and joy.

She was here. I was going to see my mom again.

A tear rolled down my cheek and a smile bloomed on my face. The two totally contrasting things battling eachother to takeover.

I looked at him and him I.

"Eli," I took his hand and squeezed it ever so slightly. The unexpected nerves were already creeping up my body. Taking over from the tips of my toes all the way up to the hair on my head. "Come with me?"

It was silent for a second and then he nodded, once and then twice as if he came to terms with what he was agreeing to.

He smiled, an unexpected half grin and he already looked proud of himself before he spoke. "I will follow you through this world and into the next star."

I laughed. In earnest. And it felt like the dawn breaking after a long night.

I put my hand on his cheek and ran my thumb across the stubble that had appeared on his jaw.

"I love you, you know."

He smiled up at me and for some reason it felt like no other smile I'd seen before. It felt brighter, too bright for something created by the darkness. It was beautiful, he was beautiful and my heart felt like it was lighting up in flames at the sight of him and his grin.

He paused before he spoke, staring back at me in amazed disbelief for a second, like he thought those words would never fall off my lips. He was still dazzling me with that amazing smile as he said,

"You know, star, I love you too."

I savoured the sight of him like that before I kissed him, and it was sweet and gentle like the first bloom of flowers in spring. It was perfect and so was he. It hit me then, how excited I was for him to actually meet my family. Without the weapons or fighting I was so eager for my mom to love him and my dad to begrudgingly admit he likes him after some intense grafting on Eli's part. I wanted him to meet my brother- oh my brother would adore him. And Lilabelle, I wanted to see her grill him on all of his dishonourable intentions and laugh myself stupid.

And it was going to happen. All of it was. And I'd never felt so goddamned lucky in my entire life.

"You ready star?"

I stood on shaking legs, smoothing my dress and tucking my hair behind my ears a little. I felt flustered and wild like the wind could sweep me up at any moment but all I did was nod and look to the boy I loved.

"With you."

With my hand swept into his, I took a deep breath and by the time I'd fully exhaled we were in front of the gallery door.