Severed Ties

Even in Death

Alara 

I was beginning to think my eyes were deceiving me, that he couldn't possibly be here. I wanted to reach out and touch him, press cool fingertips against his rumpled shirt and make sure he wasn't just some apparition I had conjured up in my mind, that the madness of being locked in a single room for so long hadn't rotted my brain to the point of insanity just yet. 

"Cameron?" I whispered once more with trepidation in my voice, I snuck a glance at Kira who was standing just behind me, her small hands gripped onto the trail of my gown, she was hiding. She didn't know this man before us, and that's when realisation dawned on me, Cameron looked far too much like his father, with the same piercing green eyes, and carved jaw, the only thing that differentiated them was the gleam in those eyes, there was malice in Mr Grayson's and kindness in Cameron's.

I heard him give a sharp intake of breath, an indicator that he was, in fact, there, his eyes raked over me and that was when I became acutely aware that I was dressed in an intricate wedding gown, that pooled at my feet. With infinitesimal details of winding lace and glittering diamonds, with everything but the veil on, I was in a wedding dress and my fiance was staring at me like I was an angel fallen from heaven. 

And in this state, I really did feel like an angel fallen from grace, trapped in my own personal hell. 

This wasn't how I wanted it to happen. I wanted to abide by tradition, it was after all bad luck for the groom to see the bride before she walked down that aisle. And with everything that had happened, it seemed our marriage was cursed with an eternity of bad luck, but that didn't mean I wanted to marry him any less. I would marry him even if the world was ending, I would stop and whisper I do while the rest of the world was in flames. 

I was at that point of madness. 

I guess, love really is the harbourer of madness. 

"Alara?" he was just as unsure as me, and at the sound of his voice I felt Kira's grip tighten, she was fully behind my dress now, burying her small face into the thick fabric, I could feel her shaking, so I pulled her close, my eyes drifting from Cameron and back to her, to assure her that everything was ok. 

"He won't take me will he?" her voice was fractured and it stabbed me straight in the heart. I bent down to be closer to her level, turning around to clasp her hands in mine so her face was no longer hidden and instead her innocent eyes were locked straight on mine. 

"Nothing's going to happen to you Kira I promised you and I never break my promises," I gently squeezed her hands before turning slightly so Cameron was back in my view his darkened eyes boring into me, laying me bare and unravelling me all at once, a stare so intense that if I didn't match it I was afraid I would fall and become lost in those eyes that spoke a thousand words in a single glance, "And this is Cameron, my fiance, who I was telling you about, " I paused a little a soft smile tugging on my lips as I began to describe everything I was too afraid to admit before, "He's one of the good guys. He's the best, he has so much love in his heart and he's super strong, he's like my own personal superhero and you know what superheroes do, don't you Kira?"

She nodded slightly, "They save people,"

"Yes, they do, and you know what Cameron's superpower is?"

She shook her head, her eyes lifting to meet Cameron's and even without looking I knew he was giving her a gentle smile, a smile that said I'm not the 'big bad, "Cameron's superpower is protecting people. He's saved me, more times than I can count but us girls have superpowers too, do you want to know what your superpower is?"

"I don't have a superpower," she looked far too dejected when the words fell from her lips, "I really don't."

"Of course you do," I pulled her close to me, "You're superpower is courage, you're the bravest girl I know. When you told me what you did, to save your Bo, that shows real courage, you weren't afraid to get hurt you just wanted to protect, see you and Cameron are similar like that, you both protect people,"