by Leyton, Bisi
“You sure?” He brushed her long braids out of her face.
Smiling, she nodded,
He took out a large purple ring on a sliver-ish band. “I got you this.”
“Wow, it’s massive.” Abruptly, she felt nervous and with her hand trembling, she touched the ring.
“I’m supposed to give you a ring as a sign we’re engaged. That is one of your traditions.” He took the ring from her and dropped to a knee. “Will you marry me?”
Her startled gaze dropped to his face below her. “There are tens of thousands of people outside for the wedding, so you already know I’m going to marry you.” She reached for the ring.
Bach moved it behind his back. “You should at least let me ask you properly.”
“You did.”
“Not with a ring. Jason said the ring is key.”
“Okay yes, I’ll marry you.” She snatched at the ring.
He leaned back and kept it away. “Come,” Taking her to her bed, he sat her down and again, knelt in front of her. “Wisteria, I would be lying if I said I loved you from the moment I first saw you, because I don’t remember when that happened. The first time I do remember seeing you, I felt terrified I’d lost you and did not understand why. After that, you made me angry for no reason at all.”
“Bach seriously? This doesn’t sound too good.” She laughed
“I am being serious…it was like you enjoyed messing with me, but I fell in love with you soon after. I know I haven’t always acted in a way that deserved your love.” Taking her hand, he laced his fingers between hers. “I wish—”
“It’s okay.” She rested her head on his forehead.
A couple of her shana spots traveled from her skin onto him.
“You are my pillar. Nothing in the world will ever make me stop loving you. I will love you for the rest of my life, Wisteria Kuti. I swear my life to you and only to you.”
“Whatever is left of life and death, promises and curses, till death, I will always be for you. I can’t help it. You’re imprinted on my soul,” Wisteria promised back.
“Be my wife.” He slid the huge ring over her right ring finger.
She trembled so much, she didn’t even care that he’d slipped it onto the wrong hand. “Colista-Bren-Navida-Dor-Elson-Elsner-Havash-Razerobar-Calshina-Holan-Visnasu-Ornay-Latarn-Kinta--Barsee-Misnash-Hol-Mikitesh-Maz-Sustin-Loul-Rinta-Aben-Hapa-Roi-Canta—I will.” She managed to recite his entire full name in the Dialect.
His eyes darkened as he rose and placed his lips gently on hers.
Kissing him, she tasted her own tears.
He was finally hers. For the rest of her life.
Epilogue
Ripples
“Done and done.” A few hours after Bach left, Turia laced up the back of Wisteria’s deep purple wedding dress.
“You look beautiful.” Penelope Storm, a former Thayn and Wisteria’s recent friend nodded her head at her. “You wouldn’t look any better if it was white. Now of course, if you want to wear white you could because that would look out of this world too. Then maybe out of this world is what you’re going for, since you’re not from this realm and people should see that and accept you for that. Unless, you don’t want them thinking you’re an outsider, then stick with purple. Bach’s wearing black, but he can do that because he’s a guy, which isn’t fair if you ask me. He should wear his Pillar’s colors too—”
“Enough Penelope,” Turia snapped.” You’re babbling.”
Wisteria smiled at the teenager, she’d immediately liked Penelope because her fiery red hair reminded her of Piper.
“Sorry, I’m nervous. It’s my first wedding since we were set free. And it’s the first time I’ve ever seen a human marry one of them.” Penelope signaled to Turia. “I keep thinking the empirics are going to show up and attack us. I guess I talk to cope with that. It’s stupid right? Talking isn’t going to change anything. Still, it's better to get everything out, than keep it bottled inside.”
“Take a breath Penelope,” Wisteria suggested.
“But you do look lovely,” Penelope finally concluded.
“Thanks.” Wisteria examined herself in the full-length mirror as she fluffed the long multilayered gown. This was a nice dress, but white would’ve been better.
“She hates it,” Turia remarked. “But unless you want everyone to think you are plotting the death of your Famila husband and immediately draw parallels to Daphne and Galahad, you should wear the colors of your pillar. White’s usually worn at funerals or by the Lady of Jarthan.”
“Turia, the Family isn’t my sole motivation for everything I do. I’m wearing the Pillar color because it’s a symbol of freedom,” Wisteria replied.
“Freedom?” Turia asked while looking befuddled.
“The Thayns wore the various colors of the Family Pillars who’d enslaved us. We never had our own, but now we do and as the Sen of the new First Pillar, she should wear our color too,” Penelope explained. “Because we’re her family now.”
Wisteria thought back to her family on Earth. She hadn’t seen them in almost two years. It all seemed like a lifetime ago. She missed them all so much.
Penelope screamed. “The mirror moved.”
“D’cara,” Wisteria jumped back as the glass rippled like water. “What the…?”
“What is that? Could it be a threshold?” Turia guessed.
Wisteria felt unsure because thresholds didn’t ripple.
“I’ll send word to Nevena to find out—” Walking up, Turia touched the glass and her hand slipped in. Suddenly, her head and upper body were sucked into the mirror.
Dashing toward her, Wisteria caught hold of Turia’s waist in an attempt to heave her out.
“I’ll get Bach.” Penelope darted toward the door.
“No Penelope, help me.” Wisteria tugged on Turia with all her might. “We’ve got to get her out.”
Reluctantly, Penelope rushed back and took hold of Turia’s legs.
Seconds later, they breathlessly pulled Turia out.
Disheveled, but otherwise unharmed, Turia rubbed her head as she staggered away from the mirror.
“Are you okay?” Wisteria examined the woman.
“We should leave.” Penelope backed away. “The mirror is still shifting.”
She was right.
The ripples on the glass were violently rocking the mirror back and forth.
“Get out now, all of you,” Wisteria ushered them to the door.
“Hold on, you need to hear this.” Turia grabbed Wisteria’s shoulder. “I saw someone in there. He had a message for you.”
“We’ll discuss it later.” Wisteria moved to the door.
“The undying are coming to Jarthan and they’re bringing a war,” Turia called back.
“The undying?” Wisteria halted in her tracks after they’d left the room.
“Wait.” Turia grabbed her shoulder. “He says he knows you and loves you—”
“It's Felip? He’s found a way to leave the Deep?” If anyone can get out, Felip could.
“No.” Turia finally left the room and shut the door. “No, not the traitor. He said you’d recognize him. The archer? Prince Richard Augustus.” Turia shook her head. “Do you know him?”
Wisteria gaped at her. “Are you sure?”
“Who is he?” Penelope tapped her shoulder.
Wisteria peered at the girl in pure shock. “Okay—now you can go get Bach.”
What Happens Next?
PROJECT 13
Project 13 is the new series Young Adult Paranormal Romance Bisi Leyton is currently writing.
To find out when it will be released, sign up for Bisi Leyton’s New Release mailing list by clicking here; http://eepurl.com/o8zv1 or www.bisileyton.blogspot.com.
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About The Author
Bisi Leyton was born and lives in London. She grew up in the UK, Nigeria and the States
, listening to the stories life and love from aunts, cousins and big sisters. As a fan of the Sweet Valley High Series, she started writing fan-fiction at eleven, will never reveal under pain of death.
Currently, she lives in London, but has worked around Europe including France, Germany, Ireland, Belgium and the Czech Republic. She has a fondness for reading graphic novels, and cracked.com.
You can email Bisi on [email protected] as she would love to hear from you. You can also follow her on twitter at @bisileyton or Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/Bisileyton2
