Chapter Eighteen #3
Gods, how I could get used to this. As much as I enjoyed the soul-scorching ecstasy of the night before, it was the simple moments in a relationship that mattered most. Sitting together on such an iconic mountain, curled up in each other’s arms, on top of the world surrounded by the serenity of the still-sleeping forest…
it felt so right. As if this moment tethered together some stray parts of our souls, binding us together in more ways than just honeyed words and physical pleasure.
This was what I’d always wanted in a relationship. If I returned to Hollenboro and accepted my betrothal to Cecil, it would never compare to this.
I wanted Rowena as my mate.
But it was impossible.
“Rowena…” My throat locked up. This moment was so beautiful. I hated to ruin it with the truth.
“Yes?”
“You know I can’t stay here. In Wisteria Grove.”
“Nettie…”
“It’s only a matter of time before the others figure out what I really am. They’ll banish me, and they’ll blame you for harboring a werewolf. I don’t want you to be more–”
“Nettie.”
Rowena placed a finger to my lips, sealing them shut. Her painted fingernail was a purple blur against the tip of my nose.
“Maybe you don’t have to leave,” she continued, still not removing her finger from my lips.
“After all, you are part witch. Maybe we can find a way to persuade the others, show them you’re valuable to this village.
Everyone really likes you, and you’re such an excellent baker. Maybe it will work. Maybe we can…”
Rowena must’ve noticed the growing hopelessness in my eyes, because her words crawled to a halt until she stopped speaking entirely. Her overly optimistic pleas were left hanging in the air, overshadowed by the gloom of our situation.
“We still don’t have any proof I’m part witch,” I replied glumly.
“You got through the barrier. Hells, you even bonded with an elemental! I’d say that’s enough evidence.”
I shrugged. “But what about my powers? Shouldn’t I have a magical ability like the other witches?”
“I mean…”
“I haven’t exactly been able to make fireballs or vines shoot out of my hands. Let’s face it, Rowena, maybe I’m not part witch. Or the witch blood in me is so thin I don’t have any actual powers.”
Rowena was silent, chewing on her bottom lip with her eyes locked on the rapidly lightening horizon. Sunrise was imminent, and in the pre-dawn glow of the hazy morning sky, her brown eyes glistened like polished stones.
“Let’s just focus on right now,” Rowena concluded, pulling me tighter against her. “We can discuss these things later. Look, it’s about to happen!”
Rowena pointed to the horizon – the hazy blue blur where the sea met the sky.
In the distance, I heard a faint rumble of chattering voices, and to my surprise, a gaggle of human tourists were clustered near the parking lot.
They were all facing the same direction we were, their eyes locked on the horizon as they held those strange rectangular devices up in the air.
“What are they doing here?” I asked, trying and failing to hide the disgust in my voice.
“Oh, I forgot to mention,” Rowena chuckled. “This place is a popular destination for tourists.”
“This early in the morning? And won’t they notice us sitting here?”
“I doubt it,” Rowena shrugged. We’re pretty tucked away back here, and we look like normal humans right now anyway. But yes, lots of people come up here to watch the sunrise. Want to know the really cool reason why?”
I nodded.
“Believe it or not, every morning, this is the first place in the entire country where you can see the sunrise.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. Isn’t that amazing? Hey, look, it’s happening!”
I lifted my head, and my eyes widened.
The sky was on fire . The whole horizon line, sprawling along the edge of the sea, was illuminated in hues of orange and red. The shrubby trees and rocks below us were mere black silhouettes against the blazing intensity of the sky. It was mesmerizing.
Then it appeared. A tiny yellow sliver, pure liquid and wobbling in my vision, was spread on the horizon like melted butter. It continued to lift, rounding as it grew, until my eyes stung from the burning light.
But my favorite part wasn’t the sun itself.
It was the land below – the carpet of forest that sprawled out to the sea, the way the first rays of morning light caressed it like a warm blanket.
It reminded me just how important the sun was.
Like a cozy fire on a cold winter’s day, it was what allowed us to survive. It was what gave the whole world life.
As a werewolf, I’d grown up in a world of magic.
It coursed through my veins as smoothly as water through a raging river.
But no amount of element-wielding witches, immortal vampires, or sparkling, mysterious faeries could compare to this.
The purest wonders of the world lay in the subtlest of places.
This sunrise, viewed atop a mountain while the rest of the world was asleep, was the most magical thing I had ever seen.
“Hey Rowena?”
“Yes?”
“Speaking of elementals… have you ever brought Fritzi and Mavro up here?”
Rowena looked confused for a second, then she snorted out a brief laugh. “No. Fritzi doesn’t like any terrain that isn’t covered in snow, and Mavro is, well, a bit lazy. I don’t think any amount of bribing with charcoal would convince that little weasel to scale a mountain.”
“Well…” I paused, rubbing the side of my neck. I knew my fingers were right over the bonding mark – could feel the slight difference in skin texture. “Maybe we should summon them? I bet they’d love this.”
Rowena shrugged. “Mavro probably would. But Fritzi… I don’t know. She’s very particular. Prefers her terrain to be covered in snow.”
“I mean, it is pretty cold up here,” I noted, huddling into my flowy dress and hugging my knees to my chest for emphasis.
Rowena paused for a moment, deep in thought, and then nodded. “Alright. Let’s summon them. Fritzi can poof away if she doesn’t like it.”
I grinned. We both tapped our necks, pressing down on the skin like a button, feeling the subtle sting of magic trickle up our pointer fingers. Fritzi, Mavro, and Aria all appeared; in a puff of snow, smoke, and air respectively.
“Hi guys!” I greeted cheerily, offering a hand for Aria to crawl onto. She practically flew onto my open palm, all whirlwinds and tornadoes, and gave my thumb a happy nuzzle.
Fritzi and Mavro looked considerably less excited. Mavro let out a long, wide yawn, his fiery fangs illuminated by the sunrise, while Fritzi tapped her toes in place like a skittish horse, as if to say hey, there’s no snow here .
She looked unhappy. And it made me feel guilty.
“Hey Rowena? Can, uh, ice elementals melt?”
Rowena laughed and shook her head. “No, they can’t.” She peered over at Fritzi, raising a thin eyebrow like a pet owner scolding a puppy. “Come on, Fritz. It’s fifty degrees up here. You’re being a bit dramatic.”
Fritzi continued to stomp in place. Prickly ice crystals appeared at her feet, spreading across the rocks like creeping vines.
“Fritzi!” Rowena sighed. “Alright, fine. You can go back home. But first…” She pointed behind the ice elemental. “You should at least check out that sunrise.”
Fritzi turned around, the ice crystals around her feet receding like melting snow, and her whole body perked up at the sight of the fiery morning sky.
Suddenly, she was no longer a mere ice elemental.
The shining rays of the early morning sun beamed right through her crystalline body, turning her into an iridescent, shimmering rainbow.
Her foxy form sparkled like cut crystal, reflecting the multicolored light onto the rocky surface of the mountain.
Mavro squeaked, first in alarm, then in joy. He tapped his paws on the rainbow reflections like a stalking cat, and as Fritzi moved away in annoyance, Mavro eagerly followed her.
The two of them ran in circles around the side of the mountain, with Mavro eager to catch the uncatchable rainbow beams and Fritzi annoyed by her fiery little brother.
But despite Fritzi’s exasperation, I could tell she was happy. I’d never seen her sparkle this much back on Mount Katahdin.
From further up the mountain, I heard a faint chorus of applause as the sun finished rising in the sky. It was now a perfect circle, just barely touching the horizon, and the humans were eagerly pointing and snapping pictures.
“Crap,” I exclaimed, my insides freezing in panic. “The elementals… they’ll be spotted by the humans!”
Rowena laughed, shaking her head as if I were a fool. My nerves calmed when I realized she wasn’t concerned.
“You really thought I bought the story about you being a human,” Rowena teased, a coy smile on her face. “With any other witch, it never would’ve held up.”
“What are you talking about?”
Rowena scrunched her nose. “Humans can’t see elementals, silly. Only other magical beings can.”
My whole body slumped. Oh.
But then I laughed, both at my own stupidity and at the hilarity of the situation. I really was a fool. And I was lucky Rowena was the one that found me. She was right – with any other witch, I would’ve been toast.
Rowena laughed too. She wrapped her arms around me, catching me like a fish in a net, and pulled me close.
“Silly girl.” Rowena kissed my cheek. “My silly little wolf.”
In that moment, I was high on laughter, beautiful mountain sunrises, and the otherworldly rays of light that glimmered off Fritzi’s body as she frolicked across the rockscape.
Mavro was no longer chasing her – he’d chosen to settle onto a large, flat stone for a nap. She was just having a good time.
This was heavenly. The entire time I’d been away from Hollenboro, even with the thrill of spending the night in Rowena’s bed, nothing compared to this.
Happiness. Contentment. Peace. I drank the moment in, appreciating every second.
Because the ugly truth, that none of this would ever last, still lurked in the shadows.
And I knew I’d have to face it eventually.