Chapter 40
Chapter Forty
Auraelia
Everything was heavy.
Her eyes.
Her limbs.
Her heart.
But it was over, and Daemon was safe. He’d survived the war…even if she hadn’t.
Auraelia inhaled deeply, but instead of the easy breaths she’d had when she met the Goddess Rhayne outside the gates of Arcelia, pain cinched in her chest and radiated out into every fiber of her being.
It didn’t make sense.
She should have been bathing in the ethereal glow of the Goddess Realm. She should have been dining at Inara’s table with the rest of the fallen warriors of history or walking the endless gardens with her mother.
Instead, cool darkness shadowed her sight and cloaked her senses.
With each pained breath she took, the world slowly came into focus, sounds and smells tickling something in the recesses of her memory.
Auraelia urged her body to move, to do anything, but it didn’t obey.
Tired.
She was still…so…tired.
14 days since the war ended…
Voices bounced around the room, filling her ears with a cacophony of sounds that pounded around in her skull like the dull edge of a knife. But there was one that soothed the jagged edges.
One that her soul seemed to recognize, though she couldn’t place the who or why.
Auraelia tried again to move, but her mind and body still wouldn’t connect.
Slowly, she drifted back into the abyss that she’d become so accustomed to.
Let it wash over her in cold waves and drag her under.
18 days since the war ended…
A steady voice lured her out of the darkness that had enveloped her so completely. It was like listening to her favorite melody—calm and sweet, with all of the notes in the right places, washing over her like a gentle wave.
Something about it felt special, like watching the sun sink below the horizon or seeing a star streak across the sky. She basked in the warmth that voice brought to her heart, letting it sink into her soul and course through her veins.
A delicate touch ran across her cheek, and it was as if the veil had been lifted from her eyes, and everything came rushing back.
Heat flooded her system, like holding her hand close enough to a fire to feel its warmth but not so close that it burned. Tingles pricked her fingertips, and the pain that accompanied her breaths dulled to a manageable ache.
Though the voice was muffled, it floated through her mind, reminding her of crystal-clear waters beneath star-flecked skies, calming the storm that had begun to rage inside her.
“Auraelia, open your eyes for me. I can feel you there; just…open your eyes.”
The gentle caress on her cheek continued as each word landed heavily in her heart.
She could feel the tears welling behind her eyes, her chest tightening as she finally realized why that voice settled the noise around her.
It was the one she never thought she’d hear again.
And yet there he was…just as he always had been.
It took more effort than she’d hoped, but after a few tries, she was able to peel her eyes open. Bright, spring-green irises met hers, and she watched as tears began to stream down his cheeks.
Every movement exerted more energy than she had, but she managed to lift her hand to cradle his cheek.
When he leaned into it, she felt like she couldn’t breathe.
It shouldn’t have been possible. She’d given every drop of power she had to take out Davina.
Had felt her body fade and welcome the darkness as it consumed her. She’d made peace with her fate…and yet…
“Daemon,” she breathed through a choked sob.
“Hello, my star.”
His lips met hers with an urgency she couldn’t answer fast enough.
She wasn’t sure how or why, but it seemed Fate had given them another chance, and it was one she wasn’t going to take for granted.
When they parted, Daemon rested his brow on hers, and she breathed him in.
His signature scent of sandalwood and salty ocean air was present even among the acrid smell of a battle long since past.
“Daemon.”
“Yes, my star?” he asked, pulling back just enough to look into her eyes.
“Marry me. I don’t care what it means for our reigns; I just know I don’t want to live without you. I don’t want to waste—”
Daemon’s lips descended upon hers, cutting off her words and every train of thought in the process. When he pulled away, his telltale smirk graced his lips, and her heart leaped in her chest.
“I thought you told me to ask you?”
“Is that a no, then?” she asked, her eyes narrowing as his smirk grew.
“Auraelia, you are the love of my life. Fate might have linked us, but I would have chosen you in this life and every life thereafter. You are the reason my heart beats and for the air in my lungs. I am yours. Wholly and completely.”
“So, it’s a yes, then?”
His laugh boomed through the room, his brow falling to rest upon hers once more. “It’s a yes, my star. In every way possible. And I can’t wait to see what our forever has in store.”
Daemon’s hands cradled her face as tears streamed from her eyes, a series of gasps filtering into the room as his lips met hers.
“Auraelia?” Piper’s shock was palpable and penetrated every syllable of her name. A collection of “Oh my goddess” and “Thank the heavens” swarmed the space as more and more people filled the quiet of her room.
She felt Daemon chuckle against her lips and couldn’t help but smile in return.
“I guess the secret’s out.”
Daemon pushed into a sitting position and gently pulled her with him. Everything ached, but as his shadows drifted into nothing around them, she welcomed the firm embrace of her friend.
“I thought you died,” Piper sobbed into her neck, her hold tightening painfully.
“So did I.” Auraelia returned the embrace, tears streaming down her face in rivulets that soaked into the fabric of Piper’s dress.
“Rae?” Xander’s voice was low—tentative—like he wasn’t sure what he was seeing was real.
Peeking over her friend’s shoulder, she met his gaze, and as soon as their eyes locked, tears soaked his cheeks, and a watery smile pulled on the corners of his lips.
Auraelia maintained her hold on Piper as she reached out her hand toward her brother, smiling and mouthing, “Thank you.”
He inclined his head slightly, but sorrow filled his gaze as his eyes flicked to her friend before they returned to her own. Squeezing her hand gently, he said, “I’ll come see you later,”
Nodding, she returned the gesture, then dropped his hand. But as he began to walk away, she called out his name, waiting until he turned to say, “I love you.”
“I love you, too. I’ll send for Ser Aeron and some food, okay?”
His smile didn’t reach his eyes, and as he turned for the door, a million questions filtered into her mind over what could have happened between her brother and her friend. But before she could voice them, Piper pulled away, her eyes bloodshot as she wiped the tears from her cheeks.
“I’ll clear everyone out so you two can clean up. You’ve been lying there for over two weeks, and no offense, Rae? But you smell. Bad. Like, really bad. You both do.” Piper scrunched her nose as she backed away, and a laugh tumbled from both of their lips.
“Thank you, Piper.”
“I didn’t do anything,” she said with a shrug.
“You stayed.”
“You…you knew? You knew I was here?”
Auraelia shook her head. “Not exactly, but I know you.”
Tears renewed in Piper’s eyes, and she hastily wiped them away as she ushered people from the room.
“Hey Rae?” she called out before she stepped through the opening. When Auraelia hummed in response, she said, “Thanks.”
“For what?” she asked, confusion drawing her brows together.
“For staying.”
The sun shone brightly, warmth soaking into Auraelia’s skin as she meandered through her mother’s garden. It was the first day in weeks that she had a moment to breathe.
After a few days of—forced—recovery, Auraelia had thrown herself into the rehabilitation of her kingdom. She’d visited the families of the fallen and held a reception for the ones who’d made it home.
She cleared any misconceptions regarding Ser Aeron and her brother and breathed a sigh of relief when she’d been informed of Lord Harland’s demise.
Though he’d deserved the end he’d received, after so much death, Auraelia wasn’t sure if she would have been able to follow through with her threat if he’d somehow survived.
Breathing in the fresh air, she turned her face toward the sky and embraced the feeling of her magic flowing through her veins.
After she’d awoken, she’d barely felt a glimmer of the power she’d held on the battlefield and feared it had been lost. But after a few days, the threads mended, and her magic trickled back into her body like a steady stream.
Warmth blossomed in her chest as her magic flowed languidly through her body, and she smiled. It wasn’t long before Daemon’s fingers twined with hers, and he pulled her hand to his mouth.
“I’ve missed you,” she said as she turned to meet his gaze. “How’s your mother? And Yvaine? Did you discuss the regency?”
“Mother is as well as can be expected. She’s been keeping herself busy planning the coronation and her trip here. Yvaine,” he let out a heavy sigh, “Let’s just say she’s not so sure about being Regent. Not that I can really blame her. ”
Auraelia nodded and began pulling Daemon along the path with her. “Do you need to go back?”
“No, the coronation and regency ceremony won’t take place until after the wedding. Speaking of which.” He pulled her to a stop and clasped both of her hands in his. “I think it’s high time we made this official.”
“It wasn’t already?” she asked, quirking a brow.
A laugh rumbled in his chest as he shook his head and slowly dropped to a knee.
“Auraelia Rose Morwen. My Queen, my soul, love of my life. I have used the stars to guide me through every journey in my existence, but I never thought that they would bring me to you. You have given me light when all I knew was a world of shadows. I loved you before I really understood what love was, and I will love you until my dying breath.”
Auraelia’s hands shook as he reached into his vest pocket and pulled out a ring, tears filling his eyes as they met hers once more.
“Marry me, my star. Live this life with me.”
As the last word fell from his lips, Auraelia launched herself at him, her lips claiming his in desperation.
His chuckle vibrated against her chest as he pulled away, his hand finding her cheek and wiping away the tears that had slipped from her eyes. “Still waiting on your answer, Princess.”
“Yes, Daemon. A thousand times, yes.” Time stilled around them as he slipped the silver band onto her hand, the newly blackened tips of his fingers sliding along her own emerald green.
Auraelia ran her fingers along his jaw, then cupped his cheek in her palm, relishing the way he always leaned into her touch. “I love you.”
“Even if the stars fall from Arcelia, Auraelia. I am yours.”
As they returned to the castle, Auraelia idly ran her fingers along the tops of her mother’s bushes. She was so lost in her bliss that she didn’t notice when a singular bud appeared and began to bloom.