A Queen Among Darkness: Chapter Sixty-Three - Isolde

A Queen Among Darkness: Chapter Sixty-Three - Isolde
I’ve never been so sucked in, in all my life, and this is coming from someone who used to wear corsets as part of everyday wear. They weren’t as bad as people make them out to be, and they provided incredible back support. But there is no support in this dress. I’m afraid if I bend over my breasts will fall out of my dress, though Valeria might enjoy that, but maybe not in front of guests.

I apply another coat of mascara and spray a little more hairspray over my hair and give myself a final assessment. This is the most dressed up I’ve been since my first date with Valeria, but it feels good knowing it’s for our marking ceremony. I wanted her jaw to drop, so I’ve chosen a strapless A-line dress with a sweetheart neckline and a slit up to my hip. The fabric is a metallic chiffon in a gorgeous gunmetal colour that gathers diagonally across my body. It looks like my body is coated in liquid metal. My hair is slicked back leaving my face and shoulders completely unobstructed, and my nails are painted to match the dress. Even my eyes match. The lids are painted in a beautiful duo chrome that shifts from gold to gunmetal to olive green in the light, and my lips are a glossy baby pink. The dress is enough of a statement, so I settled for simple strappy high heels to complete the look. Now, to practice breathing.

Just as I shake out the nerves, there’s a soft tapping at the door.

“Come in,” I call out. I turn to see Aulen walking into the room.

“Just thought I’d check on the other woman of the hour,” she says with a soft smile.

“I was just about to head downstairs actually,” I smile back.

She nods, “That’s good,” she says as she fiddles with the lining of her jacket.

Aulen has always been the type to dress provocatively, even back in the day she had women clutching their pearls, but tonight she’s gone more sophisticated. Well, for her at least.

She’s wearing black leather pants, a long-sleeved, low-cut corseted black jacket and clear six-inch block high heels. Her flame-red hair is cascading down one side in a thick fishtail braid that starts at the top of her head and works down the side of her face. As stunning as she looks, her face shows nothing but poorly veiled sorrow.

“Something on your mind?” I ask gently as I walk over to her.

Slowly she looks up at me, her heterochromia eyes filled with remorse, “How can you forgive my brother and me so easily? To the point you’d even let him do all this for you. Aren’t you angry with us?” She asks in confusion.

“I don’t know how many times I need to keep saying this before people start believing me, but I don’t blame any of you for what happened. Blame lies solely at Manon’s feet and no one else’s. She manipulated everyone. Of course, it hurt, and of course, it caused me more pain than I can ever put into words, but I never held anger towards anyone but her. Mistakes were made, but none that deserve all of you doing penance for the rest of your lives. I don’t want that.”

“I should be doing more than penance,” she says in a pained voice.

My face drops sympathetically, “This is about Nuray, isn’t it?”

Her eyes shut tight as she tries not to cry, and I know I’ve hit the nail on the head. I step closer and wrap my arms around her, holding her close. She leans into my embrace, and I can feel a tear trickle onto my shoulder.

“I miss her so much,” she says in a quivering voice, “If I hadn’t been so gullible…”

“Don’t go there. Nuray wouldn’t want you blaming yourself for what happened to her,” I say as I pull back and wipe away her tears. “My family would have been heartbroken to know how I lived my life all these years and I wanted to give up, but giving up and letting this life go to waste makes their deaths meaningless. Don’t let everything you two had be summed up in tears and sorrow. Know that she would want you to be happy and find your animai one day,” I say softly.

“I don’t want to forget her,” she sniffs.

“You won’t. We never forget the people who touch our lives. They help shape who we are. What you had with her was beautiful, and it always will be, and it will remain beautiful as long as you live and be happy,” I say, rubbing her shoulders.

She takes in a deep breath, “I’m going to try.”

“That’s the perfect start,” I smile at her.

“You look incredible,” she compliments, taking in my appearance.

“Thank you, but let’s get me downstairs. The faster we do this thing, the faster I can get this off,” I joke as we begin heading out to the party.

“You just want to get laid,” she teases, giving it her best effort.

I chuckle, “I genuinely just want out of this dress, if it leads to something intimate, then no complaints from me.”

۩VALERIA۩

I take my place under the pavilion and make fists with my hands over and over. Last time they felt this cold was when I went to Iceland. I’ve never felt so nervous in my life. I’ve taken on all manner of supernatural beings. I’ve stood face to face with Gods for fuck sake, but this makes me nervous? What kind of bullshit is that? Then again, if I think about it logically, none of those things mattered. So there are some all-powerful Gods who can blink me out of existence. Big whoop. As for supernaturals, I can take them all on. They don’t scare me. But Izzy? She’s the only person in this entire universe who can make me inhumanly happy and break me into tiny pieces. I’ve wanted this moment since she told me about it, and now it’s finally happening. I just hope nothing fucks it up for us.

The whispered voices pick up in volume getting my attention, and I look up to see Izzy making her way over to me, greeting people along the way. I gulp as I slowly drink in the sight of her. Fuck me, she’s gorgeous! Okay, so I already knew that, but now she’s taken it up to a criminal level. Every curvy, thick, delicious part of her is on full display, and I swear if I was a dog I’d be panting right now. She looks exquisite!

She looks up, her eyes meeting mine and my breath catches in my throat. She graces me with a radiant smile as she walks over to me and reaches for my hands, which I give her without thought.

“Val… you look stunning,” she breathes reverently, stretching out my arms to better look at me.

“That was going to be my line,” I smile at her, “You look gorgeous, and sexy and… breathtaking,” I smile at her.

“You’re a good motivator,” she winks.

“I’m a little nervous,” I whisper.

“Me too,” she whispers back as Arthwin walks over and stands between us facing the crowd.

“Are you ready?” He asks.

“Let’s do this,” I grin at him.

“Wait!” Aulen shouts. I look over to see her snap her fingers, conjuring a phone into her hand and pressing a few things on it, “Okay, now we’re good,” she says, pointing the phone at us. Arthwin shakes his head and clears his throat as the guests settle at their tables or remain standing.

“We are gathered here this evening, to see two destined souls become one. In the short time they have known each other Isolde and Valeria have experienced hardships that have tested them as people and as partners, but here they stand before us ready to move into the future no longer as two individuals, but as two parts, now made whole,” he says for all the hear, and on instinct I squeeze Izzy’s hands. “Isolde, when you are ready, please bring forth your flame.”

Izzy smiles at me, closes her eyes and I watch as that intense glowing purple appears around her, flickering like flames. I feel the glow of her magic as it surrounds her hands and makes my palms tickle. She opens her eyes to reveal those familiar obsidian pools and that bright pearl pupil, and with her eyes locked on mine I watch in complete awe as an ethereal white flame comes out of her chest and floats between us. Its brightness is like a little beacon while giving off this comforting warmth. It’s not like the heat from a fire, more like that warmth you feel that comes from being somewhere or with someone who makes you feel safe. Just being in this flame’s presence makes me feel content and at peace in a way that I can’t describe. This is Izzy’s magic. As pure and warm as she is.

“Will you share in each other’s pain, and seek to protect and ease each other from it?” Arthwin asks.

“We do,” we say in unison, and I feel my stomach flutter. I think we’ve already proved this in spades.

“Will you share in each other’s joy, rejoice in it, and look for the best in each other always?” He asks.

“We will,” we say, as tears appear in both of our eyes.

“Will you share in each other’s hardships and toil, so that the two of you may grow together?” He asks with a little quiver in his voice.

“We will.”

“Will you share in each other’s dreams and work with each other to fulfil them?”

“We will,” he say with bright smiles.

“And will you use your anger to strengthen and temper the bond between you both? That goes double for you, Valeria,” Arthwin teases. I glare at him as Izzy chuckles.

“I can use my anger right now if you want me too,” I threaten, to the crowd’s amusement. Cute how they think I was joking.

“Say when and where, but for now, answer the question,” he smirks.

“I will,” I say confidently.

“As will I,” smiles Izzy.

“Isolde, you may now share your flame with your animai,” he says warmly.

I take a deep breath and watch with wide eyes as her flame moves into my chest. I gasp and feel Izzy’s hands grip mine. Warmth and energy courses through me and I watch my body begin to light up like a Christmas tree in the same white as her flame. I feel like I just downed a hundred energy drinks and could race around the globe. I grip Izzy’s hands as the sensation increases and witness the intense purple around her body fade into the same white around mine.

I suddenly feel a slight burning on my neck at the junction of my shoulder, but I can feel the burn moving. It reminds me of that tattoo I secretly got when I was sixteen. At the same time I feel this burn on my neck, I can see an image appearing on Izzy’s neck. Lines are being drawn on her skin as her marking sigil slowly appears until it takes the form of what kind of looks like half a love heart with an S going through it and two dots in the centre. I wonder what the one on my neck looks like.

The completed image glows once again and the burning on my neck stops, and the second it does the pain that has followed me for days is lifted from my body and I’m nearly knocked off my feet as I feel like something inside me locks into place, bringing with it an otherworldly sense of wholeness. I’m then quickly overwhelmed by emotions crashing over me. Nerves, excitement, joy, and love… so much love. I feel all of it, and I know instantly that they belong to Izzy. I smile at her as tears prick her eyes, and the flame withdraws from my chest. My body stops glowing, and quickly the flame is reabsorbed by Izzy. The glow around her body slowly goes out and her eyes return to their beautiful, warm brown.

“We’re finally one.” I hear a voice say. I stare at Izzy in astonishment. That’s her voice! I can hear her voice in my head! Her smile grows, and I can hear her sweet laughter in my head. Did I mention this is IN MY HEAD?! “It’ll take some getting used to,” she reassures me, “Give it a go.”

I go to open my mouth to speak, but stop and try instead to… I guess project my thoughts? “Is this thing on? Testing, one, two, three,” I say like a moron. Izzy clutches her stomach and doubles over laughing. I’d question why she’s laughing, but I know it like I know my own emotions. She’s laughing out of happiness. She did hear me!

Izzy stands up straight and takes my face in her hands. The second her skin makes contact with mine I feel that familiar static that I've missed so much, finally return, only this time it shoots through my body like lightning, sending my nerves into hyperdrive. and pulls me close crashing her lips down on mine sending waves of pleasure throughout my body. I wrap my arms around her neck and pull her close against me, returning her kiss eagerly. I haven’t kissed or felt these lips in a whole day, and that is far too long for me. Her lips move against mine in both dominating and loving caresses that have my insides fluttering in delight. We pull apart smiling and laughing joyfully as I hear the cheers of our guests. Something glittering catches my eye just as I watch multiple hands shoot up into the air and magical lights in every colour of the rainbow dance above our heads, conjured by every makkari here. It’s perfect. Absolutely, positively, perfect.

Izzy smiles and presses her forehead against mine, “You’re mine, and you will always be mine. I will never, ever let you go, ever again,” she breathes.

“You couldn’t get away from me even if you tried,” I smirk, holding her close.

Meeting Izzy, I felt like I was coming home and truly discovering who I was for the first time. Now I feel more like myself than I ever imagined. I feel complete and like I’m right where I was always meant to be. Now that’s more true than ever. My soul is finally home.