The word was out before she even made up her mind. It was ridiculous, and the consequences were unforeseeable, but his smile lit her up from within. All her life, she’d lived for another, and while she couldn’t make herself regret a moment of it. His smile. Her answer. They were undeniably hers.
Ira’s smile faltered for a second as disbelief ran over his face. It was there and gone in a moment, blinked away while his eyes searched hers, all humor long gone.
“Yes?” he asked her.
Luci’s answering smile should have been enough, but then again, it felt good to say what she wanted without hesitation.
“Yes,” she nodded.
Ira claimed her mouth in one fell swoop, not a second of hesitation. His lips were unrelenting, like he was trying to claimthe word, and she opened for him, letting him. He pulled her closer to him, and she fell into him, her prince. Hers. Her choice.
When her head was dizzy, and she was thoroughly kissed within an inch of her life, she gasped out a breath and leaned her head against his chest, steadying herself. He pressed a kiss to her forehead.
“What was that?” Lucien asked.
It was then that the Luci realized that they were not alone at all. They were in a chamber with the most powerful people in the land. Luci buried her face into Ira’s chest, again wondering if being swallowed whole by the floors was an option.
He squeezed her a little tighter and had the nerve to chuckle.
“You both were there, but it was like a wall formed in front of you of air, and we couldn’t see through the blur,” Gladys said.
“It smelled like cinnamon,” Brielle said.
Elowen. For the first time, Luci considered that having a fairy godmother came in handy. Murmuring a small thanks to Elowen, Luci lifted her head and met Ira’s gaze, silence saying everything they didn’t need to.
Finally, never breaking his gaze from her, Ira said,
“Oh, that?” he smiled. “Lucinda brought back magic.”
Everything that erupted around them was white noise that had nothing to do with them at all.
Chapter thirty-two
Don’t Let It Go
The girl who brought back magic didn’t mean to change the world. She only meant to save someone she loved.
-The Waking Scrolls of Meridea
The night was sparkling. A thousand glittering gowns beneath a chandelier that reflected all around a gilded room. A full moon poured through the windows, bearing witness to the celebration below. Exactly like every storybook ever written.
“Are you sure you don’t want to run away and become strange ladies living in the woods that make the nearby townspeople nervous?” Luci asked as she stared down below.
“Tempting,” Brielle said. “But then I’d be wasting this dress.”
It was a fair point. No one had ever looked more beautiful than Brielle did right then. The Midnight flower continued to lend its health to her, and she was practically glowing. There was no need for all Luci’s tonics and elixirs any longer because Brielle was healthier than Luci ever was. More than that, happiness and joy radiated from her. Maybe Luci would never fully approve of Lucien, but seeing Brielle in love made it a little easier to put up with him.
“Fine, we will let everyone see the dress, but when they ask if there are any objections, I’ll say we are in love, and then we will run away to be hermits,” Luci said.
“All right. I’m sure Lucien will understand.” Brielle said, slipping her hand into Luci’s.
It all felt too real. Too sudden. Of course, it was actually sudden. Only a week after announcing her dissolution of engagement to Ira, she was standing in an ornate white dress that billowed out like a small home and a veil tucked into her blond curls, delicately pulled back from her face. There was no convincing her otherwise despite many hours spent in that endeavor. Whenever anyone brought it up, Brielle would say she’s spent her whole life waiting to live, and she wasn’t going to wait any longer.
So here they were, and for the first time in their shared life, Luci would have to share Brielle with another person. Lucien, of all people, whose only redeeming quality was that he was madly in love with Brielle.
“You sure you don’t want to pick a different groom? Look, that one doesn’t look too bad, just a couple pimples.” Luci said,pointing to the gathered crowd below from their hiding space on the corner balcony.
Brielle snorted, and it was a beautiful sound.