Broken Vows

Tonight I Want to Dance

Looking back now is so much easier than living through it all. I am in awe of the strength Kay always showed, and even though her mate tried to protect her, he quickly learned to trust her. I was proud of that young man for learning to be her equal and not something that needed his protection.

She did the impossible. She stopped Hadeon. She is the light and hope we all needed, and I know she will do great things even now. He tried so many ways to make her his tool. I had long talks with the few coven members, and they all decided it was time I returned to my station. Things have changed so much, and now that my magic has returned, they see no reason I can not return.

I don’t want to leave Kay, but she doesn’t need me. She is grown and happy. Tonight is her Luna ceremony, and I would not miss this for the world. She looks so beautiful standing there next to Aaron, and I can see from how they look at each other that they will be happy. My heart aches that she will need me less, and I’m letting her go, but it’s a happy kind of pain.

As the party starts after the ceremony, I find myself watching all the smiling faces. The pain of the last few months isn’t forgotten, but their new joy and hope can’t be outdone. Music fills the air, and I am taken back to another time and place for a moment. Rana is dancing, held close in Eric’s arms. She found peace with herself; everyone knows what she is, and her pack accepted that. They moved past their hatred of magic and accepted her. A few packs have taken a firmer stance and still feel untrusting of magic, but we are hopeful we can move past it all.

Working with the coven on a way to help heal the past and strengthen our ties with all the shifters is my priority. I had tried to approach the dragons with little result. They had still been unwilling to help us. Locked away in their stronghold, still awaiting their King to return. I can still feel my bond with him. It hurts every day. It is the one thing Kay could not help to heal.

I saw my little girl and held her in my arms there in that void. Hadeon had worked so hard to corrupt her and use her magic; if it hadn’t been for Kay freeing Serena from his lies, I wouldn’t have gotten to hold her. I will never have Serena in this world, but she is happy and free of that dark hold, and that thought gives me peace.

As I watch the crowd of people, I catch a glimpse of someone. His long dark hair was pulled back in a low ponytail. My heart skips; could it be? “Cadmus?” I breathe, but when the man turns, my shoulders drop. It isn’t him. How could it be?

“Enchantress, you should be dancing. You love to dance all night.” The voice is so low and close to my ear. I spin around and gasp in shock. “Cadmus? How can it be? How are you here?” I can’t form the words to ask all the questions flooding my brain.

“Well, I could tell you, or you could come with me.” He smirks, holding out his hand to me.

All I can manage is to nod slowly, and when he takes my hand, I can feel everything I should have felt the night of the spring ball. The warmth floods my body.

“Cadmus, I’m sorry.” I dumbly murmur as we slip away from the party.

“You don’t need to tell me. I already know what happened. I only wish I could have stopped it. I never wanted you to hurt for so long in the ways that you have. I took some time to rejoin this world of yours. You have nothing to be sorry for.” Cadmus looks down at me, and the look of love in his eyes almost hurts. How can he forgive everything that happened so quickly?

“How can you forgive me?” I need to know.

“Because I love you. I have always loved you, and I always will. I’m happy to wait for an eternity just to be near you. That has never changed.” He stops at the tree line and brushes the back of his fingers along my cheek, then ever so gently tilts my chin up to look into his dark eyes. “Just tell me you love me. I think you had enough time to think it over.” His lips are just a breath away from mine.

“Yes,” I whisper slowly.

“I need you to say it.” His lips are even closer now.

“I love you, Cadmus. I have for so long.” The words fall from my lips as he moves in, kissing me. The rush of the pieces of the broken bond mending the last of what was still left broken in me. I feel nearly whole for the first time and could live in this moment for the rest of time itself.

“I still need you to come with me. I have something to show you.” Cadmus smiles warmly at me. I can see the mischief in his eyes, and I wonder what he could be up to.

We walk a little further into the dark trees. The bright glow of blue fairy lights in the distance through the trees catch my attention. My mind is racing again as to what the fairies would be doing here. As we enter the little clearing, I can see a girl that looks so familiar. I know her, but I know I have never seen her before.

“Cadmus, who is this?” I try and ask quietly.

“The reason I was asleep for the last two hundred years.” He glares at the girl. Her silver-white hair shines as she flips it over her shoulder.

“That was not all my fault, Lizard brain.” She huffs and glares back at him. Her voice, I know that voice, it’s her, the one from my dreams and visions. I would know her voice anywhere.

“You.” I gasp in shock. “It’s you. How is this possible? How are you here? What is happening?” Again, I can’t seem to ask anything that makes sense, my shock taking over me completely.

“I was trapped in that stupid void by my dear brother, and I couldn’t escape it no matter how I tried. I had wiped my memory but being there broke the spell I put on myself. I had to do a lot of hiding to keep him from finding me, but when Kay killed that bastard. Some of us were able to leave. Thanks to a friend.” The girl is looking behind her, and when I look too, I see him, Death wrapped in his black cloak. Lilith is with him as always. They are so beautiful it stops your breath.

“Hello, Willow. You did much better than I thought you would.” Lilith smiles and looks at me proudly. “I wish the path could have been easier on you, but some things just had to be left as they were.”

“You did well. I finally reached that cursed void and freed all of those lost souls Hadeon had trapped there. But I did find a couple that were not lost at all, just misplaced. Theia here is responsible for that in many ways. She was the one that managed to save her.” Death is nearly smiling now, and I can’t understand what he is telling me. He opens his cloak, and she is there.

“Serena!” I rush to her, scooping her into my arms before she can vanish again. She is real and very much alive. She is here in my arms, warm and just as she was the last day I saw her on this earth. How is this possible?

“Theia pulled her into the void with her and protected her from truly dying, just trapping her there, which is far better. I could return them both because they never truly died, just became stuck.” Death explains as I continue holding Sarena in my arms. The tears running down my face.

“Mommy, don’t be sad,” Serena says, wiping my cheek.

“I’m not sad, baby. I am so, so, happy sweet girl.” I hold her even closer. I never want to let her go again.

After a moment, I look at Death and Lilith smiling at me. “Thank you.” I manage through my tears.

They simply nod their heads and smile, “We have to go. We still have a lot of work left to do, but we wanted to return her to you ourselves.” Lilith says, “We will meet again one day but hopefully not too soon.” Lilith winks at me over her shoulder as they turn and vanish into the dark woods.

Cadmus is soon by my side. “Well, we have a bit of catching up to do, don’t we?”

“Well, I should go as well,” Theia says, looking at us funny for a moment.

“Where do you think you are going?” I order. She freezes in her tracks, looking at me in a bit of shock, and I set Serena down and wrap Theia in the biggest hug I can. She stiffens in my arms like she is unfamiliar with the action.

“Thank you for saving her. Thank you for helping me all these years. Thank you will never be enough to show you how grateful I am for you. You are also not going anywhere.” I hold her out at arm’s length, looking her over. “You are family, and you can stay right here too. I think you can use a little bit of family, and I’m not about to let you go now that I finally have a face to go with the voice that has been with me for so long.”

Theia looks unsure for a moment but relieved all at the same time. “Good, because I didn’t know where to go. I lost my gift of sight. Death said it was the price I paid to come back. I don’t know what the future holds for me now. I know I’m not ready to be alone in this place. It is so different from the world I left.”

“Well, we can figure out this new world together,” I reply, and Theia looks more at ease. “How about I introduce you to my family, and we just take it one day at a time?” Serena is quick to take my hand, and we make our way out of the woods together, the party still in full swing. I’m not surprised when I see Kay and Aaron rushing toward me, followed by a few wolves.

“Willow, where did you go?” Kay asks, looking at all the others now with me. She sees Serena last and covers her mouth with her hands, looking at me with wide eyes.

“She’s here,” Kay says through her hands, even a tear slips from her eye.

“Come, we should all go and celebrate. We have so much to be thankful for tonight.” I reply, hugging Kay. “I will tell you everything, I promise, but let’s wait for another day. Tonight I want to dance.”