“And will punish you for this.”
I turned and ran down the stone steps leading to the sandy beach and ran as fast as I could, using my shadows to help propel me forward. I dared not look behind me and pumped my arms as fast as they could go. The wind whipped my long, brown hair around my face.
I was laughing and almost ran straight into the path of a descending bird. I stumbled to a stop and saw birds chirping off in the distance, but there was one that flew next to me—a crow. I paused for a moment and lifted an arm toward it, and surprisingly, it perched on me. It was staring at me intently, cocking its little head back and forth before lifting its wings and flying away.
Fly away, my little bird. Fly away onto your next adventure.
I forgot all about our game of chase and barely turned when Bastian abruptly wrapped his arms around me, picking me up, and spinning me around.
I squealed, “Set me down right now, Bastian Corleone!”
“Brother, she used your entire name. She must be furious with you,” Soren teased, barely out of breath as he caught up with us.
“She must be, Ren.” He dropped me on the warm sand without warning.
I huffed as I turned over to lay on my back, arms braced underneath me to hold me up slightly. I glared at them as they stood over me, blocking out the sun that had fully peaked over the mountain range, illuminating them in a halo of light. They looked like gods.
“Calathea. Rose.” Soren started, kneeling on the ground to my right.
“Everhart. Corleone.” Bastian finished, kneeling on the other side of me.
I loved it when they used my full name. My married name. Loved that it bound me to them in ways I had only ever dreamed of. My shadows yearned for it just as much as I did and answered them by illuminating my eyes to the vibrant periwinkle they both had come to crave.
We spent the rest of the day in each other’s arms. I thanked their god for bringing them to me. For giving me the gift that I didn’t know I needed.
My story was a thing of nightmares, chaos, and murder, but also of love.
A fairytale. A tale as old as time.
