The thought of how much love flowed between us terrified me. The intensity of it was something I didn’t believe was possible. Soulmates were nothing more than a fairy-tale that people deluded themselves with, and yet I faced a man who was created for me. No other being for the rest of eternity would be able to evoke a love so deeply satisfying from me in the way Gray could.
All this time I put off saying yes to him because I was worried he might hurt me. But Gray proved to me repeatedly that he would stand by my side through anything. I didn’t want to push him away anymore.
Gray was on one knee. He’d spoken to Cass—a fact that made me cry. This idiot God in front of me took me so seriously when I said he might stand a chance if he asked me traditionally. So traditional that he went and asked my older brother’s permission for my hand. I wasn’t a possession, and I didn’t need his permission, but it was cute, and I knew it must have taken a lot for Gray to swallow his pride and do that.
“Yes, I’ll marry you,” I said, but Gray stared back at me blankly. “Gray?”
My feet came off the ground as he lifted me up, spinning me around. Laughter bubbled up my throat and spilled out of my lips as I gripped his shoulders.
“Are you serious?” he asked, placing me back on the ground.
“I give you my word as a demigoddess.”
There was nothing to run from. No plausible excuse to turn him away. Malachi, Flynn, and Waverly had given us their word. All that was left to do was wait until Hunter called the meeting. With my life no longer hanging in the balance, I could see a future again, and I didn’t want to let any fears hold me back. After everything Gray had done in the last few weeks, how was it fair to judge him on my past experiences?
He grabbed my face, kissing me hard, and I melted against him. The golden glow lit up the cliffs and I didn’t try to restrain it, letting it join in with the celebrations.
When we pulled apart, Gray reached into the inner pocket of his jacket and pulled out a black velvet ring box. He opened it slowly and nestled inside was a stunning ring. A black hexagonal stone sat in the centre of a gold band and on either side of it was a cluster of three small diamonds.
“Gray,” I whispered before biting my bottom lip.
He plucked the ring from its resting place and took my left hand. “Do you like it?”
“It’s perfect.”
The metal was cold against my skin as he slid it onto my finger. I flexed my digits, taking it in, and my brow furrowed, seeing the stone shining even in the darkness.
Gray tipped my chin up with his fingers so I looked back into pitch-black eyes. “I had this ring made for you. Something as unique as the person who will wear it for the rest of her life, but it still wasn’t perfect, so I called in a favour. I asked Marcel to help me with it. It will always shine like that. He created the smallest stars and placed them in that stone.”
“There are stars in this ring?” The question came out high-pitched. “Actual stars?”
Yet another moment where my scientific mortal life and my life as a demigoddess refused to work in harmony together.
“Yes, Quentin. I know it isn’t a traditional diamond—"
A diamond paled in comparison. Anyone could have picked out a rock from behind a glass display. Gray went through the trouble of making sure a part of him was with me wherever I went. The black centrepiece did not go unappreciated.
When he said he would give me the stars, it wasn’t a joke. It wasn’t just words.
“I couldn’t ask for anything better.” Hugging him close, I laughed into his chest. “We’re going to get married.”
“You’ll be mine for the rest of our lives.”
“What have I done?”
“Given up any hope of peace,” he answered honestly. “But I will give you everything that I can within my power.”
“Do we have to leave?” I asked.
“Not yet. There’s one more place we need to go.”
“Idon’t know about this,” Quentin said.
“They’ll love you.”
“You don’t know that.”
As if I didn’t know my parents well enough to know they’d be ecstatic that someone decided to anchor themselves to me for life.
