My heart thumps.
He continues, “White heathers, to be specific. Known for good fortune, resilience, and beauty. They are one of the few naturally flowering plants that have managed to take root in these lands.”
“Heather,” I murmur, letting the word into my heart where it nestles, taking root in my soul. In the silence, in the stillness, I hear it whispered like an echo in my mind. “That sounds like…feather.” Heat blooms in my chest, warming my limbs. “Castor?”
“Yes, Mine?”
“Is it going to hurt, when I change?”
Drawing his finger down my clothes, he opens the fabric in the back for me and whispers, “No, my Heather. Becoming who we are meant to be only hurts when we fight it or others reject us. You will not fight, and I will never reject you, so it will be safe. Like walking into the dawn.”
With that confirmation, my body burns, my flesh gives way, and I step out into a light that comesfrom me.
I shed humanity, and history. I shed the pain of the past and welcome a hope for the future. I breathe deep, letting the unseelie woods wrap around me like my lover’s arms. Weightless and made of feathers aflame, I free wings that stretch from one end of the path to the other. My hair crackles, blonde tones and waves igniting.
Fire caresses my skin.
I glow.
Power vibrates in me.
Overwhelming, all encompassing.
I am liquid. I am gas. I am untouchable.
I amheld.
When Castor’s mouth hits mine, his lips sear me, and I fall into their torment as I stretch my wings, command their size and shape, and coil them around his shoulders. Without asking, I brand him asmine.
“Castor?” I gasp, breaking our kiss.
“Love?” he exhales.
“I want to fly.” I want to fly so badly it’s a thunder in my skull.
Quick and hard, he kisses me again, burying his fingers in my body as though he might keep me here, as though I am not now keenly aware that this flesh can become flame and slip free of any grasp with immaculate ease. “Go,” he breathes into me at last, though slices of pain accompany the word. “Light this sky in the dead of night. Become the sun you love and long for. Gather the clouds in your hands. Feel the freedom that belongs to you eternally. Then…then if you wish it, if you might still find it in your heart…return tome. For I will always be waiting for you.”
I hug him, crushing our souls together, then I step back, keeping our hands joined. “You’ve waited long enough. Rest assured, I will always return to you now. We will never truly be apart again. I feel you more fully than I ever have, and I know with certainty what we are to each other. You are my freedom, and I am yours.” Granting him a last swift kiss, I let our fingers come undone and turn. Finding a break in the trees, I lift my wings and take to the air.
Finally.
Free.
Chapter 41
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Growth is painful, but it’s beautiful when we do it anyway.
“You are handsome,” I say, playing with the fabric of Castor’s clothes and using my magic to form them around his body. Even though I started in the style of his usual robes, I have swiftly lost that plot in favor of dressing him in my favorite outfits. That is to say that, presently, he’s in a whole entire sweater vest, dress shirt, and slacks.
And I am blessed beyond measure to see him like this.
I add an adorable newsboy hat, then frown at his long hair, because it doesn’t exactly fit, does it? No, it does not.
Opting to swap the entire outfit for a tight turtle neck and a sleek trench coat, I bite my lip.
Dang.
