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Nothing would sunder us. Nothing.
CHAPTER22
Sera
Twilight casta purple hue over the ancient druid chapel’s garden as our small wedding party gathered along the flower-strewn aisle. The crumbling stone walls were open to the night sky, revealing stars twinkling above us like diamonds in an endless sea. Ivy curled about the pillars, which had weathered hundreds of years and countless weddings in this hallowed place. Though its faded walls were slowly crumbling away, the garden seemed to hum with the promises of joy from ancient times.
This was where Rhys and I would make our solemn vows beneath the star-kissed sky. My pulse raced wildly, palms clammy around the lilies I clutched. Was every bride this mix of breathless anticipation and skittish nerves on her wedding day?
I smoothed imaginary wrinkles from my diaphanous gown, its silvery accents echoing the intricate braids in my unbound hair. A delicate veil crowned my head, its gossamer fabric stirring gently in the evening breeze. Nestled amidst the veil sat a pearl white tiara shaped in exquisite white ox horns and embellished with diamonds—a thoughtful gift from my mother to remind me that gargoyle and witch tonight became one. My heart swelled with love and nervous anticipation. In mere moments, I would join with my beloved beneath the open sky, our union blessed beneath the eternal stars.
One side of the chairs held my family and dearest friends, a bulwark against melancholy. My parents gazed at me with unconcealed pride, their initial misgivings replaced fully by belief in my conviction. Beside them, Jasper elbowed a softly sniffling Lily, rolling his eyes in amused resignation at her sentimentality. Their tenderness sparked hopes they might also find the courage to join their hearts.
As they chatted amiably, I noticed Lily fidgeting nervously with a ring on her right hand. The dark circular band was emblazoned with a symbol I didn’t recognize—an ouroboros serpent eating its own tail. For some reason, the design struck me as vaguely sinister. But then Lily tucked her hand out of sight, and I put the odd jewelry out of mind.
Across the aisle sat empty seats that should have held Rhys’ own loved ones. My heart ached, knowing he had no family left to stand beside him on our wedding day… No matter. I was family enough now.
As if summoned by thought, a stranger materialized silently at the end of the vacant pews—a tall chestnut-haired gargoyle in formal dress robes. He scanned the gathered crowd curiously before his tawny gaze landed on me. With a soft exclamation, he strode over and bowed elegantly, granite wings sweeping wide.
“Rhys’ bride, I presume?” His voice was cultured molasses, refined but warm. “Forgive my abrupt entrance. I hoped to arrive before the ceremony began. We’ve not yet met—I am Rhys’ older brother, Aleric Greystone.”
I gaped in astonishment, a thousand questions bubbling up. Rhys had a brother? Why had he never spoken of him? As if reading my rampant thoughts, Aleric smiled kindly, taking my icy hands in his broad, stony ones.
“My arrival must seem quite odd. But please, believe me, I mean no ill will. Family... can becomplicatedfor us Greystones.” His face darkened briefly before smoothing again. “I only wish to stand beside my brother today, if you’ll permit it.”
My initial wariness melted at the sincerity in his earnest tawny eyes. However estranged, any of Rhys’ kin were honored guests tonight. I squeezed Aleric’s hands. “Of course. Please, sit.”
Gratitude softened Aleric’s sharp features as he took a seat in the front row. We chatted as the sunset shifted from sapphire to muted violet. I learned of the brothers’ tragic past—their parents’ early deaths, Rhys cursed at a young age and then spurned as dangerous while Aleric inherited the estate. Though he supported Rhys financially, they’d had little contact since. He hadn’t even known about our nuptials until today.
I thanked Aleric again for coming, knowing what it would mean to Rhys to have family present. But as nightfall crept closer, nerves took wing in my stomach. Where was my groom? Surely he would not miss our long-awaited union? Reading my anxiety, Aleric murmured awkward reassurances, but restlessness mounted.
At last, Lily approached, cornflower eyes clouded with sympathy. “Sera... maybe it’s best we go.” Her gentle tone screamed louder than shouting. She feared Rhys had abandoned me. Tears prickled traitorously at the thought. Surely he would not desert me this way with no explanation?
Biting my lip, I met Lily’s pitying look. My greatest fears were coming to pass. Rhys was not coming. Misery threatened to swallow me whole.
Lily embraced me tightly. “I’m so sorry, my dear. There must be a reason...” Her faltering words were no comfort. I had none to give either, devastated by doubt. I had trusted Rhys utterly, given my whole heart. Now it seemed that faith had been disastrously misplaced.
Around us, the small party dispersed quietly amidst disappointed murmurs, granting privacy for my grief. My family clustered close, speaking words I barely heard over the roaring blood in my ears.
Lily approached dressed in a flowing lilac gown, her golden hair adorned with intricately braided violet blossoms matching the bouquet clutched in my nervous hands. Around her neck, a pendant glinted silver—a serpentine amulet set with a scintillating black gemstone. It matched the ring on her forefinger, but those impressions swiftly slipped away.
Inside, my world crumbled to desolate ashes. I had been so utterly sure of Rhys’ heart... how could I have been so wrong? So blind? It was inconceivable.
At length, the crowds dispersed and only Alaric lingered, compassion etched on his stony face at witnessing my anguish.
He pressed something small and cool into my palm—a silver pendant engraved with the Greystone’s heraldic shield, glinting with subtle magic. “For you, sister. I’m deeply sorry Rhys did not come today. But know that I already consider you family, and I will treat you as a true sister with the same devotion.” His quiet words nearly broke my tenuous composure, but I choked back a sob and managed a mute nod.
After Aleric’s broad wings enfolded me in a feather-light hug, I turned and walked away stiffly before heartbreak could overwhelm me. The last thing I glimpsed was his pained expression watching my retreat. At least one Greystone grieved for what might have been on this star-crossed night.
Alone now, misery and doubt crashed over me in smothering waves. In the end, Rhys’ beautiful words of devotion had proven only fool’s gold.Iwas an utter fool, trading reason for fantasy, burned despite every warning. The truth could no longer be denied—I was abandoned on my wedding day, rejected by the man who’d seemed to offer the missing piece of my soul.
Squaring my shoulders, I began the solitary walk back home, each step heavier than the last. Some wise inner voice warned me to seal off this wound swiftly before bitterness could wholly claim what love and gentleness remained. However vaguely, I understood Rhys’ choice. Resenting him would only poison me further. And so, I braced myself, knowing I must try to remove this sorrow cleanly, though it felt like ripping my heart.
One last broken glance back at the empty garden, and I slipped away into the night, readying myself for a new life now unmoored and frighteningly adrift. My hopes lay scattered in ruin, a smoldering pile of ash on the windswept horizon. I could only protect my battered spirit by shutting out anything that might worsen the pain.
Seraphina Silvermist would depend on no one again. I had learned the cruelest lesson of all—in the end, we face every darkness alone.
CHAPTER23
