“It will be only a momeeent,” I say as the song around us grows louder. It reminds me of home, the old and the new twining together here on Earth.
I stare up at Dante as he approaches, his body so close to mine. I reach up and touch his waist, steadying him. I feel his fingers against my ears and the rush of love he sends me through our bond.
Then he utters, “Blood and flesh, breath and bones, you are mine, Cielo, until the last fire goes cold. I will not release you, and you will not wander the world alone.” I gasp, the old Outerlander piercing song weaving around me. Rathyn must have told him the words for this. It is different in English, but no less beautiful.
It makes my love for Dante grow even more that he would learn this for me.
“Ready?” he asks.
I nod, offering myself to him.
I hear his breath stutter and then feel a stab of pain, but I do not move as the stone slides through my ear. Everest steps upand offers him the jewelry, and I stare at Dante as he threads it through my ear. His hands are steadier than I expected, but then again, my Dante has surprised me in the best ways.
He repeats the process for my other ear.
“It’s done,” he whispers, his voice raw and rough. I lean my weight into him, letting my face settle against his stomach. He holds me to him, his fingers threading through my hair, making my thrymm start. The song my brothers and Rathyn are singing reaches a crescendo, and then it comes to an abrupt stop.
The ritual is over.
I close my eyes, hearing them leave us alone on this porch, the waves crashing in the background, the candles flickering.
“Look at me,” Dante says softly, his hands on my cheeks, pulling my gaze up to his.
When our eyes meet, something shifts inside of me. I belong to him, fully and for all to see. The piercing is evidence of this.
“I love you, Cielo. Now and always, until my last breath.”
I do not like to think of this. The only consolation is that I will perish with him, the two of us drifting off to the afterlife together.
“I love you too, my Dante,” I reply, and my eyes flutter closed as he leans down, falling into my lap, our lips meeting in a desperate kiss.
I did not know what my life would be like after being banished, but I would not trade this life for the world. For here in his arms, I am happy.
Here, I am complete.
epilogue
LUCA
I’ve always loved Las Vegas, mostly because I’m Deaf and I love all the colorful lights. I could stand there on a busy street corner and just be awash in the visual noise. It makes my heart race and my skin tingle. This must be what hearing is like.
Overwhelming, sensory overload.
Whenever there’s a Deaf expo here, I always sign up. My brother has no interest in attending, even if it would be good for business. It’s a lot to do with Dante’s pain issues, but he’s also not a big fan of crowds. It’s one of the many ways we’ve always been complete opposites.
And frankly, seeing him and his new Vyastil roommate creeping toward something I’ve wanted for a while now and haven’t been able to find, it’s nice to get away. I’m happy for Dante, of course, and my heart is breaking for everything that Cielo has gone through.
But seeing them together—circling each other in a way I don’t think Dante fully understands yet—is a harsh reminder that I’m lonely.
It’s hard living in a small place where hardly anyone speaks my language. Where everyone expects me to meet them on theirlevel. Where I am expected to adapt to a world I wasn’t really born for.
At the Deaf expo, at least for a little while, I’m surrounded by people who get it. Who getme. I’m not as culturally Deaf as a lot of them. I haven’t had the opportunity because I haven’t wanted to leave home to live in a place that has a strong Deaf community. But it’s nice, for once, not to feel like such an outsider.
Everyone here is signing. I don’t need to struggle to read lips or switch my brain to English. I don’t need to worry that I won’t be understood, or that the noises I inadvertently make will make someone uncomfortable.
I stare down at my table, one half is full of the dick cookies I spent all week baking, and the other half is displaying some of the prototypes for the sex toys Dante has come up with over the last year. I’m not sure I’m going to get any contracts this year, but I’m going to try.
Vegas is an easier place to peddle these wares. The entire vibe is a lot less pearl-clutching and a lot more piqued curiosity as people stop by to snag a cookie and a business card. It makes me feel useful in a way I don’t often feel at home.
