“The bride and groom will now exchange words and rings as a symbol of the promise they make on this day.”
“Heather—” Moth begins, then clears his throat. His red eyes have an unfamiliar sheen that makes a lump form in my throat. “You are my hearth, my home, my comfort, and above all, you are my inspiration. You have accepted me in the shadows, and I solemnly promise to love and cherish your warmth for the rest of our days.”
Sprout comes forward, dropping my ring from his mouth into Moth’s hand. And sure, it’s covered in drool and definitely hasdirt stuck in-between the prongs, but more than anything, I’m just impressed he managed to find it. Moth dusts it off on his suit jacket before placing it on my finger, and I grin.
Now, it’s my turn.
“Moth—” I take a deep breath willing myself to get through this without turning into a blabbering mess. “You fell into my life and turned everything upside down. Since then, I’ve learned about new worlds, met new family, and most importantly, fallen even more in love with you. I love you in the quiet moments, where it’s just us. I love you in the chaos of a crowded ballroom and a forest full of trees. It doesn’t matter if we’re soaring through the sky or walking on the grass, I can feel the way my heart and yours beat together like we were always meant to be standing right here.”
I retrieve his ring from my dress pocket and slip the band of golden leaves with black gems onto his finger; not only does it look perfect but it makes things official. Moth is my husband.
To the cheering of our family and friends, our lips meet, and I smile against him, wrapping my arms tightly around my husband.
“My darlings, as beautiful as that was, we have not gotten to the kissing part yet.” Queen Plume chuckles. “I believe you have some words to speak?”
“I do,” we say in unison, and I burst out laughing. Moth’s red eyes crinkle into half-moons, and there is nothing else to say before Moth pulls me in for yet another kiss. Our guests erupt into cheers as Queen Plume tries to regain control of the proceedings.
“By the power vested to me by the crown of Eclipsica and becomeaminister.com, I now welcome you into this new season of your lives. You may kiss …again.”
And we do.
I’m in absolute disbelief that—after the week we’ve had and all our adventures leading up to this moment—we’re finally husband and wife.
“Are you ready?” The sound of Moth’s whisper tickers my ear and I nod. We’re not just bound together in flesh; we’re also bound in feathers.
The sounds of bones cracking meld with the music of the harp, and when Moth and I kiss for the second time, it’s not the soft touch of lips, but our beaks that meet.
We walk back down the aisle to more cheering, flower petals, and bubbles. All exit to start this next chapter together; I reach for Moth, and our claws entwine as we launch into our first flight together as newlyweds.
Leaves flutter down from the trees as we fly past, and I laugh, glad to have the extra layers of exoskeleton and feathers protecting my body from the cold. Our clawed hands join as we soar above the trees. I think we’ll circle the area and go back home, but Moth leads us further into the woods and seems to have … other plans.
“Close your eyes,” Moth instructs, guiding me with a gentle hand. I do as he asks while we slowly descend to the earth. Our feet land on the ground, and the smell of jasmine and pine fills my nose.
Unsure of our surroundings, I hold tight to him, shifting back into my other form. It’s freezing. Luckily, my wedding dress snaps right back into place with the magic Widow wove into it.
Opening my eyes, we’ve happened upon a cottage in the woods. The front is ivy covered, with an archway of flowers similar to the one we were married under.
“Where are we?” I ask because it’s beautiful—and strangely familiar, though I can’t place where I’ve seen it before.
Moth leads us toward the cabin; on the door there’s a keypad he punches a few numbers into, and the door unlocks.
Did he get us an Airbnb for our honeymoon? Oh my gosh, cute.
When we step inside my stomach flips. Though cramped, I’d convinced myself our little cabin in the woods was perfect, but this place…
High vaulted ceilings allow us to open our wings, and there’s a loft at the top with a writing desk. A pile of pillows is in the corner by a large window—and I can just picture Sprout perched in the midst of it.
And the kitchen—God, what a kitchen. Not only is it open with a giant island in the center, it’s bright and airy with an herb garden on the windowsill. Wow, this place is a storybook come to life—with room to grow.
“Wow,” is all I can say as we walk farther into the cabin. There’s something familiar about it, and then it clicks: didn’t I bookmark this on Zillow? Whoever bought it must have turned the cabin into a rental property. Perfect timing for our honeymoon.
“Do you like it, my flame?”
“It’s perfect,” I say, leaning into him. “Maybe too perfect. I don’t know if I’m going to want to leave.”
“Well, that is rather convenient.”
“What do you mean?”
