“I love you too,” he says. “I should have said it first. I’ve loved you since the moment you told me my footwork was an insult to centuries of dance tradition. I just... I didn’t think I was allowed to. I didn’t think you could ever...”
“Accept a demon?”
“Accept me. The real me. Not the charming facade I show the world, but the broken, desperate, terrified creature underneath.”
I reach down and take his wrist, running my fingers over the transformed bracelet. The rubies are warm to the touch, pulsing gently with contained power.
“This is who you are,” I say softly. “The charm and the chaos and yes, the broken parts too. And I love all of it. Even the terrible dancing.”
“My dancing has improved significantly, thank you very much.”
“It’s still an insult to centuries of tradition.”
“But now it’s our insult to centuries of tradition.”
I laugh again, and this time it feels different. Lighter. Like a weight I didn’t know I was carrying has finally been lifted.
Tomorrow, we’ll face the showcase. We’ll dance the Dance of Accord in front of judges and audiences and whatever obstacles Azrael tries to throw in our path. The future is still uncertain, still terrifying, still full of things I can’t control.
But right now, in this moment, with Mal’s arms around me and seven ruby stones glowing in the darkness, I feel something I thought I’d never feel.
Certainty.
Not that everything will be perfect. Not that we won’t face challenges and setbacks and moments of doubt. But certainty that whatever comes, we’ll face it together.
“We should probably get some sleep,” I murmur against his chest. “Big day tomorrow.”
“Probably.” He makes no move to let go.
“The showcase starts at two.”
“Mmhmm.”
“I need to be here by eleven for setup.”
“Very responsible.”
“Mal.”
“I’m listening.”
“You’re not moving.”
“Neither are you.”
He has a point.
I settle more firmly into his embrace, letting the warmth of his body and the gentle pulse of the bracelet’s magic wash over me. The studio is still damaged. The floor is still damp in patches. Tomorrow will bring challenges I can’t anticipate and problems I’ll have to solve in real-time.
But tonight...
Tonight, I let myself rest.
The last thing I see before sleep claims me is the glow of seven ruby stones, blazing like promises in the dark.
Stay with me.
Always.
