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“You’re Eden,” he said. “You can’t stop being who you are. You may feel lost at moments, but I know you’re still here because I can feel you.”
I sighed. “Then I must be buried very deep.”
“And together we’ll uncover you.” He cupped my chin to tilt my head up so our gazes met, his beautiful green eyes soft. “Despite having broken the law to weave for her, your desire for Maci to see a dream only proves who you truly are: you’re a Dreamer.”
Hope blossomed within me like a warm, flickering flame. I closed my eyes and allowed his belief to fill me. “Am I really?” I asked breathlessly.
“What does your heart tell you?”
I knew that answer immediately but was almost too shy to admit it out loud. But I didn’t need to; by the way his entire manner lit up, Darius read my answer in my eyes.
“You’re starting to believe it: that who you’ve become is not who you truly are. You are who you choose to be.”
“I’m not a Nightmare...at least I don’twantto be. I hate this realm and want nothing more than to leave, to be someone more than who I’ve become.” I tested the words on my tongue and realized I liked them; despite my current predicament, they feltright.
“Desire is the first step to change,” he said. “A journey I’ll be on with you every step of the way. After all, you’re my everything; I knew it the moment I met you.”
I stared in disbelief. “You did? Because your behavior was so contrary in the beginning. I never knew what to expect, and even thought you didn’t like me.”
He bit his lip. “I did give you that impression, didn’t I? I’m so sorry for that. But in truth, I sensed our connection immediately. I admit it both thrilled me and frightened me at first. I’d gone so long without knowing you, relying solely on myself, not believing I needed anything to complete me. And then suddenly I met you and my entire world turned upside down, especially when you were shrouded in mystery and suspicion. I was afraid to give you my heart even though I felt it drawing me towards you, even in the moments when we were apart.”
He shook his head with a sigh. “In my fear I sometimes created distance between us, especially when we were around others. But when we were alone I couldn’t fight against our natural connection. No matter how I tried to resist you, in the end I couldn’t stay away. I requested you as my partner in order to remain close to you, and naturally I desired to learn more about you and to help you.”
“I felt the same way,” I managed breathlessly.
He smiled. “I’d hoped you also felt what I did. The longer I knew you, the more I cared and the less I fought our connection. No matter the risk, I needed to give you everything, and that’s as true now as it was then. I’m not afraid any longer...save for losing you.”
“I’m afraid of that, too,” I whispered.
“Please don’t be,” Darius said. “We’re meant to be together. Even though you fear you’ve lost yourself, and even when it feels everything is conspiring to keep us apart,nothingwill separate us.”
His words dispelled the last of the unease cinching my heart. “Thank you, Darius.”
He gave my hand another squeeze before turning to face the Milky Way Pool with a wide grin. “Now that we’ve talked, it’s time to cheer you up with a bit of magic.”
He released me and dove into the pool, emerging above the froth with a satisfied sigh. Instead of following, I eyed the pool warily. Sensing my fear in his usual attuned way, Darius swam over to gently take my hand. The surrounding starlight reflected the tenderness filling his green eyes as his gaze seeped into mine.
“Don’t be afraid, Eden. This will be magical. Trust me.”
There was no one I trusted more than him, so with a deep breath I slid into the pool. It was exceedingly soft, as if I were floating on feathers, the swirls of color surrounding us making me feel as if we were submerged in a bubble bath.
Darius’s arms immediately looped around me to snuggle me close. “See, isn’t this wonderful?”
The anxious knots in my stomach slowly loosened enough for me to summon the courage to glance down. The pool was translucent, allowing me a beautiful view of the stars below, their light casting shimmering patterns across my glittered skin. I felt a smile tug on my lips and nodded in response to his inquiry, too awed to speak.
Darius floated on his back and I copied him. Still feeling brave, I tentatively grazed his arm. His breath hooked before he took my hand in his and once more intertwined our fingers. We held hands as together we stared at the countless constellations lit up around us.
“Who creates the constellations?” I asked after a reverent moment of stillness.
Darius’s thumb began to rub circles along the back of my hand. “The process is quite remarkable. I’ll take you to see it one day.”
I loved the sound of that: future moments as tranquil and perfect as this one. Being with Darius made me feel whole, as if my heart had never been wounded or experienced any heartache. “I’ve always loved the stars, a reminder that magic can be found even in the darkest night.”
“Since the beginning of time, Mortals have created stories in the pictures they find in the stars,” Darius said. “Even Dreamers and Nightmares—the constellations’ creators—have their own legends for them.”
“You always read a book of legends while you waited for me during our Weavings,” I said. “Were any of them about the constellations?”
He chuckled. “Does that observation mean you were paying as much attention to me as I was to you?”
