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thirty-eight
The door to the rooftop opens, but I don’t turn around to see who’s joining me. The sunrise is beautiful today, and I try to stop the lump in my throat, knowing this will be my last sunrise living at home.
My dad sits on the couch next to me, pulling the corner of my blanket so it’s covering his legs. For a while, we sit together in silence, watching the sunrise over the island. Dawn has always been my favorite time, when the darkness recedes and the sky turns dusty blue before erupting into a rainbow of color.
I love it because it signals the start of magic, the hours of the day when I feel most alive and content. There is never enough daylight, and the night seems to stretch on forever, but at sunrise, time feels infinite.
I wonder what it would be like to be Wolfe, to know that I could practice magic at any time, day or night. To know that the only restrictions on my magic were the ones I created myself.
It sounds terrifying, that kind of unchecked power.
And absolutely stunning.
“Thinking about the wedding?” my dad asks, bringing me back to the rooftop. I look away as heat fills my face. Just once, I wish I could focus on the right thing.
“I can’t believe it’s tonight,” I say, looking down. I knead the blanket in my hands, but I stop when I notice my dad watching. I smooth the blanket and force myself to remain still.
“It’s okay to be nervous,” he says, looking out over the Passage. “It’s a big night.”
“I wish I could do the ceremonies separately,” I say, finally meeting his eyes. “I’ve been excited about my Covenant my whole life. I hate that I have to share it with Landon.”
My dad gives me a sympathetic look and places an arm around me. I lean into him, letting my head rest on his shoulder.
“I know, honey. I wish you could have the ball you’ve always dreamt of. But this is good. It’s important for Landon to see this part of you, for him to be included in it. You’re combining your lives—he should see you fully, as both a witch and his bride.”
“Would you be okay with him watching a rush?” I ask the question quietly, not wanting to be combative. I genuinely want to know what he thinks.
“That kind of display would terrify the mainlanders, and I suspect Landon is no exception.” He pauses, and I feel the rise and fall of his chest when he takes a breath. “But I wish it didn’t have to be that way.”
“Me too,” I say.
“I have something for you.” Dad pulls away from me and reaches into his pocket, revealing a worn red velvet box that he hands to me.
“What’s this for?”
“It’s your Covenant gift,” he says. “It’s been in my family for generations.”
I gently lift the lid and gasp. It’s a necklace, a long silver chain with a vial hanging from the end. There’s water inside the vial, swirling of its own volition. I watch as it rolls inside the glass, lapping up the sides and rushing back into the center.
“This is incredible,” I say, all the air leaving my lungs. “How is it doing that?”
“It was created the night of the very first rush, when our ancestors decided the only way to survive was to give up their darkness and work with the mainland. They drained their magic into the ocean, then filled this vial with the magicked water as a constant reminder of what they were working toward. It feels fitting to give it to you now, when their dream is being fully realized.”
I lift the necklace with shaking hands. The water is mesmerizing as it swirls around, and I think I could watch it forever. It’s the most beautiful piece of jewelry I’ve ever seen, bold and enchanting, such a far cry from the polished pearls and dainty diamonds of the Witchery today.
“Dad, I don’t think I can take this,” I say, rolling the vial in my fingers.
“Of course you can. This is your history, Tana. It’s who you are. I want you to have it.”
“Thank you,” I say, the words barely a whisper. Tears well in my eyes, and I blink them away and swallow the lump that’s formed in my throat. Everything aches, and I take several deep breaths.
“I love you, honey. You’re strong and independent and secure enough to question why you believe what you believe. You’re curious and unbridled and sensitive, so many things I admire. I could not have picked a better daughter, not even if I had magicked her myself.”
This time, I can’t stop the tears that spill over my lashes. “I love you so much,” I say, giving my dad a hug, holding on tight, wanting to stay here just a little longer. Stay his little girl instead of Landon’s bride.
“I love you, too.”
I wonder if he can sense that I’m struggling to let go, that he is the only solid ground I have left.
