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That isn't exactly how the world works. But then again, the world is changing.
"It does not matter if he marks me or not. I don't need a mating ceremony to understand that he is the love of my life. How could it possibly be wrong if it created something as wonderful as you? The gods may be powerful, but they are not all-powerful, and they are certainly not all-knowing. It's a messy universe we live in, and I think even the moon and stars can make mistakes. Selene made a mistake when she decided my relationship with your father was not natural. She was wrong to punish you, and if I could, I would tell her so myself, and in no uncertain terms!"
I'd love to see that. Maybe someday.
As if reading my thoughts, Vanessa adds, "Don't give up home, sweetheart. Gods, curses, magic, and fate are all powerful things. But at the end of the day, mating bond or not, love is a choice, and there is no power stronger than love."
I consider her words carefully as we sit in silence, a crazy plan beginning to formulate in the back of my mind. Well, more of a hope than a proper plan. Well, it's really just a feeling.
But still. It grows within me like an ember, slowly sparking into a flame that burns through me, illuminating me with an unwavering sort of certainty. My hand goes up to my chest almost unconsciously, brushing against the skin on my chest and tracing the shape of the crescent moon.
Tristan would defy the moon itself for me, and I think that doing so might just be our only chance to be together.
I have everything I never thought I could have. Can I really give it all up for a chance?
'My little flower,' Tristan's voice is a soft caress against my thoughts, almost like an answer to my unspoken question.
He seemed as happy as the rest of the Rovers that I finally have a name. But while the others have taken to calling me Iris, he continues to refer to me by the nickname. It feels more intimate now that it's deliberate.
I know what I have to do, and I sit up suddenly, startling my mother.
"What is it?" Vanessa asks.
"Tristan, he's back in the castle," I tell her, shuffling off the chaise to my feet.
'Lucy tells me you're looking for me,' Tristan says softly through the mindlink.
'I was. I am. Can we talk?' I reply telepathically while my mother shoots me a knowing look.
"I need to go," I tell her as I head for the door. "I have an idea."
"Do you need any help?" Vanessa asks, but I shake my head.
As much as I would love to watch my mother insult a god, this is between my mate and me. "No. But thank you."
Tristan's reply echoes in the back of my head. He'll wait for me in my room, but I linger a moment longer with my hand on the door, turning to face Vanessa before I leave.
"Mom?" I say tentatively, the word still foreign on my lips. "If this doesn't work..."
"It's okay. I didn't know you when I picked your name, but I know you now, and I see that I chose it well. Go. Be brave and hopeful, and everything in between," she says, with an intensity in her expression that makes me believe she suspects what I intend to do.
"I love you," I tell her.
My mother smiles sadly at me, her bright blue eyes filled with an almost unnatural sense of calm and understanding. "I love you too, Iris. Good luck."
I return her smile before heading out, and I can't help but think that I'm going to need all the help I can get.
When we charged into battle against impossible odds, it was not luck but faith and courage that pulled us through. But this time, as I make my way toward my mate for one last fight, things are different.
This time, I don't intend to survive.
Chapter Fifteen
Tristan
I'm not ready for what comes next. I told myself that I would be; I told myself that when the time came, I'd be able to let her go.
But it was a lie.
