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Prologue: Teatime Within The Realms Of The In-Between
~WILLOW~
Ringing…
That simple yet annoying repetition echoed around me while snow fell from the sky. My body was numb and heavy, and as the seconds passed, I lost all feeling.
All I could focus on was the falling snow and my internal motivation.
No matter how many times my brain tried to push an ounce of regret my way, I merely deflected it. Nothing would convince me that my actions were wrong, that I was a victim in this circumstance. I wasn’t.
I was a winner…and this was how I’d enjoy the moment of victory.
I stared up into the wondrous sky, a surface that emphasized all the possibilities in the universe. It was intriguing to stare at, even when my vision grew blurry with tears of happiness. I’d done so many things to be proud of - even in our world that ensured that we all felt like tiny ants that could be squashed at any second.
Peering into the vast sky held a different power over me, one that humbled me and forced me to acknowledge that we’re only small chess pieces waiting to fulfill our duties upon the chessboard. I’d put up an amazing fight and been taken out mid-battle, but I wasn’t worried about us succeeding.
There’s no doubt in my mind…my Forbidden Fruit will win the rest.
In this scary, big world, they each carried the power to rise to the challenge and conquer in their element. Maybe my real purpose was leading them in the right direction. Reminding them what potential each of them had - even though some had more than others.
We’d entered this battlefield as enemies, and now I was slipping away, praying our Moon Goddess would shield my lovers from the trying times ahead.
It was funny how life worked. But again, I carried no regrets.
My heart stopped faster than I would have expected it -ba-bump, ba-bump, ba-bump -and then nothing.
I itched to hear the sound one more time: that beating sound of life that drummed against my chest 24/7. The sound held so much significance and was what we all normally took advantage of because we assumed our hearts would always keep beating.
Humans. Shifters. Witches.
At the end of the day, we all carried the same beating heart, and sadly, mine had finally come to a dramatic stop.
I never knew what to expect when death finally came for me. Every other time I’d been close to death, there had been an event that pierced my very soul and left me full of regrets. This time, everything was different - peaceful.
The silence was what I caught onto first. The eerie quietness went on and on like a record playing even after the singer completed that final note. The snowy oasis was the next to fade away, but the curtain of darkness invited plenty of twinkling stars.
Each dot grew stronger in brightness as if to emphasize this newfound world that was growing clearer by the second. But it was the magnificent moon right in the center that took my breath away.
If I had any more breaths to give.
The enchanting sight really left me speechless. The shade of lovely baby pink made my emotions swell in my chest. It was so soft, a tender glow that didn’t hurt the eyes, even with how big and close the moon felt in this wonderful oasis.
My nose picked up on the scent of flowers, and I couldn’t help but close my eyes for a mere moment and inhale deeply. The floral aroma immediately reminded me of Dimitris, and how I took for granted those daily bouquets that expressed his love the best way he knew how.
It was something so simple -so tiny and yet so fucking significant -and now it reminded me of how I was loved differently by him. Loved in a way only he knew how to express without the world realizing his commitment.
As I exhaled, I couldn’t help but realize all the other little things I’d overlooked when it came to my Forbidden men.
The way Neo always kept an “eye” on me, no matter if I was near or far. The way Saint would do his best to crack a joke to make me laugh no matter if the day was shitty or magnificent. The way Jayce secretly made sure I ate something during the day - even resorting to sneaking into the office during my washroom breaks to leave a snack on the table. The way Victor always made sure I had a stash of clothes somewhere for me to use -one set for me and one for if I was William -and that was just a tiny example of all the little things I’d taken for granted.
I was sure there was more I was missing, but the significance began to fade away as looked down to see my feet.
It took my brain a hot minute to acknowledge that I stood in a field of pink roses, which led to me noticing the wonderful black dress that clung to my top half, while the bottom transitioned to a sparkling purple fabric that was layered with a thin material with pink and silver stars.
The front part was short, reaching my knees, which allowed most of my leg tattoos to be visible while the other half was long and dropped from behind. I was barefoot. The feel of the soft soil beneath my feet was comforting, but it was seeing my body without the various wounds I was sure cloaked my flesh that made me wonder what was happening here.
I looked over my shoulder as if to see with my own set of eyes that I didn’t have a pair of black wings - or white. A badass like me probably wouldn’t go to heaven with white wings, but what did I know?
