“Leigha!” Luke cried suddenly, momentarily taking my attention away from the Dark Sider and letting her take control of my mind. As soon as I noticed she was in I began pushing again, but it was much harder now.
“The sword!” Luke said and I realized that was why he’d called my name.
I continued pushing against the girl’s mind as I pulled up the sword. Due to my split concentration, she was able to break through again. Suddenly, I was holding the point of my sword over my own heart. I broke free of her hold for a moment, just long enough to hit her in the head with the butt of the sword, knocking her unconscious momentarily.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
I looked at Luke, “We have to get out of here. Now!”
He stared at me, his face still pressed against the bars, “But...you’re dead!”
“I’ll explain later. For now, do you know a way out of here?”
He nodded his head slowly like he was trying to clarify things in his head first, “Yeah, sorry, but... I don’t think I can walk on my own.”
I think he was blushing, but he’d never admit it.
“Okay, that’s fine. And the way out?”
“A window at the end of the hall.”
I looked away from him uncomfortably, “Oh, um...about that...my wings…are gone.”
He winced and covered his ears, “I think I can make it to the ground with you,” he looked back at me and smiled, “if you can carry me to the window.”
I returned his smile, “I think I can,” I rummaged through the girl’s pockets until I found her keys, “Let’s get you out of there.”
I unlocked the door and put my arm supportively around Luke’s waist. He put his over my shoulder’s, but I think it was more of a protective gesture than to hold himself up. We half dragged, half walked down the hall to the window. I heaved it open. There wasn’t a huge opening, but it would have to do.
I looked at Luke, “Should I ask about what happened now or wait?”
He shook his head, “Wait. We can trade stories later.”
I nodded and he scooped me into his arms. He jumped out the window and spread his wings. His strong, long strokes carried us over the trees while my magic made us invisible. We had to stop halfway to the shrine. We were both too tired to go on.
When we landed Luke kept holding me. We both stared at each other.
“I’ve missed you,” I whispered, trailing a finger down the line of his jaw.
He leaned down and kissed me, “I’ve missed you, too,” he whispered against my lips.
He set me on my feet and sank to the ground against a tree. I sat down next to him and rested my head on his chest.
“Tell me, Luke.”
He sighed and looked up at the canopy of leaves above us, “Her name’s Leila. She’s like you in so many ways. She looks like you, walks like you, smells like you, even has the same sense of power as you. Her power’s different, though, it’s dark. When you walk in a room everyone can feel the good in your power and the room seems to get light, but when she walks in it’s the opposite. You feel the bad in her power and the room seems darker. You put energy into people and she takes it away.”
I wanted to interrupt him and tease. Say, “I’ll have to remember that I put energy into people next time I fight.” I kept my mouth shut, though.
“She’s a Dark fairy and the most powerful I’ve ever met. She wants me. Badly. I have to pick you or her. Light or Dark. Good or bad,” he talked about it like it was still happening.
I shook my head, “You chose me, though. I heard you.”
“I don’t know,” he said sadly standing up and driving his fist into a tree, “A week, two weeks, maybe, and I might’ve picked her. She was persuasive and so much like you. She…she’s your twin, Leigha. That’s the one thing I believe because she’s just so much like you.
She told me three words; it would take three words and all my fears would disappear. She promised me if I chose her you would be safe,” he turned to me, eyes full of rage, “She promised to bring you back!” He cried and hit the tree again.
“Luke!” I stood up, too, “Luke! Calm down! Please!”
“Leigha, do you know what I could’ve done? How you could’ve been hurt by me? Killed, even, by me?
I put my hand on his arm, “Luke,” he was distant, but he just looked sad now, not angry. I put my other hand on his cheek and turned his face towards me, “I love you, Luke. That’s all that matters. I love you.”
He pushed me away from him, “You shouldn’t, Leigha. I’m dangerous to you. I am some Dark now, you know that? I-,”
“Luke,” I said softly, tears streaming down my cheeks, “I could be Dark, too.”
“No,” he shook his head, “It’s her. It’s Leila. She’s the hidden daughter, that’s what I tried to tell you. She’s your twin, she got all of the Dark and you got all of the Light. But, she could’ve made me Dark. I could be turning right now.”
I smiled at him, “There’s no way either of us are both totally one of the other. I must be a little Dark and Leila a little Light, so we’re both a little Dark, but that’s all we’ll ever be, a little Dark. Trust me, Luke. I’m the Queen of the Light. The most unusual and powerful Queen of the Light the Creatures of the Light have ever seen and I know all you’ll ever be is a little Dark.”
He bowed and hugged me, “You’re the most amazing Queen of the Light.”
~~~~~
I woke up on the ground next to Luke. He was already awake, propped up on one elbow, watching me. I propped myself up and smiled at him.
“It feels like a dream seeing you again, being with you again,” I told him.
He smiled and shook his head in disbelief, “If it is, I don’t ever want to wake up.”
I smiled and carefully pushed myself into a sitting position. My back was stiff from the dried blood of my wings. I could feel that some of my other wounds had reopened, too. I pulled up my left pant leg and began unwrapping the bandage to put on a fresh one.
Luke shook his head in disbelief again, “I can’t believe you’re alive. You should be dead. You died.”
I nodded and began to recite,
“Weakness will come twice,
one hiding and dangerous,
the other a vice.
She’s saved by the man
when her weakness overtakes
love Luceleighanne.
“You saved me by saying my name,” I said.
“Just by saying your name,” he repeated and smiled. “I’m glad I did it.”
I smiled back and began winding a new bandage around my leg to replace the bloodstained one, “I am, too.”
When I was done bandaging we brought ourselves carefully to our feet. I pointed toward the shrine.
“We can be there soon. I don’t know when, exactly. I’ve never walked there,” I said.
“You still have explaining to do,” Luke said.
So, as I walked and he flew next to me I told him everything that had happened up until when I’d left. I hesitated before that part of my story.
“You weren’t supposed to leave, were you?” Luke asked.
I shrugged, “But I did anyways.”
“And your wings?” He asked gesturing towards my back.
I sighed, knowing he would be mad, and explained to him about everything after I snuck out. I told him about Leila’s conversation, getting in and cutting off my wings, and everything else until I’d found him.
“You’ve given up too much for me,” Luke said.
“Luke you saved my life. Then, you went to jail for me. I’d be dead and being flightless is a huge step up.”
He stopped flying and landed to pull me against him, “I thought you were dead. I thought I would never see you again or hear your voice. I watched you this morning and all I could think was, ‘She’s alive. Her hearts beating. She’s breathing. She’s alive.’”
I looked up at him, “If I’d waited any longer you’d be the one dead. Leila was going t
o kill you; you were supposed to be dead by now.”
He looked back towards the Dark Base and ran a hand through his hair, “You told me.”
I nodded even though his back was to me, “Let’s go, Luke.”
He turned back to me and nodded. We moved on in silence for a while.
Finally, I said, “Half an hour more,” just to break the silence.
Luke nodded and looked at me, then at my hand, “We still haven’t been Bound.”
“I know. Whenever you’re ready Claire still has everything prepared.”
“Tomorrow, then. We should’ve been Bound long ago. I’ll be with you as soon as possible.”
I twisted his ring around my fingers, “It has been too long.”
“I know, Leigha. I’m so sorry.”
I shook my head, “Don’t apologize. It’s not your fault. All you did was save my life.”
He sighed and we just kept moving. Moving, moving in silence. Finally, we arrived at the clearing in front of the shrine.
Claire was pacing nervously while Wess tried, to no avail, to calm her down. When she saw us I thought she was going to have a heart attack. She ran up to me and hugged me so tightly I thought my lungs would collapse.
I pulled her off laughing, “Claire, I’m fine. We’re both pretty much fine.”
“I was worried sick, Leigha! You left before you were healed!” She exclaimed.
“Calm down! If I’d waited any longer Luke would have been killed!”
Luke nodded in agreement with me and looked at Claire, “This is a pointless fight, Claire. It always is with her. What’s done is done. It’s not going to change because you’re mad.”
Claire nodded, “You’re right,” she turned a glare on me, but she couldn’t help but smile, “Now you two both need to rest.
I went up through the shrine to my room with Luke by my side. We refused to be without each other, but that wouldn’t matter when we were Bound. We collapsed into my bed and were asleep almost instantly. We would be Bound soon.
~~~~~
I was woken by the sound of people moving about my room. Luke was gone; he must have left before I’d woken up. A beautiful white dress hung on the front of my wardrobe. It wasn’t too much, just a floor length gown with silver swirls dancing up from the hem. They became thinner and less common until they reached the waist where they stopped.
I got out of bed and took a bath. Once I was clean and dry Claire helped me slide into the gown. If fit me perfectly. The sleeves were elbow length, but they were cut to leave my shoulders bare and fit around my arms. The sleeves hung down to my waist. In the back of the gown there was a long train stretched across the floor behind me.
Because of my inability to use my Light form an elf painted blue swirls along the parts of my arms, neck, shoulders, and legs that would be visible at some point in the day. It seemed Luke had explained what happened in my attempt to save him, sparing me from being screamed at.
After I was painted on the same elf put make up on me. Mascara made my eyelashes luscious, longer, and blacker. Silver eyeliner made the specks in my eyes sparkle and blue eye shadow brought out the blue. Last, blush made my cheeks look pink.
Once the elf was done Claire began on my hair. I don’t understand how, but she pulled it up into a bun that had curls spilling out from under it and halfway down my back. I assume she used magic.
When it was all done I looked at myself. I thought I looked better than I had at my coronation. When I turned to see the back of my dress I found it dipped low. The fabric only started an inch or two above where my hair fell.
Claire looked at me from every angle possible before deciding I was fine. Then, she provided me with white slippers and I was ready.
Claire took my arm and smiled at me with raw excitement, “We have no father to walk you down the aisle, so-,”
Just as she said “so” my younger brother walked in, “I’ll do the honors.”
My hand flew to my mouth, “John, where have you been?”
He smiled, “I saw the world and fought Darks in other countries,” he bowed, “Always at your service, My Queen.”
“You have always had a knack for adventure and getting into things you shouldn’t get into,” I muttered.
John just smirked and Claire interrupted, “The ceremony will start soon. We must be on our way.”
Chapter Twenty-Eight
By the time John and I followed Claire down to the floor where celebrations took place it was already four o’clock. Doors to ballroom upon ballroom lined the hall. They could be used for pretty much any type of party, be it a dinner party or a coronation. We would use three of the rooms: one for the actual Binding, one for the banquet, and one as a ballroom.
We reached the door to the ballroom that would be used for the Binding. There was a short line of people. Claire walked to the front to stand with one of Luke’s friends and behind her was Cece with Luke’s brother, then, Alex with my other, even young brother, and behind them, John and I.
The Song of the Lights began to play in the Binding room.
“The Light first sang,
When her bell first rang.
A magic, she held,
And upon her the power fell.”
I watched as the line before me walked slowly through the doors. After what seemed like forever, it was my turn.
The music changed to my Prophecy, but it was put to music and sung. I looked at Luke as John and I walked in. He smiled at me. He’d left his hair long, but he was in a tuxedo. It was solid black with a blue tie that matched his eyes perfectly.
We arrived at the stage and John dropped my arm. Luke and I stood facing each other. Ben was the Binder because unicorns always seemed to be the best at planning and performing ceremonies.
“We are here today to witness Alucasem and Luceleighanne being Bound together,” Ben announced to the crowd. He turned towards Luke, “Alucasem, do you believe Luceleighanne to be your soul mate?”
“I do,” Luke said.
“Will you be Bound to Luceleighanne forever and stay true and loyal to the Binds?”
“I will.”
Ben produced a blue rope that matched both mine and Luke’s eyes, “Then you shall be Bound,” he tied one end around Luke’s right wrist and turned to me, “Luceleighanne, do you believe Alucasem to be your soul mate?”
“I do,” I said.
“Will you be Bound to Alucasem forever and stay true and loyal to the Binds?”
“I will.”
“Then you shall be Bound,” Ben tied the other end of the rope around my right wrist leaving about a foot between us, “Alucasem, Luceleighanne, you are now Bound forever.”
Ben raised one hand above each of our heads and what looked like silver fairy dust was sprinkled over us. The rope disappeared, but it would always be there. It would tell us when we were in need of each other. It would bring us together when we’d been apart for too long.
Luke and I walked down the aisle with everyone else trailing behind us. We walked to the next room where the banquet would take place. We took our seats in the middle of a circular table in the center of the room. All of the Light Maids (like bride’s maids) sat across from me and around and all of the Light Men (like groom’s men) sat across from Luke and went around.
After we ate we moved to the ballroom. Small four person circular tables were set around the edges of the room with candles sitting the center. Candles also floated high above our heads. The light in the whole room was produced entirely by candles giving it a romantic glow.
The Song of the Lights began to play and Luke took my hand and raised an eyebrow asking me to dance. With a wave from my other hand the long skirt fell to the floor. It left behind a shorter one that reached my knees and flowed more, but still had the swirls covering it in the same way as the first.
I placed my hand on Luke’s shoulder and he wrapped his arm around my waist pulling me closer. We drifted to the center of the floor and began to dance. It was tradit
ional for fairies to fly while dancing their first dance as a couple, so Luke held me against him and we spun through the air.
I looked up at him to find him already looking at me and smiling, “We have one decision to make.”
“And that would be?” He asked.
“Should we stay at the shrine or live in Land of the Light at the castle. They’re both pretty much the same except one’s on Earth and one’s in the Land of the Light.”
“Either one, Leigha. What if we made the shrine like another castle for Earth-bound Lights? Then there would be a castle for all the Lights.”
“I take it we’re staying here, then.”
He smiled.
I closed my eyes and sighed, “It’s so weird having lost those powers and now I can’t change into my Light form.”
“I think you’ll get them all back someday. For some reason I feel that when your wings grow back your old powers will, too.”
“I really hope so.”
The song ended and Luke set me gently on the ground. Then, we left the dance floor.
“Claire!” I called and she rushed to my side immediately.
“Yes?” She asked.
“We’re staying here.”
She smiled and nodded, then left. She would find someone to move everything to the new rooms we would have here.
I yawned. I was already tired and the reception would last a long time, so I sat down. It was tiring while I was healing and it had to be tiring for Luke, too.
“Do you want to go?” Luke asked me.
I smiled up at him sleepily, “I’m getting tired.”
He took my hand and pulled me to my feet, “The party can go on without us.”
Luke found someone who knew where our new rooms where to lead us. We were escorted to the tallest tower that was, somehow, even higher up than my old room.
It had all of my furniture. My bed was there, my sitting area, even the windowed walls were the same. My wardrobe and vanity, though, were in my huge closet the size of a bedroom. My trunk was at the end of the bed, though, and I was very grateful it was where it was.