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  Standing, I held out my hand for Potter to take. Closing his fingers around mine he pulled himself up. Silently, I led him deeper into the woods.

  “Where are we going?” he asked.

  “I’m looking for something,” I told him.

  “What?”

  “A few last moments of happiness,” I said.

  Chapter Eighteen

  Kiera

  Without talking, I led Potter deeper into the woods. I just wanted to be alone with him away from my other friends for a while. Potter laced his fingers through mine. The thunder that continued to rumble in the distance matched the speed of my thumping heart. I could hear the sound of running water. It was too loud to be that of a brook or small river. I made my way toward it. The trees thinned out ahead of us. We found ourselves standing on a chip of rock and looking down into a pool of water that came tumbling from a nearby waterfall. Spray from the water caught the last of the fading sunlight, casting a rainbow over the pool. The water was surrounded on all sides by tall firs and spruces. There was a fresh scent of faint lemon in the air.

  With my fingers still entwined with Potter’s, I led him down over the rocks and to the water. With the waterfall now just feet away, my skin and hair became damp from the spray. I turned to look into Potter’s face. Without saying anything, I closed my eyes and kissed him gently on the mouth. He kissed me back, and I felt his hand slip from mine and slide to my waist. Breaking our kiss, I eased back so I could see into his dark eyes.

  “I love you,” I whispered and slipped his jacket from his back. He wore no shirt underneath and I looked at the old scars that covered his chest, stomach, and shoulders. I lightly caressed them with my fingertips. Then, slowly, I leant forward and kissed each and every one of them. I wished I could kiss away the pain that had caused them.

  I felt Potter slide my jacket from me. It fell to the rocks. With his eyes locked with mine, he silently popped open each button on the front of my shirt. My heart sped up and I reached out, placing my hand against the hard flesh of his chest. I could feel his heart racing as fast as my own. With my shirt fluttering to the ground, and now standing half-naked before him, I rolled back my shoulders and released my wings. They flapped open on either side of me, each of them sounding like a fresh sheet being shaken open. The claws at each tip open and closed, as if clutching at the air.

  “You look perfect,” Potter smiled, shaking his own wings free.

  They rolled open from his back, their giant wingspan almost blocking out the light. The edges of them were frayed and tatty – but in a way, perfect.

  Loosening my trousers, I slid them along with my underwear over my hips and let them slide down my legs to my feet. I stepped out of them and stood naked before Potter. I felt suddenly very free. Like me, Potter removed his jeans and boots. Slowly, he closed the last of the gap between us, folding his arms, then his wings about me. I lay the side of my face against his chest. How I wished I could stay locked in his embrace forever.

  “I love you, Kiera,” he whispered. He led me down into the water.

  Together we swam out to the middle of the rock pool, stopping just beneath that rainbow. Its colours were almost suddenly blinding.

  “It’s beautiful,” I breathed.

  “Like you,” he said, snaking his arm about my waist beneath the water and pulling me close again. I felt his body press against mine as he kissed me.

  Taking his hand in mine again, I swam toward the waterfall. We passed through the torrent of water that fell from above to find a small alcove. We climbed from the water, lying side by side on our wings. I looked back at the rock pool and the trees that surrounded it, but the waterfall hid them from my view. But more importantly, it hid Potter and me from the rest of the world. It felt like we were the only two creatures that now lived in it. And that’s what I’d wanted when I led Potter through the woods. I wanted us to be alone one last time. I wanted us to be how we were truly meant to be. Two beautiful monsters.

  Turning to look at Potter, I said, “Make love to me.”

  Without saying anything, Potter brushed my damp fringe from my brow.

  “Close your eyes,” he hushed.

  I did as he said.

  With my heart beating faster still, I felt Potter cover my face in the softest of kisses. He started at my forehead, slowly and deliberately working his way down over my face, his lips brushing over my eyelids, cheeks, tip of my nose, chin and mouth. I then felt his warm breath against my neck and I shuddered. He pulled me close as if trying to warm me. But it wasn’t the cold that had caused my skin to breakout in gooseflesh, but his touch. I felt his mouth and the gentle flicker of his tongue travel over my breasts, then stomach. He took his time as if relishing every moment he spent kissing me – every moment we now shared together. I pushed the realisation that it might be the last time we spent together from my mind. I wanted to forget what I feared lay ahead for us both. I wanted this moment to be so precious, that if the nightmare I’d had came true, and I was left alone, then I would have this time between us to treasure until the end of time. If I could somehow capture it, keep it locked in my heart, then I might never feel the loneliness I knew I would have to endure if I let him go.

  I felt Potter’s lips brush over my thighs as he worked his mouth down my legs. He placed soft kisses all over them. My skin tingled and stomach tightened. Potter took each of my feet into his hands and kissed my toes. It tickled just a little and I couldn’t help but wiggle them. I giggled. Opening my eyes, I looked down the length of my body. Potter smiled back at me. “Easy, tiger. Don’t get so excited.”

  He came forward, and reaching out with his hands, I pulled him over me. As we became one at last, I pulled him closer still, burying my claws into his back. Potter moved slowly at first. I arched my back off the ground. Knotting one claw in his damp hair, I pulled his face down over mine. I kissed him, but it wasn’t his lips I wanted. I pressed my mouth over his neck. I could feel the blood racing through his veins as he began to work his sturdy hips faster and harder. My eyes rolled back as I smelt the blood just beneath his flesh. Crushing my lips over his neck, I broke the skin with my fangs. Within an instant, my lips were covered with his hot blood. It gushed into my mouth and down my throat. I drank it down as Potter continued to make love to me. As he did, he sank his fangs deep into the side of my neck. I felt a warm and dizzy sensation as he sucked my blood into him. I raked my claws up and over his back, criss-crossing his shoulders as we shared our blood and our deep and everlasting love for each other.

  When I felt drunk on him, I withdrew my lips from his neck and cried out. Potters mouth shone black with my blood as he threw his head back, wings spread wide as his own body rocked violently. Both trembling and hearts racing, we fell into each other’s arms. With chests rising up and down, we gasped for breath.

  “I love you so much, Kiera,” Potter panted in my ear. “I will never stop loving you.”

  I closed my eyes and wanted to believe that was true.

  Chapter Nineteen

  Potter

  I kissed my blood from Kiera’s lips. I felt the warm trickle of it down the length of my neck, but the puncture marks left by Kiera’s fangs would soon heal, as would the ones I left on her.

  I rolled onto my back, chest rising, then falling again. Glancing sideways, I looked at Kiera’s beautiful profile. She had her eyes closed, but still I could see a sadness about her. It was like she had got some crazy idea into her head that our time together was coming to an end. Perhaps her believing I was dead had affected Kiera more than I first feared it had. But I wasn’t going anywhere without a fight. Kiera couldn’t get rid of me now from her life, even if she wanted to. Whether she liked it or not, she was stuck with me for the rest of her life – and probably several more. As I lay and studied her face, I wondered how I could ease her fears, prove to her that I wasn’t going to leave her ever again.

  I thought of the other Potter Lilly had talked about. The Potter who had a daughter named A
bbie with Sophie. How I’d wished that Lilly was going to tell me that the little girl I had seen bleeding through the cracks was mine and Kiera’s daughter. Instead she had said Sophie. But that was another Potter, in another where and when. I hoped he was happy with Sophie, because one thing was for sure, Sophie hadn’t made me happy. She had just caused me a whole load of fucking heartache. But if that Potter was happy, then why couldn’t I be? And I knew what would really make me happy and how I could prove to Kiera that I was going nowhere fast.

  Propping myself up onto my elbow, I looked at Kiera and said, “Kiera, when this is all over. When we get pushed back…well…I was wondering…erm…”

  Kiera’s eyes flickered open and she looked at me. “Yes?”

  “Look, don’t have a heart attack or anything, but I was wondering…if you…well you know…” I struggled to find the right words.

  “Know what?” Kiera said.

  “Don’t make this any harder for me than it already is…” I mumbled.

  “What are you trying to say?” she asked.

  “I’m trying to ask you to marry me,” I blurted out.

  “What?” Kiera shot up.

  “Well, don’t look so fucking pissed off about it…perhaps I shouldn’t have…” I started.

  “I’m just shocked, that’s all…” Kiera now seemed to be struggling for the right words as much as I was. “Are you serious?”

  “Of course I’m fucking serious,” I said. “It’s not a hobby of mine to go around asking women to marry me…”

  “It’s just that…” Kiera said, but I could see more than just shock in her eyes. I could see sadness too.

  “Look forget I asked,” I said, getting up. “We should be getting back. The others will be wondering…”

  “It’s not that I don’t want to marry you,” Kiera said, springing to her feet and coming toward me.

  “What is it then?” I felt confused.

  “Why ask now?” she said, taking my hands in hers.

  “Why not?” I said. “It’s as good a time as any.”

  “It’s not a good time,” she said, shaking her head. “Why couldn’t you have asked me before the world got pushed?”

  “Because I was too busy fighting for my fucking life if you remember,” I reminded her. “And besides, I thought you were in love with Luke.”

  “I was never in love with Luke,” Kiera said. “It’s you I loved and still do.”

  “So what’s the problem then?” I asked.

  “It doesn’t matter,” Kiera said, letting my hand go and turning away.

  “It matters to me,” I snapped, grabbing her shoulder and spinning her around to face me again. “What’s wrong?”

  She looked at me, then away again. “If and when we manage to get the world pushed back, I don’t think I’ll be coming back with you.”

  I sighed and pulled her close to me. “Kiera, you’ve said this all before, remember? You told me about those statues the Elders showed you. It’s just a bunch of bullshit. They’re trying to fuck with what’s in here.” I tapped her temple with my forefinger.

  “But how can you be so sure?” she asked.

  “Because we’re still here, aren’t we?” I tried to convince her. “And like I said to you once before, I’m not going anywhere. I go where you go. I’m like a fucking fart in an elevator. I linger!”

  Kiera smiled.

  “See, you know what I say is true,” I said. “I’m not going anywhere, other than Snake Weed where we put an end to this bullshit once and for all.”

  I turned toward the waterfall. I could see that it was dark outside and we needed to get back.

  “Yes,” Kiera said suddenly.

  “Yes, what?” I glanced back at her.

  “Yes, I would love to marry you,” she smiled that gorgeous smile of hers, hazel eyes gleaming.

  “Are you for real?” I beamed, unable to believe my luck.

  “For real,” she said, leaning forward on tiptoe and kissing me on the mouth.

  “I wonder what Murphy will say?” I said out loud.

  “About what?” Kiera asked, still smiling.

  “Will he be my best man?”

  “I was planning on asking him to give me away,” Kiera said. “I’ve always seen him as a bit of a father figure. Can’t you ask Isidor to be your best…?”

  “You’re joking right?” I sighed with disbelief. “I picture him more as maid of honour. Can you imagine what my stag night would be like if I entrusted him to arrange it? We’d spend the night reading Now we are Six and listening to New-Kids-On-The-Fucking-Block! No thanks, I’d rather chew broken glass.”

  “Don’t be such an old misery guts,” Kiera laughed. “Isidor would be over the moon if you asked him.”

  “We’ll see,” I said, suspecting I wouldn’t have very much choice in it. “Besides, Murphy might not be able to be best man or father of the bride. It could be a double wedding.”

  “What do you mean?” Kiera asked.

  “When I came looking for you, I came across Meren,” I started to explain. “I asked her where Murphy was. She said that Murphy and Lilly had wanted some time alone, as they had a lot to talk about. Talk, my arse! When I stumbled across them in the woods, they were going at it like a couple of rabbits. I say one thing though, Murphy might be an old-fart but he sure has some stamina.”

  “Don’t be so disgusting,” Kiera said.

  “I’m not being disgusting. I had no idea the old-sod was so flexible what with his dodgy hip,” I laughed. “Some of the positions he was getting himself into made my eyes water. Fuck me – he should join a circus! What a freak!”

  “You mean you stood and watched!?” Kiera gasped.

  “I couldn’t move from off the spot I was so shocked,” I said. “At one point he even…”

  “I’m not listening,” Kiera said, placing her hands over her ears, trying desperately not to laugh. “I don’t want to know what Murphy and Lilly were doing.”

  “I don’t blame you,” I said. “I’m going to be having fucking nightmares for weeks after what I saw. And don’t be fooled by that Lilly. She isn’t as innocent as she makes out after what I saw her doing. Jesus, I’m sure that sort of shit is against the law. I wouldn’t be surprised if Murphy hasn’t got a limp in both legs when we next see him. In fact, I’d be surprised if he could walk at all, the dirty-old-fucker.”

  “Potter!” Kiera cried, hands still pressed over her ears. “I really don’t want to know.”

  Laughing to myself, I took her by the hand. “C’mon, let’s get back.”

  We slipped into the water, swimming beneath the waterfall. The sky was black. And just like on other nights since the cracks had appeared, there were no stars. Just the distant rumble of thunder. Climbing back onto the rocks, we gathered our clothes together and got dressed.

  “Ready?” I smiled at her.

  “Ready,” she smiled back, but I was sure I could see that look of fear in her eyes again.

  So slipping my arm about her shoulder and drawing her close, I led her back into the woods and toward the farmhouse. We hadn’t gone very far, when I said, “I can’t believe we’re actually going to spend the rest of our lives together.”

  “I can’t believe it either,” she said thoughtfully.

  Chapter Twenty

  Kiera

  I let the idea of Potter and me living happily ever after run around my mind. The thought of it made me incredibly happy; however, I feared that it was nothing more than a fantasy. Like I had said to Potter, I feared his proposal had come too late. It was too late for us. There was only one way this nightmare was going to end and that was for me to make my choice. I knew what that choice was now. But had I decided.

  But there was something that kept niggling away at the back of my mind. Meren had asked me as we’d made our way into Wasp Water, if I would ever marry Potter. I told her I thought not, and when she had asked why, I told her with some confidence that Potter would never ask me to marry him. I h
ad been sure that men like Potter didn’t ask girls like me to marry them. But Potter had just proved me very wrong about that. Could he yet prove me wrong about my belief in what the Elders had shown me? Could I be needlessly worrying about the statues I had seen in the graveyard? I had outwitted the Elders before and not made the choice they had wanted me to. Why couldn’t I outsmart them again? I found a way last time. Perhaps there was a way my friends and I could go back together? If I went back with them, Potter and I could share the life together that we dreamed about. There must be a way. I just had to see it.

  Feeling more confident now in the belief that I could go back to my old life and be with Potter and my friends, I squeezed his hand tight. We stepped clear of the woods and I could see the farmhouse just a short distance away. The windows glowed orange from where the fire still flickered in the hearth. It was eerily quiet outside. Even the wind had dropped. The only sound was that of thunder. I had become so used to it now, I really no longer noticed it. It was like it had always been there. We approached the farmhouse, Potter pushing the kitchen door open. Everyone was gathered around the table eating pheasant that had been cut into slices and placed on three large plates in the centre of the table. Potter reached out and snatched up a fistful of meat and woofed it down in one mouthful. Juices ran over his chin and he armed them away. Those gathered around the table sat and stared at him.

  “What?” he said around a mouthful of food.

  “Pig,” Kayla said.

  “I’m starving,” Potter groaned, taking a seat at the table. I sat down next to him.