Page 109 of Heart of the Cursed
“You’ve seen a Phoenix before? When?” Dain asked sceptically.
“A very long time ago,” Taredd said. “But as I said, it was nothing like Selene.”
“Maybe we should leave these two alone for a bit,” Natalia said, nodding at Selene and Arun. “We can chat to them both later.”
“Good idea,” Amberly agreed. “If either of you need anything, just shout.”
“Thank you,” Arun said without taking his eyes off of her.
Selene smiled as each of them waved goodbye on their way out the door. Taredd was the last to leave, closing the door behind him.
“I can’t tell you how happy I am to see you,” Selene confessed when they were alone. “But what happened with the spell? How come it didn’t work on any of you?”
“We honestly don’t know,” Arun said, shaking his head. “I looked back at you just before you finished the spell, and that’s when I saw the Phoenix surrounding you, but not like any I’ve seen before.”
“A rainbow Phoenix,” she said, remembering her mother’s words.
“Yes, that’s right,” he said. “I’ve read about them before, but never seen one. I thought they were just a myth, until you proved me wrong. How did you know?”
“My mother told me.” When he stared at her in confusion, she added, “I wasn’t asleep when you came in here. I was… stuck.”
“What do you mean, stuck?”
“Something was stopping me from opening my eyes or moving, but I could hear you all talking,” she admitted. “I was scared at first, but something told me to look inside, so I did. That’s when I saw her. It was like a memory of a dream. She appeared out of the darkness, shrouded in light. She told me about my father and why she never told me about him before. I asked her what she was, and that’s when she told me I was a rare rainbow Phoenix. She said I was special.”
Selene smiled at the memory. Her mother had always told her that she was special and beautiful. She just thought it was something all mothers told their daughters.
“You are special,” Arun agreed. “More than you could ever know.”
“I love you,” Selene blurted.
She had wanted to tell him for a while, but she’d been too scared to say anything before the spell, just in case he was sent away like the rest of them. Looking back, she had been trying to protect her heart. Not that it did any good, her heart still broke when she thought she would never see him again. But he was still there. Still with her.
He gently brushed a strand of her hair out of her face and then leaned in to kiss her. It was the most tender kiss anyone had ever given her. So full of emotion, it brought tears to her eyes.
Arun broke the kiss and pressed his forehead against hers. “I love you, too.”
Selene’s heart leapt in her chest. For the first time in her life, she was happy. Truly happy. The Humans were safe, she was safe. But best of all, the male she loved with all of her heart was by her side. Life couldn’t possibly get any better than that.
“You have my heart and soul, now and forever,” she whispered.
“You’ve had mine since the moment I laid eyes on you,” he confessed. “Will you be my mate?”
“You don’t even have to ask.” Her smile was so wide, her cheeks hurt. “Of course, I will.”
She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him close, sealing the deal with a kiss, and more.
.
