Page 76 of Above (Darkness Reigns #1)

“Last summer, I was fairly certain my life was over. When I realized I had more time, I knew I wanted something more than what my father had slotted me with.” His voice was wistful, but all I could think was that even the wealthy and influential wanted more.

We were all perpetually starved, always looking to find more no matter how much we already had.

“I dreamed of being something with value and worth. At first I thought that meant doing the best at Elite Academy, maybe even earning the stars. I thought there had to be something more than whatever life my father was living, because how miserable do you have to be to nearly kill your own son? The craziest part was that I was telling him to lay off Dove, and she didn’t even stand up for me.

She didn’t do anything for me. My family never showed me any kindness or love, like they were incapable of it. ”

I couldn’t disagree. His many childhood stories were proof of that. My fingers squeezed his tighter, my elbow knocking the table and causing the crystals hanging from the vase to clink together.

“Then I met you, and I could’ve sworn that, even from the back, you emanated greatness.

You hadn’t even spoken to me yet, but I could feel it.

When I turned around and saw your face, I swear I knew you were my purpose.

You were everything I’ve been waiting my whole life for.

” Talon’s voice was becoming zealous, his back straightening.

I tried to resist, but my nose still scrunched slightly, my lips pressing together.

“I know that sounds crazy, and I understand that you didn’t feel the same way, but I think the difference was our priorities.

You had a family that loved and cared about you, so you didn’t need me.

You weren’t just waiting around for someone to sweep you off your feet.

Somehow that turned into you becoming something I could earn, all on my own.

It means the world to me that you were willing to give me any of your attention at all. ”

I was absolutely terrified, hanging on every word in the worst way. I had an awful, sneaking suspicion that I knew what Talon was doing.

“And then we went through losing our families, surviving academy, and every day since. While it’s been exhausting, you have proven me right. You are my purpose. I think I was made for you.”

The food hadn’t even come yet, and Talon was already getting to what he viewed as dessert.

He stood up, cleared his throat and took two steps towards me.

Then, with perfect balance, he lowered to a knee.

Silence overtook the dining area. Everyone watching, waiting.

Talon slipped his hand into his pocket and tugged out a small red velvet box.

It was so dainty and tiny. There was nothing else it could have been, and still I hoped it was anything else as he opened it, maybe a pin or something.

But no, within the hold of the satin padding was a ring.

It looked to be white gold. The center stone was a clear, large diamond shaped like a star—pointed on the top and bottom and rounded out on the sides. To the left and right of the diamond were two rubies.

“This wasn’t my mom’s, or my grandmother’s, or anybody else’s.

This is something that I made special for you, because you are my family, Nova.

We’re all each other has. If I were being honest, I’d say that I would do it all over again.

Feel every pain. Every heartbreak. I would stumble and fall.

I would experience the last year time and time again if it meant that I had you.

My only regret is not doing this sooner.

” I stilled, my heart a ferocious drum in my chest, my mind a cacophony of memories blending together.

All of them swam by, a chorus of my own voice in the background, reading off the final line of a letter I had hatefully obsessed over.

“I love you. Will you do me the honor of marrying me?”

My only regret is not doing this sooner.

Everything hit me all at once then. Talon’s distaste for my dedication to my family. His outright disgust at my desire to keep them around. His less than heartbroken reaction to the loss of his family over the last six months. His comments about my potential and my refusal to focus on it.

Had the writing on that note matched Altair’s note he had sent slithering into my bed all those months ago? No, it had matched the script within a journal beneath a bed.

Then I thought about what Altair had said in the cell that day. That it was the people we trusted the most who often betrayed us. And stars if I didn’t hate myself so much for not seeing it sooner. All this time, the cores had been right. Altair hadn’t killed my family. Talon had.

Pasting a smile on my face and letting some of the tears run down my cheeks from such a betrayal, I nodded.

“Of course I’ll marry you,” I said, allowing that emotion to bleed into my voice.

He smiled back wide and broad, so clearly happy, and I wondered what was real.

If any of it had ever been. Who really was Talon?

He slid the ring on my finger, winking at me when it fit perfectly, and then he stood, grabbing either side of my face and tugging me in for a kiss.

I had to will myself not to vomit or pull back to hit him—to curse and cry and scream—because now was the time to be smart. I couldn’t let him know that I knew, not now when I saw what he did to those he supposedly loved. Because it wasn’t just my family that Talon killed, it was his own too.

When he pulled away, he laid his forehead against mine, his breaths heavy. “This might sound crazy, but I was terrified you’d say no.”

“Of course not. You were right about one thing, you’re all I have.

” And stars, if that wasn’t the worst thing in the world.

To only have him. To be so alone that I was now forced to recognize that the murderer of my family was the only person in the entire world who loved me. At least, he said he did.

“I love you,” he whispered, kissing me again.

“I love you, too,” I lied.

Cheers erupted around us, the dining area bursting into applause and whoops of congratulations. Our meal was brought out with wine, the waiter calling our union a gift from the stars. A divine sign of greatness coming.

I was forced to accept all of the thanks and well wishes, biding my time. Each bite of the food brought me closer to vomiting, my mind drenched in imagined images of Talon slaughtering our families and then blaming Altair.

Why would Altair not deny it? Why had he been covered in blood? What did he gain from it all?

Or, perhaps, Talon had something on him. A truth that Altair would rather take to the grave than have come out. Maybe.

Talon prattled on about our wedding, discussing where we might hold the ceremony and telling me about the traditions that we’d need to incorporate.

He said I would need to get off my tonic as soon as we were wed, because it was tradition for core families to begin having children early.

He smiled and laughed, leaning over the table to kiss me every so often.

All smiles, I was quiet and reserved, ever the joyful and proper future bride. Internally, I plotted my escape.

When we had finished eating, my food sitting heavy in my stomach, Talon looked at me and asked, “Dessert?”

Finally, my moment had come.

“Actually, what if I go home and pack? Your speech about family had me thinking a lot. My home feels so empty now without them. Everywhere I turn, all I see are their memories. Now, I know this isn’t traditional, but we have already lived together before.

So what if I just moved in?” Talon looked at me with wide eyes and a slack jaw, but the stitch of his brows had me adding in some more of my normal hesitation.

“Unless you don’t want to, of course. I won’t take up a lot of space or anything, though I’d like to bring over some of my family’s things.

But I understand if this isn’t what you’d prefer. ”

After another second of hesitation, Talon grinned. “I’d love that, Supernova. You have no idea how much I’d love that.”

“Perfect,” I cheered, this time meeting him halfway for a kiss. His hands slipped into my hair, holding me still as our lips connected, the kiss hard and his tongue greedy. For a second I feared he knew, but then he released me, pecking my nose. “I’ll head there now and meet you back home.”

“Home, I like the sound of that,” he admitted, cheeks heating to a deep red.

“Me too.”

After at least ten more minutes of goodbyes and Talon’s eager planning, I escaped his hold.

My shadows took me to my real home, allowing me to breathe fully for the first time.

Then I threw up on the floor of my kitchen, my body convulsing and snot pouring out of my nose.

Sobs began, my heaving body giving way to a pounding headache.

It took far too long for me to steady myself, the clock ticking ominously on the wall. Wasting what little time I had was not an option. So, I wiped my mouth on the sleeve of my dress and stood tall, giving myself one last second to close my eyes and break. When they opened, I was ready.

The first thing I went for was my bag, my magic seeping into it and willing the nearly endless charm.

Then I tore through the house, shoving Celeste’s book of portraits she had gifted me into my bag, along with small trinkets of theirs that I couldn’t part with.

My parents’ wedding bands, Mama’s favorite green scarf, Dad’s tiny wooden horse, Celeste’s most used paint brush.

With time dwindling, I began hastily snagging items of use as well, such as some of my books, all of Mama’s tonics, any of my already made potions and elixirs, all of their most recent journals, and bundles upon bundles of coin.