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Rosemary and I talked for a while longer while one part of my brain was still trying to process all of the ramifications of the Three Trials in the back of my mind. After another hour, she nodded her head toward the window that looked out onto the back gardens.
"He's waiting for you, Magnolia. Go enjoy your Last Day together."
Looking out the window, I saw Tahvo walking around the garden. He'd explained to me once that the sun fae felt most at home surrounded by flowers.
"Was it hard when you said good bye to Kessem?"
That soft smile again!
"Yes," she said. "And no. The Conciliators are sent for the sole purpose of helping us focus our powers, but I think a huge side effect, whether intended or not, is helping us start to heal from the pain we experienced, that moment our hearts cracked wide open. They help us start to put our hearts back together and realize we will get through it. But really, Magnolia, that's life. People are in and out of our lives all the time, some at just the right time and for a specific purpose. Sometimes it's to open our eyes; sometimes it's to deliver a message that slaps us across our face and stays with us forever; sometimes it's to be a friend when we most need it."
I could always count on Rosemary to be truthful and logical. Her realistic approach helped to soothe my unsettled feelings and put this approaching good bye into perspective.
"With distance, you see that more clearly, see it for what it was. They were never meant to be in our lives forever, the same way that some people are meant only to pass through our lives, not stick around forever. A friend who moves away, a colleague who comes in from a different branch of the company for a few weeks, even a stranger in a store who walks up to you and delivers a compliment or some wisdom. This is no different except that they're fae, not humans. It's like being an actor in a play. For a limited time, you get to be something else, but that final curtain call is coming and once you take that last bow, the magical time is over except as a cherished memory."
A few minutes later, I'd wandered out to the backyard, thinking about what she'd said, my heart still heavy.
"Tahvo," I called to him. He seemed to be talking to someone but no one was there.
He turned to me, a smile on his face. He held out his arms to me, and I walked into them and pressed my forehead to his chest. He wasn't a tall man and his build was lean, but he still felt solid and safe to me. He'd been a refuge for the last month and I was going to miss him, miss that feeling of comfort when I headed home to face who knew what.
"You have much ahead of you, cailín álainn. But you're also ready for it."
"I appreciate the vote of confidence, but I don't feel ready."
He hugged me to him even tighter. "You're ready and you're enough, Magnolia. You're more than enough."
Then he gave me one of his magical kisses for a bit, his hands on my face as I heard No! in my head. I put my hands over his and looked at his silvery eyes.
"Can I see you as a fae?"
He nodded. "Tonight, as the sun sets, you'll see me briefly as I really am."
"I'm not ready to go back to real life. Are you?"
Taking my hand, Tahvo began walking with me.
NO! echoed in my head again.
"I'm very ready to return to the realm. I've loved the experience but I think it's like when you humans go on vacation -- you have a great time but you always say it's good to be back home. And maybe it's easier for me to think about because I'm not going back to a place where I was hurt. I'm not going to have to face things I've been able to avoid for half a year."
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WORK IN PROGRESS: Three Witches #1: Magnus and Magnolia
RomanceI fell in love with Magnus, and I thought he fell just as hard for me. Then my class got canceled and I went to the club house so we could spend an unexpected evening together. Unfortunately, someone else was already there keeping him company. My he...
