Moonfall | Book Two

CHAPTER 29

Despite the sun high in the clear sky, its warmth could not deter the cold caress of the wind. It nipped at Michael's fingers as he brushed the snow off the top of the headstone, and whirled around him when he took a step back and lowered to his haunches. Its dance continued as he trailed his eyes over the letters of his brother's name, then drifted away when Gabriel's image popped into his mind—a surprise he was not entirely certain should be considered pleasant.

For months, he had been too ashamed to admit that, as time went by, he found himself slowly forgetting minuscule details about his brother—the length of his hair and exact shade of gold it had been; the way his lips curved when he smiled, and the exact melody of his laugh; the deepness in his voice, and the exact amount of affection he used whenever he had said Michael's name.

But, in that moment, he remembered every single detail, silencing his fear that he truly had not known Gabriel at all. And now, it would make his task of making peace with him a little easier.

"It has been a while, brother."

He reached out and brushed away the snowflakes stuck inside the engraved letters on the headstone with his fingers.

There was so much Michael wanted to say, yet so little time and too many feelings battling for dominance. So, he chose the most important topic—the one that could very well make this very visit his last.

He cleared his throat. "That night... You almost took away someone very precious to me. Her name is Ellette, and if things had been different—if you had been different—I think you would have liked the little fairy. Truly."

Michael could not help but conjure an image of a meeting that would never take place.

"She is the prettiest creature I have ever laid eyes upon. When she smiles, my entire body feels its warmth. When she speaks, her voice is so alluring that it draws me in and drowns out all else. She is so small, yet so brave that I am convinced she believes she is ten feet tall. Her kindness is so pure in a world so cruel. She is light, brother, and she shines so bright."

He lowered his head, his eyes blurred with tears.

"I say all of this to say that... I can forgive you for not telling me your secrets. I can forgive you for losing your way." He lifted his head. "But what I cannot forgive is you dimming her light, Gabriel. I hope you understand, and if you do, then I hope you can forgive me."

For what he had done. For what he was about to do.

"That night, I chose her over you. Tonight, I will choose her again, and if that means tonight may be my last night in this world, I still choose her. So, I hope you can forgive me. I cannot put duty above her like you, and the fate of the pack that was so important to you is not as important to me as her fate. I was given your crown, but it is heavy, and I cannot be weighed down when she needs my help to be lifted up so she may fly free."

He stood up and stared down at the headstone. After wiping away the tears that had fallen, he stepped closer to it and placed a hand on top of the cold stone.

"If it is the last thing I do, I will get her to the Fae. If it means our family crumbling, and our world falling apart, then what else can I do but pay the same price she paid when she saved me? I choose her. Even if it means I can never face you in the afterlife, I choose her, Gabriel."

Michael turned to leave, but a step was all he could take because the sight of Danica standing a few feet behind him stopped him. Her body was encased in a long green coat, making her long auburn hair appear even more vibrant. She stared at him with eyes full of tears, and the tip of her nose and cheeks were red.

She had obviously heard everything.

"You are going to throw everything away for a fairy?"

"For my mate," he corrected.