The Spirit Guardians Book 4: Liberated

Chapter 47

Cassie sat with her legs neatly crossed, staring at herself in the mirror of her room. She felt Lillian's fingers tangling through her hair as she pinned half of Cassie's hair up. Her hair was still warm from when her mother had curled it. Cassie reached up to twirl her finger in one of the corkscrews before glancing down at the mirror on her lap.

"How does that look?" Lillian asked as she moved her hands aside.

Cassie held up the mirror. She rarely did anything with her hair, but Lillian had made it look beautiful.

"I love it. Thanks, Lillian," Cassie said. Lillian was dressed up herself in a light blue dress as one of Cassie's bridesmaids. Of course, Cassie had chosen Diana as her maid of honor. She was in the bathroom with Cassie's mother getting ready herself.

Mitsuki had stepped out of the bathroom to admire Cassie's hair. She walked over, slinging her arms around Lillian's neck and leaning forward to gaze at Cassie.

"Looking good, Cassie. Can you do my hair, too?" Mitsuki asked, glancing down at Lillian.

"Yes. But first, get up and do a twirl, Cassie," Lillian suggested.

Cassie stood, smoothing out her long white dress. She had picked it out herself with her mother and sister before the wedding. It was a strapless dress with a silky texture that went out at Cassie's hips. She had not yet put on her heels, so the dress was lightly touching the ground as she stood up and twirled in front of the mirror. She felt ten years older in her wedding dress.

"You look beautiful!" Lillian exclaimed, clapping her hands together.

Cassie smiled slightly. "Thanks," she said as she sat down again. Her hands were shaking in nervousness, though she didn't know why. It was just Marc. She had never felt this uncomfortable around him before.

While the others moved about her room to get ready, Cassie sat motionless, realizing how quickly her life was about to change. Soon after the wedding, they would officially be parents to Elijah and would move into their own house. She would start up school again, Marc would get a job, and they'd be a little family. And maybe one day, she'd have her own children. The thought of the future scared her, but it relaxed Cassie that she was experiencing normal life again, a life free from the suffering of the Preservers.

"Have some water," Jane Black interrupted Cassie's thoughts, passing a glass of water toward her. "You look like you're going to pass out."

"I'm fine," Cassie argued, taking a few sips.

"I know you are. I just want to make sure you don't faint at your own wedding," her mother said. "Are you nervous?"

"Yeah," Cassie said quietly.

"You'll be overjoyed when you're out there. I know I was when I married your father," her mother said quietly. She grabbed onto Cassie's hand and squeezed it. "You deserve this after everything you've been through."

"Thanks," Cassie replied.

Diana had stepped out now, looking beautiful in her own dress. She wandered toward Cassie and squeezed her hands excitedly.

"I'm so excited for you!" she exclaimed.

Cassie smiled gently at her sister. Her sister's smile seemed to grow wider and wider each day. Diana had finally been able to attend school again in the fall. In fact, she was attending the same community college Cassie would be in the coming spring. Cassie was glad Diana was back in her normal social sphere, ready to interact once more with that bubbly personality of hers.

"Thanks for being my maid of honor," Cassie said.

"I expected no other title," Diana teased.

"Are we about ready?" Jane Black asked. "The wedding is going to begin soon."