Rae laughed and tenderly pressed her fingers against the bruises on her body. Maybe she came off as kind, but it wasn’t the word she would have chosen. She liked to think of herself as open. After all, she wasn’t the docile lamb they all thought of her as being. Like the lion that used to stalk the fields, she had killed before, and she wasn’t hesitant about killing again.
“I murdered my first captor,” Rae confessed. “I was proud of the blood I spilled for my freedom. Maybe I shouldn’t have been, but I was. It allowed me to feel some semblance of strength, but there is a long and troublesome path forward. I know that now. Complacency is the work of devils, not angels.”
Virgil lowered the flame closer to his heart and breathed deeply. “You have done more evil than all who lived before you. You have made for yourself other gods, idols made of metal. You have aroused
my anger and turned your back on me,” he said before taking another shallow breath of air, air that forced him to cough. “If I fall on the backs of angels, please forgive me.”
Rae heard his words fully now. The world wasn’t merely a dark place full of monsters that wished her harm. It was much more nuanced than that. Enclosing systems governed societies, but people were a dip from the infinite. She was special only because she could read between the lines, but anyone could be taught how to do that. Someday, she vowed, she would do that for the world. Someday very soon, she thought. Until then, she would remain secretive like the flickering candlelight fixed in Virgil’s trembling hands.
When she turned to see the alphas, she saw their eyes open for her. One by one, they swayed from the wall’s cavity, groaning through their morning bodily pains. They surrounded her, slowly placing their weight on her shoulder as they always used to do upon waking.
She lifted her back and arms to push them off. “Listen to me, alphas,” she said with urgency. “There is something that I want from you, so listen to my words.”
Lucas stroked down her arm, twisting his fingers around her knuckles to circle back. “What is it, darling?”
Rae felt phlegm build in her throat. Not exactly sexy, but they had seen worse of her. The question was one of great scale, and despite their loyalty and love, she didn’t know how they would answer. Instead of begging like so many omegas did, she decided it might be a good idea to state her needs. She stood upright and lifted her head as a queen might before addressing a large audience.
“I want to get married.”
The alphas huddled together quickly, brows inching the skin on their foreheads down. Vash asked, “Married? No one, not even the leaders, go through the old ceremonies anymore. What point is there to get married in a world that doesn’t recognize the sanctity?”
“You are wrong. Severin and Ruby are married. No one needs to recognize it’s sanctity. It’s purely something that I want for my own heart,” she said.
Rae lowered herself to them and placed her palms against two of the men’s cheeks. She was intent on the deed, but most of all, she was sincere as if she were lacking in something great.
Killian looked at her a long while before nodding. “It’s something I’ve thought about as well,” he said.
Virgil held the melting candle in the air and tapped the holder against a rock. “We don’t have much time,” he warned. “If we don’t get to the end of the tunnel by morning, we might miss our ride.”
“Virgil, you’re a man of faith. We could run a quick ceremony, right?” Rae asked.
Virgil sighed and eyed the small exit of the tunnel. They still had a long ways to go. “We shouldn’t waste our energy,” he said.
Killian stood and reached down into his shoe. He dug until his fingers stopped on an object. Pulling it out, he revealed a small ring. “Obey the queen’s orders, Virg,” he said. “We’re here to serve her, and it’s what she needs of us.”
Virgil took the ring and held it close to the candle. Rae’s sight hovered near the fire and diamonds. The stone reflected vibrantly off of the flickering flame. It was the most beautiful ring she had ever seen.
Rae reached forward to take it, but Virgil pulled it away from her. “Killian! Where did you get this? It’s gorgeous,” she said.
“I found it in the rubble of the city right before Ruby came into the picture. I’ve had it stashed away ever since.”
Rae’s eyes widened as did her smile. She grabbed Virgil and nearly shook him down. “Virgil! Please, do what I ask of you. Marry us. Give us a spoonful of light.”
For a brief moment, Virgil wavered in silence. When he made his choice, he closed his palm. “Okay. But we have fifteen minutes. No more, no less. Do you understand?”
“Oh, thank you!” She swung her arms over Virgil’s shoulders, kissing his cheek. “You won’t regret this,” she said.
“Maybe not. This is my gamble,” he said, offering a weathered smile. There was a certain gleam in his eye, one that made Rae pause. She wished he could have been the one to raise her.
“Okay, the three alphas need to stand over here,” he said. “And you, to the left of them. I’ll stand in the center. Good, good.”
The alphas stood awkwardly clumped together. Their muscles glimmered against the low lighting. Rae laughed at how cute they appeared out of their element. “Wait. I need a wedding dress.”
“There is no time,” Virgil insisted.
But Rae had already decided on the idea. She ran into a dark patch where she would be out of sight. Taking her damaged cloak, she strategically tore more of the frayed cotton until it resembled something unique. As she placed the soaked cloak around her shoulders, she stepped back into the light, slowly wading through the water for effect.
“Here she comes,” Lucas hummed but Killian quickly nudged his solar plexus to get him to shut up.