Between the Moon and Her Night (Between Life and Death #3)

Chapter 32

Aurelia

I placed my hands on my hips as I took a step back, surveying my work. Delicate green vines grew along the black walls, adorned with vibrant, white roses. The flowers were identical to the one I had made all those nights ago, when Von removed his curse. When I woke this morning at the crack of dawn, I had felt an immense need to create, and this was helping to scratch that itch.

“You’re up early,” Von’s deep voice purred from behind me as he entered the room.

“I am,” I answered. I glanced over my shoulder, taking in the tall, muscular immortal, who held a silver tray in his hands. Every morning since he had brought me to the Spirit Realm, apart from the very first day, he’d brought me a tray full of freshly cooked foods. On the days when I was awake, he would sit and watch me eat, and on the days where I was still asleep, he’d leave them by my bedside, with a note and a black rose. I thought that eventually he would grow tired of it . . . but he didn’t.

“What are you doing?” he asked as he placed the tray down on the coffee table in the sitting area.

“I’m livening our bedchamber up. It’s too dreary.”

He rumbled in approval. “I like hearing you say that word.”

“What word?”

“Our.” He made his way over to me.

I blinked. “I didn’t.”

Did I?

“You most definitely did,” he confirmed as his arm wrapped around my waist, pulling me against his muscular frame. Creator above, he smelled good. He glanced up at the vine-covered wall, peppered with white roses, looking over my work. “I love it.”

“Do you really?” I asked with a soft laugh, my hands falling over top of his.

“I do,” he answered. “I think you should do it to the rest of the place. I want to see your signature written all over our castle walls.”

“Even in the throne room?”

“Especially there,” he rumbled as he swept me up into his arms, carrying me bridal style over to the settee. He sat down, positioning me sideways on his lap. His shadows wrapped around the legs of the table, pulling it over to us. Shadow hands lifted the lid, revealing what was underneath—crisp, sliced fruits, steaming eggs, browned ham, and cubed potatoes, seasoned with rosemary and oregano.

My mouth watered.

“Eat, little mate. For what I have planned for you today, you are going to need the energy.”

“Oh?” I plucked a grape and turned back to face him. “And what do you have planned for me?” I asked, my voice sultry. Slowly, I slid the grape between my lips, hollowing my cheeks as I sucked it in.

Von’s greedy eyes watched, something dark swimming inside of them. “You’ll just have to wait and see.”

A slightly tart flavor awakened my taste buds as I chewed. Swallowing, I said, “I’ve never been the patient type.”

A wicked grin. “Then it’s a good thing I am.”

Indeed, it was.

I turned back to the tray, my fingers dancing over top, debating what to try next. “Davina is such a wonderful cook. I should grow some flowers and take them to her in thanks for all the meals she has sent.”

Von chuckled, then asked, “Do you want to know a secret?”

“Sure.” I lifted the fork and knife and cut off a small piece of ham. I slid it into my mouth, the sweet, smoked meat making me salivate as soon as it hit my tongue.

“Davina isn’t the one who has been making you food.”

When I was finished chewing, I asked, “Who has been making it then? Another cook?”

“. . . Why do you think I bring you a tray every morning?”

It took me a moment.

“ You are the one who has been making my food?” I gasped, looking up at him .

“Yes.” He nipped at my nose.

I had to sit with that for a moment. All of this time, Von had been making my morning meals. He could easily have the kitchen staff do it, but instead, he was making them.

My brows pressed together as I looked up at him. “Why?”

“Originally, I thought it would be a good way to win you over, as you seemed rather food oriented. But in truth—” he captured a lock of my hair, running his fingers down the length of it, “—I do it for the same reason I brush your hair every night. Nothing pleases me more than having the privilege of caring for you.”

His words plucked at a tender string.

And yet . . . I was scared to fully let them sink in—because what would happen when he no longer felt that way? When he got bored of me? I knew the answer because I had already lived through that once. I would be left alone, yearning for the way he used to treat me. A ghost of my former self.

I glanced down, my appetite gone.

“What is it?” he asked, his curled finger tucking under my chin, gently lifting my fallen gaze and bringing it to his.

I nibbled on my bottom lip. “When I am no longer the shiny new thing you enjoy pining over? When you grow tired of me? Then what?”

“Ah, Little Goddess.” He let out a gravelly breath. Softly, he shook his head. “If there is one thing that I am certain of, it is that I will never grow tired of you.”

“How can you be so sure?”

Gazing into my eyes, he said, “Because I was used to living in a world of black, but then you came along, and for the first time in my life, everything was painted in rich, vibrant color—from the blue of your eyes to the pink beneath your moonlit skin to the red on your lips. The colors of you follow me everywhere I go. And if this world were to end, and I was placed in another, the colors of you are what I would spend an eternity searching for.” His large hand cradled my cheek, swallowing the side of my face. “You have enriched my life in ways I did not know were possible. In ways I did not know that I needed. You are the love of my eternal life, and I will spend the next thousand years proving that to you—even more, if I must.”

“Von,” I said softly. My heart beating rapidly in my chest.

He brought his lips to mine, whispering against them, “You are the light to my darkness. The moon to my night. I love you, Little Goddess.”

Butterfly wings filled my stomach. I took a large, deep, savory breath, committing his words to memory.

And then I kissed him.

When Von said earlier that he had something planned for me, I didn’t expect it to be . . . this .

“We’re certainly not in the arena,” I said as we stood on the edge of a cliff, overlooking a sea of pine trees. How they grew on such a drastic incline, I would never know. And yet, they did. Against all odds. The wind whipped around us, howling like a giant, angry wolf .

“No, we’re not,” Von said as he released me from him. “Zahra was having back cramps today so she wouldn’t have been able to train with you anyway. So I decided we should try something else.”

“Is she alright?” I asked, worry tugging at my brows.

“Dameon said that the healer said she’ll be fine, and that it is a normal part of pregnancy.”

“I see. Perhaps I should go see her later.”

Von nodded in agreement.

I made a mental note to do just that, then asked, “Alright, well, what have you brought me all the way up here for?”

He smirked. “I’m going to teach you how to fly.”

“Von, I only have one wing.”

“No, Little Goddess, you have two,” he said, holding out his hand. Black swirls danced from his palm, twisting and turning, dipping and churning until they produced—

A wing.

About the same size as my white one, but it was made from his glorious, black feathers.

Tears filled my eyes as my gaze darted from the wing to him, and then back and forth a few more times. Finally, I choked out, “You made me a wing?”

“I did.” He smiled. “It is only a prototype so we might have to tweak it as we go, so today will just be a test run, but it should fit over top of yours. You have the bone structure; you are simply just missing the feathers.”

I brushed my tears away, stepping closer to him as I dared to run a trembling hand down the wing prosthetic he had crafted for me. The feathers— his feathers—were so soft against my skin. “There are so many of them,” I said, somewhat astonished. “Do you even have any left for your own wings?”

A cocky, arrogant smirk curled the left side of his mouth as he said, “Have you seen my wingspan, baby? I have plenty to give.”

I shook my head, a smile warring at my lips.

“Now turn around, and let’s see if it works,” he instructed.

So I did just that.

Von held me by the waist as he carried me through the air, flying us just underneath the fluffy black clouds. I could hear it in his voice that he was trying not to laugh as he said through the bond, Okay, this time, try to flail less.

That was easier said than done.

We had been at it for hours, and I was failing miserably. I was no better than a baby bird being kicked out of the nest, destined to fall on the ground as my wings failed me. Although I never did hit the ground because just before that would happen, Von would catch me. And when he did, typically he would be laughing, like he was getting some great kick out of my pathetic attempts at flying.

At least he was enjoying this. I couldn’t say the same for myself.

Okay, I’m going to let you go , he said. The wind noise up here made it impossible to hear one another’s voices, which was why we were using our private channel to speak on.

No, wait, I’m not ready yet. I clutched his hands .

You’ve been saying that for the last fifteen minutes. Wings out, Kitten , he purred in command.

Von , I snarled, looking at the ground—which was far, far below. Last time, Von had waited until the absolute last second to grab me and I was certain my body was about to be splattered into smithereens.

No time like the present, darling. Now quit being such a chicken shit. Wings out.

Did he just call me a chicken shit? I scoffed at that.

Do you think that maybe there might be a better way to teach me? Like starting on the ground first?

Baby birds learn how to fly by trial and error, not sitting hunkered down safely in their nest , he replied. Your body knows how to do this, just as it knew how to throw out your wings that day you fell from the ladder. Trust in your instincts .

Are you calling me a baby bird?

I am , he purred. Now, try for me one last time.

Fine , I said, swallowing harshly as I looked at the ground below.

Remember, spread your wings and find a current , he said, and then he let me go.

I screamed as I fell through the air, the ground coming faster and faster at a bone-smashing speed. I flailed, trying to press my wings out. The left one caught a current, just at the tip, but instead of guiding me upwards, it knocked me off course and sent me spinning.

The world twirled, shifting from green pines to an amethyst sky, going around and around and around.

Wings out, Little Goddess! Von shouted through the bond .

I hadn’t even realized I had tucked them in.

The earth was getting even closer. I had seconds left to do something.

I closed my eyes, shoved my wings out, and then—

Something caught me.

And this time, it wasn’t Von.

It was my wings!

I’m flying! I screamed through the bond, excitement overtaking me, rendering the entire experience rather short-lived as I flew into a large branch full of green needles.

Later that night, Von and I sat on the bed as he healed the scrapes, bruises, and cuts I had acquired after I lost the battle with the pine tree.

“You did really well today, for your first time,” he said as he worked, his fingers sliding over my arm as he raised my wrist to his lips, kissing the cut. It healed instantly.

“Says the male who laughed the entire time,” I huffed, side-eyeing him.

A grin pierced his full lips, his heated breath washing over my skin. “You just looked so adorable I couldn’t help myself.” He kissed another spot, and the bruising began to disappear.

“Mhm,” I said disbelievingly.

“Mhm,” he rumbled sexily. Playfully.

I nibbled my bottom lip, watching as he continued to kiss away my scrapes and bruises—quite literally. Every other immortal was able to heal themselves, but not me. It was something my divinity lacked. Yet somehow, Von could heal me. Just like my incomplete wings, it was one more broken part of me that he completed.

My gaze turned soft as I watched him work, enjoying every brush of his lips, every caress of his fingers.

After a bit of time passed, I asked, “Can we try again tomorrow? With flying?”

He let my arm go as he lifted his head and nodded. “Of course we can.” His gaze shifted to my lips. “I missed a cut.”

“Funny, I don’t remember seeing one there.”

“Oh, it’s there.” He pulled me into him and his thumb brushed over my bottom lip. “It’s just really, really small, but still, it needs tending to.”

He lowered his lips to mine, kissing me deeply.