56
Elle
I curl more closely against Alec’s side. The solidity of his form helps to ground me to this moment. Even so, none of this seems real. Minutes ago, Marchesa and Legend almost killed me and Alec.
And now?
The queen raises her arms. Mist and magic appears around her hands. Crimson light streams off her palms. The colored haze takes the form of so many red hearts that float into the air. Soon the sky fills with a shifting canopy of red hearts. The shapes burst in a flare of red light, sending crimson glitter tumbling to the ground.
The queen’s spell is cast.
By the time the last of the sparkling magic touches the ground, the space is transformed. We still wait in a clearing of white trees and matching grass. Only now, it’s night time. Candelabras line the space, casting a gentle
