Enchanter

Chapter Twenty-Six

'Azalea, what happened?' Anton fired in her mind.

"My prison," she trembled. "It was ransacked. I was only here for a short amount of time. That shouldn't have been enough time for someone to take over the place or anything. Besides, I've been outside my dimension before, and everything is still kept preserved in my cell."

'Maybe the difference was that you were in another dimension entirely instead of just between the two,' Anton suggested. 'The difference being that your preservation spells to keep everything closed off and safe wear off when you're in a new dimension entirely, not just when you're outside it.'

She shrugged. "I guess that makes sense." Hanging her head in shame, she said, "I can't go back there right now. I'm stuck here unless I want to die over there. Unfortunately, as much as it sucks, you're stuck with me in your head for the next few days until Bleeding Rosebud can separate us."

'Well, you'll have to remain in my head, because I have my first date with Aaric tonight, so tag me in,' he demanded.

Sighing in reluctance, Azalea stepped back, allowing for Anton to transform and press her back into his soul.

^^^

"I'm surprised you didn't want me to cook dinner," Aaric commented. They strolled through the forest with his hands buried deep in his pockets. "I happen to be an amazing cook."

"I don't need to eat with you to have a good time. I just need to be with you, but could you do me a favor?" Anton questioned.

"Sure. What is it?"

"Could you not keep your hands in your pocket?"

Sliding his hand out of his pocket, Aaric held it in front of his face. "Why can't I-"

Anton silenced him by taking his hand, swaying it back and forth gently. "You see, I could have just waited to have my hand brush oh so delicately against yours and do that whole thing where we keep brushing fingertips until one of us takes the other's hand, but I'd much rather take fate into my own hands by grabbing onto your own. I think that makes a lot more sense, don't you?"

Blushing uncontrollably, Aaric nodded. "I do, yeah." He scratched the back of his neck. "I know Azalea can hear us, and I mean no harm through saying this, but I cannot wait for when the two of you are unlatched. I want to be with you and only you, just like that one day when she wasn't there. I want every day to be like that, where we can still see people but always have a chance to be alone."

"I know she doesn't mind," Anton assured. "She feels the same way we do."

He could feel Azalea's heart sink. He could feel the unease she felt. Whatever was running through her mind, he had no idea, but it was quite clear it bothered her a great deal. And as much as he wanted to check in on her and make sure she was alright, he wanted to be with his mate and take the time to talk with him as though it was only the two of them. It would soon be that way, and he wanted to get used to it as soon as possible.

Azalea, though excited for the day she would unlatch from Anton, was scared of the idea of leaving him. For a near decade she had watched the pup grow up to become the most powerful wolf in all existence. In that time, she grew to love someone she otherwise never would have known, who helped her to work towards bettering herself and gave her the time to reflect on her life, just as her prison statement demanded her to. While she knew she was right for not wanting to restrict certain spells and potions from being cast, she knew she needed the time to better herself, to stop creating havoc as a way to make peace. It terrified her to think of a life without him part of it.

Most of all, she felt lonely in his body. Through their skin, she could feel the ghost of her skin touching Aaric's, holding his hand just as Anton was doing. It had been a decade since she had last held onto anyone, received any sort of comfort from someone that wasn't through words. She missed the touch of skin touching hers, the little things such as hand holding and hugs. She missed it all. And she wanted to experience it for real, but after the attack on her cell, she wondered if it would ever happen. Who knew what life was like back in her dimension?

At the end of the night, Aaric walked Anton back upstairs to his bedroom. Anton leaned against the door, rocking back and forth on his heels as he debated on whether he should head inside and call it a night or find an excuse to keep the date going. He loved being with his mate, and he wanted to be with him for as much time as he was allowed.

Leaning forward for a quick kiss, a surge of sorrow passed through his body like a wave. He knew it was Azalea, and based on the way she was silent throughout the whole date, he knew something was wrong. It wasn't like her to keep quiet for too long.

"Good night," he quickly said before entering the bedroom, closing the door in Aaric's faced.

"What the hell is going on with you?" he hissed under his breath as he stomped into the side room.

"Nothing," she shrugged, smiling innocently back at him in the mirror.

"Don't pull this crap. Are you using kind of spell to make me feel all sad or something?" he questioned. When Azalea looked down at the ground, ignoring his gaze without saying a word, he knew he was wrong. "What's made you depressed?" he questioned, his voice heavy in grief.

"Everything was so slow, the whole finding Bleeding Rosebud thing, and now it's going by so quickly. It's just weird to think about how we won't see each other anymore after this," she explained.

"You'll still see me."

"There won't be this reflection business anymore. The only reason I was allowed to enter your dimension was because I'm latched onto your soul. Without that, I would have no way to contact you, and I still won't."

"The dagger-"

She shook her head. "You can use it all you want, but it's not something that you can use to freely travel across the dimensions. You'll be in your own, and I'll be in mine. If you were to ever visit me, it could take years away from you due to how time flies between our two worlds. It's not entirely impossible, but it could hurt you more than you know. I'm sorry to get so down on you, but...dammit, what else am I supposed to do?"

Sitting on the ground under the mirror, Anton wrapped his arms around himself, holding onto himself securely. She could feel a faint warmth of where he held her, holding onto her for dear life. For the first time in their lives, he found a way to hug her. "I know it's scary, and I know it's tough...but when the time comes, I will not let our goodbye mean forever. I will do whatever it takes to separate the two of us and keep you in my life. I will not let this end us. I promise."

Through their souls, Anton could feel her press against his body, hugging him back just as tight.