Once we appear in front of the Winter Elves gates, I drop to my knees.
After two years, I'm home, I never thought I would be again. I thought I would wither away in the compound, unable to die, but losing every piece of me.
Slowly the doors to the gate swing open, and I see those long blonde waves of my youngest sister step out.
I let out a sob, for every moment I've missed but every moment I've just regained from escaping.
And then she sees me, and her eyes fill with tears, as she sprints to me, tackling me in a hug I never thought I would get again.
"You're home." She cries as she squeezes me tightly.
"I'm home." I brokenly whisper as I stroke her hair and plant a kiss on her temple.
I feel another impact, and I spell embers, so Cate has found her way outside.
She cries into me, her words unintelligible as she squeezes me tightly, and I breathe in, smelling every scent of fire there is in this embrace.
We sit there like that for what seems like forever but even that isn't enough.
Until I hear a throat clear, and we separate, there, standing in front of me, is Cerys.
Her long dirty blonde hair falls at her waist in soft curls, framing the swollen belly in-between the curls.
"Girls go take Amaury inside."
They start to protest, but all it takes is for her to hold her hand up to silence them.
She kneels in front of me, cupping my face with both her hands, her eyes completely filled with tears.
"I thought I'd never see you again."
"When have I ever been that predictable?" I laugh through my cries.
We embrace, and she holds me for a long, long time. Soon, the rain starts falling around us, I'm finally feeling emotions I've needed to feel for quite some time.
"You're pregnant." I say against her hair.
"It seems that's true." She says against mine.
I pull away, looking at her, still making sure my arms are in hers, just in case this is a sick dream.
"You found your Promised then?" I ask her.
She smiles and nods, letting me know she finally found someone worthy of her.
"More on that later, you stink, let's get you cleaned up."
She says as she gathers her skirts, and we walk arm in arm through the gates.
As we walk through the streets, the Elves stop and just look at me, reaching their hands out to touch both Cerys and me, a showing of good faith.
We go into the small castle nestled in the top of the mountain, and into a bedroom, a massive bed in the corner with billowing white sheets and blankets on them, with vines grown all over the walls, my books line up on one wall with a bookshelf sunken into it.
"You got all of my books from the cottage?"
She just keeps staring at the wall.
"I held out hope you would return, so I made a condition that they made a room up for you too."
I scan the room again, among one of the walls, there's a dark oak fireplace, vines framing the heath.
One door leads to a closet, and the other to a bathroom I have yet to see.
"The closet is full, your younger sisters had a field day filling it up." Cerys says with a laugh in her voice.
I just look at her, taking in the glow she has thanks to the bean growing in her.
"I love you Cerys."
"It should have been me in those woods." She says in a choke.
I pull my arm out of hers, my brows furrowing.
"No, it was me for a reason. I was wounded, and you had to get Cate and Cas to safety."
"I just- I couldn't live with myself for the longest time. I'm the oldest I should have protected you."
"I'm an older sister too Cerys, I protected you, and Cas, and Cate, because it doesn't matter who is older, we protect each other."
"You don't blame me?" She finally turns to look at me, tears are streaming down her face.
"Oh Cerys, I would never blame you for that."
She quickly wipes her face.
"Well, you better wash up and get ready, there's going to be a celebration for you tonight, Amaury too."
"Cerys really? I don't even have any fucking hair to style anymore, they shaved it off six months ago."
"Nothing a simple spell can't fix if you really want your long hair back, you know this."
"I haven't done magic in two years Cerys."
"Oh for fucks sake hold still Clementine." She says as she holds her hands to my head.
I feel the long locks slide down to the small of my back, and I almost cry, my hair was such a big part of me, element witches have longer hair bc it's the most natural way to be connected even more to Mother Earth.
"Now please go take a bath, you smell awful." She says as she plugs her nose and laughs at me.
"Oh my-whatever, get out." I say laughing as I push her lightly out of the door and close it.
I walk into the bathroom and strip off the old tattered clothes and look at myself in the mirror.
My dark auburn hair now goes to my hips in waves, my pale skin a deep contrast. I can count each one of my ribs very faintly, connecting with my sisters again healed me in many ways. The gunshot wound on my arm is nothing but a pink mark now.
The claw foot tub doesn't deserve the injustice of me taking a bath in it with this much filth, so I stick to the shower.
I've never loved a shower more than I do now, I washed both my hair and body four times each.
When I finally get out, I wrap a towel around me and I hear a knock on the door.
When I open it, there are two elves, with hair stuff in their hands.
"Cerys said you might need help."
"Please, please, come in! Cerys was completely right, I need all the help I can get for this celebration."
Right, the party. Boy am I excited for that!
The elves softly curl my hair, pinning half of it back, weaving wild flowers in the braids they used to pull my hair back.
They lightly blush my cheeks and put a light mascara like substance on my eyelashes, making me look almost exactly like an elf.
I thank them as they turn to leave, and before one of them steps out, she tells me to wear white, that all of my sisters are.
I walk to the closet to pick something out when my eyes fall on the most gorgeous gown.
Pulling on the dress, I feel like something out of Greek mythology, I feel beautiful.
Cerys steps into my room wearing a white gown similar to my own, but the neckline is more modest, and the white fabric flows over her baby bump, with longer puffed sheer sleeves over her arms.
Her hair is pinned in a bun with curls framing her face and wildflowers in her hair.
"Clementine you look beautiful." She says taking me in smiling widely.
"Me? Look at you! You look like the goddess of fertility!"
"I feel like the goddess of fertility 99% of the time now."
The door to my room swings open, and my younger sisters run in.
Cate's dirty blonde hair in board straight in contrast to her very sleek camisole like dress, but there are two wildflowers slightly pressed against her collarbones like a body decoration.
Cas on the other hand has a one strap dress with a skirt like mine with her hair a wild as ever, a wildflower flower crown on.
"Damn we look hot." Cate says with her arms crossed.
I snort but Cerys swats her arm immediately scolding.
"Cerys she didn't tell a lie." I say laughing.
"Oh shut up, everyone be on their best behavior tonight. Clementine no trying to out drink the elves, you aren't back to normal yet."
"I will be making no such promises Cerys." I say linking arms with her.
Once we made our way to the entry to the hall, we all link arms, each saying
'I love you infinity" to each other.
And the door swings open.