Chapter Eighteen: Junior

“How long ago was this?” Orland Lewis, Reece’s father, asked as Mr. Peters scanned through Tome Trader’s hold records.

“Before I entered university…”  I answered, glancing at Reece out of the corner of my eye.  “Two years ago…. At the most.  It was the first time I’d ever met Thane.”

The strange, tense scene replayed in my mind.  I recalled the way Constantine’s face had twisted when I asked for his name.  The icy chill of his eyes as they studied me.

 “You look familiar.”  He had said. “What’s your name?”

An older memory flashed in the recesses of my mind.  Those same icy eyes.  Dark ebony hair.

It was gone before I could lay hold of it.

I lowered my voice to a whisper, so that only Reece could hear me.  “I think… he knew me.  Before.  Though… I cannot remember him.”

Reece gave me a warm, reassuring smile, and squeezed my hand.  I could not help but smile in return, and I stroked his knuckles with my thumb as I lay my head against his shoulder.

“It wouldn’t be the first time Constantine had forged an alliance with someone in a position of wealth and power.”  Eldora, Reece’s Mother, remarked.  She scratched her temple and leaned up against the counter.  “Though… from what you’ve told us of Thane’s conversation with Gaia… it seems Constantine wanted more than a dog to fetch books for him.”

I frowned, my brow furrowing.  “They did not appear to like one other very well… now that I think of it…”

I remembered Thane’s clenched fists and raised voice the night of the Gala.

“You can tell your two-faced bastard husband that I’m done with him.  He’ll get no more help from me.”

I bit my lip.  Perhaps I had put it too mildly.  It seemed to me that Thane held a very powerful grudge against Constantine.

Orland shook his head, sighing.  “It’s a shame we can’t ask the man.  His secretary told me that he’d departed for an extended business trip.”  Orland’s frown deepened.  “Rather convenient, if you ask me.”

“Ah!”  Mr. Peters exclaimed, looking up from the computer screen.  “Lord Alexander’s The Law of Magic.   One of only three copies in the world.”

“Who has the other two?”  Orland asked.

“Oh, we know that book, love!” Eldora put her hand on her husband’s shoulder.  “The Crumplebottom sisters have one.”

“Good.”  Orland grunted, turning away from the counter.  “I’ll have to find out what old Constance has been reading.”

Eldora rubbed her husband’s back as he stepped away and threw a gracious smile towards Mr. Peters.  “Thank you for all your help.”

Mr. Peters ducked his head down sheepishly.  “It was no trouble.”

I whispered a goodbye to Mr. Peters and followed the group out the door, nestled under Reece’s arm. 

As we exited the building, I turned to Reece.  “What is this ‘law of magic’?  I have not heard of it.”

“I think the theory has only been around for the last two hundred years.”  Reece answered, pulling me in closer.  “Essentially what it says is that magic is like energy or mass.  It’s never truly created or destroyed, simply converted from one state to another.”

I pursued my lips together as I thought on this.  More old memories replayed in my mind.

“Kitsune used to bottle the blood of slain dragons to brew elixirs.”  I said, my voice barely above a whisper.  “She said dragons were teaming with magic, it was what gave them their strength and power over fire.”

Reece nodded his head, not really looking at me.  “The same reason the Lucians have often killed unicorns.  Ancient creatures have an abundance of raw magic power.  It doesn’t dissipate when they die. The Lucians have attempted to use the unicorn blood to enhance their own magical power, but thankfully… there’s only so much magic an ordinary human being can hold.”

 “Intriguing…”  I murmured, but my mind was miles away.

Kitsune had been the only true witch that I had known in my past life, but she had birthed multiple children with magical potential.  I’d even met a number of her grandchildren, now that I thought of Kitsune often gifted them with dragon blood, and even after her passing several of those children had continued to collect it in her stead.

“Sophia is staying for dinner… isn’t she?”  Eldora said, interrupting my thoughts.

“Umm…”  Reece stammered, flushing red.  “I-I-I guess so.  I mean… if she wants to.”  He turned to me.  “Do you want to?”

“I insist!”  Eldora said.  “I must be properly acquainted with my future daughter-in-law… after all.”

Reece flushed even redder, and I laughed.

“I would love to stay for dinner.”

 Dinner with Reece’s family was delightful!  Eldora and Orland cooked while Regan related numerous tales of Reece’s boyhood, much to Reece’s great embarrassment.  

Eldora dominated the mealtime conversation with bubbly stories of their world-travels, and Orland grunted and nodded his head on occasion.  I stayed with them, laughing and listening until late into the evening.

Reece walked me home at the end of the night.

“Sorry to keep you out so late.”  Reece murmured.  “Family reunions… you know…”  He rolled his eyes with a nervous laugh.

I smiled, clutching his hand in mine.  “It was an honor to be a part of your family reunion.  I love your family.”  I flushed, ducking my head down.  “I cannot wait to call them my family, as well.”

Reece beamed, and pulled me up into his arms.  We kissed under the light of the stars.

 “Daria told me there’s a ring!”  Nirina said breathlessly when I finally returned to the dorm for my junior year.  She grabbed my hand and held it up, then squealed.    “There IS!  Oh, it’s beautiful!”

“Wait… there’s a ring?”  Hale asked, his eyes bugging out.

“Have you set a date?”  Nirina asked, admiring the way the star sapphire shined in the light.

I shook my head, giggling.  “Not quite.  But we were thinking… maybe… in the spring.”

“Spring?”  Hale exclaimed, his eyes growing ever wider.

“Eldora has been making most of the arrangements.  I would be honored if you would be my bridesmaid.”  I said.

Nirina’s face lit up and she bounced on her heels, opening her mouth to reply, but Hale interrupted before she could speak.

“Whoa whooooa!  Hang on one second!  You’re getting married?  Like… married married?”

I frowned, fingering the ring on my finger.  “Yes.  Reece and I are to wed.  I thought you had been made aware…”

Hale scratched the back of his head.  “Umm… well I was aware that you finally had a thing… but married?  Don’t you think you’re… you know… rushing things?  I mean… when school let out last semester you weren’t even dating.  There’s no need to skip straight to…to … to being wed!”

Nirina snorted and rolled her eyes.  “You wanted to skip straight to babies.”

I stared back at him, furrowing my brow in confusion.  “…is not the purpose of courtship to choose a partner with whom to spend your life?  I do not understand your generation’s aversion to marriage.”

Nirina crossed her arms and glared at him.  “Yeah, Hale.  What’s you problem with marriage?”

Hale held up his hands and stammered.  “I-I-I have no problem with marriage!” 

Nirina raised her eyebrows at him, and he fidgeted. 

“Really.”  he insisted. 

Nirina rolled her eyes and huffed, slumping back against the wall.  

Hale coughed and turned back to me.  “But you’re in college!  You know what happens to kids who get married in college?  They get bogged down by too much responsibility too soon.  The bills rush in… birth control fails.  They never finish.  Besides, now’s the time to… you know… shop around.  Experiment.  Live a little.”

I stayed quiet for a long moment, starring down at the ring on my finger.

“I have already lived ‘a little.’” I said, looking up at him.  “Now I desire to live fully.  Life is fleeting, in the space of a second it can be snuffed out.  I want to spend all of the time I have, be it days or decades, with the one that I love.”

Hale’s eyes darted down to the floor and he shuffled his feet under him.  “Well… I guess when you put it that way…”

As the school year progressed, I realized that a number of my classmates and professors shared the same sentiments.  My fellow students reacted to my engagement with stunned silence, demeaning questions, and open ridicule.  

One of my professors gave me a very long, very patronizing, lecture about the irrationality of marrying young. 

I arrived for work that day in tears, and when prompted, I spilled all of my pent-up frustrations onto Mr. Peters.

 “She said that I was letting my ‘pretty little head’ get the best of me!” I said towards the end of my spiel, sobbing and gasping every other word.  “That I would wake up five years from now and regret that I had tied myself down so soon.  Tied myself down!  Oh, but it seems a thousand of my peers agree with her!  Do you think me foolish?”

 Mr. Peters patted me on the shoulder, somewhat awkwardly.  But he gave me the same warm smile that I saw on his face every time Reece showed up to walk me home from work.

“My children, fix it well in your noddles that you are on the right course.  Love one another.  Be foolish about it.  Love is the foolishness of men, and the wisdom of God.”

My face brightened.  “Oh, I knew you would understand! Thank you!”

I threw my arms around him, and he started in surprise, but patted me on the back.

“Anytime, my dear.  Now tell that old crone to go reap her own soul and don’t let anyone else rain on your happiness.”

 Reece and I set a date that very evening.

From that moment on, I flew through my classes and laughed in the faces of anyone who gawked at my ring.  By the time my wedding day arrived, I was soaring higher than the clouds.

“Sit still!”  Daria laughed, pressing my shoulders back against the chair when I squirmed too much.  “I know Reece will still love you with bedhead, but I was hoping your hair could look nice on your wedding day.”

I took a deep, calming breath and forced myself to remain motionless, but all the excitement and anticipation was bubbling over.  A bright, silly grin was plastered on my face.  My feet would not stop their spirited dancing.

The decorations were up.  My friends were all dressed in their finest, and they all looked so elegant and beautiful.

I looked at Daria in the mirror.  “So when are you and Lief going to be wed?”

 “Oh… very soon.”  Daria said, nodding as she wound her fingers through my hair.  “There probably won’t be much of a ceremony.  It’s really not part of our culture to have a whole lot of pomp and circumstance.  But… we’ve bought a house close to the beach with a large backyard.  Soft, fertile soil… it’s the perfect place for the garden.”  Daria flushed red even as she smiled.  “You know… the special garden.”

My mouth dropped open.  “You mean… with little sprouts?”

 Daria nodded her head, her grin growing even wider.  I squealed and jumped up to wrap both arms around her.

My hair was not finished for some time.

“Sophia… I promise to love and to cherish you.  Respect, honor, and serve you."  

"To be your rock and your shelter through all the storms that we must weather."

"For richer, and for poorer.  In sickness and in health.”

“With this ring..."

 "I thee wed.”

 “Reece.  I love you with all of my heart."  

"I promise to be your counselor and your confidant."

"To live, grow, and dream with you."

"To forsake all others for your embrace."

"To stand by your side, come witches and dragon fire.”

“With this ring, I thee wed.”

“Until death do us part.”  Reece said, closing our vows.

 “Until death do us part.”  I repeated, tears glistening in the corners of my eyes.

Reece flashed me a mischievous smile.  He whispered as he pulled me closer.  “And you know, if you die again... I'll just bring you back.”

Sometime after the honeymoon, I drifted back to Earth.  Eldora and Orland gifted us with a cozy little house close to university.

I had to resign from my position at Tome Traders in order to put in more hours at school and at the internship, but Reece’s Elixir crafting brought in enough funds to cover our expenses and Mr. Peters and I remained good friends.

I could not recall a time in either of my lives where I had been so blissfully happy.  I awoke every morning in the arms of my beloved, and I would kiss his sleeping face before I left for class in the morning.  

He was waiting for me when I got home.  No matter what kind of day I had, just seeing his smile in the evening made everything better.

By the time my senior year began, the internship was getting easier.  I felt as though I was rising up in the ranks.  More and more of the younger students turned to me for assistance, and my supervisor had even hinted at the possibility of a more permanent future for me at Harmony Hospital.

I was on the Dean's list.  My dream job was just a few credits and a diploma away.  I had already married the love of my life.

Everything was utterly perfect.