I frowned at my appearance for the third time in twenty minutes and twirled the skirt of my corset dress around. The laces cinched at the waist, crisscrossing across my stomach before tying into a bow by my hip. The white sleeves of the shirt stitched beneath the dark fabric straps of the dress dropped over my shoulders, leaving my arms bare.

I sighed. This would have to do. I walked out of the bathroom back to where Caesaria was lounging on the couch. “What do you think?”

“I think the same thing I thought five minutes ago. And five minutes before that,” she said. “Look, Arwyn, does it matter what you wear to see Ray? I mean, it’s just lunch.”

I sighed. “I know, but it’s not just lunch. It’s the lunch.”

“What?” She raised her eyebrows.

“The lunch. The last lunch I’m having with Raydir before I have to make this choice.”

“So? It’s not like it’s a death sentence. You’re still going to see him around.”

“I know. It just won’t be the same. Things are going to change between us, and there’s no way of stopping it. Once he knows, there’s no going back.”

Caesaria rose to her feet and wrapped her arms around me. “He’s still going to love you. That won’t change. I can feel it in him. And no matter what happens, I’ll be here for you.”

I hugged her back tightly. I didn’t want her to see the tears that had sprung to my eyes. “Thank you, Cae.”

She squeezed my hand. “Now go! Have fun. Enjoy the moment with Ray.”

I left the cabin, rushing to meet Raydir on the steps of the Grand Cabin like we’d agreed. When I arrived, he was pacing back and forth. He clasped and unclasped his hands in front of him, and his hair was tousled despite his clear attempt to slick it back.

I swallowed hard, trying to calm my beating heart when his gaze landed on me. My hands smoothed down the non-existent wrinkles in my skirt and I climbed the steps.

Taking a deep breath, I said, “Hey, you’re here!”

“Hey.” He took my hands in his and leaned in to kiss my cheek just as I went for his other cheek. Our lips brushed against each other lightly and Raydir’s hands slid down to surround my waist.

Just as I parted my lips to deepen the kiss, he pulled back and cleared his throat.

“Glad you’re here,” he said. Sadness glimmered in his green eyes. “Shall we?” He held out his arm.

I nodded, afraid that if I tried to speak, no coherent words would come out.

Raydir led me down the hallway to the kitchens. For the time of day, it was surprisingly empty.

“We have the kitchens to ourselves,” Ray announced, reading my mind. He rolled up his sleeves. “I was thinking we could make grilled cheese and tomato soup.”

I blushed. “Grilled cheese and tomato soup, huh? You’re really pulling out all the stops.”

Raydir laughed. “Yeah. Figured I could teach you. No better time to learn how to make your favorite meal.”

My heart swelled with joy. “I would love that.”

Raydir began to shuffle through the cabinets, instructing me where to gather ingredients. He stood behind me and covered my hand with his as we sliced the tomatoes for the soup. For the ones that didn’t need to be cut, he placed them in a strainer. He slowly curled his fingers into a fist and the tomatoes shriveled as the juices were sucked out, dripping through the strainer into the pot.

“Amazing,” I breathed.

Ray shrugged. “My power goes a lot further beyond manipulating medicinal plants.”

“See, I told you it could come in handy for cooking,” I teased. “Okay, what’s next?”

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“There should be some basil in that rack over there.” He pointed across the counter before turning back to the soup mixture that began to sizzle on the stove.

I went to retrieve it. When I handed it to him, our fingers brushed lightly.

“You know, Ginny is the one who taught me how to make this,” Raydir told me.

I raised my eyebrows. “Really?”

He nodded. “Yeah. There was this one day when we were playing hide-and-seek. You were sometimes just too good at that game and I got bored so I went to find Ginny. With her help, we found you in the library. You were fast asleep in one of those poofy chairs you loved so much.”

He paused to start preparing the sandwiches. Once they were sizzling on the stove next to the soup, he continued. “She knew I was hungry, so that’s the first day I learned to cook.”

“That’s incredible, Ray. You never told me that story before.”

He grinned while using the spatula to flip the sandwiches. Then he moved back over to the pot of soup. “Here, taste this.” Ray lifted the tester spoon to my mouth.

The warmth of the soup hit my throat instantly, sending memories of my youth to the forefront of my mind.

“Reminds me of home,” I said, smiling. “This really is amazing, Ray. You have such a talent here.”

Raydir ran a hand through his hair. “Thanks, but I’m not that good.”

“Yes, you are!” I protested. “Don’t sell yourself short, Ray.”

He didn’t say anything after that, only turning back to the food. Once it was ready, we gathered our lunches and packed them into a basket. We walked together to the lake, the sun warming our skin as we strolled next to each other. Occasionally, our fingers would brush. Sometimes, the touch would linger. Other times, Raydir pulled away. . We ate in silence, neither of us daring to say anything. The sound of the birds fluttering their wings and singing their songs above us in the trees was the only sound to be heard. After a few minutes, Raydir was down to the crusts of his sandwiches. He twirled them between his fingers.

“Do you want my crusts?” he asked.

I grinned. “Sure.”

He passed them over. “I’m glad I will always have you to count on to eat my crusts.”

I laughed. “Of course.” But even as I said it, I wasn’t sure how much longer it would be true.

The wind blew between us, bringing an increased tension with it.

“So, I need to—” Ray and I started at the same time.

“Sorry.” I tucked my hair behind my ears. “You first.”

Raydir cleared his throat. “Um, I think we should talk about this Alignment. It’s, um, kinda a strange one.”

You’re telling me. “Yeah. Listen, about that—”

“No, Arwyn, please let me finish.” He averted his gaze. “Don't think you have to stay with me because it's the only choice. You're the creator of your own journey. And I see how happy Darius makes you."

My body tensed. He knew. He knew about the choice, and he was willing once again to give me up. "I promised myself to you, Ray. I promised to be your forever."

Raydir clasped my hand in his. "And we might still have a chance at forever. We just need to put it on hold so you can have your 'right-now'."

Tears brimmed my eyes. “No, Ray—”

“I have to let you go, Arwyn.” His voice cracked as he fought back tears. “I—we both need different things right now. And the best way to do that is to not be together.”

“Ray, please.” I cupped his face in my hands.

He turned his head away and my hands dropped to my sides. “This is for the best. For both of us.”

Liquid stained my cheeks as the tears fell freely, dripping onto the fabric of my dress. My body shook with sobs as I tried to catch my breath.

“Ray.” My throat ached, barely able to get the word out.

Raydir turned back to me, his gaze sweeping over my face. Then he did the last thing I expected given the circumstances. He tucked his thumbs behind my ears, cupping my face in his hands. His lips brushed over mine, softly at first then increased the rhythm as my lips parted, giving his tongue access to explore my mouth. I clung to him, my fingers grasping at the fabric of his shirt. His hands roamed over my back, pressing me closer to his body. He pulled me into his lap, brushing my hair away from my face as his thumbs moved away from my face to rub circles against my hips.

I ripped open his shirt, desperate to have the feeling of his skin beneath my fingertips, longing for the memory of his touch one last time. His bare chest taunted me; it was now a deeper tan from all the time we’d spent outside in the valley. I ran a hand down his torso, and his muscles tensed as my fingers traveled over the trail of hair that disappeared over the top of his trousers. As he went in for another kiss, I breathed in deeply. He smelled like the cedar trees from the valley, an oh-so-good scent that made my heart beat faster and my body yearn for him. The sweetness of his lips mixed with the saltiness of our tears. When I swiped my fingers across his face, they came back wet. Memories of the past twelve years flickered like a movie through my mind as we kissed. Little moments like chasing each other around the palace, to the big moments of our first kiss, our first time making love, swirled together. His breath constricted, coming out in short, shallow pants and his fingers traced delicately against my skin.

I inclined my head to the side and his lips dipped down to my mark. He paused, his breath hot against my skin, before pulling away. The moment dissipated into nothingness. A sharp, unfriendly cold filled the space between us. I shivered, running my fingers down my bare arms, reaching for Raydir's last touch.

Raydir stood up. “Goodbye, Arwyn.” Without another glance, he walked away.

This was it. We were over.