The melody floated through the air, guided by his fingers across the piano keys. Outside, the storm raged, yet inside, the piano's tune prevailed.
-Flashback-
Dorian gazed at Raven. Gripping her hands firmly as she spun into his embrace, her step faltered slightly before she whirled away, extending her arm gracefully. Her laughter, mingling with the melody from her phone, echoed through the room. Dorian drew her back in, clasping her free hand. Their eyes locked, faces inches apart, as he gently leaned her back, her giggles resonating in the little cabin.
-Flashback over-
His hands halted over the piano keys, and his breathing echoed loudly in the vast emptiness of the room. "Dorian?" Michael spoke from the entrance of the room. Dorian's head moved to the side, waiting for what Michael had to say. "They have been waiting for your arrival. They are requesting your assistance," Michael told him worriedly. It has been a week, and he has not seen the coven. And they have a matter that needed his help.
"I will be there shortly. I have something that I must attend to at the moment," Dorian replied, his voice devoid of emotion. He rose abruptly from his chair and exited the room, brushing past Michael and leaving him standing in his wake.
***
"Today, we are gathered to mourn the loss of someone who was truly a ray of light in this world. Her departure was unexpected, and while the pain of loss is hard to overcome, we take solace in knowing she is in the hands of our Heavenly Father." As these words were spoken, everybody watched as the casket was lowered to the ground. The reality of their loss is only now sinking in. Dorian crouched before the headstone, his hand gently tracing the engraved name. Her name was etched into the stone. She had already made the arrangements with Jameson even before she knew she would die.
'In loving memory'
Dorian's gaze shifted to the mourners, where the woman wept and the men attempted to remain stoic in front of their loved ones. Clutching the flowerpot in his hand, the rain beat down intently. Causing the rain to drench his body in the tight suit. With his free hand, he began to dig a hole in front of the grave.
"I brought you carnations," he uttered, now alone as everyone else had departed. His grip on the clay pot intensified, breaking it. Gently extracting the plant, he nestled the carnation into the earth and filled the hole. "You knew something I didn't," he said to her, even though she was no longer present. "It seemed odd when Ophelia explained everything to me," he said, patting down the ground around the plant. "But I was the one who killed her at the end of the day, not the witches, not anybody else but me. She was there, and then suddenly, she wasn't. The image of her is etched into my mind, her body hanging lifelessly, and it replays incessantly. I have witnessed many things, but only her image is truly the one that haunts me, along with her cries for me to stop," he continued, gathering the shattered fragments of the clay pot. "Broken, battered, and then gone. Her eyes are devoid of life," he uttered hoarsely.
"Dorian!" Raven screamed.
Shaking his head to rid himself of the memory, he crushed the clay fragments in his hand. The dust spilled out of his hand as the sound of her cries echoed through his mind.
"I did not protect her that night, but I will. No one will ever harm her again; I will never cause her pain. She will live the life she deserves, one where she is fiercely loved and cared for," he said, a smile spreading at the corners of his mouth at the thought of her being surrounded by her plants and books, playing the piano, and helping others.
"You knew something, Mrs. Drew, something none of us did. I don't know how you knew, but I am here to ask for your and your husband's blessing. To keep her, to call her mine, and for me to be hers. Rest in peace, knowing my mate will forever be safe," he said as he stood up straight, staring at the two headstones.
'Jasper Drew, beloved son, husband, and father.'
'Eliza Drew, beloved daughter, wife, and mother.'
"Your daughter is one of the kindest, most gentle, and good-hearted people I know. You brought an angel into this world, and sometimes angels need protection too. Farewell, until our next visit." Tearing his gaze away, he turned and exited the cemetery. The graveyard keeper, hidden behind the trees, watched every movement Dorian made. In a blink, Dorian was gone.