Chapter 14
FOUR DAYS LATER…
Even though the equinox was the next day, somehow I wasn’t feeling any jitters. When we had arrived home, we were greeted by an almost fully renovated house. Or rather, kitchen and back porch. The kitchen was rebuilt, bigger and better than ever, as was the porch, the new counters and cupboards were in, and all new appliances. All that was left was to move in the furniture. The workmen had painted the walls a soft yellow, one of my favorite colors, so the kitchen reminded me of morning sunshine. When we first arrived home, I stood in the center of the room and whirled around, absolutely in love with the way it looked.
Now, on the evening before the equinox, it was well past sunset.
Menolly was sitting in the kitchen with me, in the rocking chair. She was playing with Maggie, who was holding her Yobie doll, as outside twilight gently faded into night. Over the past couple of days, I’d had time to shake out, to let go of some of the tension. For whatever reason—maybe it was that we had a plan, or maybe it was that, finally, the war felt like it was coming to a close—I was actually relaxed and happy. I was fixing dinner for myself, while Menolly drank a bottle of flavored blood. I was making a grilled cheese sandwich, and tomato soup.
“I wish Camille could be here tonight,” I said.
“Me too, but at least she’ll be here tomorrow.” Menolly paused, staring down at Maggie as she stroked the gargoyle’s silky fur. “Blood Wyne is returning to Europe. She’s leaving Roman and me in charge of the North American Vampire Nation. It’s going to mean a lot of pomp and circumstance, and time for me spent by Roman’s side. Nerissa will be there too. I hate to say it, but we’ve had to ask her to quit her job.”
“What? She loves that job!”
“Yes, but it’s too dangerous for her now, with as many vampire-phobes as there are. Even though she’s not a vamp, she’s married to two, and that puts her in danger. So I guess our lives are changing, too.”
I carried my plate over to the table and sat down, sighing.
“I wondered how long it would be before the two of you got caught up in the politics. Do you really want to do this? Is there a way you can get out of it?” Even as I asked the question, I knew the answer. I could see it in her face.
“I can make a difference, Kitten. Roman and I have been talking a lot about the vampire rights bill that just passed. There’s a great deal of backlash, but we can help put a stop to it. With Wade’s help, and Vampires Anonymous going nationwide, maybe we can turn things around for the vampires in this world. This is a chance to create a new bond with others, a new way of life for my kind. If we can remove some of the stigma and fear that surrounds our existence, the world would be a safer place for all of us.”
I listened, nodding, as I ate my dinner.
She paused, and gave me a lopsided smile. “When Dredge turned me, I thought everything was over. The only thing I could think about was blood and stakes, and how much I had lost. I was so bitter and hateful. And it’s true, I had lost so much. But now, things are different.”
“You have Nerissa, and you love her.” I knew my sister and Nerissa had had their share of problems, but they had worked them out. They seemed deliriously happy together, even with the weight of the tiaras on their heads.
“I have Nerissa, and I can’t imagine life without her. But it’s more than that.”
She stared at Maggie, kissing her again. “I actually do love Roman, in a way. We have chemistry, and I can be as rough as I want to with him. Nerissa’s safe from that side of me as long as I have an outlet. And he’s very fond of her, too.”
“Go on,” I said. I had thought that Nerissa barely tolerated him, and vice versa.
“No, really. They’ve discovered that they actually have more in common than he and I do. They play chess for hours, and they discuss books. Well, we all love to read, but they love the classics. In some ways, she’s actually a better match for him than I am. But beyond all the relationship stuff, I have the chance to make a difference in ways I never thought I could. Erin’s accepted Wade’s invitation to join him on the road. I’m going to miss her, but they’re going to make it possible for us to do our work better.”
There was a glow in her eyes that told me just how happy she was. I realized that sometimes responsibility was more than a yoke. I had begun to realize that about Camille, as well. As tired as she seemed at times, she appeared at home out at Talamh Lonrach Oll. She seemed to fit in a way that I’d never expected to see. She was settling into her cloak of authority, and every time we talked, it became more apparent that my sister truly was growing into her title.
“So, tomorrow’s the big day. Are you excited? Or do I even have to ask?” Menolly laughed as Maggie reached up and tickled her nose. She kissed Maggie’s finger. “The one thing I truly miss, more than anything else, is hearing Maggie laugh.”
“I know, and when Aeval suggested that Maggie move out to Talamh Lonrach Oll, it just about tore me up. But I think we’re going to let her go. Camille can protect her better, and now that I realize the Triple Threat isn’t going to send her back to Otherworld, it just seems safer. Besides, pretty soon…” I glanced over at Maggie, biting my lip. “I feel so horrible for what I’m about to say, but I don’t think that I can take care of Maggie and the child of an Elemental Lord at the same time. I don’t know whether I’d be more afraid of Maggie hurting her, or her hurting Maggie.”
“So you know it’s going to be a girl?”
I nodded. “The Autumn Lord has made it clear. I’ll have a little girl. That makes me happy, but at the same time, I’m scared. What is she going to be like? Part Fae, part human, part Elemental Lord? I suppose Shade can help keep her in line if she gets a little too rowdy, especially now that his powers are back. I wonder what it’s going to be like, being pregnant? I mean, it’s not like I’ve ever had the experience before. And neither have you or Camille, so I can’t call on you for help.”
Menolly snickered. “Maybe you and Aeval can compare notes?”
I gave her a long look, glaring. “Don’t even go there. Besides, she’s going to give birth long before I will. I still have to go through the secondary ritual before I can get pregnant. But that’s not all that far away.”
After I finished off my grilled cheese and tomato soup, Menolly and I carried Maggie upstairs to my bedroom, where we went through my wedding ensemble. Shade was sleeping down at the studio with Roz, in the old tradition of the groom not seeing the bride the night before the wedding day. Menolly was staying overnight, sleeping in her old lair to keep me company.
After we had organized everything, we retreated to the living room and turned on the TV. We sat up half the night, laughing and talking and playing with Maggie, watching black-and-white science fiction movies, and for a brief moment, it felt like old times.
THE NEXT NIGHT, we gathered at Birchwater Pond.
Shade and I had chosen a simple ceremony. No marching up the aisle, no dramatic entrance. We gathered with family and friends in the clearing where we had held so many celebrations.
Camille was there, dressed in full regalia including her crown. Menolly stood by my left side as my matron of honor, and Nerissa and Iris stood to my right, my bridesmaids. They were dressed in pale green chiffon, and I was wearing my hunter green wedding dress with a gold cape that trailed behind me. I wore a wreath of lily of the valley, the fragrance calming me.
Shade stood to the other side of the altar, wearing a flowing brown satin robe over black trousers, bound by a golden sash the same color as my cape. To his side stood Smoky, his best man, dressed in all white as usual.
Come to bear witness were our friends and family. Bruce and the twins, of course. Hanna, holding Maggie. Morio and Trillian, Vanzir and Roz, Roman and Erin. And our friends Tim and Jason were there, and Chase as well, holding Astrid. Lash sat beside them, and Seratha, Shade’s mother, had also joined us.
A gentle breeze flowed through the forest, but the sky held no clouds, and the stars were beginning to twinkle. It was cool, but not cold, and the distant smell of smoke wafted through the air, from a dozen chimneys of a dozen houses along our road.
The breeze rippled over the surface of Birchwater Pond, concentric rings of water echoing out, lapping gently at the edges of the pond. The leaves of the trees were just barely starting to turn, but I could feel autumn in the wind, even as I could feel it in my blood. We were entering the harvest, my season, my time of year. The longer I was pledged to the Autumn Lord, the stronger I could feel this burnished orange time echoing in my soul.
I looked over at Shade, who stood proudly, smiling as if this were the best day of his life, and my heart welled up. I had never thought I would see this day. When I thought back to the frightened young woman I had been when we first came over Earthside, to the naïve girl who couldn’t see past her rosy view of the world, it felt like a different lifetime. I had grown so much during the past years, some of the growth from heartache, some of it from joy, and some of it from just accepting that life changes as we go along.
I finally understood the change was necessary, that evolving was a good thing. Stagnation was our true enemy, ignoring the signs that prompted us to grow.
Camille motioned for us to approach the altar. I could see her wings gently waving in the dusk. She was letting us see them more now, letting her differences shine forth. I realized that I, too, was starting to embrace my own differences.
We weren’t Windwalkers anymore. We might straddle worlds, but we no longer did so out of not belonging. When I thought about it, the three of us were too complex to live in simply one world.
“We are here to witness a union of hearts and souls. We are here to witness a commitment between lovers. We stand here in the presence of two people ready to join their lives together. Delilah Maria te Maria D’Artigo, do you approach the altar voluntarily, to engage in the union of matrimony?”
“I approach voluntarily, of my own volition and will.” As the words flowed out of my mouth, I realized that all my fears and worries over getting married, over whether I was responsible enough, had faded away.
“Shade, shadow dragon of the Netherworld, do you approach this altar voluntarily, to engage in the union of matrimony?”
Shade’s voice was soft, but it still resonated through the clearing. “I approach voluntarily, of my own volition and will.”
“You have written your own vows. State them now in the presence of your friends and family, knowing that what you pledge here binds you to your future. This pledge is sacred, not to be broken.” She turned to me, her wings fluttering gently in the wind. They were gossamer, and I had to resist the momentary urge to spring after them and play with them. “Delilah, state your vows to Shade.”
I turned to my love. “I, Delilah D’Artigo, pledge to you, Shade, my undying love and devotion. I pledge my support in good times and in bad times. I pledge my heart and my soul, as long as love shall last. I promise my loyalty, my honesty, my passion, and my devotion to the Autumn Lord and what he has planned for us. All of this I give to you, as your wife and mate.”
She turned to Shade, motioning for him to go ahead.
“I, Shade, shadow dragon of the Netherworld, pledge to you, Delilah, my undying love and devotion. I pledge my loyalty, my honesty, my passion, and my protection. I will stand by you in good times, and I will stand by you in bad times, I pledge my devotion to the Autumn Lord and what he has planned for us, and all of this I give to you, as your husband and mate, as long as love shall last.”
She motioned for us to hold out our hands. I held out my right hand, and Shade held out his left. Camille took a heavily braided cord and wrapped it around our wrists, binding us together.
“As this cord so binds your wrists, it binds your vows together. You have made these vows under the watchful eyes of the gods. You have made them in front of family and friends. You have made them to me, High Priestess of the Moon Mother. Be aware, should you break your oath, you do so at your own risk, dishonoring your name forever. Answer me now, and your answers will hold. Delilah D’Artigo, do you take Shade to be your wedded husband, to have and to hold, as long as love shall last?”
I sucked in a deep breath, letting it out slowly, and then feeling my choice settle on my shoulders, I turned to Shade and, looking into his eyes, said, “I do thee promise.”
“Shade, shadow dragon of the Netherworld, do you take Delilah to be your wedded wife, to have and to hold, as long as love shall last?”
Without hesitation, Shade looked at me and said, “I do thee promise.”
Camille placed her hand atop the cord that bound our wrists together. “Then in the sight of the gods, and under the pledge of the Immortals, and in the presence of your friends and family, I now pronounce you husband and wife, bound by oath, bound by love, for as long as your love shall last.” She unwound the cord, then motioned to Shade. “You may kiss the bride.”
Shade pulled me into his arms, kissing me deeply. Then he whispered, “I will never let you down. I will never hurt you. I love you, Delilah, and I always will.”
CAMILLE AND MENOLLY and I walked along the side of the pond. The guys were manning the grills, and the smell of food filled the air. The crickets were chirping, echoing through the clearing, and everything felt exactly as it was supposed to be.
“How many times have we taken this walk together?” I stopped, cautiously sitting on a log, trying not to tear my wedding dress. Camille and Menolly sat beside me as we stared at the pond.
“I have no idea,” Camille said. “Too many times, and never enough. How does it feel to be an old married lady now?” She smiled at me, then laughed and gave me a big hug. “I’m so happy for you and Shade. And I’m so happy he’s got his powers back. I know we’re facing the greatest test yet, but right now I couldn’t be happier.”
I felt like crying and laughing at the same time. So many emotions were racing through me, and yet the words I’m married, I’m Shade’s wife, kept running through my head like an earworm.
“I can’t believe I’m actually married now. We actually made it to our wedding in one piece, and now…” I let the words drift, thinking ahead to Samhain, and the next ritual that we would face. “I think I’m scared. I’m happy, I couldn’t be more happy, but I’m scared. What if I’m not going to be a good mother? What if I don’t know how to be a mother? What if—”
“What if you quit worrying, and let life happen?” Menolly said. “We all have our inner demons, and they can haunt us night and day. But if the Land of Wandering Souls has taught you anything, maybe it’s that sometimes we have to leap on fate. We have to take that leap and trust that we’re going to land on our feet. We have to quiet those demons, shut them down, and stamp them out because they only hold us back. They stop us from doing the important things in life, they’re roadblocks and obstacles and landmines.”
Camille nodded. “I was terrified when I took the throne out at Talamh Lonrach Oll. I didn’t know if I could be queen over a kingdom. I mean hell, look at me—I’m about as refined as a lumberjack.” She paused, holding up her hand when we started to protest. “No, don’t stop me. The thing is, I’m learning. Yeah, I’m learning on the job, but I’ve got this. And you can do this too. You’re going to be a wonderful mother, whether it’s to the child of the Autumn Lord or a litter of your own kits. You’ve got the heart for it, Delilah. You’ve got that instinct. And that’s a wonderful thing.”
“I wish Father could have been here to see. And Mother. I wish Arial could be here. But I guess they are in spirit.” Even as I spoke I looked up toward the woods, and saw the faint image of a big leopard, watching. I realized Arial had been at my wedding after all. I started to cry, overcome by emotion.
Camille and Menolly let me cry, handing me tissues, not asking what was wrong because they knew very well that nothing was wrong. Sometimes joy carried its own form of heartache. Sometimes our emotions welled up so strong and so thick that the only way to express them was through tears. They were cathartic, allowing us to release into the world the emotions that ran so deep there were no words.
As my tears slowed, I stared out the pond, realizing that this wasn’t the end. And even after we took care of Shadow Wing, our lives would go on. For the first time, I felt hope that we would destroy him and then go on to live the rest of our lives in…if not peace, hopefully joy.
There would be more tears, and more laughter, and probably more weddings. There would be pomp and circumstance, protests and fighting for what was right, magic and mayhem. There would be a child in my future, and maybe more than one if I was lucky.
But right now, at this very moment, the only thing I wanted was to sit here with my sisters as my husband grilled our wedding feast, and our friends and family mingled and chatted and laughed. All I wanted was to celebrate the fact that we were together, and regardless of all the pain and loss that we had gone through, our love still stood as the pillar of our foundation, keeping us strong, keeping us whole.
I hope you enjoyed this book. The last Book, , will be out in 2019.
Meanwhile, I invite you to try my new , which began with . The second, , will be out in a few months.
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