Promise

by Kristie Cook

  That visual made my insides squirm with panic.

  "I mean the whole thing! All of it!" I cried.

  "Oh." She looked at me with surprise and then her expression dissolved into understanding. "Honey, it will all come naturally."

  "How do I know what natural is, though? How do I know what's right? What if I do it all wrong?"

  She smiled. "The thing about men, Alexis, is they generally don't find any of it wrong. In fact, usually the more wrong it is, the more they like it."

  "Mo-om…!"

  She shrugged. "I'm serious. There is very little you can do that would scare him away. Just don't belch, fart or call out anyone else's name and you'll be fine."

  "Sophia!" I couldn't help the laugh that escaped, though. Just one. Before the panic set right back in. "I just want to do it right. I want to make him happy."

  "Oh, you will, honey. Trust me—you'll make him extremely happy. When I say it'll come naturally, I mean it. This is something Amadis daughters instinctively do very well." She smiled coyly and winked at me. I didn't feel any better.

  Butterflies grew and multiplied in my stomach as the day went on. It felt like it dragged on forever and, at the same time, evening raced toward us, as if someone played with the hands on the world's master clock. Mom and I spent the afternoon driving all over two counties, stopping at bridal stores and flower shops, trying to bore anyone who might be following. Finally, a little after six o'clock, Mom made sure no one pursued us and we headed out to Gasparilla. She followed Tristan's directions down a road covered in sand from lack of use.

  I felt so nervous by then, I practically danced a seated jig in the car. Stefan said the Daemoni had learned about the September First wedding, but he had no indication they knew about this one. If we could get through this next hour or so, we'd be on our way to peace. Of course, then I would have more personal issues to worry about….

  "Looks like this is it." Mom pulled into a space of patchy grass and sand between palmetto bushes. "We'll have to walk the rest of the way."

  I changed in the backseat of Mom's car. She checked me over and fixed my hair she'd piled onto my head, using her finger to curl the stray locks around my face. She straightened the dress, adjusting my boobs, which nearly flowed right over the top of the bodice. We hadn't walked five steps on the uneven terrain when I decided the heels were a bad idea.

  "Love the shoes, Mom, but they have to go." I stopped to pull them off and she frowned, but couldn't argue. Bare feet on the rough ground didn't work well either. I had no idea how far we had to walk and I grew more frustrated with each slow, careful step. I stopped, exasperated. "This isn't working either! How am I supposed to get to my wedding?"

  "Can I help?" Stefan had come to meet us. He gently picked me up in his arms and carried me. He had a smooth stride, not affected at all by my extra weight. His pure vanilla scent brought back memories of when he carried me when I was little. "You look quite lovely. I remember your great-grandmother in a similar dress."

  Wow. I never knew how ancient he was.

  "Thank you. But I feel like a helpless child playing dress-up in mommy's naughty clothes."

  He laughed, the sound of a baritone saxophone skipping through various notes.

  "Are we still safe?" I asked.

  "Yes, I am positive."

  "I feel quite good about it, too," Mom said.

  "All you need to focus on is becoming Mrs. Tristan Knight," Stefan said.

  My heart pitter-pattered with delight to hear him say it. The statement also re-energized the butterflies and I was shaking by the time we reached the small, crescent beach—a little cove where the island indented just enough to be nearly surrounded by wild brush and trees. We had full view of the water and the lowering sun. Rina, Owen and Tristan stood near the water, waiting for us.

  "Your bride, sir," Stefan said to Tristan as he set me on the soft sand.

  "Thank you, Sheffie," I whispered. Stefan smiled and pecked me on the cheek.

  Tristan took my breath away as he strode over to us. Dressed simply in white slacks and a white silky t-shirt just tight enough to emphasize his physique, and the gold sparkles in his eyes shining, he was even more beautiful than I thought possible. He gave me a once-over and raised an eyebrow with appreciation, then took my hand and kissed it. I stopped trembling. He smiled and winked. I stared at him, completely loving him and totally forgetting why we were there.

  "Are you sure you still want to be my wife?" he murmured.

  "Uh…yeah," I stammered, trying to clear my head. When the fog finally lifted, I smiled and said confidently, "Of course."

  "Good," he whispered, "because I'd never let anyone else have the pleasure of taking my place."

  He led me over to Rina. She nodded at Mom, Stefan and Owen, who all stood in silence behind us. Tristan gently squeezed my hand as Rina began by reciting 1 Corinthians 13. I knew it by heart. It was one of the passages Mom made me memorize when I was five. We'd never gone to church, but Mom had taught me the Bible, saying she knew more than any pastor this side of Heaven.

  "'And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.' Tristan and Alexis, is this the love you both share?"

  "Yes," we answered together.

  "Do you promise to uphold this love throughout eternity?"

  "Yes."

  "Tristan, you may state your vows," Rina commanded.

  He turned toward me, smiled warmly and looked into my eyes. I was sure he purposely set his voice to its loveliest tone.

  "Alexis, my love, with a happiness I had never known possible before I met you, I receive you into my life that together we may be one. I promise you my unequivocal love, my unending devotion, my tenderest care. I will love you faithfully through the best and the worst, through the difficult and the easy. What may come, I will always be there. Entrust me not to leave you or to return from following after you. For where you go, I will go, and where you stay, I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God will be my God. I will take care of you, honor and protect you, for as long as I live, into eternity. I lay down my life for you, Alexis, my friend and my love. Today I give to you, me."

  Rina smiled and turned to me. "Alexis?"

  I took a deep breath to steady my voice and then recited my vows, blinking back tears.

  "My sweet Tristan, with deepest love I did not know could exist, I come into my new life with you. I thank you for who you are to me—my one love, my true soul mate. God created me for you and you for me. I will ever strengthen, help, comfort and encourage you. I will trust you and honor you. I will love you today, tomorrow and forever. Throughout life, as long as it lasts, even into eternity, I pledge to you my life as a loving and faithful wife, no matter what lies ahead of us. My love will never be taken from you. Today I give you my life to keep."

  Tristan flashed the most sublime smile that reached into the depths of my heart. We turned back to Rina.

  "Tristan and Alexis, with these vows you pledge your lives to each other for eternity. Do you promise to fight for your love and for each other for as long as you both shall live?"

  "I do," we said together.

  "Tristan, to come into this union, you must also give your life to God and to the Amadis. Do you promise to protect us, to love us, to serve us, to lay down your life for us, at all costs, for as long as you live, even into eternity?"

  The air suddenly felt still and heavy as we all tensed. If the Daemoni knew what was about to happen, this would be their last opportunity to stop it. Once Tristan took this vow, he became Amadis royalty, pledging his allegiance to us and severing all ties to his creators.

  Please, Tristan, just say it!

  "I do."

  Just then, a powerful gust of wind blew through the cove. At the same time, a warm sun ray beamed directly on our little group. The sun itself seemed to shine a little more brightly as it hovered over the horizon. Directly overhead, though, a dark cloud formed out of nowhere, lightning shooting a
cross it and thunder cracking, the wind whipping around us. It made me think that something very evil was very angry.

  Rina glanced up at the threatening cloud and a small, mysterious smile appeared on her face. She didn't say anything, aloud or otherwise, but her eyes looked triumphant.

  She took a step closer to Tristan and me, placed a hand over each of our hearts and closed her eyes. I felt a warm tingling on my skin, then an unusual energy flow from her into my heart and throughout my body. A moment later I felt it flow down my arm, through my hand and into Tristan's, while at the same time, a different kind of energy flowed from his hand into mine. The two feelings combined in my chest then flowed throughout my body.

  Rina spoke mightily, her voice clear and strong, almost otherworldly. If there was any doubt before that she ruled something extremely powerful, it was blown away then.

  "I am Katerina Camilla Ames, matriarch of the Amadis, protectors of souls and servants to God and the Heavenly Host. Under my power, I join these two souls together as one, forever bound to each other with an eternal love and loyalty that cannot be severed by anyone or anything."

  My skin under her hand burned and prickled and the warmth radiated, encircling my heart.

  Rina then took each of our free hands and joined them together, then wrapped both of hers around ours. She bowed her head and we all followed.

  "Our Heavenly Father, God of the Universe, Creator of all things, we thank You for this union and the blessings You will provide as its result. We each lay down our lives for You in our continued servitude. Show us Your way and we shall follow. In Jesus' name, Amen."

  Rina smiled and gave us a slight nod. Tristan gently tilted my head up with his fingers under my chin, bent over and delivered the most amazing, most loving kiss he had ever given me.

  "I love you, ma lykita," he murmured.

  "I love you, my sweet Tristan," I whispered.

  "I do not know what is above us, exactly, but it would be in our best interests to vacate immediately," Stefan interrupted, eyeing the unusual storm cloud above us. It wasn't low enough to threaten rain, but the lightning, thunder and wind continued, seeming to grow in anger.

  We received quick hugs of congratulations and Owen took a quick picture of Tristan and me with his new, high-tech cell phone, the only camera available. Then he, Rina and Stefan disappeared. Tristan scooped me up and ran to Mom's car, Mom not far behind. He sat in the back seat with me as Mom chauffeured us to a small parking lot where Tristan's Ferrari waited.

  "Tristan, you have her bag?" Mom asked.

  "In the car. Let's go, ma lykita." He opened the door and helped me out.

  The air here was perfectly calm. Mom came around the car and hugged Tristan.

  "You take care of my girl," she said to Tristan. Then she hugged me and said, "And you take care of my new son."

  I beamed. "Love you, Mom."

  "I love you, too. Be careful and have fun. Sorry it couldn't be longer…." She got back in her car and quickly took off. I had an eerie feeling about the next time I'd see her. Just nerves. We'll be okay now. Well, "we" as in all of us. Now, me, for tonight anyway…I wasn't so sure.

  Chapter 23

  "Where are we going?" I asked Tristan as he held the car door for me. "I thought we couldn't have a honeymoon yet."

  "Do you really think I'd let tonight be like any other night?" He kissed me before shutting the door.

  Like that could happen. We could have gone home and watched movies, but in the end it would definitely not be like any other night. Not in my life anyway.

  "So, where are we going?" I asked again when he was in the car.

  "Somewhere special for my special wife on this very special night." He kissed my hand and winked. "Topless?"

  I stared at him blankly. I wondered if he'd still have that same effect on me in eighty years. Or a hundred-and-eighty years. I hoped so.

  "Guess not," he muttered.

  "Oh, yes, definitely," I finally answered. He pushed a button and the car's roof began to lower.

  We drove south and stopped at an upscale restaurant in Naples, overlooking the water. It wasn't crowded, but the people there gawked unabashedly at us. I thought it was the car at first, but their stares, from both men and women, continued as we followed the maître D' to our table by the windows. The table could seat four, so Tristan sat to my right, rather than across from me.

  "Are you okay?" he asked when we were alone.

  "I really didn't want to be seen in this by other people," I whispered, tugging at the top of the bodice. He took my hand to stop me.

  "Don't let their admiration bother you. I'm quite enjoying it." He kissed my fingers. "I couldn't wait for people to see you in that dress. Because you are with me. Forever."

  He leaned closer, his lips tickling my ear. "At least let me enjoy it now, because I will have you out of that dress soon enough."

  The butterflies awoke in my stomach. They fluttered throughout dinner and I could hardly eat. They grew and multiplied again in the bathroom when I overheard a couple of young women while I was still in the stall.

  "He's absolutely gorgeous. And did you see the car they got out of? I think he's the singer in that one band," one said.

  "I thought he was that actor…the one in that new spy movie, I can't think of his name," said the other. I knew whom she talked about. There was a slight resemblance, but Tristan was much more attractive.

  "Oh, maybe you're right. I don't know who that girl is. She's pretty, but, man, he could have anyone. I don't get it. But love that dress!"

  I blushed, though no one even knew I was in there.

  "Lucky girl, huh? Did you see how his muscles rippled under his shirt?" She sighed.

  Ha! If she only knew the real power….

  "I think I'd come at first touch."

  They giggled like school girls. I opened the stall door then and strode out to the sinks, where they both stood, staring at me with their mouths hanging open and their faces beet red.

  "Only a certain kind of woman can handle a man like that," I said with full confidence.

  No, that didn't really happen. But I imagined it and wished I'd had the chutzpah to actually do it. Instead, the butterflies transformed into fish flopping sickeningly in my stomach. I stood in the stall until they left, taking deep, calming breaths, grateful that freesia-infused freshener permeated the air.

  The door opened again and I felt the extreme goodness flow into the bathroom.

  "Alexis?" an unfamiliar female voice asked. An Amadis protector, sounding alarmed.

  "I'm fine," I said from the stall. The door hissed closed.

  I washed my hands while giving my reflection a silent pep-talk. It didn't work.

  "You've been awfully quiet and you hardly ate a thing," Tristan said once we were in the car and headed for the highway.

  "I know. I'm sorry. I ruined your special surprise."

  He laughed. "That was not my surprise. I thought maybe we should eat while we had the chance. We have a long drive ahead of us."

  "Where are we going?" I asked once again.

  "You'll see." He put his hand on my thigh where the skirt had ridden up and squeezed gently. I fought back a shudder. He let his hand rest there, absent-mindedly rubbing his fingers back and forth as he drove. The electric currents shot through me like his touch was new again. The shudder won. He looked at me with concern. "You're not okay."

  I thought about what he would want to hear, what I should say to him as his new wife. So I gave him the partial truth. "Every time you touch me, it's like it's the first time."

  He grinned my favorite, most stunning smile. That was a good one. He moved his hand to caress the inside of my wrist and forearm. "You mean like this?"

  Goosebumps rose. He moved his hand to my neck and stroked around my jaw line, down my neck and along my collar bone. I shuddered again. He grinned again.

  "You're making me crazy," I said giddily.

  "Good. You've been driving me insane all
evening." His foot pressed harder on the gas pedal. I didn't even want to know how fast we were going. "I'll get us there as fast as I can."

  We drove in silence for a while, the road fairly dark and empty across Alligator Alley, the stretch of highway connecting southern Florida's east and west coasts. I wondered if we were going to Miami. It wasn't long—less than half the time it should have been—before we approached the lights of the city. He drove a little slower with the added traffic, until we hit US-1 and headed south. I realized we were going to the Keys.

  "It's an awfully long drive for just one night," I said. I'd checked into going to Key West for after our fake wedding and knew it was nearly a six-hour drive. Of course, Miami was over two hours and it took him less than one.

  "Not when I'm driving." He grinned in the lights of the dash. "And we can stay as long as we want. We did it, my love. And with no problems. The sooner they know that, the better. It may prevent them from attacking unnecessarily."

  "That wasn't the plan."

  "It's the best solution I see now. As long as they don't know, we're essentially sending an invitation." A moment passed and he changed his tone. "Listen, this isn't what I want to discuss on our wedding night. This is a happy time for us. Let's see how we feel, check in with the others and we'll play it by ear, okay? You're done with summer classes and the semester doesn't start for a few weeks."

  "I'm pretty sure I'm not packed for more than a night or two."

  "No, but that's okay. I really don't plan on you wearing many clothes anyway." He grinned again. And the butterflies, which had been subdued for a while, flew around excitedly.

  We rode in silence again. I couldn't pull my mind away from the night ahead and almost regretted saving my first time for my wedding night. I felt too nervous to enjoy what should have been the best night of my life.

  "Your silence concerns me," Tristan finally said.

  "I'm sorry. I'm just…" I couldn't say it. "…ready to be wherever we're going."

  He glanced at me. "Too much hesitation. That's not what you're really thinking."