Aisling and Mica both burst into laughter that was tinged with just a bit of sneakiness. Uh-oh. They were up to something and it was probably not good. Narrowing her eyes, she asked, “What did you two do?”
Tapping a fingertip to her temple, Mica replied with an ear-to-ear grin, “We’re an hour late. I’m getting a running commentary from my husband. Dec’s losing his mind and they’re almost out of bourbon. We should probably call Keil before they’re too drunk to watch the kids.”
As if that would ever happen!
Rolling her eyes at the exaggeration, she shook her wrists to keep from wiping her damp hands on the beautiful gown and told Aisling to hurry up and call her father. He’d had a fit about walking her down the aisle so she gave in and agreed to let him. It was probably a good thing that she’d never officially asked Uriel to give her away. He wouldn’t like being replaced.
Keil materialized a few feet away within seconds. Her heart practically stopped in her chest. Oh, my goodness! He was beautiful. The man filled out a tux like it was cut for his body and only his body. He’d cut his hair and shaved for the occasion. The black and white colors were stunning with his tanned skin and blue eyes. The starched collar and bowtie only accentuated his square jaw and cheekbones. The usual tightly-coiled power moved him with the same big cat grace they all had.
His face glowed with appreciation as he approached them with a soft whistle. “Wow! You ladies are stunning! Even the baby bump is sexy. Clearly we need to put on formal clothes more often.” He brought Rori’s fingers to his lips, mouth curling at the corners in a devastating smile that warmed her to her toes. “And my beautiful, beautiful daughter, you look just like your mother, baby girl.” Instead of releasing her, he tucked her hand into his side and stepped closer so he could drape his arm around her waist for traveling. Tipping her chin to peer into her eyes, he sighed wistfully and murmured, “I wish your mother was here to see you today. She would be so proud of you. I know I am.” Pressing a soft kiss on her forehead, he added, “Dec is a lucky man. Let me know if I ever need to kill him for you. Hold on!”
Scarcely a second later, they rematerialized just inside the penthouse living room. As their molecules settled down, she tried to hug Keil without messing up her dress or hair. That wasn’t as easy as it should’ve been. She settled for squeezing his arms.
He only laughed at her efforts and took her by the shoulders in a gentle embrace before asking, “Are you ready? Til death do you part takes on a whole new meaning when you’re immortal. Best get the knot tied good and tight before some crazy shit happens again.”
Her face drained at the idea. “Are you insane? Don’t say that! You’ll jinx us. I’m ten minutes away from finally marrying the man of my dreams and I will lose my damn mind if something interrupts this ceremony!” She took a step and wobbled into his side as her heel slid on the marble floor. Clutching his forearm like a vice, she begged, “Don’t let me fall on my butt in this dress! I’ll never live it down.”
“Your wish is my command, daughter mine.” After banding his strong arm around her waist, he cupped her hip securely. His warmth settled her, grounded her, calmed her racing heart and soothed her shaky nerves.
Was he using his mojo on her?
Grinning down, he nodded and said, “Yep. That’s me. It’s just a little juice to smooth out your edges. I’d hate for you to pass out on the way to the altar from trying so hard not to fall over. Consider it a wedding present. I take my job seriously.”
Mica and Killian’s oldest triplet, Cian, poked his head in the door and waved at them with a big cheesy smile and a bouquet of trailing jasmine and ivy. Dressed in a miniature suit, he was as handsome as his daddy. His bossy tone was a lot like his daddy’s too. He jerked his head towards the garden, and said, “Everyone’s ready. Mom said to come get you. Here are your flowers.”
“Thank you, sweetie. We’re ready. Go out and let them know we’re coming now.”
Wow. Just wow.
The scene stole her breath away. Elegant and magical, it was so much more than she’d expected. Twilight had come and gone, leaving the sky a rich, velvety black backdrop for the twinkling fairy lights. Clusters of candles cast jumping shadows and color over the wedding party waiting beside the altar. Handmade by Killian, the carved wood was inlaid with stones and decorated with runes that had meaning that only he understood. As Keil escorted her across the small patio, Killian waited behind the altar with a smile tugging at his lips. Uriel and Raphael stood just behind him with identical smug expressions.
Keil bent his head to whisper, “Uriel came? This is a big honor.”
Yes, it was—huge even. She wanted to respond, but her voice fled the instant her gaze landed on Dec. Flanked by Sean on one side and Mica and Aisling on the other, he shone like her own personal sun. The entire world narrowed to this one man. If she thought Keil was gorgeous in his tux, she was stunned speechless by her groom. Standing tall and proud, he was breathtaking. With sun-streaked hair tamed out of his eyes, a slight blond shadow on his jawline, and a flush of happiness glowing on his cheeks, he was devastatingly beautiful. His broad shoulders, trim waist, and fine butt filled out that suit in a way that should be illegal.
His sheer presence completely overwhelmed the space and made her heart beat faster. His energy thrummed between them like a living force, pulling on her, drawing her closer, filling her mind until there was nothing but him; no one but him.
Launching both dimples, he searched her face wonderingly as if reassuring himself she was real. When she looked into his eyes brimming with tenderness and love, she had to swallow a sharp pang of possessiveness that squeezed her chest. This was her man! Hers! He was everything and more. He was today—he was tomorrow—he was forever.
With a soft groan of appreciation, he took time drinking her in, slowly raking his eyes over her gown, where they lingered on the vee between her breasts before sliding up to her face. As his eyes began to burn cobalt, he dragged the tip of his tongue across his lower lip, the motion tightening her belly with need. That sexy mouth curled into her favorite lazy smile as he held out his hand, saying simply, “Rori.”
Automatically mirroring his expression, she slipped her hand into his. “Declan.”
A tingle of electricity crawled along the underside of her wrist when he drew her close enough to feather his lips against the shell of her ear. “I can barely breathe just looking at you, darlin’. Surely you’re an angel come to take me to Heaven.”
His husky voice surrounded her, the faint lilt sending shivers of anticipation racing over her skin. The intensity in his eyes promised an eternity of love; his strong fingers caressing her bare back promised multiple orgasms along the way. She was all in. There was no world she wanted to live in without Dec. Easing close enough to feel his saol straining through the tux, she traced the shape of his lips with the tip of her finger. “I’m so in love with you right now.”
Smiling crookedly, he arched a brow and asked softly, “Only now?”
“Ahem.” Keil broke the moment by clearing his throat loudly and dramatically. “Am I wrong here? I thought this part came after the vows.” He turned to Killian who was choking on a laugh. “You’re the priest. Can’t you get these two in line?”
Dec had surely died and gone to Heaven—again. The second he laid eyes on Rori, his earlier impatience was forgotten. He wanted this moment to last forever. His girl was spellbinding in her gown. The flowing silk reflected the candlelight like the inside of an opal. The dancing colors were hypnotic. He couldn’t look away. The dress was stunning, but what was under it was even better. Rori’s perfect breasts peeked out of the top of the bodice, the creamy skin just begging him to kiss it. The graceful arch of her throat called him to nuzzle it as he pulled the pins from her hair and let it spill through his fingers.
She wasn’t just a gorgeous woman—she was a work of art—and she was his. Finally! Thank the angels! They were making it official. To have and to hold and all that. After two yea
rs, they’d finally gotten to the altar and he was about to snap apart at the seams trying to stay cool and dignified. His instinct to throw her up in the air and swing her around in a bear hug was going to have to chill. She wanted an elegant ceremony and that was exactly what she was going to get. This was going to be their only wedding. He wanted it to be perfect for her.
Judging by her beaming smile and the subtle vibration of her saol raging through her blood, she was deliriously happy. In automatic reaction to hers, his saol raced so fast his blood was about to boil. He knew his eyes were glowing, but he couldn’t stop his body’s reaction any more than he could stop the raw passion pulsing between them.
“Dude!” Sean shook his shoulder with way more force than called for, and said, “Here’s the part where you face Rori and we get on with the wedding before it’s tomorrow.”
Ignoring Sean, he trailed his fingers over Rori’s shoulder and winked before releasing her and stepping back so she could move to the opposite side of the altar. Reaching out at the same time, they linked hands as Killian got started.
Shaking his head at the two of them, Killian murmured, “Last chance to change your minds. We can still do it the traditional way if you want.”
He and Rori shared a long look and a secret smile. He said, “This is what we want. Let’s do it.”
“You got it.” Killian glanced around at the two Archangels, got their approval, and began almost playfully. “Everyone knows the path that Dec and Rori have taken. It hasn’t been easy for them, but they found each other and make each other happy. We’ve been beside them from the time they met and we are here now to witness their solemn vows to one another. Marriage between immortals is not so different from that between humans. Love, honor, respect; those vows apply, true.” He paused as if considering his next words carefully. His tone grew more serious; his gaze flickered from Mica to the rapt faces of his children as he continued. “Our existence is often dangerous. Our bodies get shot, stabbed, burned, broken, and sometimes nearly destroyed by the evil we face. That evil doesn’t play by rules and our families can be targeted at any time. The danger doesn’t belong to the Primani alone. This is why we add more to the marriage vows. Not only do we vow to love, honor, and respect those we marry, we commit to protect, to heal, and to live joyously with our partners and children. These are the keys to an existence that’s passionate, fulfilling, and contented. Eternity lasts a very long time.”
Everyone chuckled companionably as his words ended with an affectionate smile. Mica dabbed at the corner of her eye and Killian winked at her before turning back to Rori and Dec with a slight bow. “I am honored to perform this ceremony for you two.” To everyone else, he explained, “This is the same ceremony that Mica and I were joined in more than 3,000 years ago. As you can probably imagine, it’s unique to my clan and has been lost to history. Good thing I’m still alive. Thanks for that, Raphael.” His mouth twisted into a smirking sort of smile as he focused his attention back to him. “I’m adding a special twist at the end. Call it a wedding present. The runes will give you a protective connection like Mica and I have. You’ll be able to share her space—even when she’s out of body—if she needs you, you can get to her even on another plane. It requires more blood, though. Can you handle that? This would be a bad time to puke.”
Rori giggled nervously, but managed to say, “I’ll love you forever even if you do, but try not to throw up on this dress.”
Embarrassed heat flooded his throat, but he knew they were right to worry. He wanted this, though. He could handle the blood. It couldn’t possibly be that bad, right? “I’ve got this. I’m a badass soldier, remember?”
In spite of her bravado, Rori wasn’t too thrilled about blood either. Staring directly into one another’s faces, neither wanted to look down at the altar. They’d seen the items when they asked Killian to perform the ritual so they knew exactly what they were getting into. Even so, Rori’s hand shook so hard, he had to squeeze her fingers together.
“Shh. It’s okay, darlin’.” Using his thumb, he stroked the top of her hand and pushed a wee bit of healing energy through his fingers.
Killian spoke quietly to Mica for a moment and Dec’s eyeballs just had to be nosy. Glancing down, he saw exactly what he knew was there and hadn’t wanted to see. Two bronze ceremonial blades lay gleaming with menace. The rune-covered weapons were inlaid with clear, blue stones along the hafts. Between the two knives, there was a small bronze bowl. How much blood was going in that thing? Small was relative, really. If it had to hold cookies, it was small, but if was intended to hold his and Rori’s blood, it was friggin’ huge.
Will you relax, dork? Mica and I survived. Stop being a big baby. Killian’s thoughts came to him loud and clear. I’ll leave you enough for the honeymoon.
“Let’s do this. I want to kiss my bride.”
Not wanting to be anywhere near Killian’s power, Uriel and Raphael moved over to watch with the kids. The transformation in Killian was almost eerie. The high priest he’d once been reemerged in the space of a heartbeat. Without another word, he shrugged out of his jacket, stripped off his bowtie and took off his shirt. Mica took the items and laid them on the back of a chair. He reached into the bronze bowl and withdrew his medallion. The hammered gold gleamed dully in the firelight; the clear, blue stone in its center sparkled as he settled the chain around his neck. Dec sighed with some relief when he left his pants on.
Killian closed his eyes and began to chant in a ringing, powerful voice. The words were ancient; the language long dead. The hair on the back of Dec’s arms prickled and stood at attention. As Killian spoke, the air thickened and a low, throbbing hum filled their ears. A soft light sparked deep inside the crystal; its brightness growing with each word until it fairly blinded them with its brilliance.
Sgaine Dutre dia fidelis.
Sgaine Dutre viade en dio.
Killian’s eyelids popped open with the last line. Rori gasped in shock. The light from the crystal had filled his eyes like a star. Clear blue, they glittered with his ancestral power, and pulsed with every beat of his heart. He reached out and took their hands, clasping them together at the wrists.
“Rori Austin and Declan Manning, you are asking the forces that brought you together to bind you for eternity. This bond is unbreakable and everlasting even unto death.”
He paused to let that sink in and picked up the knife, asking formally, “Do you enter into this bond with a pure heart?”
Rori licked her lips and murmured, “I do.”
Dec squeezed her wrist and said, “I do.”
Killian passed the knife to his other hand and asked, “With no doubts and no fears?”
“I have no doubts. I have no fears.” They both repeated their lines and smiled into each other’s eyes as the enormity of the moment settled in.
Dec didn’t feel the blade, but the next thing he knew, he was bleeding from the back of his hand. White faced and staring with huge eyes, Rori held his hand in a death grip but only flinched after Killian’s knife did its work and she saw the blood. The twin runes bled steadily as Killian continued to talk.
“May the Great Mother and our Father watch over you and your descendants until time is no more.”
Swirling the tip of the second blade in the bowl, he drew a circle in the center of their foreheads.
“Know that I speak for the forces that matched your souls. I speak for the forces that bind you now. I speak for the forces that demand your unwavering fidelity to one another for all time.”
He dipped the blade again and slashed a small cross over the center of that circle. That time, Dec felt the pain. It stung like hell but he’d swallow his tongue before he said a word. Rori was white as a sheet; a trickle of bright red blood slipped down the bridge of her nose but neither dared to move yet.
Killian repeated, voice urgent and dark, “For all time,” and pressed their hands between his. The pulsing current flowed through his palms into the raw runes. With a sharp sting
and a glimmer of light, the cuts healed to nothing more noticeable than a thin, white scar.
Sgaine Dutre a dios.
Killian gestured to Mica and Sean and they stepped up beside him and Rori with a square of white cloth in their hands. Sean dabbed the blood from Dec’s forehead while Mica cleansed Rori. What was left was a tiny cross that would heal on its own.
Killian reached into the bronze bowl and retrieved two gold rings. After drying them with the cloth, he held them up for Rori and Dec to see. Plain bands when they began the ceremony, they were now etched with the same runes carved on their hands.
Rori’s eyes went round in astonishment and she grinned at Killian. “You keep getting cooler and cooler.”
Killian grinned back. “I’ve been around a long time, babe.” He passed a ring to each of them and said, “Your material token of the eternal love that binds you mind, body, and soul.”
Dec couldn’t hold back the ear-to-ear grin any longer. They were married! He looked into Rori’s ecstatic face and nearly jammed the ring on her finger. She showed much more restraint and carefully, lovingly slid the band over his knuckle before twisting it into place with a glowing smile.
Killian gave them time to savor the moment before saying with a huge smile, “By the powers invested in me by my ancestors and the State of New York via a license I got on the Internet, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kis—”
“Hold up! Aren’t you going to ask if anyone objects to the union? I have some objections.”
Keil bolted to his feet before anyone else could move. “What the hell are you doing here?”
Saol Mates (Primani Book Six) Page 26