by Viola Grace
Esmy giggled and then sobered. “You got spanked for that as well.”
“Well, that didn’t go well. How about we put the past in the past and shake hands to be better sisters going forward.”
Esmy smiled. “Deal.”
They shook hands. Hugged again, and then, Leo cleared his throat.
“Hecate, I am offering myself to you as your big brother. My family is at your disposal, and you can come over any time.”
Hecate grinned and looked at her sister. “I do.”
Leo shook her hand, and he grinned. “Welcome to the family.”
She smiled and said, “Congratulation on your wedding and your new addition. It’s a sister.”
He laughed and pulled her in a one-armed hug. She winced at the pain and simply smiled. Family at last.
“Now, when are the others getting here?”
“The mages are getting ready to open the portals. As soon as sundown starts, the party will begin in earnest.”
Esmy was grinning.
Hecate asked, “You are ready for this? This is a lot of weirdly wonderful family.”
“When Leo and I started dating and I saw his family, I knew something was really wrong in ours. That began a lot of introspection and how things actually worked. I realized it didn’t, and Leo and I talked about it. I am going to call you after we get back from our honeymoon. We have some time to make up for. The new family has been nothing but wonderful.”
Hecate was partially listening and double-checking that all the humans had left the grounds. They were gone.
Leo grinned and nodded. “Human repellent. It works wonders.”
Xander and another mage nodded to each other near the treeline, and huge portals swelled open with a stream of folk coming through, laughing and talking loudly. No one was worried about getting attention. Magic was already thickly lining the exterior of the property, which meant that everyone was free to roam in whatever form they chose.
“We even have a dignitary coming.” Leo smiled, and they began walking back to the ballroom.
“Sounds fancy.”
Esmy laughed. “It is really a huge deal. The council has been trying to get more of a heavy-hitter presence here in Canada. This is an excellent chance for him to meet everyone and for them to meet him in a casual arrangement.”
Xander whistled sharply, and Leo changed direction. “And here he is.”
Esmy and Leo walked over to meet the new arrival, Abby came by to stand with her husband, and the gnomes had come out of wherever they were hiding and were saluting as the dark figure stepped through the gateway.
Hecate stared at him. “Domerik?”
He smiled. “Hecate. Have you saved me a dance?”
Esmy was surprised. “You know him?”
Domerik smiled. “I am staying with your sibling. I even stitched her up after the stabbing.”
Esmy’s eyes went wide. “Stabbing?”
Leo put his arms around her shoulders. “She’s fine. She told me about it on the night and said it wasn’t serious.”
Domerik took a few more steps toward her. “Forty-seven stitches. A normal human would have died.”
She walked up to him and smacked him in the arm. “Shut up.”
Abby stood next to her husband and piped up, “Thank you for joining us, Archivist Domerik.”
“Nexus, the invitation was welcome when I learned I would be staying nearby. It is good to meet you at long last.”
He bowed and extended his hand, taking hers and bowing over it. No creepy kissing, thankfully.
A man with dark hair and dark eyes walked over from the group that had just come through one of the fixed portals. He looked at the newcomer and shouted, “Domerik!”
“Ah, Terric. Good to see you again.”
“Come, come, meet my wife. Elly is looking forward to speaking with another of our kind.”
When he left, all eyes of those gathered turned to Hecate.
Esmy raised her brows. “He’s living with you?”
Leo chuckled. “You smacked him on the arm.”
Xander just grinned, and Abby raised her brows. “Even I wouldn’t slap one of the ancient dragons around. I mean, even for me, there are limits.”
As Abby spoke, a small and delicate dragon flitted toward her and landed on her shoulder. To Hecate’s surprise, it took flight and came toward her, landing on her right shoulder and curling around her neck.
Abby smiled. “Aw, she likes you.”
Hecate looked over at Domerik and the wave of folks going into the ballroom and spilling out onto the stone patio again. “How did I get so popular?”
Chapter Fourteen
Hecate was sitting out near the trees, and she kept the ghosts who wanted to attend the party charged up and interacting. There was a family cemetery just behind the treeline.
She stroked the chin of the tiny dragon and relaxed for the first time since Leo called her.
Her dad sat next to her. “It’s a helluva party. The Carmans are having a great time.”
“It looks like it. I have never seen ghosts square dance to hip hop before.”
“It is a whole new world now. How are you feeling?”
“Pretty good. The shoulder is healing, the side is healing, and it looks like Esmy wants to be my sister again. Leo’s a good guy, his family is welcoming, and I have seen more people today than I have in the last six years.”
He chuckled. “I am sorry about your mom. There wasn’t much I could do.”
“I know. She’s a living adult, you were dead the day I got started. You comforted me when you could.” She wanted a distraction, so she released her ghosts from the car. Everybody loved a party.
Ulysses saw her father, and he ran toward them.
She chuckled. “Time for you to make up with your dad. I will still be here with my new neck ware. Go on.”
Andrew gave her a dark look, and he got up to meet with his dad. They stood a few feet apart and spoke with each other before finally going in for a stiff hug. She chuckled softly. “Baby steps.”
One of the gnomes ran up to her, Ruffles, she thought. It pressed a small glass bead wrapped in metal around her wrist.
Ah, finally. You can hear me. The dragon sat up and made a delicate yawn.
Hecate paused and focused on answering the voice in her head. I can?
The small dragon moved from her neck to perch on her knees, nearly at eye level. I am Echo, creation of the Nexus. You are the ghost worker, carrier of ancient gods. Yes?
Hecate frowned. I am not sure about that. I extract ghosts.
And house three goddesses and all of your ancestors. You are interesting, and I like interesting.
Um, doesn’t the Nexus need you?
No, she has other resources and is looking into building more small dragons. I am one of a kind and will not associate with riffraff.
So, you want to live out in the middle of nowhere without other humans around?
It sounds ideal. I would, of course, accompany you on your ghost stalking.
Extracting.
Whatever.
Hecate laughed. This was a very snarky little dragon. Are you always visible to humans?
I can change that if I wish. Echo sat up and flexed, going from gold to pearl to translucent.
Fine. I know you can get back to Abby if you need to. We are not that far away. Just let me know if you are going anywhere, so I don’t worry about you getting nabbed by eagles.
Echo huffed and then returned to Hecate’s neck. Deal.
Hecate was still smiling when Domerik walked toward her and stopped a few feet away.
“Hello, Hecate.”
She nodded. “Hello.”
“They are playing music for dancing.”
“I know.”
He extended his hand. “Will you dance with me?”
She looked at him, and then, she held out her right hand. He helped her to her feet. “One dance, and then, I am going to call it a night.”
She looked at the determination in his face. “Maybe I can play some of the formalwear hopscotch that the mermaids are playing.”
He chuckled. “There are a few other things that you can do, and your sister would like to have you having fun. This is her day, after all.”
As they went to the dance floor and he held her carefully, it dawned on her with a sick horror that he was going to make her socialize.
He smiled at her as they danced, and he guarded her weak side. “I see you have made a new friend.”
She frowned and then realized. “Oh, yes, this is Echo. Echo, this is Domerik.”
She stood up on Hecate’s shoulder and bowed to him as he carefully moved them around the dance floor.
“Pleased to meet you, Echo.”
She got all flirty and fluttery before she returned to her coil around Hecate’s neck.
“She’s on loan from the Nexus.”
Domerik chuckled. “She likes that you are cold.”
“I am glad she can enjoy it. So, why did you really come here?”
He shrugged. “I am bound to the Wakeman family, and right now, you are the Wakeman family or at least the magical portion.”
She frowned. “How does that work?”
“I made a promise in the heat of the moment and have been living with it ever since. The last week has been the most enjoyable of the last three centuries.”
She felt her skin heat, and Echo shifted. She really did like being cool.
“So, what are you going to do when there are no more Wakemans?”
“I suppose I will take my library elsewhere.” He shrugged. “I have not given it much thought... recently.”
She looked into his eyes, and she felt a little nervous. “Did a hawk just fly over?”
He grinned.
Echo shifted on her shoulder and told her off for warming up.
Hecate prayed for a tempo change in the music, but with the floor full of dancing couples, it wasn’t going to happen any time soon. “So, is there a Mrs. Domerik?”
He shook his head. “No. My kind chooses a mate once and we remain with them.”
“Oh. That’s nice.”
“Glad you think so. Terric waited for generations for Elly, and I have always found my books to be the ultimate companions.”
“Books?”
“The library.”
“Oh. So that is your hoard?”
He paused, but his feet didn’t miss a beat. “Yes. Books, magical artifacts, ancient scrolls, I collect them all.”
“Ah, so when you wanted me to write down all of my methodologies...”
He blushed. “For the collection. Yes.”
They swayed with the music, and she felt like this was the first sign of weakness that Domerik had shown. He had seen her at her most vulnerable, and now, she knew one of his. It wasn’t a lot of progress, but if she needed something to distract him while she was getting combat training, she would just throw a book.
The thought made her smile as they danced with the other paranormals on the dance floor.
After midnight, Esmy threw the bouquet, and it was caught by an eager mermaid with her eyes on a very nervous goblin.
Hecate went to help her sister change out of the frothy white silk, and she helped her into the going-away outfit.
“Thanks for coming and for all of your help, Heck.” Esmy hugged her tight.
“Thanks for inviting me.” She smiled. “It meant more than I can say.”
“Leo has been a good influence on me. He has been showing me how to see through the bullshit and think for myself. It is about time I grew up.” Esmy smiled. “I think growing old as Esmerelda Wakeman Fisher is a pretty good way to do it.”
Hecate wiped tears from her eyes. “I think it sounds pretty good. Make sure you let me know when you get back in town. We can meet for lunch or something.”
“Or something. Nice dragon, by the way. Just watch Echo around nachos. She can’t control herself.”
Hecate laughed, and Esmy refused to let her pick up the bag. They walked down the stairs that had been the pathway to death a few days earlier and the fresh and open feeling in the building.
The column of well-wishers was waiting. Leo smiled and took Esmy’s hand at the base of the steps, kissing her leisurely, and then, they were on their way out and into the night.
Xander opened a portal, and the happy couple walked through.
Hecate leaned on the banister and smiled. She still had to get home, but she had had a nice time. Weird but nice.
“When are you heading home?” Domerik asked.
Hecate said, “I have one more thing to do, and then, I am heading out.”
“Can I get a lift?”
She grinned. “You can. I just need to collect my revellers.”
She walked outside, and near the doorway to the ballroom were Josh and Sophia. They were holding each other close and swaying in a weird counterpoint to the peppy music.
Hecate stood nearby, and they paused and turned to her. She smiled. “Ready?”
Josh held Sophia’s hand tightly. “We are. Whatever is next, we will face it together.”
Hecate held her hands out, and they each gripped a hand.
“Sophia, it has been wonderful having you with us. You waited, and you found the man you had fallen in love with.”
Sophia smiled. “He was worth waiting for.”
“Josh, you waited and kept her in your heart through tremendous travails. I want nothing but the best for you, and Sophia is the best.”
She smiled brightly. “By the power vested in me, I now give you your freedom for the next life.” She pulled the tether that she had placed in them both, and they both glowed bright, clung to each other and turned into a streaking comet of energy that did a circuit around the manor house before leaving human vision.
Domerik spoke from a few feet away. “Well done, Hecate.”
Hecate blotted at her eyes and saw that Domerik wasn’t the only one watching.
Abby was crying, and Xander was holding her. Amber was standing next to him and staring at his ears. She mouthed to Hecate, He’s an elf!
Hecate chuckled and finished blotting her tears. She boosted Amber’s density, and Xander turned to stare at her while she had her fingers just over the tip of his ear.
Hecate chuckled. “Amber, that is Xander. He is part elf. Xander, this is Amber. She has been with me for a few years now.”
Xander turned to her, and he inclined his head. “Miss Amber. Thank you for coming out tonight.”
She blushed, and she tried to look adult. “Thank you, Mr. Xander.”
Hecate smiled, and she swayed. Amber was immediately on guard. “Hecate, are you okay?”
Hecate smiled. “Just a little tired.”
“Shit, and here we are using you for stability. Get in the car, Hecate.”
Hecate chuckled and was bullied into her vehicle, hugging folk and shaking hands, promising to come by for coffee in the next week if she was able.
She got into her car, buckled up, and her ghosts filed into it behind her. Domerik sat in the passenger seat, and he gave a polite bow to those who had come to wave them off.
They left the drive and started on the way home.
“That was a nice wedding.”
Hecate agreed. “It went off very well. I am very glad that the sage held.”
He grinned. “I am enjoying this new location. It has a lot of educating moments.”
She snorted and drove down the highway, her lights on, and the journey home ahead of them. Being educational wasn’t the worst thing she could be. At least she now had people to talk about things with. She might not have truly gotten a family out of the marriage, but she had gotten a community. It was the best gift she had gotten in years.
About the Author
Viola Grace (aka Zenina Masters) is a Canadian sci-fi/paranormal romance w
riter with ambitions to keep writing for the rest of her life. She specializes in short stories because the thrill of discovery, of all those firsts, is what keeps her writing.
An artist who enjoys a story that catches you up, whirls you around, and sets you down with a smile on your face is all she endeavours to be. She prefers to leave the drama to those who are better suited to it, she always goes for the cheap laugh.
In real life, she now is engaged in beekeeping, and her adventures can be found on the YouTube channel, Mystery Bees Apiary. Just look for the cartoon kittens.