Blood of the Infinity War (Afterlife saga Book 8)

by Stephanie Hudson

  “To my beautiful Queen!” making me blush to the roots of my hair. Then everyone from his side started banging on the tables and stamping their feet on the boarded floor like something out of a medieval tavern…

  And it was glorious.

  Chapter 43

  Goodbye Salvation

  After the speeches were all said and done, we were served a delicious three course meal, which Sophia told me later that evening that Draven’s only request was that the dessert be something that included chocolate. This made me giggle. The evening was in full swing and once dinner was finished, coffee, tea and even more chocolates (again at Draven’s request) were served.

  After this came even more speeches. The one from my dad had everyone almost in tears with laughter as of course, he told the coffee/gravy story where I had made all of his business clients cups of gravy with milk and sugar instead of coffee. Other embarrassing stories like that followed, which had me turning every shade of red in the spectrum, along with some new ones in there as well, one I think strong enough to be seen from space.

  But then he finished it off with the mushy stuff, telling the whole room how proud he was of me. Again, I had Lucius in my head telling me, ‘Easy Pet, just breath and keep it locked down.’ This helped as every time I started to get emotional, his voice was all that was needed to keep it at bay.

  Then came the best man’s speech and Vincent stood up and the room went silent. I think I even heard a few ‘oh my’ from some of the ladies, and one of my mum’s friends was actually fanning herself with a folded napkin.

  “I know custom has it that the best man’s speech should be filled with embarrassing stories about the groom and as his brother, then I assure you, I have many but I am not going to do that…” There was a few boo’s, mainly from the men.

  “…because he paid me handsomely,” Vincent joked making everyone laugh.

  “Not enough it seems,” Draven added dryly, again adding the comedy.

  “But in all seriousness, what is there to say about my brother that everyone who knows him, doesn’t already know? Well then, I say this, until he met you Keira, I had never seen him smile the way he does when he is with you… I had never seen him laugh, the way he does when you say something funny…which we all know is often,” he added getting more chuckles.

  “I had never seen his soul light up, the way it does when you simply enter a room but most of all, I had never seen him love the way he does now after he met you. Simply put, you complete him and because of that, you also complete us.” After this I got up, walked over to Vincent and threw myself into his arms, whilst the whole room cheered. Then I pulled back, feeling my eyes filling with tears and I reached up and kissed him on the cheek.

  “Thank you, brother.”

  “You are most welcome, my sister.” He told me and before I moved away, I told him,

  “I will tell him, just let us have today.” He knew what I referred to as he had seen it for himself, so without letting on, he simply nodded his acceptance.

  After this was all said and done, a screen was moved to one side now allowing the room access to what was essentially a party room, looking more like a mini nightclub.

  I found out quickly, (Because Pip popped her head up and told me) that this was Pip’s doing and one look at the room and you could tell. The room had square U-shaped seating that surrounded the room so that people could sit more comfortably in the space. There was even champagne bottles chilling in glass coolers at each table. The dance floor was black gloss that was currently lit up thanks to the expensive looking system that was making everywhere glow with moving purples, pinks, and blue lights. Even where the DJ was set up looked like something you would have found in a high-class nightclub, not something for hire found in the back of a bridal magazine.

  Of course, there was also the crazier side of Pip’s vision, which included the ‘Pip Pits’ which was the sign painted on another closed off section. I found out this consisted of a network of smaller marquees, with rooms of the likes of, The Foam room, The Paint room, The Ball room (a room full of different sized balls, not the grand version of where you would dance) and the Bouncy room which was just a massive bouncy castle with an in-built slide.

  I did ask why Pip had felt the need but she just nodded to Ella and some of the other children in my family and said,

  “Well duh, it’s for me and the tiddly winkers.” And then she gave me a wink and made it her job to round up the kids and play babysitter. I didn’t know who was more thrilled, the parents or Pip. Adam grinned at me as he came over and kissed my cheek, then said,

  “I’d better go supervise.” I nodded back and said,

  “I think that’s wise.”

  “Congratulations to both of you,” he added and then followed his skipping wife, who was currently collecting children like the Pied Piper. I then scanned the room and started giggling.

  “Do you think we should warn our friend of what danger lurks ahead?” I said leaning into Draven as I saw my nan now making a beeline for Ragnar. Draven followed my gaze and laughed,

  “Hell no! If I intervene now she might turn her attention to me and I think my backside lay victim to your grandmother’s wandering fingers quite enough to see me through my many lifetimes.” I smirked and replied,

  “Well she is fickle that way.” He chuckled and we both watched the funny scene play out before us. I never thought I would have ever seen my colossal friend looking so fearful before, but there it was, Ragnar was terrified of a little old lady who was clearly making a move on him.

  “I’d better go and save him,” I said about to shift from my seat when Draven stopped me.

  “Save me instead…for he will survive but I fear that I will not if I don’t get you alone soon,” Draven whispered in my ear with a sexual rumble. I gave him a grin and before I thought about what I was doing, I let him pull me up from my chair and guide me through the marquee but half way there Sophia intercepted us.

  “Oh no you don’t, not yet, it’s time for the first dance and then you have to cut the cake. After that, I promise, the rest of the night is yours.” Draven growled and I couldn’t help but chuckle.

  “Come on, I promised you a dance and then after that…”

  “A kiss,” he finished on a purred whisper in my ear as we both knew what kind of kiss he was referring to…and I couldn’t wait.

  “Now would you all please put your hands together in welcoming Mr and Mrs Draven to the dance floor.” We both heard Vincent’s voice coming over the speaker system. Everyone had already started moving towards the ‘nightclub’ part and I smirked thinking the setting couldn’t be more perfect, considering where we had first officially met.

  I let Sophia pull me along as I watched Draven being patted on the back by Lucius of all people. Then we were both led into the smaller marquee that once you were in, didn’t seem that small. In fact, it opened up and was quickly resembling a small ballroom after all.

  The lights had turned into a soft glow, like candlelight and the room was transformed into a romantic setting in seconds. I was pulled to one side of the dance floor and I watched as Draven was dragged to the other. Then he stepped onto the floor confidently commanding the space and Sophia, Ari and Libby all gave me a nudge for me to join him. Everyone smiled and laughed at my obvious nervousness and he nodded to Vincent for something. His brother then jumped down from the DJ’s raised platform with a microphone in hand. He gave it to Draven, who raised it to his lips and said,

  “Mrs Draven, if you would be so kind in doing me the great honour of granting me this dance.” Then he handed the mic back to Vincent who was grinning like a loon. Draven held his hand out to me and I took a deep breath before joining him, placing my hand in his. The second he made the connection, his fingers tightened their hold and he spun me around into him, making the room cheer.

  Then he raised a hand to my cheek and said,

  “Don’t worry sweetheart, I will take care of you.” He nodded to Vince
nt who obviously knew what to do. Seconds later a familiar song started to play and I knew that if I could have the guts to dance to it in front of Draven’s kingdom, then I could do so now in front of my family and friends.

  “The night I declared you my Queen to the world,” Draven told me as if also remembering it for himself. The night of the Venice Masked Ball. It had been after our first kiss when Draven was trying to win me back from Alex. To be honest, he hadn’t had to try very hard.

  “You’re still my ‘Salvation’,” he told me placing his forehead to mine and he took a moment to bask in having me in his arms. Then as if he had all the time in the world, he took one of my hands in his, then placed a hand at my waist before he started to move me gracefully around the room. We soon lost ourselves to the song and its beautiful words, that meant something deeply rooted for the both of us.

  Then as the song came to an end, he lowered his head to mine and said but one word,

  “Always.” I swallowed hard knowing that no matter how much I wished for it, that and ‘always’ wasn’t ever going to be in our fates. But for today, I could give him my own vow, it just wouldn’t be one of life but one more of heart.

  “And forevermore.”

  After this we found ourselves back at the top table after a huge wedding cake had been brought out for us to cut. The other quirky part about this wedding was that each of the table’s centre pieces was in fact a smaller version of this cake and a member of each table had to cut the cake at the same time as we did, to symbolise their blessing of the marriage.

  It was a beautiful four-tier, round wedding cake that was covered in black fondant and then decorated in a lacework of purple icing that looked as though a master artist had spent weeks creating it. Each tier was then separated by a ring of delicate edible white roses that I couldn’t tell whether they were also made from icing or white chocolate…I was hoping for the latter.

  Draven raised up the knife and I placed my hand on top of his before we cut it together. Everyone did the same thing, and after Draven and I fed each other a bite, it took Draven all of about two minutes before he was whispering once more in my ear.

  “I think you will find all human wedding customs are fulfilled but one.” I smirked and then replied,

  “Mmm, can’t imagine what that is,” I teased making him growl and nip playfully at my ear.

  “Enough! You owe me a kiss unless you would like me to collect right here,” he threatened and my mouth dropped before hissing,

  “You wouldn’t!” Then he pushed his finished napkin off the table, making a show of it.

  “Oh…how clumsy of me, let me just get that,” he said accepting my challenge and as he reached down to retrieve it, he brought his hand back up, caressing the inside of my leg, gathering up my skirt as he went. My hand shot to his to stop him from getting any further, making him laugh.

  “Draven, you can’t… not here!” I said through gritted teeth and fighting him under the table.

  “Then come with me before I throw you over my shoulder and turn this delectable pale skin of yours a lovely shade of peach…or should I try for crimson and smack your lovely behind as I go?” he said and I was suddenly up and out of my seat like someone just lit my ass on fire. I heard the cocky bastard chuckling as he followed me.

  “Keep an eye on my grandmother,” I said to Vincent as we walked past making him laugh, as we all looked to see Ragnar trying to get away from her. I had already seen him be suckered into the whole, ‘Would you help an old dear as she sits down’ then as they stand to do so, that’s when she goes in for the attack. I had almost been in tears at Draven’s shoulder when I saw Ragnar’s face as she grabbed a handful of his Viking bottom. Sigurd hadn’t missed it either, hence his own tearful, booming laughter.

  Vincent slapped his brother on the back and said,

  “I will hold the immortal fort, as I believe our sister already has the mortal one eating out of the palm of her hand.” Oh, and I could believe it, as half the guests were ready to declare their love for her, no matter how scary her husband looked. To be honest, he looked so used to it and found himself smirking more often than not as she floated her way around the room and conversed with all my family and friends.

  “And for that I owe you greatly, brother.” Then without another word to anyone, Draven grabbed my hand pulling me from the rest of our guests, obviously in a hurry. I laughed when I could barely keep up with him and was about to complain when he must have agreed with me being too slow. He stopped long enough to swoop me up into his arms and then continued on to his unknown destination.

  “Where are we going?” I asked and he lifted me enough to say,

  “You will see.”

  We continued back to the fountain and when he put my legs down I frowned in confusion.

  “What are we…?”

  “Seeing in the new future together,” he said cryptically. Then like magic, he pretended to suddenly produce a coin from behind my ear. I giggled like an entertained little girl. Then he kissed it and threw into the water. I knew what would happen but I still stepped back into him when I felt the rumbling of the walkway that would soon appear.

  “What if someone sees?”

  “No one will see, I have seen to that…come,” he said holding out his hand to me to take. I did without hesitation and walked with him across the small stone path towards the door at the end. I was about to complain about getting wet when Draven put out a hand so that the water was deflected by an invisible force he’d created. I looked behind me to see that not a soul saw us disappearing into a secret world, one I had only earlier this day come back from. But I trusted Draven and whatever he had planned I would follow him, even it ended up going to Hell and back. After all, I knew that there were enough doors to get there where we were going…

  The Janus Temple.

  Once inside the main room it felt strange being here with just Draven. It seemed to be even bigger if that was possible. As if I half expected giants to start walking down one of the large corridors or something.

  “Draven, what are we doing here?” I asked looking back at the large waterfall at its core, wondering if Janus was in there somewhere looking down at us, hearing us as part of his whispers? I even noticed my cloak tossed off to one side that had fallen from my shoulders when I had first seen Draven.

  “You don’t know this but I own one of the doors here.” Now this shocked me.

  “You do?”

  “Yes, no-one but Vincent and Sophia know of it, and now you do, my wife.” I smiled when hearing him call me this as the warmth that washed over me everytime he did was like a blanket being placed over my heart.

  “Where does it lead to?” I asked.

  “Come and I will show you,” he answered smirking at my curiosity. So once again I let myself be pulled along down one of the corridors that was filled with row after row of every type of door possible. From the grandest, most elaborately carved wood, to the truly bizarre and downright weird. I swear I passed one that looked covered in stone snakes and I jumped back a step and said,

  “That one just moved!” Draven stopped and looked to where I was looking. He scoffed and said,

  “The Amazonian tribal lord of the Chuyachaki.”

  “Uh…the what now?”

  “Do you know what a Satyrs is?” he asked instead and I frowned.

  “You mean like the character from ‘The witch the Lion and the Wardrobe’?” He smirked and said,

  “Well read I see.” I laughed and said,

  “I liked the TV show as a kid.”

  “They are a race that lure the foolish to become lost, first in the jungle and then in their minds. They started to see beasts become men before begging to die and offer up their souls as a sacrifice.” He laughed at the sight of my screwed up face.

  “You tell the sweetest stories, my love,” I teased making him smirk back at me.

  “Come, it’s not far now.” And he was right, we passed a few more doors and he was stop
ping next to one that looked more like a bookshelf filled with every famous classic known to man. Jesus, but was that even Jane Austin? Well, I wonder what she would have thought to know that one of her books ended up on a shelf in a place like this. Well, for starters I think her stories would have turned out quite differently if she had ever met someone like Draven.

  “It’s a bookshelf,” I stated.

  “Such an observant little vixen,” he commented with a wink. I rolled my eyes and cocked my hip to one side, throwing him some attitude.

  “What I mean my cocky husband, is that it doesn’t exactly look like a door now does it?”

  “And this one next to it, that looks like a stained-glass window, or the one we passed covered in snakes, seen many doors like that where you grew up?” Okay so he had a point.

  “No, didn’t think so…pick a book,” he told me nodding back to the shelf and I scanned the books doing as he asked. There was everything from Don Quixote, Robinson Crusoe, Dangerous Liaisons, even Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. I ran my finger along all the ones at eye level. The Count of Monte Cristo, The Scarlet Letter, Moby-Dick, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.

  “Little Women, Huckleberry Finn and The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde?” I chuckled asking Draven and making him shrug his shoulders and smirk back at me, as he casually leaned against the frame watching me. My eyes went back to reading titles like the The Great Gatsby, Catcher in the Rye, The Lord of The Rings. To Kill a Mockingbird and even The BFGbut it was none of these I chose, nor was it Shakespeare’s, Romeo and Juliet. No, I went straight to the one I would always choose and pulled on the spine of Charlotte Brontë’s, Jane Eyre. The book didn’t give but only tipped, creating a door as the book case started to split before opening on one side.

  “Now how did I know you were going to choose that one, I wonder?” Draven said in a mocking tone tapping a finger on his lips.

  “I don’t know, must go back to your stalking days,” I replied with a cocky grin of my own. Then he snagged me around the waist and yanked me to him.