I sighed. Looking at my bookshelves, I saw my childhood collection of combat manuals, Sun Tzu’s Art of War and weapon guides. For so long I’d had my heart set on joining GASP. Now things were different. I had other obligations, a different life that was starting to take shape—one entirely unexpected, but that just made it all the more exciting.
In a few short hours, I would be getting married to Ash. We had our whole future together, one where I knew, thanks to the Oracle, that Ash wouldn’t be coming to any harm—that our life together would be long and fulfilling. I couldn’t wait to start it.
Earlier today I’d gone for a quiet walk in the forest. I still had the envelope that Varga had used for his letter to me, written moments before he’d been killed. I’d carried it around with me for a while—there was something comforting about the sight of his handwriting and his hurriedly-scrawled name on the back. I buried it under the earth, saying my final goodbyes. I loved Ash with all my heart, but Varga had meant something to me—and he would forever remain in my memory as a good man, one with integrity, whom I was glad to have known, even for such a brief time.
I glanced at myself in the mirror. Jenney, Yelena and Arwen had done an amazing job in transforming me from average human girl to extraordinary bride (even if I did say so myself). My make-up, courtesy of Arwen, who had become, in my opinion, the best make-up artist in The Shade, looked like it was hardly there—but it didn’t stop my blue eyes from looking that much bluer, framed with dark brown mascara and just a hint of blusher on my cheekbones. My hair was worn down, falling in loose waves across my shoulders. Then there was my dress. I couldn’t stop staring at it. The cut was simple—a plain sheath with delicate straps over each shoulder, with a small detailing of lace under my bust that showed off my figure while at the same time appearing suitably modest. The dress was more of an ivory-white, making my skin tone look warm. It was perfect—I was amazed at how ‘un-me’ I looked, and how much—just for an evening—I was enjoying that.
Jenney was another one of the sentries who had settled in amazingly, in a way I wouldn’t have anticipated. From the moment she arrived, she hadn’t left Corrine’s side. Magic and the power of the witches held endless fascination for her. She spent hours studying herbs and potions, remedies that belonged to ancient arts of healing—ones that didn’t necessarily need innate witch powers to make them work. Admittedly, it hadn’t always been a success. She’d managed to almost blow up the Sanctuary in an experiment gone wrong—something that Corrine hadn’t been too pleased about, to say the least.
She had, however, been a huge help in getting the Murkbeech wards and the children who’d been kidnapped for the trials into a fit state to return home. It had taken a while—the kidnapped children were mostly suffering from post-traumatic stress, and needed care and attention more than any quick-fix spells. They would be leaving The Shade this evening, returning to their families, whom we had contacted already. Most were happy about it, perhaps with the exception of Yelena, who stubbornly claimed that she couldn’t remember her address, or the names of her parents… I suspected that part of it was that she just couldn’t bear to leave Benedict. Their friendship, which had grown as they had overcome the trials and dangers of Nevertide, was now stronger than ever—and I knew, as much as he vehemently denied it, that he would be heartbroken to see his friend go.
Tejus and Ash’s friendship was also growing—the differences in class and status that had kept them apart in the past no longer had any bearing. As a result, they were learning to trust one another and let their personalities fall into sync—Tejus to laugh a bit more, Ash to not be so proud and testy. It was nice to see, and certainly made my and Hazel’s lives easier.
Both of them had been living in the same residence, which helped the bonding process. Victoria, Bastien and Jovi went to stay with Vivienne and Xavier temporarily, freeing up a nearby treehouse for the two of them to use. I guessed Tejus had a hard time adjusting to the smaller living conditions—as spacious and beautiful as our treehouses were, they were small compared to the gray mass of Hellswan. But I knew Ash felt right at home.
I took one last look in the mirror, and tried to settle my racing heart. I was nervous, butterflies flitting around in my stomach, as I tried to comprehend the huge step I was taking toward the rest of my adult life. It was nerve-racking…and completely wonderful. I just wished Ash was with me now—he was the one who knew how to calm me down, who gave me perspective—who helped me be the person I wanted to be. The guy would soon be my husband.
“Hurry up!” Hazel’s voice drifted in through my open window. “I’m nervous as it is—and you delaying us is not helping!”
I laughed. I couldn’t remember ever hearing Hazel sounding so bossy…that was my job.
“I’m coming!” I yelled back, hurrying toward the terrace of my parents’ treehouse. Hazel was leaning over the banister of her parents’ nearby apartment, impatiently waiting for me to appear. She grinned when she saw me.
“You look amazing,” she gasped.
“So do you!”
She did. Her dress, which Corrine had made—as she had mine—was a delicate white lace. It was a sheath cut like mine, but with long sleeves that finished at an elegant point over the back of her hands. The neck line was high, but the back low, and her dark hair, worn perfectly straight, trailed down her bare skin.
“Tejus is going to lose it,” I added with a wink.
“Don’t,” she groaned. “I’m already worried that Dad’s going to frown at me for how revealing the back is—he’s the only one in my family who hasn’t seen it yet.”
I shook my head. The dress was beautiful, and I knew Caleb would just be dumbstruck at how mature and refined his daughter looked.
Grace and Rose stepped out from the doorway. Both of them waved at me and exclaimed over my dress and hair. I started to feel hugely self-conscious, belatedly realizing that this would be how it was all day—Hazel and I in the spotlight. I was glad we’d chosen to share our day with one another.
“Why are you still up there?” My mom appeared below us, on the forest ground, practically growling at the lot of us. “I have two very nervous grooms on my hands. They’ve started snapping at one another, and if you’re even a second late I’m worried this wedding is going to descend into all-out war.”
I glanced at Hazel, and we both burst out laughing—more out of nerves than anything else.
It was time to get a move on.
We all joined my mother on the ground. It would just be the four of us walking down the aisle —Hazel and I had decided against bridesmaids or maids of honor. The whole of The Shade would be in attendance, and that was enough for us. Hazel and I had always been close, but since Nevertide we had basically become inseparable. Aside from my family, she was the only other person who I truly needed to share this day with. I thought we both appreciated just how lucky we were to be at home, alive, and happy. It had been a long time coming.
We headed off toward The Shade’s largest lake, where the ceremony would take place. Ash, Tejus, Zerus and Hazel had built a barrier over the water with their mental powers—so we’d literally be getting married on the water. Unexpectedly, it had been Tejus’s idea. I guessed it was all part of him trying to get Hazel to embrace who she really was. After the initial shock of her being revealed as half-ghoul, she’d calmed down pretty quickly, especially as she honed her powers, realizing they were a gift rather than something she needed to be ashamed of. It was only Benedict who still delighted in teasing her about it—and in truth, I suspected he was just a bit jealous.
“I’m so proud of you,” my mom murmured to me as we walked. She clasped my hand in hers, smiling up at me as she admired my dress for the millionth time. “Of you and Ash. I think that both of you have chosen so wisely. I just know that you’re going to be happy—whatever you decide to do afterwards. Your happiness is all that’s ever mattered to me and your father, you know that, right?”
“I know,” I reassured her. �
��I love you, Mom.”
She squeezed my hand. Her mention of ‘whatever you do after’ reminded me of the fact that Ash and I hadn’t made any firm plans. Which, I guessed, was kind of typical of us both. We would be going on our honeymoon and then returning to The Shade for a short while for certain, but after that I just didn’t know. Ash would need to get back to Nevertide—there was an entire land to be rebuilt, but I worried about spending time away from my family and friends.
“Are you all packed for tonight?” my mom asked suddenly.
“Yes!” I laughed. “I’m all packed—calm down. Everything’s going to be okay, Corrine’s going to be taking us after the ceremony.”
“Not too early, though?” she replied.
“No—not too early. I promise.”
Tonight.
My wedding night.
That was a whole other life-changing issue…
Hazel
The lake was breathtaking. After we’d created the barrier, the witches had insisted that we left the decorations to them. Now the lake had been transformed into a beautiful autumn-colored fantasy. Huge bouquets of dahlias, willow, viburnum berries and lilies were tied to every available surface. They were tied with ribbon and natural string to the backs of chairs. Trestle tables were situated on the shore of the lake where we’d be dining—and dancing—and more flowers and vines were woven around both the redwood trees and the wooden pagoda where the actual ceremony would take place. The air smelled heady and rich, the flowers mingling with the warm smell of bark and nature’s own early fall scent.
The hushed and waiting crowd, the beauty of the lake and the smell in the air just reaffirmed for me that today was full of possibilities—the start of something new and exciting, an entire, unknown future waiting for me and Tejus to experience together. As much as I had been looking forward to today, it was the bit that came after which made my whole body tremble in anticipation—the nights and days of our honeymoon, and then all the time that would follow after, when we would start to build a life together.
Not long after we’d arrived home, Tejus had taken me aside one night and told me that he wanted us to live our lives here, at The Shade. He knew that Nevertide needed leadership, but that he wasn’t the man best suited for the job. He was a warrior, and they needed someone to govern the land and help rebuild it. Someone who had the patience to deal with the politics, to be fair and kind, someone more empathetic than him. I thought that Tejus was doing himself a disservice, thinking he wouldn’t be good at that role—I believed he would. But I also knew that he was better suited to helping GASP. Plus, I also thought Ben and my grandpa would have a lot to say about losing Tejus as one of their members. On hearing that we’d be spending the rest of our lives in The Shade, I had felt like my happiness was complete. I hadn’t returned home that night. Tejus and I had spent the night under the stars, surrounded by fallen leaves and darkness, dreaming of our future together.
I looked around at the waiting crowd. Ahead of me, on the surface of the lake, Victoria bent down to say something to Bastien. As she did, I caught my first sight of Tejus standing at the altar.
My head spun.
We had spent so much time together in the weeks that we’d returned from Nevertide, but no matter how many days I spent in his company, each morning when I saw him for the first time, my stomach would twist inside me, my throat constricting as I became breathless with desire and a sense of wholeness—a feeling that had never abated from the moment I realized how I felt about him.
I watched his profile for a moment, noticing his sharp cheekbones and the harsh line of his jaw, the shadows of his deep-set eyes that always looked so intense—and irresistible. He turned to look at me, his eyes widening as he took in my appearance. His eyes became almost black with longing—I recognized the hooded gaze, it was one I knew so well. I felt heat rising up in my cheeks, my body feeling almost weightless.
“Breathe, Hazel.” My father smiled as he came to stand next to me. He offered his arm, and I took it gratefully. I would need his strength to get down that aisle, to ground me when I thought I was going to float away. Everything just felt so unreal, and my happiness so total and complete that I thought it was just going to burst from my body in a brilliant light.
“Thanks, Dad,” I whispered back.
“You look beautiful.” His eyes were wet with unshed tears. He turned and glanced at my mom. A look passed between them that made my heart ache. I knew I was about to get married to the only being in all the dimensions with whom I could hope to experience a love as enduring and complete as my parents shared.
“We haven’t spoken much about your time in Nevertide,” he added in a hoarse voice, “and I know that some things are probably difficult to talk about—or don’t need to be said. Your grandpa, mother and I have pieced a lot of it together through the children, Jenney and Zerus. It’s not to interrogate you,” he added hastily as I turned to him in surprise, “I just wanted you to know that I’m in awe of you. Both your mother and I are. You have grown into a magnificent woman, capable of protecting and caring for your friends and your brother, persevering when everything was against you. I know that you arranged for them to be sent home in your deal with Tejus—that you were willing to remain without them, to put their safety above yours. It takes compassion and bravery to do what you did, levels of which I’m not sure I possess. More than that, you also—amidst all the danger and uncertainty—learned to follow your heart. To love Tejus, to see the man behind your captor, to witness his flaws and love him anyway… I couldn’t be prouder of you if I tried.”
I nodded, unable to speak for a few moments as I tried to compose myself. His words meant so much. I’d always wanted to make my parents proud and to be a sister Benedict could look up to. To hear that I’d surpassed his expectations made me practically glow inside.
“You taught me to be this way.” I gulped. “You and Mom. Whenever it did get hard, I always found that I could keep going, even when I didn’t want to—and I know that came from the two of you. And I can only love because it’s been given unconditionally to me.”
I clasped his arm, wanting to remember this moment. Wanting to remember my dad’s quiet strength next to me, the words that he’d said, and how I felt, waiting to walk toward my future.
“Are you ready?” he asked, glancing over at Yuri and Ruby.
We were ready.
The band started up, a sole flutist witch playing soft notes of a song I didn’t recognize. Whatever it was, it was beautiful. The soft murmurings of the crowd faded to total silence, and they all turned to stare at Ruby and me as we crossed the water.
I was so happy to see so many faces of those I loved. I thought how lucky I was to be surrounded by friends and family—to have a life that was so full in a community of supernaturals and humans who were so unbelievably special. We’d all faced such adversity to get here, not just from our recent Nevertide adventure, but from all that we had struggled and fought through ever since my grandfather Derek founded our beloved island. We deserved all the moments of joy that we could grab—we all deserved days like this.
My gaze turned from the crowd to Tejus. He watched me approach, a soft smile on his face that looked slightly disbelieving, as if he was as amazed as I was that this was really happening.
We reached the pagoda, and my dad loosened his grip.
“Take care of her,” he told Tejus, with a solemn expression.
“Always,” Tejus replied, taking my hand gently.
He guided me up to the front of the altar, where Ibrahim was conducting the ceremony. The warlock smiled at all four of us, and gave a short speech welcoming everyone. I hardly heard a word he was saying. My body was so aware of Tejus’s hand in mine, his broad frame brushing against mine.
I closed my eyes for a moment, feeling the breeze across my face.
I had been so anxious about this moment, so nervous. In that moment, the second that Tejus’s hand had touched mine, I realized that I needn’t h
ave been. The ceremony was for my family and friends—it only served to make official what had already happened between us. Tejus and I had become one—heart, body and soul—when we had first made love. I was now as much a part of him as he was of me, and I could feel it, with every nerve in my body.
I reached out to him with my mind, wanting us in that moment to feel connected in every way possible. His energy was ready and waiting for mine, our bond strengthening as our minds entwined.
I’m in love with you, I said softly.
I’m in love with you too, he replied. You’re my life, Hazel. My heart wouldn’t beat without you. I don’t know what I did to deserve you, but I thank the gods for it, and I will spend the rest of my life loving you with everything that I have.
I smiled up at him, and then turned back to Ibrahim.
“Do you have your vows, Hazel?” the warlock asked me.
“Yes, I do.”
Sofia
I couldn’t believe that I was watching my granddaughter and Ruby get married. It seemed like only yesterday that I was watching Caleb and Rose doing the same thing—and not that long since Derek and I were celebrating our own nuptials. I became overwhelmed by a sense that time was passing so quickly, years feeling like months, weeks passing in just a day. I supposed it was to be expected with the immortal lives we led; I was glad that it didn’t make the precious moments seem fleeting. Some memories stayed with me forever, and life’s ups and downs were just as important to me as a vampire as they had been as a human.
Rose squeezed my hand just at the moment that Hazel began to speak her vows. In an unwavering, clear voice she addressed her husband.
“When we first met, you told me that you were selfish—so selfish that I couldn’t possibly comprehend it. I’m telling you today that I see you, that what you deem selfish in yourself, I find the exact opposite. You are brave and loyal, generous and courageous, and your love for me is unlimited and unconditional—I know this, because I feel it. You have been my protector, my compass, my best friend and my mirror. In turn, I promise to love and cherish you—to hold and guard your heart, to be your guiding light, as you have been mine.”
A Shade of Vampire 41: A Tide of War Page 17