Till Demon Do Us Part (Paranormal Wedding Planners Book 6)

by Jones, AE

  “Yeah.”

  “But if you’re not happy, then that means your piss-poor father wins. Is that what you want?”

  “Hell, no.”

  “You love her, don’t you?”

  “With all my heart.”

  “Then what are you waitin’ for?”

  Connor blinked. Then frowned. “Good question.”

  He stood and slapped McHenry on the back. “I owe you one.”

  “I’ll keep that in mind.”

  Connor chuckled. “I bet you will. As soon as this craziness is over, I’m going to ask her.”

  McHenry needed to stop this craziness for all their sakes. He watched Connor walk to the workshop and say something to Jack.

  It was up to McHenry to protect them.

  * * *

  Worry nagged at Darcinda’s thoughts. And it was all about McHenry. What had happened on the witness stand earlier today?

  He had hesitated at Julia’s questions at the end, but they weren’t difficult. Or they shouldn’t have been. But there was something he was trying not to say. And now that she thought about it, there was something fishy about the animosity between him and the demon king. It seemed to be about much more than an overprotective father watching out for his daughter. Andrew was a good man. The demon king had never met Andrew until a few days ago. So why did the king react the way he did? The violence was over the top, for Fate’s sake.

  There was something going on under the surface, but the real question was why it was a secret.

  Darcinda had been watching McHenry surreptitiously. He sat by himself on the porch for a while, until Connor joined him for a moment. Now he was by himself again, and he stood. Instead of going into the courtyard, he headed toward the woods. Where was he going? Darcinda hurried to the back of the house and watched him from the glassed-in porch. McHenry walked through the trees parallel to his workshop, then looked around before leaving the woods and traveling along the far side of the workshop.

  Then he stepped up to the wall, where he held his hands up and chanted something before the wall faded and a doorway appeared.

  What was he doing? She slipped out of the back door and rushed toward the building, jumping through the hole just before it closed…

  …ending up in the hall leading back to the locked room. She heard low voices and walked quietly to the door, putting her ear up against it.

  She could only hear bits and pieces of the conversation. Something about secret and not telling, then what sounded like a scuffle.

  Darcinda yanked open the door. The demon king was backed up against the wall while McHenry swung a chain at him.

  “Stop!” she yelled.

  McHenry tightened his hold around the chain and she grabbed his arm.

  “Get back! I can’t control it!” He let go and pushed her out the door. The chain continued to swing in the air. It was bespelled!

  The chain swung up and slammed into the king’s neck before arching back as he started to slump forward. Darcinda made a grab for the metal to stop it from smashing into him again.

  Moments later, McHenry ran back into the room. “Move!”

  She stepped aside as he took a bar and smacked it against the chain.

  After a couple seconds, the chain straightened and fell to the ground with a clanking sound. The king clutched his neck and coughed.

  “Iron.”

  Of course! Iron would counteract a spell.

  Darcinda held up her hands. “Let me help. Let me see your neck.”

  After a few more hard coughs the king plopped down on the bed, unconscious.

  Footsteps pounded and the twins crashed into the room.

  “What the hell happened?”

  “Get Charlie and my healing bag,” Darcinda replied.

  Jack ran out of the room.

  She squeezed her hands together in frustration. Without her healing powers, Darcinda had to use her eyes and hands to check his injuries. His larynx was swollen, and he already had red marks on his neck that would quickly turn black-and-blue.

  “Did the chain hit him anywhere else?”

  “Aye. His right arm and side,” McHenry said.

  “How did you get in here?” Connor demanded.

  Before either of them could answer, Charlie ran into the room carrying his medic bag and her healing bag. He knelt next to the king and took his pulse. “It’s there, but weak. What the hell happened?”

  “That’s what I’d like to know,” Devin said from the doorway.

  “Can you guys have this conversation out in the hall while Charlie and I take care of Roderick?” Darcinda said.

  They stepped out of the room and she called after them, “Find Tim and have him come here.” She turned to Charlie. “I don’t have my powers back yet. Tim might be able to help, but you’re going to have to use your medic training.”

  “Already on it.” Charlie pulled a stethoscope and some other items out of his bag, first listening to Roderick’s heart and then moving the disc around on his chest, listening to his breathing.

  “Heartbeat is solid. His breathing is shallow, but I think that has to do with his throat injury.” He looked down at the chain lying on the floor. “From the chain?”

  Darcinda looked at the red marks on the demon king’s neck. “Yes, the chain was bespelled. McHenry used an iron pipe to counteract the magic.”

  She opened her bag and started to pull out bottles and bags. “I can create a poultice for his neck and also some aromatics to help with his breathing. We need to check his right side and arm. McHenry said the chain hit him there as well.”

  Charlie helped her line up her ingredients. “His demon magic should help him heal too.”

  Darcinda froze. “Charlie. His shackles will block the healing.”

  “Damn. We can’t take them off.”

  “We have to. Otherwise I can’t heal him. He’s unconscious, Charlie. What if we at least take them off until he regains consciousness?”

  He frowned. “Let’s work on the potions first, and then we’ll talk to Devin.”

  She nodded as she got to work. Something way bigger than what they thought was going on here, and they needed to get to the bottom of it before someone died.

  * * *

  McHenry stood in his workshop staring down an irate elf and a pissed-off wolf. He tried to remain calm, but anger and fear were warring inside him.

  “Explain what the hell happened,” Devin demanded.

  A good question, but one he didn’t have a good answer for. “The chain slithered across the floor like a snake, and then up, before launchin’ at him. I grabbed an iron pipe and deactivated the spell.”

  Devin’s crossed his arms. “One of your chains?”

  “More than likely one I made, yes.”

  “Did you bespell it?”

  McHenry clenched his fists. “Hells, no.”

  He knew how it looked, and that Devin had to ask these questions, but it didn’t curb the burn that seethed inside him. “Why would I bespell it, only to turn around and save him?”

  Connor crossed his arms. “Because you got caught?”

  What had Darcinda been doing there anyway? Had she followed him?

  Before he could answer, Julia and Jack rushed into the workshop, followed by Tim, who didn’t stop, instead heading to the back room.

  Julia came to a stop in front of McHenry. “Is he still alive?”

  “Yes.”

  “Tell me what happened.”

  McHenry repeated what he’d already told the others about the chain. Then he waited for Julia to say something. Instead she stared at him without speaking.

  “Aren’t you going to ask me if I did it?”

  She shook her head. “I know you didn’t do it. If you wanted to kill him, you wouldn’t have snuck in, you would have called him out like a demon version of an Old West movie.”

  He wasn’t sure if it was a compliment or not, but he’d take it.

  Then she crossed her arms, and he knew he was
about to hear something he wouldn’t like. “But that doesn’t answer how you could be stupid enough to break into his cell. If you weren’t there to kill him, then what exactly were you doing there?”

  “I wanted to talk to him. To tell him this has gone on long enough and to stop playin’ games and confess already.” There. That part was true. He just didn’t elaborate on the reason he wanted this damn trial over with. If it kept going, both he and Roderick would be in trouble.

  “What is it between you two?”

  McHenry growled. “He’s a pompous jackass who doesn’t think my nephew is worthy of his daughter. So much so that he actually tried to hurt him. He can come after me all he wants, but when he goes after my nephews, all bets are off.”

  Devin cleared his throat. “Careful, McHenry. That sounds like motive to me.”

  McHenry scoffed. “Like Julia said, I’m not going to sneak around like a coward and kill him.”

  Charlie walked into the room.

  “How is he?” Devin asked.

  “He’s still unconscious. He’s stable, but his throat and larynx are damaged from the swinging chain. Darcinda created a poultice for his neck, and she’s also having him inhale the steam from some healing herbs. He also has some bruised ribs.”

  “So he’ll be okay?” Julia asked.

  “Darcinda wants to take his cuffs off.”

  “No way,” McHenry blurted.

  “He can’t heal himself because the cuffs are blocking his magic.”

  Damnation.

  “Can’t Darcinda heal him?” Julia asked.

  No one spoke. She glanced at the team, who were wearing scowls that more than likely matched his own.

  “What aren’t you telling me?”

  Again with the silence. So she turned to the one person who would fold under the pressure. “Jack, what is going on?”

  Her husband lasted five seconds before he caved. “The demon king used a binding spell on Darcinda. She doesn’t have her healing powers right now.”

  “What! Why didn’t anyone tell me this?”

  McHenry felt sorry for Jack, so he decided to absorb a bit of her wrath. “She could be disowned from the faerie nation if they find out.”

  Julia sighed before looking at him with laser focus. “You were willing to keep this a secret, even though it would help your case against him?”

  McHenry nodded. And Darcinda was willing to take his cuffs off to heal him after what he had already done to her. She was the unselfish one in this scenario.

  He turned to Devin. “I don’t want him to hurt her again.”

  “I know. Me either.”

  “But she’s going to insist anyway.”

  “I know that too.”

  He nodded, and then he, Devin, and Charlie entered the room while Julia and the twins stood in the doorway. Darcinda sat on the bed next to Roderick, who was still unconscious. Tim stood at the foot of the bed.

  She looked up at them. “Are you here to tell me no?”

  The lass had cheek. McHenry wanted to smile, but he was too nervous about what they were about to do.

  Devin spoke. “Do you still think we need to remove his cuffs?”

  “Yes. I can’t heal him.”

  “I tried a couple of spells, but I don’t have the true power to heal him,” Tim said.

  “Okay. We’ll take them off, but we’ll be standing in a circle around the bed when we do.”

  Darcinda nodded. “Okay. That works.”

  “Stand back,” McHenry said.

  Thankfully, she didn’t fight him, but got right up and stepped back to let Charlie close enough to remove the cuffs.

  They all held their breath. And nothing happened. Roderick didn’t move. But it wasn’t like they expected him to rise up immediately, did they?

  Roderick took a shaky breath, and Darcinda leaned closer to check on him. He groaned before grabbing her arms.

  McHenry growled as he reached for her.

  “Don’t!” Darcinda said. “He’s not hurting me.” She looked up at McHenry, her eyes widening. “He’s actually pulling energy into himself through me. I think I can help him heal.”

  She held up her hands by his throat and a glow emanated from them. McHenry was in awe of her and her willingness to help someone who had hurt her.

  Roderick took a deeper breath.

  “It’s working,” she whispered, as if she was scared to startle him.

  McHenry stayed close to her in case he needed to pull her away from the king. After a few more minutes she slumped a little bit.

  “Enough,” he said, before reaching for her again.

  He gently pulled her away, and when she didn’t fight it, he knew it was the right thing to do.

  “I’m fine.”

  “I know. But you need to back away, lass. He’s doing much better.”

  The marks on Roderick’s neck were fading. Charlie started checking his vitals. And McHenry held on to Darcinda.

  There was something nice—too nice—about having her in his arms.

  Charlie lifted the stethoscope. “His heartbeat and pulse are strong, and his breathing is almost normal. But he’s probably still going to have trouble talking for a few days.”

  “We’re going to need to question him once he wakes up,” Devin said.

  Corroborate his story, more than likely, but McHenry didn’t blame Devin. He was doing his job.

  Darcinda looked up at him. “You can let me go now.”

  He reluctantly released her and took a step back.

  “We need to figure out who attacked him,” she said.

  Like Julia, Darcinda believed he hadn’t hurt Roderick. Which made him way happier than it should.

  “When he wakes up, we can ask him who would want to hurt him,” Julia said from the doorway.

  “We should leave him to rest,” Darcinda said.

  Devin nodded. “Tim, stay in the room with him. You’re the best bet to stop something magical right now.”

  The rest of them walked out of the room, back into the workshop, and stood in a circle.

  Jack turned to his wife. “I don’t want you to stay here, Julia. We don’t know what’s going on. I think you should leave.”

  “I can’t leave. I’m his defense attorney.”

  Devin crossed his arms. “Until we know what’s going on, I’m sending Alex and JT home tomorrow. I don’t think anyone who isn’t directly involved with the Tribunal should remain. That goes for Sheila, Olivia, and Maeve too.”

  Julia smirked. “Good luck with convincing them to leave.”

  Devin frowned. “It’s not safe.”

  Darcinda interrupted him. “Maybe the demon king has some idea who attacked him. What about the interim demon king? It’d be in his best interests if Roderick is dead.”

  “Why wouldn’t he just wait to see if he got convicted?” Connor asked.

  “Because he’s getting nervous? It’s obviously not cut-and-dried, especially after today’s proceedings,” Devin said.

  Jack wrapped his arm around Julia’s shoulders. “Because my wife is defending him. If they aren’t convinced the demon king hurt McHenry, they won’t convict him, and Julia is setting up reasonable doubt.”

  Julia nodded. “I’ve taught you well.”

  “Which puts Julia at risk if she’s too good at her job,” McHenry said.

  Jack rested his hand on Julia’s stomach. “You really need to leave too, sweetheart.”

  “Jack!” Julia said. She looked up at the crowd, before slugging him in the arm. “We agreed we weren’t going to say anything yet.”

  Connor swept his sister-in-law up in his arms. “Thank the Fates, it’s out of the bag! You know I can hear Jack’s thoughts, and I’ve been respecting your privacy, but it’s been killing me.”

  McHenry couldn’t keep the grin off his face. “Oh, Jack, if it’s a girl, you are in so much trouble.”

  Julia frowned at him over Connor’s shoulder. “Excuse me?”

  He was in troub
le now. “You’re going to be such a good mother, Julia.”

  Her expression softened.

  Hugs and back slaps were shared, and McHenry was glad something good was happening in the middle of the chaos.

  He agreed with Devin and Jack, and the females could call him a Neanderthal if they wanted to, but they should leave, for their own good.

  Including the stubborn faerie standing across from him.

  Her eyes narrowed. “I’m not going anywhere.”

  Damnation. Had he said that out loud?

  She smirked at him. “It’s not hard to read you, McHenry.”

  This lass was goin’ to be the death of him…

  …unless the curse killed him first.

  The faith of friends is a special kind of magic.

  Chapter 20

  McHenry was damn lucky he wasn’t locked up right now himself. The faith these people had in him shocked him to the core. He never thought he would have a group of friends, really. How can you when you’re trapped in your home—the place that should give you solace, but instead feels like a cage.

  Hells. He was turning into a moping fool. All he had wanted to do was convince Roderick to tell the damn truth. About him attacking Andrew and McHenry, that is.

  Not the whole truth. Never the whole truth.

  A century of secrets. And if they didn’t stop this trial, he was afraid hell would break loose—literally.

  He had tried to get the team to drop this whole trial from the beginning. And after Julia’s questions today about the animosity between him and Roderick, he knew she was going to keep pushing it until she uncovered their past.

  None of them could afford that.

  So he did what any desperate male would do. Confronted Roderick. He had to appeal to something in him. And the one thing McHenry knew for sure was that Roderick loved his daughter.

  He had stood in the room staring at the leader of the entire demon nation, who was slumped on a bed with shackles on.

  He straightened when he noticed McHenry. “What are you doing here?”

  “I’m here to talk some sense into you. Confess and stop this Tribunal.”

  Roderick stood up from the bed. “No.”

  “You saw what happened today. Julia is askin’ if we have a history. We can’t exactly tell anyone about that, now can we?”