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

by Jones, AE

  And there was the sensitive male she was beginning to see more and more. They adjourned to the kitchen and made sandwiches since no one had the energy to cook a large meal for dinner, and everyone ate quickly before heading upstairs.

  Maeve and Julia took sandwiches out to Tim and Jack. Which left her alone with McHenry—again.

  This was becoming a regular occurrence. One she liked a bit too much.

  She helped him put away the leftover meats and cheese before turning to face him. “You’re a good male, McHenry.”

  His eyes widened. “What brought that on?”

  “Just watching how you take care of your nephews and now Selina. You could have turned her away, you know.”

  He shook his head. “I couldn’t do that to the lass. She’s lost and confused right now. Besides, Andrew would have my head.”

  “He loves her.”

  “Aye. I just don’t know if their relationship will survive. After this Tribunal is over with, how can it?”

  “You’ll just have to wait and see.”

  He frowned. “You know I’m not good at this whole waitin’-and-seein’ thing.”

  She laughed. “I’m well aware.”

  His mouth quirked up on the right side, and her heartbeat raced like a schoolgirl’s. She wanted to be closer to him, so she took that step.

  “Maeve is right, you’re a softie. And you’ll help anyone in need.”

  McHenry frowned. “I don’t know why you females think I’m so noble.”

  Because his every action said so.

  She had this urge to feel his arms around her, like before, in Roderick’s cell.

  She took another step, and his copper eyes ignited. He leaned closer ever so slowly before touching his lips to hers in a gentle caress. Not what she had expected, but earth-shattering nonetheless. She wrapped her arms around his neck and offered herself to him.

  A growl vibrated through them both, and his caress turned into an exploration as he licked the seam of her mouth and she opened for him—how could she not?

  Their tongues touched, mated, and something warm bloomed in her heart.

  Moments later, McHenry backed away. “We can’t,” he said breathlessly.

  “We just did.”

  “You know what I mean.”

  The heat in her chest fizzled away. “Actually, I don’t. Why can’t we kiss?”

  He looked away from her. “We can’t be together.”

  “I never thought, after what happened last year to Jamie, that you would be like this.”

  He scowled. “Like what?”

  “You can’t be with me because I’m a faerie, right?”

  “It’s more complicated than that.”

  “Why don’t you explain it to me, then?”

  He shook his head.

  Darcinda backed away from him. “I’m going to head upstairs, unless you don’t want me to stay here, either.”

  “Don’t be ridiculous.”

  “You’ve tried to kick me out before. You’ve been acting different, and I thought…well, to be perfectly honest, I don’t know what I thought.”

  “I just want to be left alone.”

  She walked toward the door before turning back to face him. “I don’t know why you live in a huge house, McHenry, when you don’t want anyone around you. That’s a sad life to lead.”

  Darcinda left the room slowly, carefully. She had said her piece, said more than she should have, probably, but that had never stopped her before. She wanted her powers back, and she wanted to leave.

  And the next time that stubborn demon needed help, he could call another healer.

  The truth will not necessarily set you free.

  Chapter 22

  He was a giant horse’s arse. Hells. If you looked up horse’s arse in the dictionary, his picture would be front and center. Did they even make dictionaries anymore? He was an out-of-touch, giant horse’s arse.

  He didn’t want to hurt Darcinda. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d touched a female, and those few seconds had been electric and yet comfortable at the same time. If he had stopped to think before he kissed her, he would have second-guessed himself. Did he even remember how to kiss? Was it a skill that faded after years of being alone?

  But the moment her lips touched his…damnation.

  She was a danger to him in more ways than he could count. He looked at the magistrates standing at the front of the tent talking to both Julia and Godfrey. Wasn’t this trial an indicator of that? Faeries had controlled almost every aspect of his life. He couldn’t let her take the few things he still owned away from him. Like his heart, for instance.

  The seats in the tent were empty since the other supernatural leaders had been told to stay away. He had also told Andrew and Jamie to stay away from the tent and keep Selina away if possible. Although she had insisted on seeing her father this morning after Darcinda told her what happened to him.

  He assumed Selina was still with Roderick since the king was absent, as were most of the team. Except Jack, who stood a couple steps away from his wife, watching over her.

  As if summoned by his thoughts, Devin, Connor, Tim, and Charlie walked in with the demon king in their midst, as if they were protecting him rather than protecting others from him. Roderick was shackled again, but he looked much better than he had last night.

  The elf king beckoned for the team to come closer. He looked Roderick up and down before speaking. “Are you okay?”

  “I will be,” Roderick grated out in a scratchy voice.

  “Do you know who did this?”

  Roderick shook his head. “The better question is, who didn’t do it?”

  The elf king’s eyebrows rose at his response.

  “Don’t act so surprised, Matthew. As leaders, we have pissed off many over the years. Anyone might want me dead, even you.”

  The faerie queen scoffed at him. “Some of us aren’t barbarians.”

  Roderick’s mouth pulled into a tight line. “Playing innocent is beneath you, Belinda.”

  “I haven’t given you permission to call me by my name. You forget you are on trial here.”

  “Hardly. I very much know I’m on trial, and also know you’ve already made up your mind about me.”

  Sullivan interrupted them. “We’ll need to get to the bottom of who attacked you as well.”

  A voice called out from behind them. “Isn’t it obvious?”

  McHenry turned to see Cambridge saunter into the tent.

  “Roderick was attacked by a chain. A chain in McHenry’s workshop. And McHenry is one of the most powerful magical metallurgists anywhere. Why are you even having this conversation? McHenry should be under arrest!”

  “McHenry didn’t attack me,” Roderick said.

  “You don’t know that for sure,” Cambridge countered.

  “Don’t I? I’m the one who was attacked.”

  “By an enchanted chain. He could have bespelled it, and when it didn’t go to plan, acted like he saved you instead.”

  The elf king frowned. “Cambridge, why are you here? As we informed everyone, this is now a closed Tribunal.”

  “I’m here to see that Roderick is protected and his attacker is brought to justice.”

  Roderick chuckled as best he could with his damaged throat. “How thoughtful of you, Cambridge. I suppose you were protecting me when you took over as demon king prior to me being found guilty or innocent?”

  Cambridge’s straightened. “You know we can’t show any sign of weakness. Someone had to step up or the other sub-clan demon leaders would be jockeying for position. I wanted to avoid a war. You should have agreed to come back to the castle and have the Tribunal there. We could protect you better than they can here.”

  “After what happened last night, you do have the right to ask that this Tribunal be moved elsewhere,” Sullivan said.

  “I’ll take my chances here.”

  “Then at least have Selina come back with me for her own protection,” Ca
mbridge said.

  Sparks flew from Roderick’s eyes. If he hadn’t been shackled, McHenry would have feared for all of them in that moment.

  “Selina stays here.”

  “It’s obviously not safe here.” Apparently Cambridge was an idiot, since he kept arguing.

  “No!”

  The elf king held up his hands. “Enough. This is not the time to discuss this. We need to move forward with planning how this Tribunal will be concluded.”

  Julia stepped up to the magistrates’ table. “If we don’t finish today, I’d like to request that I be allowed to serve as counsel offsite for the remainder of the Tribunal.”

  “How?”

  “I’ll work telepathically with Jack, and he’ll be defending the demon king.”

  “And why are you requesting this?”

  Julia looked at Jack for a moment before answering the elf king. “I’ve recently found out I’m going to have a baby, and Jack and I agreed it would be safer for me to leave.”

  The elf king hesitated for a moment. “Of course.” He looked at Roderick. “Does that meet with your approval?”

  “Absolutely.”

  “Let’s get started, then. Attorney Cole, I believe we left off with you questioning McHenry yesterday.”

  “Yes.”

  McHenry managed to walk toward the witness seat when what he wanted to do was run in the other direction.

  “We spoke yesterday about your relationship, or lack of relationship, with the king. If you have no history with him, then why would he attack you and Andrew?” Julia asked.

  “I don’t know why he would atta—” He choked on the words, like they were rocks lodged in his throat. What the hells was wrong with him?

  “McHenry?” Julia said, a look of concern on her face.

  He swallowed hard.

  “Please answer the question,” the elf king said.

  McHenry shook his head.

  “Why won’t he answer?” Sullivan asked.

  “I can’t tell you.” He couldn’t stop his words, as if they were wrenched from him, forcing him to tell the truth. He needed them to stop asking him questions. He looked over at Roderick, who tensed in his seat.

  “Stop asking him questions,” Roderick demanded.

  “You have no say in this!” the faerie queen hissed.

  “I have to go.” McHenry stood.

  “You’re not going anywhere before you tell us the truth. Why do you think Roderick attacked you?” the elf king asked.

  “Because of the curse!” McHenry bellowed.

  He had said the words out loud.

  The one thing he was never, ever to do.

  Damnation.

  Roderick shot to his feet.

  They had to get out of there. Or the others could end up as collateral damage.

  The air sparked with electricity, and McHenry barreled toward the back of the tent with Roderick next to him.

  Jamie, Andrew, and Selina stood in the back of the tent. When had they arrived?

  “It’s not safe to be near us. Move! ” McHenry bellowed.

  They plowed past everyone, ignoring the protests behind them as they ran into the meadow. He wasn’t sure what would happen now the words had been uttered.

  The ground bucked like the start of an earthquake before opening up and sucking them under.

  * * *

  Darcinda watched McHenry and Roderick burst out of the tent and hurtle pell-mell across the meadow. Where were they going? The ground shook—and then they were both gone, sucked down into the earth.

  A scream pierced the tent as Selina ran across the meadow with Andrew and Jamie. Jack stayed back with Julia and the magistrates, while Devin yelled for Charlie and Connor to go to the house and check on all their mates. Devin and Tim ran into the meadow. Somehow her legs started moving as well, and she raced to the spot where they had disappeared.

  “Where did they go?” Selina cried.

  “Maybe your father took them somewhere,” Andrew said.

  Selina shook her head. “No. He was shackled. He couldn’t have.”

  “Well, Uncle Mac sure can’t do that,” Jamie said.

  Andrew frowned. “Someone took them.”

  “Who?” Devin asked.

  “He said it wasn’t safe to be around them,” Darcinda said, her chest tightening as she remembered the look of terror on McHenry’s face.

  “Because of some curse?” Tim said. “Andrew, Jamie, has your uncle ever talked about a curse?”

  “No,” Andrew said. “Jamie?”

  “No.”

  “What about you, Selina?” Devin asked.

  “No.”

  “They obviously weren’t supposed to talk about it,” Tim said.

  “Then why did Uncle Mac say anything?” Andrew said.

  Darcinda looked across the meadow. “I don’t think he had a choice. He was compelled to do it.”

  Tim frowned. “A truth spell?”

  Connor ran up to them. “Everyone at the house is safe. Charlie is staying with them.”

  Devin blew out a hard breath. “Thank the Fates. No sign of McHenry or the demon king?”

  “No.”

  Devin turned to Darcinda. “You think someone compelled McHenry?”

  “Yes. But no one cast a verbal spell at him. Which means it had to be by touch.”

  “Except no one touched him,” Devin said.

  “No, but he sat in the witness chair,” Tim said.

  Darcinda nodded. “If someone bespelled the chair, it would have passed to McHenry.”

  “Who could have cast the truth spell?” Devin asked.

  “Me, if I had my powers. Tim, Maeve, the faerie queen, the elf king, possibly you. And I don’t know what Cambridge’s powers are.”

  “Cambridge is powerful. He probably could do it,” Selina said.

  “What about you?” Darcinda asked.

  “I don’t have any powers,” Selina said.

  That was surprising. Her father was extremely powerful.

  “Okay. Let’s get back to the tent and figure out next steps,” Devin said.

  When they walked back into the tent, Jack, Julia, and Godfrey were standing with Cambridge and the three magistrates while their guards hovered close by.

  “Did you find anything?” the elf king asked.

  “No. They’re gone,” Devin responded.

  Cambridge growled. “McHenry took Roderick.”

  “Mac can’t travel through the earth,” Andrew said.

  “You don’t know that for sure.”

  “Why would he take him?” Sullivan asked.

  “There is obviously something bad between the two of them. You heard him. He cursed Roderick and now he’s gone.”

  Darcinda couldn’t stay quiet any longer. “Why do you think McHenry cursed anyone?”

  “You heard him. They asked him why he thought Roderick attacked him and he said because of the curse. He must have cursed him.”

  Tim shook his head. “Except McHenry said it wasn’t safe to be around them . Not Roderick. They’re both cursed.”

  Darcinda nodded. “And if we want to bring them back, we need to figure out why.”

  “Maybe we shouldn’t bring them back,” the faerie queen said.

  Selina sobbed into Andrew’s shoulder.

  “Explain yourself, Belinda,” the elf king demanded.

  She held up her hands. “A curse is usually handed out for a wrongdoing. If this curse sucked them into the ground, it had to be a hell of a wrongdoing.”

  Darcinda took a step toward the queen. “You’re convicting them without knowing the truth. We need to figure out how to get them back.”

  “Right now, the rest of us are still standing here. If we bring them back, maybe none of us would be safe.”

  “I’m willing to take that risk,” Darcinda said.

  Andrew, Jamie, and the team all voiced their assent. Now they had to figure out what caused them to be cursed in the first place.

  Dar
cinda took a deep breath. Last night she’d said hurtful things to McHenry, and she couldn’t—wouldn’t—let that be the last thing she said to him.

  They had to save him.

  We’re not in Kansas anymore…

  Chapter 23

  McHenry shot up through the ground and dropped to his knees. He sucked in a deep breath as his lungs started working again. Roderick landed beside him, coughing.

  “Hells. That sucked. Is this how it feels every time you do it?”

  Roderick held up his shackles. “I didn’t do it, and no, it doesn’t normally feel that awful.” He looked around. “Where are we?”

  McHenry followed his gaze. A small log cabin sat in front of them. It looked familiar, but he didn’t know why. “I have no idea.” He turned around and faced an open-front shed with a forge and tools. His heart raced. What was it about this place?

  Roderick nodded toward the shed. “Can we work on getting these off me?”

  “Are you goin’ to try to kill me again?” McHenry asked.

  “I think you have bigger things to worry about right now. It would help if I could actually defend against whatever is coming.”

  They walked over to the shed, and McHenry rifled through the tools. He gestured for Roderick to spread his hands as far apart as he could, then he used a hammer and chisel to break the chain and then hit the edge of each cuff to knock them apart.

  Roderick rubbed one wrist and then the other while McHenry looked at the tools in the shed. He was almost panting while he examined the hammer in his hand.

  “What’s wrong?” Roderick asked.

  “I recognize this. I have one just like it in my workshop. It’s my grandfather’s.”

  Roderick frowned. “It can’t be the same one. That looks brand-new.”

  “I know. My grandfather carved his initials in the end of the hammer.” He held his breath as he turned the hammer. The initials AM were freshly carved in the wood.

  McHenry set the hammer down slowly and stepped out of the shed toward the house.

  “What are you doing?” Roderick asked.

  Hells. This wasn’t possible. “I thought this house looked familiar. I’ve seen it in drawings. It’s my grandfather’s house.”