The sun shone down fiercely and a cool breeze blew along the beach as I stepped out onto the sand.
Montana smiled brightly in encouragement as I paused for a moment, taking in a deep breath. She was wearing a flowing lavender gown which complimented her colouring and skimmed over the swell of her stomach where my niece or nephew lay waiting to meet me. Her dark eyes danced with excitement as she waited for me.
“I suppose I shouldn’t keep him waiting,” I murmured as my heart pattered in my chest and I clenched my fists to stop my hands from shaking.
“I think he’d wait all day and all night if he had to,” Montana replied with a smirk. “So if you need a few minutes-”
“No,” I said quickly. “I was just thinking about Mom and Dad and wishing... it doesn’t matter.” I shook my head and took another step but Montana moved into my path and threw her arms around me.
“They might have been a little intimidated by him at first,” she said ruefully. “But any man who would chase you into death would most certainly have won them around in the end.”
I released a nervous laugh as I nodded. She was right. Of course she was right. But they should have been here for this moment and it felt right to think of them before I went through with this.
I looked up at the blue sky with a smile. Maybe they were here anyway. After all we’d learned of the gods and the afterlife it wasn’t hard to imagine them looking down on us now. Being a part of this even if we couldn’t see them. I gripped the chain at my neck for a moment and a single tear tracked down my cheek.
Montana inhaled sharply as she quickly brushed it away. “Clarice will lose her mind if you ruin her masterpiece,” she chided and I couldn’t help but grin in response.
Clarice had insisted on putting me through the whole rigmarole of hair and makeup styling yet again. My hair was loose at my insistence, though Clarice had made sure her people had curled it and gotten them to weave white flowers through the golden strands. Not that I could claim to mind that really. If she wanted to help me look my best then I wasn’t going to complain about it. Not this time.
“Are you ready then?” Montana urged and I gave her a bright smile as I took her hand and we started walking.
The white dress I wore was simple, much to Clarice’s disgust. It hung without straps, hugging my figure and trailing behind my bare feet as I moved further down the beach. I’d refused the veil six times before she’d begrudgingly accepted my choice in the matter and I was glad as the breeze blew again, twisting through my hair.
Butterflies danced in my stomach as I chewed on my lip and the reality of this moment sank in.
It had taken so much for us to get here, but impossibly, I was walking towards a fate I’d chosen for myself at last.
As I crested a dune, the sea was revealed before me, a never ending ocean of deepest blue, spreading away to the horizon. The sound of the waves lapping against the shore filled the air and I could taste the faintest hint of salt on my lips.
Standing before the water were the people I cared most about in this world. Erik, Fabian, Clarice and Chickoa stood together, looking up at me as I approached. And behind them Magnar and Julius stood, looking out to sea with their backs to me.
Montana squeezed my fingers as I paused one last time.
I took another step and the sound of a string quartet reached me from somewhere hidden within the dunes to our right.
I frowned at Clarice with a hint of irritation and a bit more amusement. I’d made it clear that I didn’t want to lay eyes on anyone other than the eight of us today and she’d found a way around it to get the music she’d so desired - I couldn’t see the musicians at all. But I could definitely hear them.
Montana laughed as she glanced at my face and I rolled my eyes in response as she tugged me into motion again.
I looked up and found Magnar facing me across the sand.
My breath caught in my throat as I looked at him and I stilled again as my pulse thundered in my ears.
This was it. The moment we’d both dreamed of and hardly dared hope would ever happen.
His golden eyes burned fiercely as he looked up at me and my mouth grew dry as I felt a blush growing in my cheeks.
Montana urged me on and my feet started moving, driving me towards my destiny.
The closer we got to him, the faster my heart beat and I could see the same desperation for us to do this in the tension of his posture.
He was wearing a pair of pale grey trousers with a white shirt which he’d left open at the neck. Julius was dressed the same but I noticed that Erik and Fabian both wore grey waistcoats and ties to match the trousers and I guessed that Clarice was probably pretty annoyed at the slayers for simplifying their outfits right about now.
Julius smiled broadly as we reached them but my eyes were fixed on his brother.
Montana passed my hand to Magnar and he smiled at me as he accepted it. Electricity danced across my skin at the feeling of his hand against mine. I hadn’t seen him for a week which had been another of Clarice’s ideas; Julius and Erik had gotten him drunk and put him on a plane to this hidden island in the South Pacific while he was too inebriated to object. By the time I’d found out about it they were already gone but I was actually kind of pleased now.
A week was a long time to miss the feeling of his skin against mine and I could already see the desire pooling in his eyes as his gaze slid over me. Clarice had assured me that her idea had been in aid of making our wedding night as memorable as possible and I bit my lip as I realised she was probably right about that. Magnar was looking at me like he’d never seen me before and even the small contact we held between our hands was enough to send heat flooding through my veins.
Julius stepped back so that he was between us and the sea. Magnar had insisted that he didn’t care which way he married me just so long as he did it but I’d wanted it to be done in the way of his people. He’d lost so much when he’d left them behind and now that the curse was lifted, we knew for certain that the three of us were the last slayers who would ever live. Though our children would have our blood, none of them would take their vows.
And it seemed right to me that the last Earl of the slayers should have the last slayer wedding ever to take place.
Julius smirked at the two of us as Montana moved to stand with Erik and the others. He took my hand from Magnar’s, lifting it and placing it over his heart. I could feel it beating solidly beneath my palm and I smiled up at the man I loved as excitement gripped me. Julius lifted Magnar’s hand next, placing it on my chest too. My heart rate picked up as his calloused hand pressed against my skin.
“Those gathered here will bear witness to the union of your souls. Speak the words and let your lives be tied together from now until the end of time. This union will bind you for all eternity and lead to the birth of blessed children. Do you understand the oath you are making?” Julius asked.
“Yes,” Magnar replied firmly.
“I do,” I added.
“Magnar of the Clan of War, do you claim this woman?”
“I claim Callie Ford of the Clan of Dreams for my wife. My heart is hers. My life is hers. I will love her for all of time, father her children and fight for her until my dying breath... and beyond then too,” he added with a smirk. “We are one.”
The fierceness of his words washed over me and I was filled with the deepest sense of love for this man before me. I didn’t need to marry him to know he was mine but I wanted to. I wanted to tie myself to him in every way possible, to carve his name into my heart and make sure there could never be any doubt about where we belonged.
“Callie of the Clan of Dreams, do you claim this man?” Julius asked me.
I knew the words because Julius had taught me them but nerves swirled in my stomach as I opened my mouth to speak them. Magnar smiled encouragingly and I pushed aside my hesitation so that I could say the things I felt in my heart.
“I claim Magnar Elioson of the Clan of War to be my husband
. My heart is his. My life is his. I will love him for all of time, be the mother of his children and fight for him until my dying breath.” I held Magnar’s eye as I prepared to speak the last line which would tie our lives together forever.
“We are one.”
I knew that at this point the goddess’s power should have bound our souls together but with Idun dead no deity appeared to seal our vow. But I didn’t care. I didn’t want a goddess or anyone else to tie me to this man before me. I was totally capable of doing so myself.
We had all the power we needed in the love we shared and nothing in this world or beyond it was more meaningful than that.
Julius handed Magnar a ring and I smiled at him as he took my hand from his heart and slid it onto my finger. I lifted an eyebrow in surprise as I recognised my mother’s wedding ring and Julius shrugged.
“The gods didn’t ask for it back again and it belongs in your family,” he said with a wink. “Besides, I didn’t think you’d mind being invisible to them again.”
I smirked at him as I felt the ring’s power nudging against my mind and Magnar brushed his thumb across it, drawing my gaze back to his.
“Let the power of your love guide you and the strength of your bond unite you,” Julius said. “Seal this declaration with a kiss and go forth as man and wife.”
Magnar caught my waist and dragged me against him with a groan of longing and I laughed as he pressed his lips to mine.
Our friends started clapping and cheering and Clarice and Montana threw handfuls of white petals over us.
I stood on my tiptoes, wrapping my arms around Magnar’s neck and smiling through the kiss which sent shivers running right to the base of my spine.
No one could take this moment from us. I was his and he was mine. We had tied ourselves together in every way we could and I refused to relinquish another moment in his arms for the rest of my life.
We had done everything the gods had required of us to break the curse and save humanity from the vampires and now the world had been born anew, filled with hope and promises of better days to come.
There was only one thing left for us to do. And I intended to do it as well as I possibly could. Our life was waiting for us. And I couldn’t wait to start it.
“Miles Belvedere stop punching your cousin this instant!” I shouted, pointing at him as he raised his fist to hit Bjorn again. Callie’s little boy was as fair as my sister with Magnar’s strong build and golden eyes. He was just as involved in their fight as Miles was. And although the two of them were enjoying themselves I still wasn't happy about them mimicking their fathers. Magnar and Erik had been sparring out in the yard again this morning and now our two eldest sons were copying them. As usual.
Miles dropped his hands, but his eyes glowed with rebellion. He was the image of his father, dark hair and chiselled features, but his eyes were completely mine. And that expression was one I knew well. It was my expression. My defiant, pissed off, it's-not-fair expression which I'd used on his father a thousand times.
“Go inside and stay with your sister,” I urged Miles, pointing up to the line of houses on the hill. Mine and Erik's on the left, Clarice and Julius's in the middle and Magnar and Callie's on the right. Erik had claimed the huge plot of land in the east of New York and had the houses built as a surprise while we'd remained in his home in Westchester. That had been four years ago. And with my two kids and Callie's two sets of twins, it was the most perfect place to raise them.
Clarice exited her house as Miles sprinted up the hill and crashed into her legs, clinging to her. “Aunt Clarice!”
She gasped, reaching down to embrace him over the huge swell of her stomach.
I jogged up the hill towards them, leaving Bjorn playing on the lawn with his little sister Astrid who had been watching their brawl excitedly. As I moved to grab Miles so Clarice could catch her breath, my son darted into our house with a mischievous laugh that brought a smile to my lips.
“It's a blessing, I won't say otherwise. But by the gods, my back is killing me,” Clarice groaned as Julius exited the house behind her.
He slid his arm around her shoulders, placing a kiss to her temple. “Just a few more weeks, baby.”
“Monty have you seen Bjorn?” Callie jogged out of her house, carrying little Ivar in her arms. He had long dark locks which Magnar refused to let Callie cut, and I suspected he was going to be the image of his father when he grew up.
“He's down the hill, he's been sparring with Miles again,” I said, unable to fight a laugh.
She shook her head, her eyes glittering with mirth. “Why doesn't that surprise me?” She placed Ivar in Julius’s arms then ran down the hill to fetch Bjorn.
A crash sounded in my house and I ran away, darting inside to find Miles and his sister, Warren, gazing at each other excitedly.
“What's going on?” I asked.
“Daddy and Uncle Magnar are fighting inside,” Warren said with a wide grin, her ebony curls tumbling around her shoulders as she giggled.
I darted into the kitchen, finding the two of them wrestling on the kitchen table. The back door was wide open and a line of devastation led up to where they were sparring.
“The kids are watching,” I sang, planting myself in front of them as Magnar choked my husband on the table.
“I yield,” Erik spluttered and Magnar released him with a triumphant laugh.
Magnar stood upright, glancing at the mess they'd made with a guilty look. “Sorry Montana.”
I broke a laugh. “Have us over for dinner tonight and make it up to me.”
Magnar beamed. “Done.”
Erik sat up on the edge of the table, his chest bare and his skin marred with scratches.
Warren and Miles darted after Magnar as he headed out of the back door, the kids tugging at his jeans. “Tell us about the slayer's vow again. I'm going to take it when I'm old enough!” Miles called.
“There's no vow to take,” Magnar started, lifting Warren into his arms as they walked into the garden.
“Why does my son want to be a slayer?” Erik asked, pursing his lips as I wet a cloth in the sink and moved forward to tend his wounds.
“Because he's a rebel,” I said with a grin as I started wiping away the line of blood running down his chest.
“Like you.” He tilted up my chin and my heart stuttered as I gazed at his face, love pounding through my body. He leaned down, brushing his mouth over mine, gently biting down on my lower lip.
“I miss your fangs,” I teased and he released a rumbling laugh.
“I can bite you just fine without them.” He tilted my head, scraping his teeth over my throat and desire pooled in my belly.
“The kids,” I breathed as his bites turned to kisses, trailing to my ear and sending a ripple of energy through to my core.
“Magnar has them,” he growled, brushing his lips over the shell of my ear. “And while he's keeping them busy I suggest we try making a few more kids.”
“A few more?” I laughed, running my hands down the hard planes of his chest.
“Yes, a whole army,” he breathed, dropping to the floor and snaring me in his arms. He walked me backwards so we hit the kitchen counter and a teacup dropped onto the tiles, smashing amongst the rest of the broken objects he and Magnar had shattered.
“We don't need an army, there's nothing to fight anymore,” I said against his mouth, our breaths growing heavy as his hand slid up the back of my shirt. His skin was fire against mine and I relished the way our bodies combined in this human way. It was even better than it had been as a vampire. Hot flesh, sweat and wanton panting. It meant every time we united, it had to come to an end. And we always squeezed every drop of pleasure out of each other for as long as our mortal bodies could last.
I hooked a leg around his hip as he ground shamelessly against me. I was half aware of the open door and the blinds pulled up over the window. But I was lost in the moment, captivated by his skin on mine, his wandering hands.
“I love you,” he growled into my mouth and I swallowed his words, feeling them running through my blood like liquid fire.
“I love you back,” I gasped. “Screw it, have your army.”
He laughed and I fell into the hands of the man who loved me flesh and soul. We were always trying to reach toward that aching closeness we'd found in the afterlife where our bodies were stripped away and we were nothing but pure light. And when his body claimed mine, we found it once more.
We ate out on the terrace at the back of Magnar and Callie's home, drinking wine and delighting in the incredible food placed before us. The summer sun still heated our backs as it sank low on the horizon beyond the hill.
Our kids played out on the lawn and Clarice watched them eagerly, circling her hand on her swollen belly. Fabian and Chickoa had joined us with their newborn. She slept in Fabian's arms while he gazed upon her restful features. I'd never seen such peace in him since the two of them had married. It was hard to remember him ever looking at Callie the way he looked at Chickoa nowadays.
I sat between Erik and my sister, sipping on my wine as peace washed through me in waves. The Empire was shaping up and we'd taken a well-deserved break for once. The humans of the Realms had made an alliance with the newly-mortal vampires and though there was still progress to make, they were cooperating enough to keep everyone content.
Callie's daughter Freya strolled hand in hand with Warren down the grass, talking animatedly. Freya was as fair-haired as Warren was dark and of all our children they resembled Callie and I the most. They seemed drawn to each other too, like two peas in a pod. Callie watched them with a bemused expression then turned to me.
“Should we tell them it's bedtime?” she asked with a smirk.
“Let them stay up,” Erik said, waving a hand. “They'll sleep in later tomorrow.”
“I like the sound of that.” Magnar reached across the table to refill Callie's glass with a mischievous glint in his gaze.
“Magnar and I never had a bedtime and it never did us any harm,” Julius pitched in, holding his glass out to his brother for more wine.
Age of Vampires- The Complete Series Page 193