by Becca Andre
Ian glanced at him as he stepped through the doorway. “Good morning.” Ian turned his attention back to the box, lifting out a slender gold chain. “I appreciate that you took a moment to pull on some pants.”
“I didn’t want a lecture.”
Ian smiled, but kept his attention on what he was doing.
“Addie stayed at the manor?” James stepped closer to the table. The box was velvet lined and contained an assortment of folded papers and what looked like an old picture.
“Rowan called. Apparently, she fell asleep during movie night—whatever that is. I emphasized that she has had little sleep in weeks, just in case that was a euphemism.”
James bit back a laugh. “It’s not.” He waved a hand at the table. “What’s all this?”
Ian carefully closed the lid on the box as if wanting to hide the contents from view. “You could say it’s my family history.” Holding the chain and what might be a locket in his fist, he got to his feet to walk to the antique armoire where he stored his clothes. He carefully dropped the chain into one of his coat pockets.
Closing the doors with a soft thump, he turned to face James. “I wondered if you would be by.”
James frowned. “You did?”
“The world has changed much while I was… away. I didn’t know if the same expectations applied, or if you would recognize me as patriarch of the family. Elysia never knew her father, correct?”
“From what I understand, no one even knows who he was.” James wanted to shake his head. Where was Ian going with this? “I suspect the guy doesn’t even know he has a daughter.”
“Yet it doesn’t make me want to punch him any less.”
James smiled. “True.”
“So I guess that leaves me to fill the role her father should have.”
“I guess.” James eyed him, still at a complete loss.
Ian abruptly laughed. “Why do you look so apprehensive? Even if I refused to give my blessing, I wouldn’t think it would matter that much to you.”
His blessing. Suddenly, James understood. “You know Elysia agreed to marry me.”
“Yes, Rowan told me.”
The whole discussion on Elysia’s fatherless state now made sense. Ian thought James was here to ask for Elysia’s hand in marriage. The idea seemed so silly. This decision was Elysia’s. Even if she had a father, his opinion wouldn’t matter. And yet, this was what Ian expected from James. It was how things were done in his day. James didn’t want to give Ian another reason to disapprove of him.
“So…” James hesitated. Were there particular words for this occasion? Of course, he could always pretend that things had changed since Ian’s day. “Do I have your blessing?”
Ian chuckled. “A little informal, but then, I should be grateful for the pants.”
“Ha ha.” James waited. “Well?” he asked when Ian didn’t immediately speak.
“I’m debating on whether to torment you.”
James frowned. “Did Isabelle’s father torment you?”
“Her great uncle, and no. Not intentionally. He was an alchemist. I had to get him to stop digging through his old alchemy texts to answer me.”
Well aware of the alchemist mentality, James smiled. “I assume he said yes.”
“More of a muttered, ‘Yes, yes, boy. Now climb up on that stool and fetch me this journal I’m looking for.’ He was also my mentor.”
James continued to smile, imagining that easily.
Ian reached out and gripped his shoulder, his expression turning serious. James tensed, not sure what to expect. Ian had made it clear on many occasions that he didn’t like the idea of James pursuing Elysia.
“You have my blessing,” Ian said.
The relief that washed over James surprised him. “Thank you. She is everything to me; I won’t let you down.”
A squeeze, and Ian took his hand away. He returned to the table where his box still sat and ran his fingers reverently across the lid. James realized the scrollwork was actually a pair of intertwined cursive I’s. Ian and Isabelle.
“Her uncle gave Isabelle this as a wedding gift,” Ian said, watching his own fingers trace the lid. “We were leaving the next day for Ohio, and he wanted her to have something small to carry her jewelry in.”
“The craftsmanship is impressive,” James offered, needing to say something. He really didn’t know anything about such objects.
“In those days, undertakers were often skilled woodworkers. Some made more than coffins. Isabelle’s cousin made this.” Ian smiled. “It had to be made in a hurry since our wedding and departure were a bit of a rush, seeing as I had ostracized myself from the entire necromancer community.”
“How did you manage that?”
Ian sighed and finally looked up. “Protecting Lex.”
“I’m afraid I can’t relate,” James admitted. He truly couldn’t imagine having a relationship with one of his brothers like the relationship Ian had with Alexander—before it went wrong. “I want to kill my last surviving brother—which is another reason I’m here.” The true reason he was here.
“So you intend to make Elysia a widow before you’ve even made her a wife?”
“No. I want your opinion on something.”
“Okay. I’m listening.”
“As a soul reaper, Elysia forms these unbreakable bonds. I’m wondering if she might have made herself my anchor—in addition to my brother.” It had been Elysia who suggested the theory that his brother was his anchor, but James took it a step further.
“Your anchor? Necromantic anchors aren’t people. The heart of the Made is used to anchor a soul to the mortal world.”
“But I wasn’t created with necromancy. I was created with alchemy.” He used the argument he had used with Elysia.
“The basic magic still comes from necromancy.”
“What about necromancers who Make with their blood, like you could?” When Ian was alive and had blood.
“The heart is still the anchor,” Ian insisted. “It just isn’t removed from the body.”
“But if the anchor is destroyed, the soul is freed—just like I will be if all my brothers die.”
“I still don’t see how they could be anchors,” Ian insisted. “The heart is used because it is considered the center of life. Once it ceases to beat, death follows.”
“I never had a beating heart. I was stillborn and already bound when I entered the world.”
Ian frowned as he considered that.
“It was the soul reaper ashes that alchemist used to make the first grim. He tapped into the soul reaper’s ability to bind the living,” James went on, his excitement growing. “Don’t you see? Elysia is an anchor.”
“I’m not so sure—”
“Think about it. If Addie or Doug die, they become Elysia’s liches, right?”
“That’s the way I understand it,” Ian agreed.
“So she’s already bound them to the mortal plane, before their deaths. Their hearts can’t be their anchors because they’re still beating. Elysia is their anchor. And she bound me, too.”
“It does sound plausible,” Ian agreed. “But there are some differences between you and the others. You were already dead, and if your theory is correct, you had an anchor—or anchors.”
“But she took my soul from the other side and created a new link.”
“Again, I want to agree with you, but without a full understanding of the alchemy that created the original grim, or how the soul reaper blood gift truly works, I can’t say for certain.”
“It feels right,” James insisted.
“You are barely more than an apprentice in the field of alchemy, and you have little knowledge of necromancy.”
James crossed his arms. “That doesn’t matter.”
“It does matter. You want Elysia to be your
anchor. And you have convinced yourself that it is true.”
“No. I feel it.”
“James.” Ian once again placed a hand on his shoulder. “I know you want to be free of your brother, but this isn’t the solution. Not now, anyway. We will catch him and lock him up. Once we learn more about how you were created, then we can consider other… alternatives.”
“But—”
“Do I need to lock you up?” Ian winked. “I’ll do it. For Elysia.”
“Fine.” James gave in. Not because he thought Ian had a chance of carrying out his pseudo-threat, but because James could see that he would never convince him. Not without more proof. He had to find a way to prove it to him.
“Go home,” Ian said. “Get some sleep. You have a big day tomorrow.” He clapped James on the shoulder before releasing him. “Or should I say, today?”
A flurry of carnivorous butterflies reawakened in James’s stomach. How could Ian expect him to sleep now?
Ian smiled, perhaps picking up on his nerves.
“Very well,” James agreed. Maybe he’d be able to sleep a little.
Chapter 16
Elysia hoped James didn’t notice how much her hands were shaking when she slid the ring onto his finger. Technically, they were already married, having signed the papers at the courthouse, but Era had insisted on a ring ceremony here at the reception.
“Do I get to kiss the bride now?” James gripped her hand in his and grinned. His deep green eyes were almost the same shade as the vibrant foliage around them. Somehow, Era had managed to reserve the Krohn Conservatory for the reception. It had probably helped that it was a weeknight, but even so, Elysia was impressed.
“The bride doesn’t mind,” she told James, returning his grin.
He didn’t need more invitation than that. Cupping her cheek in his palm, he leaned down and kissed her.
Their small assemblage applauded, a few adding suggestive whistles. Elysia couldn’t decide if it had been Donovan or Doug who had whistled. Maybe both.
They drew apart and James gave her a wink.
“We get to eat now, right?” Donovan asked in an overly loud whisper.
“Don.” Era smacked his arm.
Elysia couldn’t help but laugh, marveling anew at how much her life had changed in such a short time. She had gone from being an inept necromancer, afraid of her magic, to finding a place within the very heart of magic. She had been on the cusp of death, and here she stood now, healthy and whole. And it was all because of the man at her side. Her husband.
Maybe the marriage was a little sudden, but as she had told Grams, it felt right. Grams had been pleased—she genuinely liked James—but she worried that Elysia taking things so fast was a reaction to her nearly dying. Having looked death in the face, Elysia was now seizing life with both hands. Elysia could concede that there might be an element of that involved, but it hadn’t been the deciding factor.
She twined her fingers in James’s and walked with him through the winding aisles of the greenhouse toward the area where the tables had been set up.
“You had this dress in your closet?” James asked.
Elysia glanced down at the floor-length, burnished bronze dress she wore. No, not a dress. A gown. “Era got it for me.”
“She did well. You look amazing.”
Heat climbed her cheeks. “Thanks. So do you.” The tuxedo was a drastically different look for him, but it didn’t mask that dark, dangerous vibe he gave off—until he gave her a boyish grin.
“You even got a hair cut,” she said.
“Era insisted.”
She laughed. “Of course.”
“Don’t get too used to it. First change, and it’ll be in my eyes again.”
“Really? I didn’t realize it worked like that.”
“No tattoos, no hair cuts, no permanent changes.” He shrugged. “Addie says it’s like I take the Final Formula every time I change.”
Elysia glanced at Addie walking arm in arm with Rowan a short distance ahead of them. The flirty black dress she wore had bronze accents suspiciously like Elysia’s own gown. She had a sneaky suspicion Era had been behind that selection, too. Era had been busy.
“I hope Addie isn’t too upset that she had to dress up again,” Elysia said.
James chuckled. “With the way Rowan is watching her, I doubt it.”
Elysia smiled, noting the same thing.
They took their seats at the table, and the wait staff quickly descended upon them, bringing out the first course. Once again, Era had outdone herself.
Elysia glanced over at Grams and Livie, wondering what they thought of all this. Ever since Elysia could remember, Grams had struggled financially. Seeing the new dresses she and Livie wore worried her. Maybe Era had helped out with those, too. Or Doug. He sat on Livie’s other side and was laughing at something she had said.
Then too, Grams and Livie might have gotten some help from Ian.
Elysia turned back to her plate. She was oddly saddened that Ian had chosen not to come. She knew he avoided things like this. Maybe because it reminded him too much of the life he had lost. Even so, it left a hollow spot in her chest she didn’t want to examine too closely.
The meal passed quickly and smoothly, though Elysia didn’t eat much. “I’m too keyed up,” she told James when he pointed that out. “Fortunately, you made up for it.” She nodded at his empty plate. It was his second plate.
“I eat when I’m nervous,” he admitted.
She glanced up. “You’re nervous?” She would have never guessed. “Why?”
“I guess I’m afraid I’ll wake up and find this all a dream.”
“It is a dream. A dream come true.”
He was watching her with that Hunting stare of his. She suppressed a shiver and leaned up to give him a light kiss.
He blinked, then grinned. “I appreciate what Era has done here, but when do we get to leave?”
“James.” She laughed, then winked. “After we open the dancing.”
“Can we dance now?”
“Patience. It won’t be long.” She nodded at where the band was setting up. “Where will we go?” she asked him.
“You’re moving in with me, at the manor.”
“Yes.” They had discussed that earlier. “I meant tonight. I want to be alone with you.”
“I do have my own room. It’s not like they gave me a dog bed in the kitchen.”
She smiled at the image. “I know, but I was thinking about your place in Athens. Maybe I want to cook breakfast for you.” She leaned closer. “Naked.”
“Damn.” He growled the word.
This time, Elysia couldn’t suppress the shiver, but she didn’t get to continue teasing him. Addie, sitting on her other side, nudged her.
“Not to interrupt…” A faint blush colored Addie’s cheeks. She must have heard some of their banter. “They want you to cut the cake.”
“Did someone say cake?” Donovan asked from further down the table.
“I guess that’s our cue,” James said, getting to his feet.
Laughing, Elysia let him help her up, and they made their way to the cake table. As with everything else, the cake was elegant and professionally done, but it was like no wedding cake Elysia had ever seen.
The modest, three tiers were iced in white and trimmed in black ribbon and large black roses. But it was the top tier, where the bride and groom figures stood that made the cake unique. Surrounding the figures was a collection of small black tombstones and a leafless black tree. But the best part was that the groom figure had been replaced with a black dog.
James took one look at the cake and shook his head. “Era, really?”
“What?” Era asked.
“I think it’s perfect,” Elysia said, and grinned up at him.
“Twisted necrom
ancer,” he muttered.
“Oh, yes.” She picked up the cake server and gave him a wink.
Though she and James had joked about sneaking out early, Elysia found herself enjoying the evening too much to act on it. Especially with Era cataloging the night with her camera.
“I can’t wait to see those pictures,” Elysia told her in a rare quiet moment between dances.
“I hope they turn out. The light is a challenge.”
Elysia had seen other pictures Era had taken. “I’m sure they’ll be brilliant.” She reached out and took Era’s hand. “Thank you. You have given me the best night of my life.” Considering that they had started their acquaintance with Era pinning her to the wall of James’s bedroom and ripping the air from her lungs, Elysia didn’t miss the irony.
“Easy. You don’t want to raise the bar too high. This is just the setup for what’s to come.” She glanced over at where James stood talking with Donovan, then gave Elysia a grin.
“I’m sure he’s up for the challenge.”
Era laughed and waved her off. “I’m going to stop there on the grounds that you might tell me more than I want to know.”
“Very well.” Elysia grew serious. “But I do want to thank you. You’ve really outdone yourself.”
“I have to agree,” Doug said stopping beside them. “Although, I’m not so sure about tombstones on a wedding cake.”
Era looked him over, but she must not have found anything to pick on with regard to his appearance. Doug always did look good in a tux. “Says the lord of the gothic nightmare,” Era said at last.
Doug grinned at her slam on his ancestral home. “What happened to your impassioned rant on subtlety and understatement?”
“Rant?”
Elysia smacked his shoulder. “Don’t let him rattle you, Era. He thought the cake was awesome, he’s just too uptight to admit it.”
“Uptight?” Doug demanded.
“I’m hardly rattled,” Era added.
Elysia grinned at both of them.
Doug rolled his eyes. “Do quit grinning, Ely. You haven’t won.”