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Now . . . was I wil ing to honor a year and a day? Was I ready to commit to a specified length of time? Of course, if it got bad, we’d go our separate ways, but this was a test. A test to see if I was ready for more than just lip service.
I took her hand, kissed the ring on her finger. “Nerissa, you are the only one in the world that I would say yes to. Yes—let’s have a promise ceremony. I have no idea what the future wil be like, or if there wil even be a future, but yes.” And with that, we were off making plans, until the approaching dawn drove me down into my lair, into satisfied slumber.
CHAPTER 12
The next night, Nerissa was there when I woke up. She’d gone during the day to apply for the position with Chase, and he’d hired her on the spot. We celebrated and—during the early dinner Iris had fixed—sprang the news of our promise ceremony. We opted to hold it on the Vernal Equinox, during the spring festival of new growth, when life springs forth from the soil and the balance of the year once again hangs forefront. This would give us enough time to find outfits and real y hammer out what this meant for us. Nerissa would be in her new condo by then and we could spend time truly alone.
Camil e had immediately launched into a fashion discussion with Nerissa about dresses and makeup, while Delilah used the news as an excuse to talk Iris into making cookies, even though I couldn’t eat any.
Iris stopped by my chair—I’d vacated my usual place near the ceiling for once—and gave me a tight hug. “Menol y, you deserve this. You deserve so much, and she’s a wonderful woman.”
Touched, I squeezed her hand gently, then let go as she headed over to the stove. Tril ian rushed to help her put dinner on the table—they were having fried chicken and mashed potatoes.
Morio winked at me. “Taking the plunge, are you? About time.”
I shook my head at him. “We aren’t getting married, dude, but thanks. And I’m happy about it.
She’s my girl, she is.”
Nerissa giggled and blew me a kiss. “I’d better be your only girl.”
“No doubt about that.”
As Tril ian passed by with a tray of food, I moved out of the way. The smel of food had been torture until Morio had come up with the enchanted blood for me, but it stil wasn’t easy.
Morio motioned toward the fridge. “Bottle of chicken soup-flavored blood in the refrigerator, and one that tastes like rhubarb pie.”
I cocked my head. “Weird mix, but sounds good.” I wasn’t going to complain; anything was better than the taste—day after day—of blood.
As I contemplated floating up toward the ceiling, it occurred to me that first, I should cal Tavah at the bar to ask how Erin was doing. The phone rang at that moment and Delilah answered. She turned around, hand over the mouthpiece.
“Tavah.”
Speak of the devil . . . I took the phone and moved into the hal .
“What’s up? Everything okay?”
“Yeah, I just thought I’d check in with you. Listen, Erin is happy as a clam to be working again.
It’s al we can do to find enough work for her. She genuinely seems content.” There was an undercurrent of tension in her words.
“I hear a but in there.”
“Yeah . . . just that . . . I hate locking her in the safe room during the day. I know she’s safe there, but after I leave at night, that leaves her alone for several hours. She’s able to talk to people in the bar, but she hasn’t been socialized much over the past year, boss. I think she real y needs to meet more vampires and learn how to interact with breathers.”
There was one place where she could do that, and I knew it. “Let me cal Wade. He was There was one place where she could do that, and I knew it. “Let me cal Wade. He was supposed to let me know about his decision anyway.”
“Decision?”
“Never mind. I’l see what I can do. Meanwhile, thanks for looking after her. I’l try to be in tonight, but we have an emergency and I’m not sure if I’l be able to get there before the bar closes. Ask Chrysandra to watch Derrick, and tel Erin good night for me, please.” As I hung up, I was already dialing Wade’s number.
He answered on the second ring. “Dude, we need to talk. I need your answer and I need to ask you a big favor.”
“You kil ed Sassy,” he said softly.
“I had no choice.” I didn’t bother to ask him how he found out but ran over my meeting with her.
“She lost it, Wade. She lost it in a big way. I had to keep my promise.”
