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She shrugged. "You're the one that fed them. Why? Wanting to celebrate already?"
Ok, that was almost funny, except that she still didn't look happy and her tone was too flat. It was like she was simply going through the motions but her heart wasn't behind it. Not at all.
"No, I, um..." He glanced back at the kitchen. "Look. I think we need to make a trip to Omaha this week. It's like three hours away, there's a church there, and I can get you in as my fiancée."
"Wife." Her voice was completely cold.
"Fiancée," he said again. "According to them, we're not married until there's a ceremony in their church. Now - "
She didn't let him finish. "That's what you want?" Dahlia sat up straight. "What the fuck are you thinking, Thane?"
"And this," he snarled, finally letting his frustration show, "is why I asked how long your friends are staying. Shut up and listen for a second." He tossed his head back, trying to keep his calm. This wasn't exactly the crowd of friends he wanted to piss off. "I was thinking we could head over there, introduce you to a few priests who have never seen you, and get witnesses that my supposed girlfriend is a very real, properly devout girl. Maybe even try out one of those stakes on one before we leave. Either way, it does three things."
"I'm listening." She might be, but she still wasn't happy about it.
"First, we figure out if the stake actually does anything to my kind. Second, we get to see if you and Cain can walk into one of our churches without being noticed. Third, it sets up a reason for me to keep making trips out here without needing to lose all of my connections back home." He held up a finger. "But I'm about to call off our little wedding, just so you know."
"What?" Her brow furrowed. "Why?"
Thane leaned closer. "Because you look like you'd prefer I stuck one of those spikes in you than go through with this. I know why you agreed. I also know you were assuming you'd be dust when you grabbed that thing. To me, that sounds like you didn't mean it, so I'm not about to hold you to any of this."
"But it's a good idea."
He did his best impression of Laird's bullshit look. "I know. I offered to marry you so we can change your name. That doesn't mean you like it, and a false wedding doesn't help you any if you don't believe in it. Cain said there are other ways to remove the power your name holds, so why don't you just forget I ever asked."
Leaning back, he tried to stand, but she stopped him. Her hand grabbed his arm, right over the leather cuff, and held him in place. When he looked back, a hint of something was finally starting to show. He wasn't sure what, but he could see it.
"It's customary for the groom to feed the bride's family the night before. Did you know that?" She flicked her eyes to the kitchen, making the point.
"No. I did that because I knew you all wanted to talk and I can't fuck for a meal." He pried her hand away. "It's ok, Dahlia. I think you were less terrified of facing down a church of inquisitors than thinking about this, so don't do it. We're still a go for trashing the Inquisition."
Her next words were just a whisper, meant to be completely private. "I want to try."
He paused, weighing that. "You sure?"
She nodded. "Yeah, it's just weird. I never expected to marry an inquisitor. I mean, I never expected to get married again at all. For so long, my lover was a woman, and that wasn't allowed. It took marriage off the table, since I'd never consider anyone but her. For it to come up again, and to someone like you?"
And so fast. She didn't say the words, but they hung between them, heavy enough for him to feel it.
"Is that a good or a bad thing?" He was honestly curious which way she was leaning, because she wasn't giving him much to work with.
Slowly, her tongue traced the line of her upper lip. "I'm hoping it's a good one."
"Ok. And if I'm a shitty husband, just rip my body in half like you did the priest by Starbucks. Deal?"
Her baby blue eyes moved between his. "You saw that? I thought you were down."
"I was getting up, and to be honest, it was rather impressive. Now, we won't talk about how I almost pissed myself when I realized that meant I was alone with you - again - but I've never heard of anything ripping a man's body apart like that. Gives me a real good incentive to not piss you off too much. Right?"
She finally smiled. "Too much. So a little is ok?"
He leaned over and kissed her cheek. "Babe, a little is normal between a husband and his wife. Don't you dare think I'm going to become quiet and submissive just because you're stronger and meaner than me. I'm good for more than keeping the house clean and being a pretty face, you know."
Her body relaxed. "Thane?" She reached up and cupped his face. "Thanks."
"Now, are you going to tell me about this ceremony I'm about to be doing? I hear there's some twins involved."
"In my day, we prayed to the Sun and the Moon. We believed they were twins that looked over the world."
