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Cain gestured for the pair to lean back and give him room. "Now that you are married, it's traditional to offer your bride a symbol of commitment. It tends to come right after I untie you." Which he did in half the time it took him to bind them together.
But Nikki stepped up to take the ribbons. "And these are now your wife's."
At the same time, Roarke passed over the little box with the ring that Thane had shown Dahlia at the airport. "Will you wear it?" he asked. "I know you can't always, but at least for today?"
She nodded, and he pulled it out of the velvet padding to slip it onto her finger. Dahlia let him, aware that the simple gold band was perfect. But while Thane made sure he didn't hurt her while getting it on, a hand tapped Dahlia's hip. That could only be Nikki, so she reached back - and felt leather pressed against her palm.
"I have a commitment gift for you too," Dahlia said once her ring was truly on. Then she showed him the bracelet. "It's not a ring, but maybe that means you won't need to remove it?"
He offered his left wrist. "Not unless I have to."
The moment the bead touched his skin, she felt a tangible vibration from the bracelet. Dahlia's head snapped up and Thane's brow creased, meaning he'd felt it too. Still, the energy didn't last for long, so she closed the clasp, locking it to his arm.
"That's how the clavum was for me," she said.
"Yeah, so what's on the bracelet?" he asked.
Nikki chuckled deviously. "Just a little protection spell. Good magic, I promise."
"Technically," Dahlia said, "we should trade gifts at the wedding feast, but that's supposed to last a week, and I don't think we want that much celebration in our lives."
"Maybe not," Nikki said, "but I am taking you both out to the clubs tonight. We'll feed the valkyrie, let the hunter see what we do when we're not being chased and killed, and actually celebrate that the least likely pairing in the world has just happened."
"And I," Cain said, "have my own little wedding gift for the pair of you. When you're done being congratulated, stop by my place and I'll introduce you to my accountant." He grinned. "The man also makes identification. Yes, that includes passports. The good kind."
"And that," Thane said, "might be the nicest thing anyone has ever given me. Means that maybe the Church won't find any of us."
"Almost like you got married for nothing," Roarke joked.
Thane just looked at Dahlia. "No, I got married for a very good reason. Because some women are worth fighting for, not against."
ChapterFifteen
THANE
Afew of the eidolon left the moment the ceremony was over. They were the same ones who'd whispered complaints about him, but Thane wasn't shocked. He'd known that her people wouldn't like him. In truth, he'd expected it to be a lot worse. The surprising part was how many stayed to offer Dahlia and him congratulations.
Because he was married. Maybe not the legal kind that he could take off his taxes, but he was still actually married. He had a wife, and one that was more amazing than he ever could've dreamed of. All his life, he'd expected to find some placid woman willing to grow old with him who wouldn't ask too many questions about his faith, and he'd hated it.
Instead, he got this.
His wife was one of the most powerful creatures in existence. His new "cousin" was a guy he was actually starting to think of as a friend. Then there was Cain. The living Bible story was a brilliant man with more patience than anyone else Thane had ever met. Any of this would be overwhelming on its own, but combined? Thane felt like he had to be hallucinating, or like the world was moving just a little too fast. Or both.
And then he got Cain's "wedding present." Waiting in the man's apartment was an accountant. The guy looked to be in his early forties, but only at first glance. His body was fit and toned. His suit was sloppy and poorly fit, making the accountant look almost pudgy because of the bulk of cloth. He wore glasses, but they looked like they were more for decoration than correcting any vision issues. He also knew a little too much.
The man's name was Claunek - Thane wasn't sure if that was his first or last name - and he claimed to work with immortals. He made impressive promises of generational banking, stock and investment profiles that would be "inherited" by Dahlia's next life, and completely new identities that had complete back stories. All they had to do was sign a nice little contract that gave him and his associates a mere five percent of the monies earned - and willed all of it to his company if they died.
That was where Thane put his foot down. He wanted his money to go to Dahlia, since hewouldeventually die. For a little too long, Claunek stared at him, measuring Thane as if he expected him to give in. Then the accountant nodded sagely.
"Fine. Your investments will go to her upon your death, but I'll get twenty percent as my filing fee," he offered.
"Sounds good," Thane agreed.
Then Claunek scribbled on two sets of papers and pushed over what appeared to be contracts at them. Dahlia signed without hesitation, so Thane did the same. After all, she seemed to know more about this than he could ever hope to. Once that was done, however, Claunek stood, asked the couple to wait, and stepped outside. On the other side of the living room, Cain just chuckled.
"Yes, he's strange," he admitted, "but I promise that man can do everything he says. I met him by accident when trying to change my last identity. It seems we're not the scariest thing out there in the world."
"So, he's an eidolon?" Thane asked.
