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As we stepped out into the afternoon, the snow drifted down to cloak our shoulders. The sky was silvery gray, and the yard around us sparkled under the fresh blanket of white. Everything felt magical and my anxiety began to subside.
Ahead, about twenty feet away, was the gazebo. Draped in red roses and ferns and baby’s breath, with garlands that were both festive for Yule and that mirrored the bouquet I was carrying as well as the wreath around my head, it looked like some enchanted faerie structure.
Waiting in the gazebo was Rowan, who would officiate at our ceremony. A broom, wrapped in silk roses and holly garland, stood to one side for the end of our vows. The handfasting cord—braided from silver, green, and red sparkling cords—was coiled on the table in front of Rowan. Next to the cord were two candles in silver and gold, and Rowan’s dagger.
Rowan was dressed in her finest ritual dress. She wore a crescent moon circlet around her head, and she looked radiant. To one side of the altar, Killian stood next to Tarvish, his best man. He turned to watch as Meagan, Tally, and Caitlin started down the aisle, followed by Ari. I caught his gaze, and he smiled, so wide that my fears floated away.
Ari reached the altar and stood to the side as the music changed. I had chosen “Travelers’ Prayer” by John Renbourn as my wedding march. It was perfect, and we’d timed it out to be the right length from the time Ari was midway down the aisle till I walked up the stairs to Killian’s side. I wasn’t about to have anybody “give” me away. Even during my first wedding, it hadn’t happened. Women of witchblood descent owned themselves. We weren’t property, we weren’t controlled. We made our own decisions, be they for better or ill.
I was midway down the aisle, my gaze fastened on the gazebo, when I caught a glimpse of movement to my right. For a moment, I ignored it, figuring that somebody was switching seats, but the next moment I gasped as a man darted out, jumping in front of me on the path.
“Ellison!” Instinctively, I stumbled back.
“Oh, babe, it’s me, and you’re not getting away this time! If fire can’t kill you, maybe metal can!” He was wild-eyed, with a large knife in his hand. As he raised it, I turned and began to run, trying not to slip on the fresh snow that was covering the path. I could hear him behind me, but I didn’t stop to look back. I wasn’t prepared to fight and I had no weapons of any kind on me.
Everyone was screaming as chaos erupted on either side of me. I couldn’t tell whether Ellison was still behind me, but the next moment someone grabbed my arm and yanked me around. I found myself staring at him as he raised his knife again.
“No, Ellison, no!” I struggled, trying to break free, but he was too strong. As the knife began to descend, I thought,This is it. I’ll never get to spend the rest of my life with my beloved Killian.Everything’s over, and once again, I lose to a man who hates me.
But seconds before the blade hit me, a massive gray wolf plowed into us from the side, knocking the knife out of Ellison’s hand. The wolf clamped down on Ellison’s arm, hard, and began to drag him away.
Trying to understand what had just happened, I realized I was on the ground, and Ari was next to me, trying to help me up. I was too stunned to cry. I took Ari’s hand and she helped me stand. We looked over to where Killian was dragging Ellison. Millie Tuptin had managed to make her way over to them from where she had been sitting. She had her gun trained on Ellison as she tried to convince Killian to let go. Even dressed in a blue pantsuit for a wedding, she was prepared. As he finally complied, backing away with a low growl, Ellison turned on Millie.
“You won’t win—you’ll never win!” He let out a strangled cry and lunged for her, his eyes wild and his voice spiraling out of control.
“Stand back or I’ll shoot!” Millie said.
But Ellison ignored her. Millie took aim and shot, catching him in the leg. Ellison screamed and fell, writhing on the ground. Several of the male guests jumped in to help, holding him down until backup could arrive.
I stared at him. His aura was different. Ellison was human, but now, magic surrounded him. I shook my head as Ari led me over to one of the vacated chairs and helped me sit down. She retrieved the wreath that had fallen off my head and handed it to me.
“What the fuck…” I looked up at her. “What happened?” It wasn’t that I didn’t logically know what had happened, but it had been such a shock that I felt fuzzy headed and blurry.
“Stay here. I’ll go talk to Millie.” Ari motioned for Meagan to take her place. “Sit with her, would you?”
Meagan did so as Ari headed over to the chief of police. A few moments later, Killian approached. He was wearing someone’s long coat. I had no idea where his clothes were.
“Are you all right?” he asked, kneeling beside me.
I was unsure what to say. “Yeah…I…where thehelldid he come from? How did he get in?”
“We’re outdoors. It couldn’t have been hard for him to find a way in and a place to hide. Did he hurt you? Did he touch you?” Killian was giving off a seriousI’ll kill himvibe.
“He bruised me up a bit, but the knife never hit me.” The last thing I wanted was for Killian to go after him now. “Wait…he said if ‘Fire can’t kill you’…do you think he’s the one who set my house on fire? Maybe it wasn’t Mills?”
“There has to be some connection,” Meagan said. “Ellison isn’t witchblood so he couldn’t join the Covenant of Chaos. But…”
“Maybe they made use of him. He’d be an easy pawn to control. And they’d probably be able to get him out of that house arrest anklet.” I shook my head as Millie came over. A couple officers had got here and they were taking Ellison away in handcuffs.
“Are you okay?” she asked. “Did he hurt you?”
I was shaking. “No, but he scared the fuck out of me. I think he’s the one who started the fire, Millie—the fire at my house. I think the Covenant of Chaos gave him the magical propellant.”
“We’ll look into it, but you’re likely right. As we were holding him over there, he was babbling like some fanatic.”
A thought occurred to me. “If theyarecontrolling him, that won’t get him off from trying to kill me, will it?”
“Not likely,” she said. “Listen, we’re trying to find Mills McFarland. Do you have any idea where he’s at?”
