AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Apparently she had to snap Nox’s neck to get it to release itself from him, but the male doesn’t look any worse for wear.
Even I can reluctantly admit it’s rather striking on her. As Lydia walks her into the room, the shadows melt and dance to form a black gown, complete with a train that rolls behind her in plumes.
She looks like death, but in a good way.
Nox seems to think so as well, because he stands there at the end of the cellar, looking utterly awestruck at his mate as she skips across the room.
It’s a strange experience, watching a vampire cloaked in a gown of shadows literally skip across the room during a surprise wedding thrown in the middle of the night.
Not that they’d be getting married in the daylight anyway, I figure.
It’s strange, and though part of me wants nothing to do with this, feels dread creeping up my throat at the idea of witnessing a wedding after the last one…
I steel myself with a deep inhale, thinking of what Asha would want.
I imagine she would find a surprise vampire wedding delightful.
So I force myself to observe, and make a note of every single detail, so I can tell her the story of it later.
Fin spent the hour Bezzie was cooking preparing his speech, and though initially he seemed irritated at being awakened in the middle of the night, I can tell he’s reveling in the honor of getting to perform a wedding ceremony.
He even teasingly offered to marry Lydia and Elias if they wanted.
Lydia had flicked her wrist and informed us they’d married months ago.
Elias had shrugged in confirmation.
“We’re gathered here tonight, well, I would say to celebrate the union of these two.” Fin points to Blaise and Nox. “But really it’s to catch up on some much needed sleep before trying to save the world, and it seems we’ve been roped into witnessing a wedding. Which I’m fine with, so long as you two don’t try that bloodsharing ceremony in front of us. Because I might pull an Asha and throw up.”
Blaise flashes her fangs teasingly, and Fin grimaces.
It’s all I can do to keep from exploding as I watch Blaise and Nox exchange their vows, their world lit up in a burst of midnight light, while mine fades into the shadows of what could happen to Asha if tomorrow doesn’t go as planned.
CHAPTER 99
KIRAN
As it turns out, Calias did me an unexpected favor when he gifted my ignorant father all these statues of Tionis.
We’ve had them on our radar for weeks now as potential ways to enter the palace undetected. The statue in the gardens isn’t a viable option, since that’s the very statue Az once used to sneak into the palace grounds.
But Asha’s innocent little sister has turned into quite the sleuth.
I would be lying if I said I expected this much of Dinah. Not that I don’t hold a tremendous amount of respect for the girl. But I’ve always considered the way she sees the best in everyone a tad on the naïve side.
As I consider the connections Dinah made to find this statue of Tionis for us, I wonder if I’ve been the naïve one.
“How did you find this again?” Fin asks, looking down at the miniature version of the statue that lies in the center of a sandstone tomb on the outskirts of town.
The tomb is rather large, but it doesn’t feel that way with me, Dinah, Fin, Lydia, Elias, Blaise, and Nox crammed in here.
Dinah doesn’t look at Fin as she answers, though blotches of red stain her cheek. “Well, Zoph heard it from Riza, who heard it from Bachlan, who heard it from Selda, that this was here. You can’t always trust what Selda has to say, but when he’s not drunk on faerie wine, he actually gives some brilliant advice.”
Fin looks from Dinah to me, as if to silently ask, “Who are any of these people?”
“The beggars in Meranthi,” Lydia says, a sly look of surprise on her face as she examines the younger girl.
“Oh, so you have friends in low places, do you?” Fin casually nudges Dinah in the shoulder, at which her entire body stiffens.
