“Let’s just say they can be a bit morespirited.”
I take a seat on my throne, and Logan sits on a stone next to me as we look down at the throngs of men around us along with a few disgruntled women peppered throughout, Emily Morgan being one ofthem.
“Where the hell are our people?” she shouts from the back, and I’m momentarily stunned. Out of everyone here, Emily has unobstructed access to me anytime she wishes. What thehell?
“They’re safe,” I offer. “Wesley has them on assignment.” Bullshit answer numberone.
Wes rears his head as if I had roused him from his sleep. “They’re not cominghome.”
“Shit,” I mutter under my breath. If he were closer, I’d kick him in thenuts.
Wes stands on a boulder to my left, erecting himself a full six feet above me. “Your loved ones are mine. They are to be utilized, disposed of in any manner that I desire because they gave me that honor.” The crowd ignites to unsafe levels of disgruntled cries, threats of bodily harm to both Wes andme.
Logan shoots me a look. “Just a bit more spirited.” He nods to the crowd. “They even come bearinggifts.”
I follow his gaze to a man with a noose in his hands, and my stomachsinks.
The Videns are pissed. They are hungry for blood. Tonight, they exude a fiery rage, and Wes just doused the place withgasoline.
Wesley turns to me, his eyes as dead as his soul. “Ezrina says she can’t guarantee a conversion. A sacrifice has been made. The people will simply have to live with it.” He takes off and evaporates as he hits the jasper wall behindme.
Logan and I stand as the crowd begins to riot amongstthemselves.
“You make a decision, and you live with it,” Logan offers as if it were sage advice. “That’s what happened tome.”
“It’s what happens to all of us.” But how the hell do you explain that to a bunch of rabid, grieving relatives who want their boysback?
Nathan and Barron come to mind, and my heart is overcome with grief right along with the rest of the Videns. I getit.
I hold out a hand, and the crowd begins to still. Slowly, the eruptions of hatred grind to ahalt.
“I cannot imagine your pain—but I can make it better.” I meet with the eyes of those near madness at what’s become of their loved ones. “I will do everything I can to bring your boys home safe.” I look right into Emily’s piercing stare. “Ipromise.”
* * *
Amonth crawls by.Skyla and I lasted one night at my parents’ house. One fucking night before my mother started an inquisition as to why Angel is still with us, and Skyla couldn’t handle the heat. Truthfully, neither could I. In fact, in the short month and a half we’ve had her, she feels every bit ours as much as the boys do. And I love her just as much. It’s shocking to me on some level, and yet completely understandable. I love Logan, and, of course, I love Skyla. How could I not love flesh from their flesh? Not to mention the fact Angel has an infectious laugh, and an infectious smile, and has started calling both Logan and me Da Da. And just as precious as that, she’s trained the boys to do the same. Skyla is still waiting for them to call her anything, but right now I’m honored to share that title with Logan. Deep down, I know it’s a title we’ll share in my boys’ life as long as we’realive.
But those dark dreams I’ve had of late keep coming, fast and furious. Water turns to wine. Wine turns to blood. I find myself drowning in a pool of red, the sky inverting as if it had the power to unzip itself as I float into the greatunknown.
I startle back to life as I blink out at the glistening waves off Silent Cove. The weather is lousy for this Fourth of July. If fireworks ensue later, we won’t be able to see them. This summer is a strange one for far more reasons than Paragon’s ubiquitous fog. Even Demetri opted out of his great summer bash, in which he lures the sun to come out and play. He’s been angry, barking at both Wes and me for whatever reason he can find. He’s suggested Wesley’s little FU to the Videns is causing him problems in the heavenlies—something about the Fem infrastructure crumbling like a house of cards. It’s comforting to know in a world where I can’t control a damn thing that even Demetri in all his demented glory has the very same problem. Somehow it makes my world a little less shaky knowing the ground is just as wobbly under everyone else’sfeet.
Logan’s backyard—for lack of a better word, is festooned with wisteria filled archways and sprays of flowers just about everywhere you look. If Laken had an elegant floral line leading to the sea, then Bree has outdone her by a perennial blooming mile. It looks as if a florist filled up a truck and dumped its contents wherever the hell it wanted. This is the disarray to Laken’s organization. The chaos to Laken’s calm. The gaudy to Laken’s elegant charm. And that is Bree in anutshell.
Since Skyla was barefoot at last year’s event, Bree has insisted that all of her bridesmaids show up sans footwear, which is fine since most of the big event takes place on sand. But Bree might have overlooked the fact that Skyla was pregnant last year with her ankles swollen and hidden under waterlogged flesh. Skyla might be back in shape just one year later, but that didn’t stop Bree from outfitting each girl in her wedding party with a maternity gown that resembles the one Skyla wore last year, and if I didn’t know better, I’d swear Skyla is wearing the exact same one. She’s cinched it off with a belt, but it still doesn’t do her body justice. The ceremony goes off without a hitch. Nathan and Barron are held by Mia and Melissa and don’t make a peep during the ceremony. Angel is safe in Laken’s arms. And even Wes is here with his dark-haired beauty, Tobie. I can’t help but smile when I see her. I’m sure Sage would have looked just asbeautiful.
“This is some party!” Lizbeth squeals as she and Tad waddle by, each with a child attached to their knee. Beau has just turned three, and both Ember and Misty, two. Life seems to be moving at a breakneck speed. Giselle just graduated from West, although she didn’t walk. She still has a few summer courses she needs to complete before it’s official. It’s hard to believe despite all of the wickedness in this world life just stubbornly barrelson.
Lizbeth can hardly catch her breath. “This is such a magical night! It wouldn’t surprise me at all if Drake and Brielle expanded their family by one in just nine shortmonths!”
Tad lets out a garbled cry. “Why’d you have to go and curse a perfectly good evening? There’s all the free seafood we can eat, Lizbeth. Couldn’t you focus onthat?”
“Children are a blessing, not acurse.”
“Speak for yourself. The only thing around here that’s a blessing is the fact I get to take home all the leftovers.” He smacks me over the arm. “That’s right Gregory. All the crustaceans we can eat for the next solid month. Nothing but the best for my son.” He gives a wistful shake of the head as if he actually paid forit.
“Speaking of sons—” Lizbeth gets that devious gleam in her eyes that has me searching the crowd for Skyla. “You have two very handsome boys who will be turning one in a matter of months. Youmustlet me plan theirparty.”
“I’m afraid that’s Skyla’s department.” And mine, but I leave myself out of it fornow.
