A knock sounded on the door, and I grinned at him. “Come in,” I said, not taking my eyes off him.
Danica poked her head in. “Dinner is finished,” she said. “Mere, you’re with me.”
Vas scowled, and I gave him a sly smile. “I’m at the whims of the underqueen. See you soon.”
He didn’t like it, but he allowed it. Danica was practically bouncing in place. She led me out of our rooms and down a long hall.
“You told him?”
“Yeah.” I’d told Danica earlier today, purely because I needed to know if I could pull off my next little surprise, or whether I needed to wait until the baby was born. She’d come back to me a few hours later with her answer, and now she was opening the door to her rooms.
I’d seen her rooms before, but I didn’t think I’d ever get used to the way Samael and Danica had managed to create something so homey while still retaining so much luxury.
The walls were painted a soft gray-blue, and a separate living room offered plenty of spots to curl up and relax on the stuffed sofas and armchairs near an unlit fire. Danica opened the next door, leading to her dressing room. Kyla and Evie both waited, grinning at me.
Nerves made my heart thump harder in my chest. “You guys think he’ll like it?”
Evie grinned at me, holding up the dress. “He’ll love it. Let’s get you changed.”
It didn’t take long. Thankfully, Danica had asked Hera—Lucifer’s ex-concubine—to help me get ready. She’d brought two maids, who practically trembled with excitement.
“Just a touch more eyeliner, I think,” Hera said. “And a soft color on her mouth. Nothing gaudy.”
Within half an hour, I was ready. I took a deep breath as I looked in the mirror. My dress was a floor-length light-blue gown, simple but flattering. It drew attention to my best features, hiding the ones I didn’t love.
“I’m ready.”
“Let’s go, then. Samael’s with Vas,” Danica said. “I’ve told him to meet us downstairs.”
I took a deep breath, and Evie linked her arm with mine. “I’m so happy for you two.”
Kyla nodded. “You look beautiful, Mere.”
We filed down to the private garden. The breath left my lungs as I took it all in, and my eyes prickled.
“Danica… It’s incredible.”
She glanced around with a pleased smile. “I wanted it to be special.”
Special didn’t cover it.
Thousands of candles flickered across the space, bathing the entire garden in a soft glow. The garden had already been stunning, but Danica had added white flowers to every surface. They dripped down the stone wall, sat in baskets hanging from the gate, and poured from huge planters on the ground.
At the end of the garden, orbs of light hung in the air, illuminating our friends’ faces.
I’d kept the ceremony small—just our closest friends. Orin winked at me, and I gave a single thought to the bar, but I was sure he would’ve handled it.
Vas was popular, so there were still at least seventy people waiting for us. Samael stalked through a side door, Vas behind him.
Vas blinked in shock at the garden. Then his gaze found me, and his eyes heated. He was by my side in an instant.
“You look… You look…”
“He’s speechless,” Danica said. “Obviously, we did good.”
He grinned, never taking his eyes off me. “You look like a fairy-tale princess. Too beautiful to be real.”
“Charmer,” Kyla said. “Let’s go get a seat before the demons take them all.”
