I nodded and sniffed, trying to rein in the wild mix of emotion and fear—was it fear?—running through my veins.
“Good answer,” she said, angling the phone. “Now look in the mirror.”
I did. And my own image locked me in place.
My sisters both stepped up behind me, though Jean had to put her phone down to use her crutch. We’d been back in town for four days. All of us were still a little bruised up from the battle in hell.
I’d told Ryder we should postpone the wedding.
I’d told Bertie we should postpone the wedding.
They’d both told me firmly, that I was out of my mind.
Somehow, Bertie had pulled all the final details together. Ryder had told me, in near tears himself yesterday, that she’d gotten all the award-winning cheese he’d ever hoped for.
I was glad for the cheese, and happy she’d insisted we stay out of the rest of the preparation.
The station had mutinied and told me to take the week off. Ryder had already planned the week off from his business.
It had given us some time. Time to hold each other. Time to praise the dragon-pig and Spud. Time to walk the beach or stay at home in bed, binging shows. Some time for Ryder to get used to not being bound to a god, though I thought that change would take many more months.
It had been wonderful. A vacation I didn’t know how much I needed.
Even the gods had given us a break, none of them dropping in to check on me, as none of them were worried about a demon attack since the demons were, according to Bathin, “launching all-out war to settle who gets the throne.”
Xtelle and Avnas hadn’t returned to Ordinary, so my bet was on them.
“See that terrified, ridiculous dark-haired woman in the mirror?” Jean asked.
I scowled at her. “I’m not terrified.”
“Good. See her? That look on her face like she’s going to feed someone to her pet dragon?”
I snorted. “That dragon doesn’t need to eat for the next six months.”
“Sure, but see her? That fierce sister of mine? She is not going to mess up her makeup is she?”
“No?”
“No. I’ve only ever seen her in a dress like twice in my life, and this pretty dress is made for dancing the night away. Right?”
“Right.”
“And this walking down the aisle stuff?” She blew air through her lips. “Piece of easy peasy pie. You’ll say your vows, he’ll say his vows, you’ll do the repeat after me thing and an I do. Then done. Over. You know what happens next?”
“I’m a married woman, and my whole world changes?”
“No. Hells, no. What happens next, is you eat a fancy dinner, drink champagne, and shove cake in Ryder’s face.”
She rested her head on my shoulder. “No crying, okay?”
“I’ll try.”
Myra nodded. “I brought you a blue handkerchief, that’s your blue.”
“My what?”
“Old, new, borrowed, blue. It’s tradition,” she said.
