If only you knew how much more worried she should be,Delia thought.Making sure her pasted-on smile didn’t waver, she said, “It’s really no problem.I’m just glad I was able to find some alternatives for you to consider.”
“About that,” Olivia said, and something in her tone made alarm bells start going off in Delia’s mind.
Like it wasn’t already busy enough in there.
“I’ve been thinking about what you said, about the management issues at Angel’s Dream, and I’m wondering if maybe we’re being a little hasty.I mean, we’ve already paid in advance, and the ceremony is only the day after tomorrow.Maybe we should just stick with what we’ve got and hope for the best.”
No.Absolutely not.Over her dead body.
“I really think you should at least look at the alternatives,” Delia replied, doing her best to keep her tone light and casual.“Some of the places I found are actually quite a bit nicer than Angel’s Dream.More elegant, better settings for your wedding photos, that kind of thing.”
“But we’ve already paid them,” Alec interjected, frowning.“We’re talking about losing a decent chunk of change here.It’s not just a simple deposit.And frankly, I’m not sure I understand why we need to make a change at all.The chapel looked fine when we did the virtual tour.”
Another spike of ley line energy coursed through Delia’s system, and this time it was accompanied by something else — a vision, brief but terrifyingly clear, of Angel’s Dream Wedding Chapel filled with writhing shadows and the sound of otherworldly screaming.
“Trust me,” she said, realizing even as she spoke that she sounded much too intense.“You donotwant to get married at Angel’s Dream.”
Olivia and Alec exchanged a look, and Delia realized she’d probably come on way too strong.Normal people didn’t usually speak with such vehemence about wedding venues, not unless there was a really good reason.
“Is there something specific you’re not telling us?”Olivia asked, voice almost too neutral.“Because if there’s a serious problem with the chapel, then we need to know about it.”
There it was.Now Delia had to decide just how much truth she was willing to share with her family members.Not the whole truth — she couldn’t tell them about demons and ley lines and interdimensional portals.But maybe she could give them enough information to understand that this wasn’t just about wedding aesthetics.
“There have been some incidents,” she said after a pause she knew must have been horribly conspicuous.“At Angel’s Dream and some of the other recently acquired venues.Electrical problems, safety violations, that sort of thing.Nothing that’s made the news yet, but the city’s been investigating.”
It wasn’t entirely a lie.There had been electrical incidents across Las Vegas, and people in the city government were undoubtedly investigating them, even if they had no idea what they were really dealing with.
Alec’s frown deepened.“What kind of safety concerns?”
“Mostly infrastructure issues,” Delia replied, improvising as she went.“Wiring problems, electrical surges, that sort of thing.They could definitely cause problems during a ceremony if they’re not addressed.”
“How do you even know about all this?”Olivia asked, and there was something sharp in her cousin’s voice now, a note of suspicion that made Delia’s pulse quicken.
“I have lots of contacts in the real estate industry and with the city,” Delia said, which at least was perfectly true.“Word gets around when there are problems with commercial properties.”
Another exchange of glances between the couple, and then Alec’s expression shifted from suspicion to concern.“Are we talking about serious safety hazards?Like, could people actually get hurt?”
More than you can begin to imagine,Delia thought.“It’s possible,” she said.“Which is why I really think you should consider one of the alternatives.Just to be safe.”
Olivia was quiet for a long moment, staring at something over Delia’s shoulder.When she finally spoke, her voice was soft and uncertain, barely audible above the bustle of people coming and going from the terminal.“And there are my dreams,” she said.“About the wedding.Terrible dreams where something goes wrong and people get hurt.”
“You’ve had more of them?”Delia asked gently.
“Yes,” Olivia said, voice flat, as if she didn’t want to allow any betraying emotion to creep in.“I always see fire and people screaming, people dying.And there’s also this horrible feeling like something dark and awful was coming right through the walls.”She shook her head.“I know it sounds crazy, but they feel so real, almost like they’re warnings or something.”
“They very well may be,” Delia said, and meant it.“Sometimes our subconscious picks up on things that our logical mind dismisses.If your instincts are telling you something’s wrong, then I think you should listen to them.”
Alec wrapped his arm around Olivia’s shoulders, and now Delia could see the protective concern in his expression.Whatever else she might think about the man — she instinctively distrusted people who looked so glossy and perfect — it was clear that he cared about her cousin’s well-being.
“Okay,” he said after a pause.“After we get to the house, you can show us the alternatives.If there are safety concerns with Angel’s Dream, then we need to take that seriously.”
The relief that flooded through Delia was so intense, it made her knees a little weak.“Sounds good,” she said.“I know you won’t regret making the change.”
“I hope not,” Olivia replied, but she was smiling now, and some of the tension had left her shoulders.“Because my parents’ flight lands in a little over an hour, and I’m really hoping we can have some good news to share with them.”
Right.Uncle Doug and Aunt Vicky.Along with Alec’s family, who were also already in the air.More people flying into the heart of darkness, more family members who would need to be protected while having absolutely no idea what they were being protected from.
As they walked toward the baggage claim area, Delia got another text.This one was from Ty.
