The insight revealed in that question caught Delia off guard.“Yes,” she admitted.“I’ve always been sensitive to the atmosphere in particular locations.And something about that chapel felt very wrong to me.”
“Like my dreams,” Olivia said quietly.
“Exactly like your dreams.”
Alec looked back and forth between the two women, his expression skeptical but not completely dismissive.“So…we’re talking about what, exactly?Some kind of psychic phenomenon?”
The infernal energy spiked again, but this time, it seemed oddly muted, as though most of its power had been absorbed by the protective wall she’d built around her consciousness.When it passed, Delia could tell she felt more centered, more in control.
“I know it sounds crazy,” she said, relieved to hear that her voice sounded steady.“But some people are just more sensitive to certain kinds of environmental changes.”
Olivia gave a slow, considering nod.“And you think whatever’s happening, it’s going to peak around the time of the wedding?”
“I think it’s possible,” Delia replied.“Which is why I wanted to make sure you were somewhere safe.”
“And this place is safe?”Alec asked, inclining his head toward the chapel.
Delia allowed her psychic senses to extend beyond the wall she’d built, testing the energy patterns around the building.The chapel sat on a minor ley line, but not one of the major intersection points the demons were targeting.More importantly, she couldn’t sense any of the twisted supernatural signatures that marked the places where Vinea’s people had been working.
“Yes,” she said with more confidence than she’d felt all day.“This place should be fine.”
“Then let’s book it,” Olivia said.
Inside, Jeannette was waiting, wearing a professional smile although she had obvious questions in her eyes.
“We’d like to book the chapel for tomorrow,” Olivia said.“Seven-thirty in the evening, if possible.”
“Wonderful.”Jeannette’s smile looked genuinely warm now.“With so little lead time, I’m afraid I’ll need the entire amount up front.”
“That’s fine,” Alec said, pulling out his wallet.
While they handled the paperwork, Delia’s phone vibrated.A text from Ty appeared on the screen.
Multiple new incidents reported across the city.Pattern suggests major escalation within the next twenty-four hours.How’s the family situation?
The venue’s taken care of.Everyone’s in town now.Any word on Caleb?
Still working on it.Keep family away from downtown area if possible.
The text conversation ended there, leaving Delia with the uncomfortable realization that whatever Vinea was planning, it was accelerating faster than any of them had anticipated.
“Is everything all right?”Olivia asked, brow puckering in a small frown.
Lord knows what she must have looked like as she was texting with Ty.“Just coordinating all the other arrangements,” Delia said, which was true enough.“Making sure your vendors are on the same page about the venue change.”
Jeannette handed Alec a folder with copies of all the contracts.“I think you two are going to have a beautiful ceremony.”
As the three of them left the chapel and walked toward Delia’s little SUV, Olivia looked over at her cousin with an expression that was part gratitude and part concern.
“Thank you for all of this,” she said.“I know there’s more going on than you’re telling me, but I trust you.”
“You’re family,” Delia replied simply.“I’ll always do whatever it takes to make sure you’re happy.”
And safe, she added mentally.
Even as she got out her key fob to unlock the Kona, another wave of energy rolled over her, and this time it came with a vision so clear and immediate, she had to grip the door handle to keep herself from falling.
Once again, she saw Angel’s Dream transformed into something that belonged in a nightmare, with symbols carved into every surface and dark energy swirling through the air like smoke.This time, she also saw Vinea in his true form — not the urbane businessman but something ancient and terrible and utterly without mercy, a thousand times worse than the other demons they’d battled so far.
