Koa rolled first. Eighteen. Zane swore under his breath. Casimir rolled next. Seven. He showed no visible reaction, but I swear his hands actually creaked as they fisted at his sides. Finally, Zane rolled. Two.
“Are youseriousright now?” he shrieked.
“Victory,” Koa beamed.
Miraculously, the rest of the ceremony went off without further incident, aside from Koa practically glowing with possessive pride, Casimir looking like he was mentally calculating the most effective way to kill me if I screwed up, and Zane doing, well,Zane thingsat the piano bench. At one point, I even caught him making jerking-off gestures while mouthing, “Suck this,” at Koa!
By the time I reached the pronouncement, I was numb.
“By the power vested in me, I now pronounce you man—”
“Ahem.”
Some might have thought Casimir was simply clearing his throat. I, however, recognized it for what it was: A warning that I was seconds from the grave.
“Menand wife.” I hastily corrected. “You may now kiss the bride.”
Koa went first. Lazy, teasing, like he had all the time in the world to savor her. Zane’s kiss was hard, fast, and feral as he lifted her clean off the ground before Casimir shoved him back toward the piano. Casimir’s kiss was brief, but nearly scandalous in the unspoken promise behind it.
As the recessional began, I heard the opening notes of Beethoven’s “Ode to Joy.”
Ah, good. At least we’ll end with something normal.
Then the music changed, and I froze.
Was thatQueen?
It was.
“We Will Rock You.”
I turned slowly to Zane, who was now slamming the piano keys with the force of a glam star at a concert and bellowing out the lyrics in a voice smoother than Freddie Mercury’s.
Koa roared with laughter. Casimir’s expression turned downright homicidal. Brumous howled in accompaniment. I stared into the void. And the bride?
Shelaughed. In utter delight. Like she couldn’t believe this was her life, and somehow it wasexactlywhat she wanted.
In a daze, I signed the marriage certificate and handed it off to Koa, the die-declared legal husband, and waited until he autographed it. As I quickly stuffed it into my briefcase, Zane’s fingers flew across the piano keys, his grin widening as he launched into George Michael’s “I Want Your Sex.” He winked at the bride, who obviously didn’t recognize the song, but Koa spun her around the room with a grin that could light up the darkest night. Her laughter echoed off the walls, lilac dress swirling like a summer breeze, and Brumous bounded after them, top hat askew and barking joyfully as if he, too, were part of the dance.
Casimir dropped his head and pinched the space between his eyes, muttering something under his breath that sounded suspiciously like, “I am beset by idiots.” But then his gaze flicked to his wife as she laughed in Koa’s arms, and somethingalmostlike a smile tugged at the corners of his mouth.
“The photographer has arrived,” a staff member intoned from the door.
As the quartet descended upon the unaware woman, I took advantage of the distraction and fled, dress shoes snapping echoes off the Italian marble. I did not know what in Jesus’ name I’d just witnessed, but I was certain of one thing: This woman wasdoomedto be adored by three monsters. And she did not seem to mind one bit.
27. For a Favor
Zane
The morning air was crisp, the kind of chill that nips at your nose and makes you wish you’d grabbed a jacket.
I didn’t have time to because Brumous demanded I take him outimmediately, and now he was running like he was auditioning for the Iditarod. He was all energy this morning, his oversized pawskicking up dew from the grass as he zigzagged across the lawn. I let him go, my fingers drumming absently against my thigh.
My mind was elsewhere. On Seri, on her bruises, on the way she winced when she thought we weren’t looking. None of us could stand it. Not Casimir with his med kit, not Koa with his worry, and definitely not me with my inability to fix things with sarcasm alone.
So we’d brainstormed ideas, everything from buying a potion from a local coven to calling Lucian to see what he had in stock, but none of us trusted a potion we hadn’t seen made and we weren’t about to call our father if we didn’t have to. That left two allies with healing abilities. Our first choice, a nephilim, was out of the country, chasing some big evil with her team, but our second choice was available and on his way.
I glanced toward the driveway. Angelo della Morte should be here soon. Last night’s call had been short and to the point. Angelo didn’t do small talk, and neither did we. We needed his help, and he’d agreed without hesitation. He didn’t make promises lightly, and when he did, he kept them. It was one of the things I respected most about him, and one of the reasons why we trusted him.
