Page 159 of You’re So Vein

“You realise this means you and Hannah will be part of my crazy family,” I blurt out.

“I’d like nothing more.”

“You’ll have to show up to every family dinner, help out in Papa’s shop, and play with my cousins, no matter how loud and obnoxious they’re being. And you’d have to learn how to make perfect roti and put up with the aunties and—”

“I understand this.”

“And my mother is going to want a huge wedding with dancing for days.”

“I have braced myself.”

“And you wouldn’t—”

“Komal, there is nothing you can say that will talk me out of wanting to marry you.” Augustin sighs. “I only wish to get the question out.”

“Oh.” My cheeks flush with heat. “Well, if it helps, the answer is yes. I very much want to marry you.”

“Good.” Augustin takes my hand, and the tendril pushes the ring onto my finger. It fits perfectly, the three stones glittering like the snow-dusted flowers. I admire it as he stands and leans in, his lips brushing mine.

“You know, building a house together means I am going full whimsy, and there’s nothing you can do to stop me. I’m talking bedazzled coffin, a round front door like a hobbit hole, trinkets galore. It’ll be your worst nightmare—”

“Komal, would you kindly be silent for a moment so I can kiss you?”

I huff. “Fine.”

He does. He kisses me with all that fire that burns.

He kisses me in this place he made for us, where the dappled light and the cathedral branches and the labyrinth of flowers cause a dangerous swell in my chest.

And then he pulls back and lets out a low whistle.

I turn as Hannah bursts through the trees.

“Did you say yes?” she cries.

“She said yes,” I reply. “To both questions.”

“Finally,” Hannah grins. “Now maybe you’ll both stop being so weird.”

“We will not,” I tell her. “Your father is extremely weird. That doesn’t go away just because we’re getting married.”

Augustin lifts my hand to his lips with a smug smile. “Fortunately, Komal is even stranger.”

Hannah groans dramatically, burying her face in her hands. “Urgh. I’m going to have to get used to this, aren’t I?”

“Yes,” we say together. And then Augustin’s cool lips find mine, and everything inside me is warm.

60Komal

Mamma: We’re collecting your father from the hospital, then we’ll be head over to the festival. He thought seriously about what you said, about becoming a vampire like you, but he says all the eternity in the world isn’t worth it if he can’t eat pakoras. And I have to agree. We love you, and we’re so proud of you.

“IT ALL LOOKS WONDERFUL, KOMAL.” Winnie beams as she gazes around the Historically Inaccurate Heritage Festival. It does, which is a miracle. During Reggie’s first council meeting as mayor, he axed everyone and replaced the councillors with animals. I’ve been demoted to assistant tourism chair, underneath the squirrel named Rob.

I grin back. I may not be mayor, but I managed to get Rob to agree to my festival. And it’s going amazingly. The whole village has arrived. The vampires have embraced the theme with abandon. At one stall, Arabella offers guests the opportunity to try on her resplendent gowns from various eras and pose for a picture with Gideon. At another, Eleanor and Luminita teach courtly dances. Dante has joined forces with Lilac to run the bar, and has gathered a crowd to watch him do flashy mixology tricks, aided by a little vampire magic. The Naughty Knitting Club are doing a roaring trade at their codpiece stall. Reginald dishes out hot chocolate to a crowd of admirers, only this time he’s doing it in a Tudor ruff. Alaric teaches a group of enthusiastic children proper sword-fighting techniques. My family is teaching Hannah their favourite Bollywood dances while Mamma and Papa sing karaoke. Our new mayor wanders between the stalls in a chicken costume with Winston Churchquill, the hedgehog, on his shoulder.

The hedgehog also has a Tudor ruff. That’s how we roll in Argleton.

After the floods, the village needed to celebrate. And we are celebrating hard.