Life After: The Complete Series

by Julie Hall

  I hung my head even lower. This wasn’t making me feel any better. If anything, my gut tightened. Emotions I hadn’t even realized were there were coming to the surface.

  “But I guess I wanted You to know how sorry I am for all of it, and I want to ask for direction. Is it all right to go forward with this when it will only mean heartbreak for Logan?”

  I waited. And waited. And waited.

  And I never heard an answer.

  My friends finished their makeup, and I never received an answer from the Creator. At least not one I could interpret. My heartfelt pleas were met with silence.

  When I told them, my friends, who now knew all the horrible details, told me this was okay and that I could move forward. And of course, I wanted to complete the bond with Logan. So I did what I could to pump myself up.

  Bring the soul-fusing on. Wait, I still didn’t really know what that was.

  I supposed I was so far away from the Creator that He couldn’t be bothered to listen to me anymore, even if I petitioned for Logan and not myself. My heart was heavy, but for Romona and Kaitlin, I put on a brave face.

  “Okay, someone, please explain to me why I look like a bride and you both are dressed as bridesmaids. I’ve been told repeatedly that this isn’t a wedding. So what gives?”

  “Ah, well, yes, that was Logan again,” Romona explained. “He put a lot of thought into this, and he wanted it to be special for you. So we threw some of the less important details of soul-fusing out the window and replaced them with things you are familiar with.”

  My heart melted. That man. There wasn’t anyone better.

  “And that,” Romona interrupted my thoughts, “that look right there is why I’m okay with all of this.”

  Her words sobered me. I stood up a bit straighter.

  “We all know nothing is certain right now, Audrey.” Kaitlin picked up the conversation. “Logan has been working like a madman to try to figure out how to change your fate. Maybe he’ll be able to . . .” She visibly sobered, pulling her shoulders back and boring her eyes into mine. “And maybe he won’t. But you have the most determined person I know in your corner, so if anyone can figure out how to get you out of this mess, it’s him.”

  “Great pep talk,” I said dryly.

  “Oh, and make sure you give him at least one really awesome night to remember.”

  “Kaitlin!” I shrieked.

  “Too easy, girl.” She jerked her chin up. “You might want to change that back before we head out of this tent. Because the minute we do, it’s show time.”

  Of course my hair had gone wacky.

  “So, who all is out there?”

  “Oh, like half this part of the realm.”

  “What? You’re kidding, right?”

  “Nope. I took a peek already. They’ve all been sitting out there for the last half hour, waiting for you to pull yourself together. It’s not every day you see a wedding-slash-bonding ceremony up here.”

  “Oh my gosh! Why didn’t you tell me?” I stopped my impending rant. “Wait, why can’t I hear anything? You’re messing with me, aren’t you?”

  Her eyes widened, and she pointed to herself. “Who, me? I’d never do that.”

  “Romona?”

  A slight grimace flitted across Romona’s face. “Kaitlin’s only exaggerating a bit. There is quite a crowd. And you can’t hear anything because we’ve had a sound barrier around the tent since the moment we walked in. They’ve been setting up out there all day.”

  “You can put sound barriers up?”

  She started to answer, and I waved her off.

  “Sorry, never mind. That’s not important. Tell me everything I need to know. Then let’s do this thing.”

  A bouquet of exotic purple, blue, and fuchsia flowers was shoved into my sweaty hands. The colorful blooms stood out against the whiteness of my dress. Romona and Kaitlin held smaller versions of my bouquet and were lined up in front of me. Kaitlin bounced on her six-inch heels in excitement and turned to give me the thumbs up. Romona smiled at me serenely.

  “I’m so very glad to be able to be part of this, Audrey. I know your parents—” Her words caught, and she cleared her throat. “Your parents would be so proud of you right now.”

  “Oh yeah, I’m sure. Getting hitched at eighteen and on the brink of being dragged into Hell for eternity. I’m sure they’d be thrilled.”

  Romona frowned. “Nothing is certain yet, Audrey. Nothing. You enjoy this day, and put your trust where it always should have been. I understand how you must have been shaken from what happened. But you forgot one very important detail along the way.”

  I cocked my head at her.

  “The Creator is bigger than any mess you can make. Hold on to that with everything you have.”

  “But I betrayed Him,” I argued.

  “You aren’t the first one,” she said sadly before facing forward.

  The drape had been opened, and Kaitlin was just about to step out of the tent. Soft harp music floated through the gap. I snorted. If Logan had arranged for that, he didn’t know as much about me as he thought.

  I craned my neck to the left, but I couldn’t see much beyond Romona and Kaitlin—only the beginning of a gold aisle runner covered in light pink-and-gold-tipped rose petals.

  Pretty.

  The fabric drape swished closed behind Kaitlin, and it was eerily silent again.

  Romona turned and squeezed my forearm. “You got this,” she said before turning back around and marching her way toward the same spot Kaitlin had just vacated. After several beats, she winked at me over her shoulder and slipped out of the tent as well. Leaving me completely alone. Something I didn’t want to be at the moment.

  I was doing the right thing here, wasn’t I? Was I being selfish? And oh my gosh, I didn’t even have anyone to walk me down the aisle. That was messed up. I shouldn’t be making this walk alone. I dropped my hand, still clenching my flowers in a death grip, and brought the other up to my face.

  I was alone.

  Something nudged my backside, and I yelped. Bear trotted around me and sat at my right side. Watching me expectantly, he tilted his head as if to ask what the holdup was.

  “You’re right. Alone or not, the man I love is waiting for me down that aisle. I think I’ve let him wait long enough, don’t you?”

  Bear answered with a thump of his tail, and his tongue rolled out of his mouth. I’d take that as an agreement.

  “Let’s go, buddy,” I said.

  Bear walked with me to the tent exit. The moment I opened the flap, he took off without a backward glance.

  Wait, what?

  I’d thought he was going to walk with me. The furry booger trotted down what I now saw was a very long aisle with his head held high, soaking in all the excited murmurs sent his way.

  “There goes not doing this alone,” I said under my breath.

  I took my first step out of the tent, and a sea of bodies got to their feet, obstructing my view of the end of the aisle, where my groom—er, future bonded-for-eternity mate—waited for me. If I could just see Logan, everything would be all right. But I couldn’t, and I was alone.

  So I froze.

  My ears buzzed, so I couldn’t even hear the music playing. Was I on the verge of a panic attack? Oh no, not now.

  A soft touch to my elbow drew my attention to my left. I looked over to find the Creator, clothed in brilliant light, standing by my side.

  He once told me He had many different faces, but He looked exactly as I remembered. Dressed in a linen robe with a gold sash, tall by anyone’s standards, and radiating strength and compassion from an ageless face full of grace and mercy. Beauty personified.

  “May I?” He asked, indicating my arm.

  I stared open mouthed at the being I’d betrayed. The one I loved. I nodded.

  The Father slipped his arm through mine and led me down the petal-strewn path. My eyes didn’t leave His face or the radiance that emanated from it as we walked down the ais
le. At some point we stopped, but my eyes remained glued on Him.

  “Audrey,” He said to me in a gentle voice, “you’ve never been alone. And you’ll never be forgotten. You are my daughter, purchased with the blood of my Son. You’ll understand soon enough.”

  A soft gasp escaped my lips. His smile reached his eyes, crinkling the corners.

  “I’ve been looking forward to this moment. It’s time to look up, princess. Your groom is waiting.”

  How had I forgotten where I was? I hadn’t even searched for Logan.

  Snapping my eyes up, I met his gaze. He was standing in front of me with his hand extended. And as I lost myself in a cobalt-blue ocean, the hand at my elbow melted away, and I knew the Creator was no longer visible.

  I wasn’t even sure if He’d appeared to anyone but me—but a phantom kiss was pressed on my cheek before the evidence of His physical presence fully dissipated.

  I took Logan’s outstretched hand, and he pulled me forward. I finally snapped out of my daze to take everything in. We were standing under a portico of purple wisteria. Checking behind me, I spotted Romona standing back a ways with Kaitlin next to her. Bear had plopped himself in front of Logan and was sprawled on the ground.

  Was the furry mutt asleep?

  Behind Logan stood . . .

  I gasped and took several steps back. Logan moved forward with me and captured me around the waist, halting my retreat. He deftly plucked the flowers from my hands and handed them to someone behind me.

  Standing up directly behind Logan was Joe. Not in hunters’ garb, or in faded jeans and a smudged white t-shirt, but in a stylish black tux.

  “Shh.” Logan had bent to whisper in my ear. “This is how it was always meant to be.”

  Joe gave me a reassuring nod. Kevin stood next to him with a broad grin, and behind him was Morgan.

  This was getting more bizarre by the moment.

  I locked eyes with Logan. “This is a weird dream, isn’t it?”

  He grinned and then pinched my backside . . . hard.

  I yelped.

  “Not a dream, love. At least not the type you’re talking about.”

  “That was cheesy . . . and it hurt.” I resisted the urge to rub the sore spot. I was still aware we had an audience.

  “Are you ready yet? I’ve been waiting a lifetime for this moment, and I don’t want to wait a second longer.”

  Any remaining doubts I might have had fled. “I may not fully understand what’s happening, or what all this means for our future, but I’m one hundred percent ready to commit all that I am to you forever.”

  “Then let’s do this.”

  At my nod, he pulled back to a proper distance. “Don’t freak out again, okay?”

  I rolled my eyes at his warning. What else could they throw at me today?

  “Thank you all for attending this sacred ceremony.” That voice was familiar.

  I looked beyond Logan and thought I might faint.

  Hugo is officiating our ceremony?

  I cast my stricken gaze at Logan. He smiled and squeezed my hands. His hair was as wild as usual but just the way I liked it. He was clean-shaven and filling out an elegant black tux and tie in a way that should be sinful. What had been distracting me? Oh right . . . the Holy Trinity showing up at our ceremony.

  I glanced at Hugo, and he winked at me before going on. I made the mistake of looking at Logan again, and I was a goner.

  The shock of everything had finally subsided, and he was all I saw. Hugo was talking, but rather than hearing words, I only felt love. It poured in waves from Logan and overwhelmed my senses.

  This was it. This was my one perfect day of existence.

  And with that thought, my world exploded.

  26

  New World

  Sulfuric smoke stung my eyes, and the world was eerily silent. Wait, no, I was deaf.

  I was sprawled on my side with bits of the wisteria arbor littered over my once pristine white dress. The skirt was now ripped in several places, and I was covered in grass stains and dirt smudges.

  I blinked several times, but my vision was still a thick cloud of smoke. Human-like shapes darted in and out of view.

  Logan, where was he?

  I sat up and shook my head. Whoa, bad idea. I pressed both hands against my skull to make sure my brain stayed put. For a moment, it had felt like it was going to fall out.

  My hearing was slowly returning. Screams echoed in the mist, and then shouted commands filtered through until I could hear the clash of battle. My name might have been shouted as well, but in the chaos, I couldn’t tell.

  I shoved myself to my legs, shaky at first but steady after a few steps. The clouds of smoke or mist or whatever blinded me to what was really happening. I swatted at it, but the substance didn’t dissipate.

  A familiar roar followed by a blast of fire about thirty feet to my left froze my steps and chilled my heart.

  The dragon.

  Satan was here.

  It was happening.

  Something . . . I needed something to fight with. Preferably something long, pointy, and very sharp.

  I turned in a circle, like an idiot. I needed to materialize a weapon, fast.

  Oh gosh, where’s Logan?

  Something soared over my head and hit the ground to my right, hard. I heard the crunch of bones and a groan.

  I sprinted toward where I thought the person had landed and found Kaitlin lying twisted on the grass. She wore full body armor, her beautiful dress long gone. I thought she was unconscious until she managed to flip herself over, eyes tightly closed, cradling her wrist to her chest.

  I hovered above her.

  “That. Sucked.”

  “Kaitlin, oh my gosh. What can I do?”

  Her eyes snapped open. “Audrey?” She gasped. “You need to get out of here, immediately. He’ll come for you.”

  There was a spooked look on Kaitlin’s face I’d never seen before. Her eyes were open so wide I could see the whites all around her sky-blue irises. She tried to shove herself to a sitting position but cried out and wrapped her uninjured arm around her middle. A few ribs must have been broken as well. She sucked in a few pain-filled breaths and then shot me another frantic look. “Audrey, run.”

  Panic really started to sink in at her command. I wasn’t going to leave my friend here at the site of my bonding ceremony turned battleground, but her words made me want to do just that.

  I dropped to my knees. “No, I’m not leaving you. Tell me exactly what’s going on. Do you still have your sword on you? Materializing things under pressure isn’t really my thing.”

  She shook her head. “No. It flew out of my hand when that red dragon backhanded me. But here.” She closed her eyes, and a moment later a short sword appeared on the ground next to me.

  “Thanks. Now what else is out there? I can’t see anything through this smoke.”

  “It’s just that giant dragon.”

  I sat back on my heels and blinked at her. “Just the dragon?”

  “Isn’t that enough? He’s huge.”

  “You know that’s Satan, right?”

  “Yeah, I kinda assumed so.”

  But why was he alone? Why hadn’t he stormed our realm with a legion of demons as well?

  “What’s going through that head of yours?” she asked.

  I waved her off. “Nothing. I’m just surprised he came alone.”

  She snorted. “Yeah, I wouldn’t mind a run-in with Alrik. I have a giant bone to pick with him.”

  Not knowing how to respond, I took my ruined dress in my hands and started to rip strips of fabric from the skirt to bind up her wounds.

  Shouts and roars from the battle had increased, but the screams had ceased. The civilians must have escaped while the hunters went up against the evil being that had no place in our home.

  Guilt hammered my chest, and my heart was split on what to do. I should have been helping them. I should have been the only one bearing this pain. But le
aving Kaitlin’s battered body wasn’t an option.

  I helped her to a sitting position and started to wrap her injured arm to her ribs. I knew the fabric was only a temporary bandage, but it would have to do. Thank goodness my skirt had so many layers. She grunted and gritted her teeth during the process but didn’t cry out in pain.

  “Have you seen Logan?” I asked.

  She shook her head.

  Do not panic.

  A shadowy figure appeared as I was putting the final wrapping on Kaitlin’s wrist and broken ribs. I snapped my gaze up, and he solidified.

  “You”—Morgan pointed at me—“go. I’ve got her.”

  “Me? Go where?”

  Morgan was wearing traditional hunter armor, which threw me for a moment. I’d only ever seen him in his bulkier demon-scaled battle gear.

  “Go anywhere,” he snarled at me. “Just get out of here. Whatever else he’s after right now, he’s sure to be after you too.”

  In a fluid motion, he bent and picked up Kaitlin.

  “Put me down, you overgrown gorilla,” Kaitlin spat.

  “Overgrown gorilla? Hmm, I like it. Thanks.”

  “It wasn’t meant as a compliment.”

  He winked at her. “I’ll take it just the same, luv.”

  He stalked off with Kaitlin still grumbling insults at him. He glanced over his shoulder at me before being swallowed by the smoke. “Get far away from here, Audrey. This isn’t your fight.”

  When they were gone, I was left alone with an unseen battle raging around me. This one was most definitely my fight.

  I picked up the sword Kaitlin had materialized for me and strode straight toward the threat.

  27