by AE Jones
Alex smiled. “Of course!”
Julian reached for Fiona’s hand. “I’m sorry, love.”
“You’re forgiven,” Fiona answered, her eyes dancing as she leaned forward and kissed him lightly on the lips.
Feeling like an intruder, Alex turned away from their private moment and found Devin staring at her. His eyes were drinking her in as if he was reading her thoughts. Her cheeks warmed and his pupils expanded slightly before he severed their connection by turning away to look out the window. Again.
* * *
“And do you Fiona Scott take Julian Ashton Taylor Smyth to be your lawfully wedded husband? Do you promise to love and cherish him forever, until death takes you a second time?”
Alex flinched at the minister’s words. What had he just said? She glanced surreptitiously around the crowd. Was anyone else surprised by the words? No one seemed upset.
“I do.”
“To seal this union, the couple will now drink from the ceremonial cup that mingles their lifeblood.”
Alex gaped while first Julian and then Fiona sipped from the cup. Crimson coated their lips, and they leaned forward and kissed while everyone leapt to their feet and applauded.
A voice whispered in her ear through her com piece. “Close your mouth, darlin’. My mamma would say you’re gonna attract water bugs. It’s all right. The human guests who don’t know about supernatural were invited to the reception only. Everyone at the ceremony knows Julian and Fiona are vampires.”
Alex frowned at Charlie, who stood in the back grinning at her like an idiot. After the couple stopped kissing, Julian grasped Fiona’s hand and led her down the aisle. Alex followed, taking Devin’s arm, and he rested his hand on top of hers, the heat of his touch distracting her. His eyes twinkled at her while they followed the bride and groom out into the hallway.
The antique mansion, which had art deco décor, matched Fiona and Julian’s style exactly. The reception was in a separate building on the property, about a mile away. The plan was to allow the guests to make their way over to the building first and get settled in the hall, and then the wedding party would arrive. This would give Jack and Connor enough time to ensure everything was secure on their end.
Twenty-five minutes later, they were given the green light. Julian, Fiona, Devin, and Alex climbed into the car and settled in for the short drive. Charlie climbed into the driver’s seat and pulled out.
Devin clicked on his ear piece. “Has anyone seen anything suspicious?”
Jack and Connor replied, “Negative.”
“Do you think we scared them away?” Alex asked.
Devin shook his head. “Not for good. But I can’t say for certain about today.”
Charlie pulled up into a well-lit courtyard. Huge windows lined the front of the building, and the guests who were milling around in the hall with cocktails and hors d’oeuvres paused to watch when the limo came to a stop.
Devin addressed the group. “Are we ready? Don’t forget we still aren’t out of the woods yet. We need to stay on guard until the end.”
Charlie jogged around and opened the door. “Let me walk toward the building to confirm everything is okay before you go in.”
After a few seconds, Julian emerged, followed by Fiona. Devin climbed out next and offered his hand to Alex. Before she emerged, a movement above Devin’s shoulder caught her eye, and she gasped. The simian who’d grabbed her dangled from a tree next to the building, pointing a crossbow at them.
Alex screamed in warning at the same moment the simian fired. Devin had a split second to look up before he threw himself in front of Fiona. The arrow lodged in his side and he dropped to his knees.
Fiona picked him up and tossed him into the limousine like a rag doll, climbing into the back with him and slamming the door shut. Alex watched in shock while Jack and Connor came around the side of the building and charged after the simian, who scrambled over the roof.
Through the back limo window, Alex could see inside the building. The crowd was in pandemonium. Some were screaming, some were frozen, watching the events unfold, while others were running away from the windows. Her grandmother stood by the window watching, focused on the car. Why was she here? She was supposed to be covering the Henderson wedding. How were they going to explain this?
Charlie jumped into the driver’s seat while Julian slid into the front passenger side. The car’s wheels screeched and stones flew up while Charlie whipped the car around and gunned it down the driveway.
Devin slumped down in the seat. He reached for his side.
Alex lurched toward him. “Don’t!”
But he yanked the arrow out of his body.
Alex kneeled next to him. “Let me see.”
He shook his head and then flinched at the movement. “I’m fine.”
“Let. Me. See.” Alex lifted his hand away. Blood ran down the front of the tuxedo. “Devin, I’m going to have to try to get your jacket off so I can look at the damage. I wish I had something to cut this with.”
Fiona leaned forward and ripped the jacket across the shoulder and then backed away quickly.
Alex turned to her for a second. “Fiona, are you okay seeing all this blood?
“Yes, I fed this morning. I probably shouldn’t get too close, though.”
Alex nodded and pulled the jacket pieces apart, somehow managing not to cringe at the sight. The hole was ragged where he yanked the arrowhead out. Alex stared at the arrow in puzzlement. She’d never heard of a wooden arrowhead. Devin dropped it and grimaced. “If this had hit Fiona’s heart, it would have killed her.”
Alex swallowed hard at the sight of blood flowing down his side in a steady stream. “I need something to stop the bleeding.”
Fiona dug through the cupboard in the backseat area and found some small white towels which Alex pressed against his wound.
The privacy window rolled down so Julian and Charlie could see what was going on.
Devin attempted to sit up, and Alex shook her head. He ignored her.
“Charlie, get Jack and Connor on the com and see what’s going on. Fiona, are you okay?”
“Yes. I’m in your debt.”
Devin closed his eyes for a second and grimaced. “We need a cover story. How are we going to spin this?”
Fiona shrugged. “I felt like I was in one of Julian’s action movies.”
Julian grinned. “That’s it, love! I knew I was marrying a genius.” He grabbed his phone and dialed it. “We’ll tell them it was a gimmick for my next action movie. Self-promotion at its finest.”
Alex lifted the towel and repositioned it to try and staunch the bleeding while Julian finished his telephone conversation.
“I told you it wasn’t that bad,” Devin spoke sluggishly just before his eyes closed and his head drooped to the side.
Alex’s hands shook while she continued to hold the cloth over his wound “He just passed out, and he’s losing blood awfully fast. We need to get him to the hospital.”
“We can’t take him to a hospital,” Charlie responded.
“Why not?”
When no one answered right away, Alex glanced up in time to see Julian and Charlie exchanging cryptic glances. “Will someone tell me what’s going on?”
Julian looked at her. “We can’t take him to the hospital because he’s an elf.”
Alex jerked at the words. “What did you say?”
“He’s an elf.”
“No, that’s not possible. He told me he was powerless.”
“His powers have been rescinded, but he’s still a supernatural.”
“Rescinded? What?” Alex shook her head. “Never mind, we don’t have time for this. Who can help him?”
Julian continued, “I know someone. Charlie, turn right at the next intersection.”
Alex squeezed her eyes shut to stop her head from spinning. He had to be okay. If he was going to die anytime soon, it would have nothing to do with this wound, and everything to do with what she would
do after she got the truth from him.
Lorinda’s Wedding Tip: A bride should be reminded on occasion that there are more important things in the world than color schemes and cake tastings.
Chapter 25
What was taking so long?
Alex glanced at the clock on the wall. She’d been pacing in the entryway of the large, gated house for thirty minutes.
She paced up and down the hall ten more times before Charlie called to her. She rushed toward him.
“How is he?”
“He should be fine, but it’s going to take some time.”
“Can I see him?”
Charlie shook his head. “Let the healer work on him for a bit longer.”
“Where are Julian and Fiona?”
“They went to the reception to do a quick appearance. According to Julian’s publicist, the crowd bought the whole ‘fake attack promo’ and are now scarfing down lobster and Dom Pérignon. Plus Fiona wants to spend some time with her family.”
“At least we avoided one crisis.” Alex murmured. “Have we heard from Jack and Connor?”
“They’re still tracking the simian. I hope to hear from them shortly.”
“What is this place?”
“I guess you could call it a sanctuary.”
“For supernaturals?”
He nodded.
“And they’ll take care of Devin because he’s an elf?” Alex wrapped her arms around her middle. “This is too much.”
Charlie rested his hand on her shoulder. “You seem to be handling it pretty well, all things considered.”
“And I suppose next you’re going to tell me that you’re an elf too.”
Charlie smiled. “No.”
Alex let out the breath she’d been holding.
“I’m a sea nymph.”
She sat down hard on the chair in the foyer. “You’re like Sheila?”
Charlie’s smile disappeared. “No.”
Alex looked at him. “She’s a nymph like you.”
“She’s woodland.”
“Why do you say that like it’s a dirty word?”
“Our two nations have been at war for centuries.”
“No wonder you can’t be in the same room together.” She glared at him. “I’m such an idiot.”
“What do you mean?”
“The joke’s on me. You guys played me for a sucker. Even Sheila knows what you are.”
He frowned. “That’s not what we were doing.”
“Then why the secrecy? I know about the supernatural. Why not tell me about yourselves?”
Charlie sat down beside her. “We’re an elite team who works for the supernatural community to protect our interests. One of our rules is that we avoid telling humans about our true selves, since we work constantly in dangerous situations. Devin was following protocol. Hell, we all were.”
Alex rested her head back against the wall and closed her eyes.
“The healer is going to be awhile. Why don’t we get you cleaned up?”
She glanced down at her hands and dress and was surprised to see they were covered with dried blood. She shivered.
Charlie stood and held out his hand to her. She grasped it and he pulled her up from the chair.
“What did Julian mean when he said Devin’s powers were rescinded?”
Charlie shook his head slightly. “That’s something you’ll have to ask Devin. It’s not my story to tell.”
“Oh, don’t worry. I already have a number of questions to ask him.”
Charlie led her down the hall. “I’m sure you do. But let him recuperate a little bit before you pounce, Alex.”
She nodded, although she couldn’t promise she’d wait very long.
* * *
Why was it so bright?
Devin groaned. His eyes were closed, but his head hurt from the light. He was either in the middle of a nuclear attack, or someone had let a faery into the room.
When the light dimmed and he was able to open his eyes, the first thing he saw was a smiling older woman in a long, flowing dress. He tried to smile back, but his lips didn’t want to work. Nothing wanted to work. Damn faeries. Their healing powers packed a punch.
She touched his wrist lightly. “I’m Marisol, your healer.”
He cleared his throat and tried to speak, “Where?”
“You’re at a sanctuary.”
He nodded and began to ask why, but she answered before he could choke the word out.
“You needed help. Until your powers have been returned, you will be as vulnerable to weapons as a human.”
A scoffing noise sounded to his right, and he turned his head in its general direction, cringing at even that little bit of motion. Alex stood across the room. Even seething with fury, she was beautiful. Her caramel eyes glowed with anger, and her full lips were pinched together, as if she was forcing herself to hold back a string of, he was sure, very choice words. There was no getting out of this one.
She wore a loose dress now, and her hair was damp and tucked behind her ears. He cleared his throat again and was finally able to force more than one word out. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine.”
Males of every species know that when a female uses the word fine in that tone of voice, they were far from it. They stared at each other in silence until he cleared his throat and spoke again. “Where’s Charlie?”
“Probably on the phone with Jack or Connor.”
“Did they catch the simian?”
“They’re tracking him now.”
He tried to sit up, but his muscles wouldn’t respond. “I need to help.”
Alex frowned. “You just came to. You’re not going anywhere.”
“You don’t get to tell me what to do,” he snapped, ruining the effect by slurring.
She took a step back. “I’ll go see if there’s any news.”
He shook his head. “You’re done here, Alex. Go home until we catch these guys.”
Her jaw tightened before she responded. “I’m not about to go into hiding. I can help.”
“You’ll just get in the way.” He struggled to sit up again, flinching at the pain. She reached for him and he shrugged out of her grasp.
“Fine, get up and fall on your face for all I care.” She turned and marched out of the room.
The healer tsked at him. “She arrived here covered with your blood and has been worried sick about you.”
Devin ignored her reprimand even though he knew he was being a horse’s ass. “When can I get out of here?”
“Soon. Now don’t change the subject. Are you going to apologize to her?”
He let out a harsh breath. Faeries never backed down. “I know I owe her an apology. She didn’t deserve that. But I don’t want her hurt. I need to protect her. She’s…special.”
Marisol blinked quickly and smiled. “That’s very true.”
* * *
Alex tried counting to ten while she marched down the hall, but it didn’t calm her down. If anything, her temper rose as more numbers spilled from her lips.
Charlie’s voice behind her made her jump, “I take it Devin is awake?”
She spun around to face him. “How did you know?”
He grinned at her. “You’re scowling and counting to yourself, darlin’.” He shook his head. “A man who can piss off a woman moments after waking up has a rare gift.”
She narrowed her eyes at him. “A gift?”
Charlie chuckled. “Now don’t get pissed at me too. Isn’t that called displacement in psycho-babble jargon?”
She took a deep breath. “Sorry. Just don’t tease me right now. I’m ready to blow.”
“I can see that. What did our fearless leader do now?”
“He told me to go home and stay out of the way until this is all over.”
“I’m sure he did.”
Alex clenched her fists and took a step toward Charlie. “Do you agree with him?”
Charlie grinned at her like an idiot.
“I know. But you have to understand that this was inevitable.”
She closed her eyes and started counting to ten again in her head. “What was inevitable? That he would turn into a Neanderthal?”
“Yes.”
Alex opened her eyes and stared at Charlie. “What?”
“He’s protecting you, Alex, because he has feelings for you.”
“No,” she shook her head, “he thinks I get in the way.”
“Lips don’t lie.”
Charlie wasn’t making any sense. “Of course they do. People tell lies all the time.”
He reached for her hand. “I should’ve been more specific. Talking lips lie. Kissing lips are another story. What did his lips tell you when you kissed?”
Heat shot up from her chest and over her neck and face. She jerked her hand away from his. “How did you…did Devin tell you about our kiss?”
Charlie actually glanced away from her for a second, as if uncomfortable. “It doesn’t matter how I know. What did his lips tell you when you kissed?”
She hesitated for a second before blurting, “He likes me.”
“Right.”
Alex threw her arms in the air. “Then what should I do?”
“Don’t let him push you away.”
She started to protest, but Charlie interrupted her.
“Stand up to him,” he tapped her nose lightly with his index finger. “You haven’t had any problem doing it so far.”
He was right, she hadn’t had a problem standing up to Devin, even in the beginning, and that surprised her. She had spent the last two years letting her past control her actions. But something about him made her want to fight, to take a risk.
Maybe she could move forward and be strong Alex again.
* * *
There was no escaping her.
Alex stood in the doorway that Charlie had departed through a few moments ago. Her jaw was set and her eyes bored into him.
“You lied to me.”
He attempted to sit up in bed, cringing when pain shot through his chest.
Alex walked quickly to his side and pressed him gently back down to the mattress.
“Don’t. Marisol said you have to remain still for a while longer. You’re still healing.”
