A Shade of Vampire 15: A Fall of Secrets (3 page)

C
orrine was
true to her word in taking over Kiev’s preparation. In the meantime, she paired me with another witch, Leyni. I spent the rest of the day with Leyni preparing my outfit and doing a hair and makeup rehearsal. In the evening, she guided me through a number of beauty treatments.

It was late by the time we’d finished. Kiev still hadn’t returned. Corrine had wanted to keep us separate until the wedding. I wasn’t sure how much time exactly the witch had ended up spending on him—I suspected not all that long, since she had a lot of work to do in arranging the actual event. Although I missed lying in Kiev’s arms that night, I found amusement in imagining where Corrine was putting him up for the night. I was sure that she still hadn’t forgiven him for the night he’d stolen Ben Novak from her arms. And although Kiev was sorry, Corrine still liked to dig her heels in when she could, albeit in a good-natured way.

I woke up the next morning to find Leyni already running a bath for me.

“Come on, Sleeping Beauty,” she called. “We’ve got a lot to do before the wedding starts at noon.”

I slid out of bed and entered the bathroom. I didn’t spend long in the bath—Leyni was already knocking on the door after less than twenty minutes had passed. I got out and dried myself before dressing and starting makeup and hair. I wasn’t sure why I was suddenly so nervous.

Leyni must have noticed. She placed an arm on my shoulder and gave me a warm smile.

“It’s normal to feel tense on the morning of your wedding. But don’t worry. Everything will go smoothly.”

The next few hours passed quickly until finally, I was staring at myself in the mirror, fully dressed and made up. The dress we’d designed together was stunning. Long-sleeved, it had a heart-shaped neckline and complemented my curves perfectly. She had curled my hair into gentle waves and braided it with small pink flowers.

“Well,” Leyni said, eyeing me with pride. “Let’s go.”

I nodded, drawing a breath.

She held my hand and we vanished from the spot. When my vision came into focus again, we were standing a dozen feet back from a crowd that had formed on the beach near the Port. There were rows upon rows of chairs with an aisle in between, at the end of which was a raised platform decorated with white roses and silk drapes. Kiev already stood on the platform, Matteo by his side as best man.

Leyni stepped in front of me and lowered the veil over my face. She gave me a smirk. “Vampires have good eyesight. We don’t want your groom sneaking a peek at you yet.”

“Mona,” a chorus of voices called behind me.

I turned to see Rose hurrying toward me with half a dozen other young women. They all wore light pink dresses and held bunches of flowers in their hands. My bridesmaids. Rose handed me a bouquet of dark blue lilies. My voice caught in my throat at the sight of them. They reminded me so much of the lilies that grew around my lake house back on our old island. Memories of the time I’d spent there with Kiev soon after we’d first met washed over me.

Rose squeezed my hand. “You look incredible. How are you feeling?”

I caught a tear at the corner of my eye before it could slip down my cheek. I beamed down at Rose. “I’ve never been better.”

Once Rose and another bridesmaid had picked up the hem of my dress, Leyni looped her arm through mine and we began walking down the aisle between the chairs. I looked around at everyone who’d come to attend. There were too many faces to count—vampires, werewolves and humans. I kept my eyes anywhere but straight ahead until I reached five rows away from the platform. Finally, I allowed myself to look up.

Ibrahim was now standing in the center of the platform, and to his right was Kiev. Matteo stood a few feet behind him. I couldn’t help but grin. I’d never seen Kiev looking so smart. He was almost unrecognizable. He wore a crisp black tuxedo and his hair was neatly combed back away from his face. His stubble had been trimmed right down, so only shadow was visible around his jawline. His skin also looked brighter somehow, as though he might have had a facial, and I could barely notice his prosthetic arm. His eyes were glued on me, as I was sure they had been ever since I started walking down the aisle.

My grip around Leyni’s arm tightened. Although this was the happiest moment of my life, I couldn’t help but feel a stab of melancholy that it wasn’t my father walking beside me.

Reaching the foot of the platform, Leyni let me walk on my own. I ascended the steps and stood opposite Kiev, my veil still covering my face.

Now that I was standing on the platform, I caught sight of Corrine, who sat in the front row next to Derek and Sofia. She had a huge grin on her face as she winked at me, nodding toward Kiev.

Ibrahim placed two gold rings in our hands and began the ceremony. I barely concentrated on what he was saying until it came time for our vows. Kiev reached for my hands, enveloping them in his.

“Mona,” he began, his intense green eyes boring into me. “I never have been good with words. But I hope you’ll believe me when I say that whatever love my heart is capable of, you have it all. If you’ll accept me, I promise to be true to you every day for the rest of my life.”

Tears began to brim in my eyes again. Kiev didn’t realize how capable he was of love. Most men didn’t possess half the heart he did, however many scars it bore.

“Kiev,” I said, my voice trembling, “not long ago, I believed I would spend the rest of my life alone. Loveless, heartless. But you smashed into my world, breaking through my walls. For all I know of your scarred heart, I wouldn’t want you any other way. You are my mirror. And if it weren’t for your flaws, I wouldn’t be deserving of you. You would be too good a man for me… The time I spent away from you was possibly the most painful of my existence. And I-I don’t ever want to spend another day apart from you, my love. I accept you with all my heart… a-and I hope you’ll accept me, too.”

My voice choked up. Holding my hands gently in his, he slipped a ring over my finger. I did the same to him, and then he raised his hands to my face, lifting up my veil and tucking it behind my head. Ibrahim barely had a chance to give Kiev permission to “kiss the bride” before Kiev’s lips were on mine as he kissed me passionately and pulled me against him.

A grin split my face through our kiss as Corrine wolf-whistled from her chair.

Showers of petals fell down upon us from the sky. Turning toward the crowd, I hurled my bouquet of flowers. There was a scuffle and Ashley emerged victorious. Perched upon Landis’ shoulders, she clutched the bouquet triumphantly. A piano began to play to our left. I looked to see Rose sitting behind it. Three witches stood next to her, each holding a different instrument, and they began to accompany her. Kiev pulled me down the steps and we made our way to an open area on the beach Corrine had arranged as a dance floor. Other couples began to follow us. Resting my head against Kiev’s chest, I closed my eyes, breathing in his musk, and lost myself in him. His lips pressed against my temple as we swayed slowly from side to side.

To anybody who didn’t know us, Kiev and I were an unlikely couple. On paper, there was almost nothing we had in common. But beneath the surface, we had more in common than most couples could ever hope to have.

“What are you thinking?” he whispered into my ear, his voice husky.

“You’re my lifeline, Kiev. You do realize that?” My voice was hoarse.

He held me closer. “And I won’t let you down.”

“Please don’t,” I whispered.

We passed the rest of the dance in silence, enjoying the music and the feel of our embrace.

“Mr. and Mrs. Novalic,” Corrine called from the side of the dance floor. She was gesturing to a large cake on one of the food tables. She held up a knife. I smiled back at her and pulled Kiev over. Everyone stopped dancing and gathered round us. I took the knife from Corrine and positioned it over the cake. Kiev’s hand over mine, we began to slice the cake together.

“Take the first bite,” Corrine said as we placed the first slice on a plate. Kiev picked up a spoon and dug it into the sponge. He raised it to my mouth and fed me. It was a shame that he couldn’t eat any of his own wedding cake. I could have sworn that I saw a look of disappointment in his eyes as he looked over the beautiful cake. Corrine sliced up the rest of the cake quickly using her magic and distributed it to everyone.

Picking up a plate of cake, I left Kiev’s side and walked over to Rose. She was still playing the piano. I bent down, planting a kiss on her cheek.

“Thank you, Rose. You’re an incredibly talented musician.” I placed the plate on the seat next to her. “Why don’t you take a break?”

“Thank you,” she said, picking up the plate and standing up. She walked over to Caleb in the crowd and sat next to him.

When I arrived by Kiev’s side again, he pointed to the rest of the delicious-looking buffet laid out on the tables. “Won’t you eat some?” he asked.

I shook my head. I slipped my hands beneath his suit, running them up along his back. I reached up to kiss his throat.

“I’m hungry for only one thing right now,” I whispered.

I wanted nothing more than to be alone with my new husband. But people were beginning to dance again, as the witches kept the melody going. We decided to dance for another hour before finally retreating away from the crowds.

We’d almost reached the entrance to the woods when someone called out behind us. We turned around to see Matteo. I’d spotted him dancing with Helina just a moment ago, but now he walked toward us alone. He cleared his throat as he stopped in front of us.

“Kiev,” he said, pausing and looking at him nervously. “I… I’m in love with your sister.”

A flicker of surprise crossed Kiev’s face, though I’d expected him to be more shocked. I’d seen the two of them dancing at the wedding today, but I hadn’t known that they shared anything deeper than that. Not that long ago, Matteo had despised Kiev’s siblings.

Matteo glanced back at the crowds. I followed his gaze to see that it had fallen on Helina, who was standing in conversation with Erik.

“She doesn’t know that I’m having this conversation with you,” Matteo said, drawing his eyes back to Kiev. “But I want to marry her.”

There wasn’t even a moment’s hesitation on Kiev’s part.

“There isn’t a man in this world I’d rather she ended up with,” Kiev said, his eyes glistening as he nodded vigorously. Beneath my husband’s joy, I couldn’t miss the pain and guilt. Kiev had murdered Matteo’s sister, Natalie. Now here was Matteo asking for permission to love and marry Kiev’s sister, Helina.

A smile broke out on Matteo’s face. He looked relieved.

“You didn’t need to ask,” Kiev said. “You know that I owe you more than I can ever repay.”

Matteo looked once again at Helina. “Well… your sister will be a good start.”

The two men embraced. Before Matteo headed off, he gave me a hug and kissed my cheek. “Congratulations, Mona. I wish you and Kiev a life of happiness.”

I hugged him tight. Matteo had been like an older brother to me during some of the most painful and hopeless years of my life. “Thank you,” I whispered.

Matteo left us and headed back toward Helina. Kiev watched him leave, positively beaming. “Well, that’s one sibling sorted. Now there’s just Erik…” He turned and looked down at me. “Now, where were we? Ah. Are you comfortable in that dress, my love? It looks rather tight. This ridiculous costume Corrine has put me in certainly is…”

Not willing to hang around for any more distractions, I gripped his hands and vanished us from the spot.

M
y eyes were mostly
on Rose throughout the wedding. She looked more beautiful than ever in that light pink dress, her dark hair trailing down her back. As the hours passed by, and Kiev and Mona had left the beach, Rose continued playing along with the witches for those who were still dancing. I could see that her hands were growing weary. I walked over to her and sat down on the bench. Placing an arm around her, I whispered into her ear, “Shall I give you a break?”

She smiled, then shook her head. “I would rather play with you.”

I acquiesced, although I would have much preferred to see her resting. Planting my hands further up along the piano, I began to accompany her melody. As our harmony filled the air, the thoughts and emotions that I’d experienced during the wedding came back to me.

Watching the ceremony had moved me in ways I hadn’t expected. With Rose sitting only a few feet away from the platform where Kiev and Mona had stood, I kept looking from them to her. My mind filled with images of Rose walking down that aisle toward me, the two of us standing on the platform, exchanging vows, sharing a kiss… I couldn’t stop the scene from playing in my mind.

I wasn’t sure why this wedding had brought about such a reaction. But it stirred something deep inside me. An ache. A desire. A longing to finally claim a woman as my own, to place a ring upon her finger, to both give myself and accept her completely… I thought back to the heat I’d seen in Rose’s eyes the other evening. She’d wanted me to make love to her. I’d refused to that night. I hadn’t even been sure why at the time.

But now I understood.

I looked back down at Rose expertly playing her piece, her brows furrowed in concentration, the flowers in her hair beginning to loosen and touch the sides of her face.

I wanted to commit everything I had to her before making her fully mine.

I
was
glad to be able to provide the music for the party. A wedding was just what this island needed. We’d been under so much stress, I could see how much everyone appreciated this relief.

People stayed on long after Kiev and Mona took their leave. They continued to dance and mingle even as sunset arrived beyond the island’s boundary. Although my hands were aching, I didn’t want to take more than a few minutes’ pause. I was enjoying playing with Caleb too much. I hadn’t played with him since I’d been trapped on his island as a prisoner.

I noticed Caleb looking at me a lot throughout the wedding. I wasn’t sure why he was staring at me. As we both took our third break, allowing Landis and Ashley to take a turn, I walked with Caleb toward the dance floor.

“You’ve been staring at me a lot today,” I said, raising a brow.

Caleb smiled. “Then you must have been staring at me to notice.”

I chuckled. “I guess so.” I did find myself looking at him a lot. Partly because I still couldn’t believe he was here with us on this island. It felt like a dream.

“You look stunning, Rose,” he whispered into my ear as he led me to dance. “And I still can’t quite believe you’re mine.”

I know the feeling.

As I draped my arms over his shoulders, his hands wrapped around my waist and he lifted me up suddenly so that my face was level with his, my feet hovering above the ground. He kissed my cheek and rested his chin on my shoulder, still holding me in the air. I giggled as my legs swayed.

Erik and Abby danced a few feet away. The way Erik was holding Abby close to him, and the way she nestled her head against his shoulder… I was surprised by how intimate they looked. I hadn’t even known they were friends until recently. The attraction was unmistakable as they looked into each other’s eyes.

When Abby caught my eye, I looked away again. Not wanting to make her feel uncomfortable, I turned my attention back to Caleb.

“How did you learn to play music?” I asked.

“Mostly, I just taught myself.”

“Seriously?”

“I’m not sure why you’re surprised. I’ve had a lot of downtime over the years.”

“Did you ever go to school when you were younger?”

“Yes. The local town school, until the age of about thirteen. Then I joined my father’s ship business as an apprentice architect and engineer… His dream had always been for me to take over running the family business.”

He placed my feet back on the ground. I slipped my hand in his. Rather than returning to the piano again to relieve Ashley and Landis, I let Caleb lead me away from the dance floor, away from the lights and noise. We walked in silence and stopped again once we were far away enough for me to barely hear the music. I knelt down on the sand, pulling Caleb down with me. We lay on our backs, gazing up at the dark sky.

After a pause, I turned my head toward Caleb. “Does this island feel any more like home to you now than when you first arrived?”

To my delight, he nodded. “It does… After the battle we just fought side by side, it would be hard not to feel camaraderie for the people of this island.”

I reached out and brushed my fingers against his cheek before leaning forward to kiss his lips.

“You are part of this island,” I said. “Part of this family. This place wouldn’t feel complete without you now.”

I held his hand and rested it over my navel before looking back up at the sky. I let out a sigh. I couldn’t deny that this wedding had made me imagine what it would be like to one day wed Caleb. I could almost imagine him standing there at the head of the aisle, watching me as I walked toward him, my arm looped through my father’s. It made me shiver.

I was about to lean forward and kiss him again when a wave of shouts broke through our peace. We sat up and looked back toward the crowd. The music had stopped, as had the dancing. Everyone was looking out toward the sea. I followed their gaze and gasped as I finally saw what they saw.

A horde of one hundred dragons, racing toward us in the distance. Although I knew they came in peace now, the sight of them still sent chills down my spine.

The dragons and their prince had returned.

Just in time to crash the party.