Green-Eyed Envy (37 page)

“Oh hell,” I said with a sigh. “This is going to hurt.”

I grabbed the handle before Nemesis or innate self-preservation could stop me and yanked the syringe out. My knee nearly buckled at the pain, but I managed to hand the needle to a shocked Kiara. “Do it!” I ordered before giving in to agony and collapsing.

Nemesis and Nike channeled the magic I thrust toward them and set to work repairing enough damage to keep my ticker ticking until Kiara could turn her attention from Scott to me. My breath began coming in short, labored pants, but I forced myself to hold on to consciousness so I could watch Kiara fill the syringe from her vial and plunge it into the same vein I’d used on Vic. We both watched as the slightly duller green potion flowed from glass container into Scott’s blood and held our breaths, both (I’m sure) praying like crazy it would work.

And thank all the gods and goddesses, after several tense moments, it did. Scott’s breathing—which had grown way more labored than my own—became steadier and his skin not so pale. He mumbled something we couldn’t make out, but that made it sound no less sweet. I’d guessed right. The roses had been the catnip’s antidote, and Scott was going to make it. He was going to be all right.

Just knowing that gave me the peace of mind to slump down on the concrete and conserve my strength while the girls did what
they
did best—amp up my superhuman abilities—while all three of us waited our turn patiently. Or at least what, for me,
passed
as patient.

 

 

EARLY THE NEXT EVENING, THE BLUSHING bride walked down the aisle in all her glory and exchanged vows with her handsome Hound of a groom. Halfway through the ceremony—as expected—five of her family members, three of his, and no fewer than ten rabid wedding crashers stood up and shouted reasons why “this man and woman should
not
wed in holy matrimony” when the priest asked that age-old question.

My lips twitched as I glanced at the man standing across from me. “Well, guess we shouldn’t disappoint them.”

The priest’s microphone clearly carried my voice throughout the jam-packed room, sending protestors and nonprotestors alike into shocked silence. The tall, dark, and dashing groom grinned at me. “Suppose the jig’s up, then?”

I nodded, and, simultaneously, we both shifted back to our natural forms. Me to blond-haired, blue-eyed mortal form, and him into Mac. No way either of us had been going to let this charade get to the “I now pronounce you man and wife” part. Favors for friends only took you so far. Kissing my baby brother the way I would Scott? Ew!

Speaking of Scott, he catcalled from the wheelchair
we’d
insisted on when
he’d
insisted he wouldn’t miss this for the world, still-haywire body or no. Commotion broke out in the room as everyone who wasn’t in on the fun realized the bride and groom were not, in fact, the bride and groom. No, those two had taken up my offer to provide a diversion and done the smartest thing I’d seen them do in the past month: caught an earlier flight to Hawaii, where, by now, they’d exchanged vows on the beach with the officiate, gods, and two borrowed tourists as witnesses.

I commandeered the microphone and got everyone to shut up for thirty whole seconds. “I’m pleased to inform you that the bride and groom have eloped to Hawaii, where they can wed in peace and love rather than bitterness and chaos. Since Mrs. Neema Banoub has already footed the bill for this shindig, however, everyone’s welcome to head to the reception, and party like there’s no tomorrow!” The Anubian priest—who had
not
been in on the bait and switch—took the microphone back with a bemused expression. He tried to demand an explanation, but by then I’d already skipped down the steps and plopped myself atop Scott’s weak but functioning legs. My gorgeous, living,
breathing
Warhound wrapped his arms around me and shook his head.

“You loved every second of that.”

I made a gesture with my fingers. “Maybe just a
little
bit.” He looked surprised by my sudden, passionate kiss, but I’d been holding back my relief and elation that we’d both made it through the previous night’s events for more than eighteen hours. I poured every ounce of my emotions into the kiss, willing him to
feel
how much I loved him, how much I needed him. Later, there’d be time for words. Time to come fully clean on the things I’d been concealing from him—and vice versa—but for now emotions were more than enough.

Now that we’d conquered the green-eyed monster stalking us, and he was safely locked behind magical prison bars. Well, one of them. The other green-eyed monsters waiting for me in the Palladium I’d have to deal with tomorrow morning. Not to mention put in motion the steps that would allow me to take on Cori as my apprentice Fury. Right now, though, Scott and I had a party to get to. Together.

RED HOT FURY
GREEN-EYED ENVY