A Shade of Vampire 41: A Tide of War(61)

Jenney was another one of the sentries who had settled in amazingly, in a way I wouldn’t have anticipated. From the moment she arrived, she hadn’t left Corrine’s side. Magic and the power of the witches held endless fascination for her. She spent hours studying herbs and potions, remedies that belonged to ancient arts of healing—ones that didn’t necessarily need innate witch powers to make them work. Admittedly, it hadn’t always been a success. She’d managed to almost blow up the Sanctuary in an experiment gone wrong—something that Corrine hadn’t been too pleased about, to say the least.

She had, however, been a huge help in getting the Murkbeech wards and the children who’d been kidnapped for the trials into a fit state to return home. It had taken a while—the kidnapped children were mostly suffering from post-traumatic stress, and needed care and attention more than any quick-fix spells. They would be leaving The Shade this evening, returning to their families, whom we had contacted already. Most were happy about it, perhaps with the exception of Yelena, who stubbornly claimed that she couldn’t remember her address, or the names of her parents… I suspected that part of it was that she just couldn’t bear to leave Benedict. Their friendship, which had grown as they had overcome the trials and dangers of Nevertide, was now stronger than ever—and I knew, as much as he vehemently denied it, that he would be heartbroken to see his friend go.

Tejus and Ash’s friendship was also growing—the differences in class and status that had kept them apart in the past no longer had any bearing. As a result, they were learning to trust one another and let their personalities fall into sync—Tejus to laugh a bit more, Ash to not be so proud and testy. It was nice to see, and certainly made my and Hazel’s lives easier.

Both of them had been living in the same residence, which helped the bonding process. Victoria, Bastien and Jovi went to stay with Vivienne and Xavier temporarily, freeing up a nearby treehouse for the two of them to use. I guessed Tejus had a hard time adjusting to the smaller living conditions—as spacious and beautiful as our treehouses were, they were small compared to the gray mass of Hellswan. But I knew Ash felt right at home.

I took one last look in the mirror, and tried to settle my racing heart. I was nervous, butterflies flitting around in my stomach, as I tried to comprehend the huge step I was taking toward the rest of my adult life. It was nerve-racking…and completely wonderful. I just wished Ash was with me now—he was the one who knew how to calm me down, who gave me perspective—who helped me be the person I wanted to be. The guy would soon be my husband.

“Hurry up!” Hazel’s voice drifted in through my open window. “I’m nervous as it is—and you delaying us is not helping!”

I laughed. I couldn’t remember ever hearing Hazel sounding so bossy…that was my job.

“I’m coming!” I yelled back, hurrying toward the terrace of my parents’ treehouse. Hazel was leaning over the banister of her parents’ nearby apartment, impatiently waiting for me to appear. She grinned when she saw me.

“You look amazing,” she gasped.

“So do you!”

She did. Her dress, which Corrine had made—as she had mine—was a delicate white lace. It was a sheath cut like mine, but with long sleeves that finished at an elegant point over the back of her hands. The neck line was high, but the back low, and her dark hair, worn perfectly straight, trailed down her bare skin.

“Tejus is going to lose it,” I added with a wink.

“Don’t,” she groaned. “I’m already worried that Dad’s going to frown at me for how revealing the back is—he’s the only one in my family who hasn’t seen it yet.”

I shook my head. The dress was beautiful, and I knew Caleb would just be dumbstruck at how mature and refined his daughter looked.

Grace and Rose stepped out from the doorway. Both of them waved at me and exclaimed over my dress and hair. I started to feel hugely self-conscious, belatedly realizing that this would be how it was all day—Hazel and I in the spotlight. I was glad we’d chosen to share our day with one another.

“Why are you still up there?” My mom appeared below us, on the forest ground, practically growling at the lot of us. “I have two very nervous grooms on my hands. They’ve started snapping at one another, and if you’re even a second late I’m worried this wedding is going to descend into all-out war.”

I glanced at Hazel, and we both burst out laughing—more out of nerves than anything else.

It was time to get a move on.