Sweet Reckoning Read online

  “That’s why I’m here.” His voice was unlike those of any of the dark whisperers. His was a soothing rumble. “You don’t have much time.” He turned his head to Kaidan, who came and stood at my side. The others watched, on edge.

  “What do you suggest?” Kaidan asked.

  “You have only one safe option,” Dad answered. “Get married.”

  UNCORRECTED E-PROOF—NOT FOR SALE

  HarperCollins Publishers

  ..................................................................

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  DREAM WITHIN A DREAM

  The room stilled as his words cartwheeled around in my head. I had that distant feeling that came with dreams—first at the realization that Dad’s body was forever gone, and then the unbelievable words he’d just uttered—giving voice to a dream that I’d long since buried.

  “We can’t.” I shook my head. It wasn’t possible. If there’d been a glaring loophole, we’d have thought of it by now. Dad failed to notice one major issue. “I have to stay a virgin. The sword—”

  “No. You have to stay pure of heart, Anna,” Dad said. “What’s more pure than committing yourselves in love?”

  “But . . .” I looked toward Kaidan.

  My insides twisted at the dread on his face as he stepped back.

  “No.” His voice was low. “It won’t work.”

  I wanted to reach for him, but he stepped back even farther. His face hardened into the mask I knew all too well, concealing emotion.

  “I’m sorry, Duke Belial,” he said to my father. “I can’t marry.”

  I said nothing, but my heart shattered into a million shards as his rejection slammed into me.

  “Don’t be stupid, Kai!” Ginger said. “There’s no time for this. If it can save you both, you need to do it!”

  “Duke Astaroth will be able to see the bond of marriage,” Kaidan pointed out, frustrated.

  “Well, he’ll see the bond of love between you anyhow, which is nearly as bad,” she countered. The twins’ father was the only Duke who could see relational bonds. We’d need to avoid him at all cost.

  Kai thrust his fingers through his hair and faced away. He looked poised to run, his back muscles tense.

  Obviously, being a husband had never been in the forefront of Kaidan’s mind, but his reaction still burned like an acid bath. If he loved me, why wouldn’t he want to take this step? Yes, we were young, but we weren’t normal. Yes, these were perilous circumstances, but the romantic part of me wanted him to want it all, peril or not.

  “Dude, come on—,” Blake started.

  “Don’t pressure him,” I said. “If he doesn’t want to do it, he shouldn’t have to.”

  “Anna . . .” Kaidan kept his back to us, dropping his head. I hated seeing him like this. Especially with a roomful of others watching.

  “It’s okay,” I said. “It was a bad idea.”

  Dad watched our conversation play out, silent above us.

  “It’s not a bad idea,” Marna said to me, then looked at Kaidan. “Really, Kai, why the hell not?”

  “Marna—,” I began, but she shook her head and cut me off.

  “That’s pants! What’s the problem?”

  Kaidan turned now, a storm in his eyes. “She can’t tie herself to a bloke like me and expect to come out of it white as snow. It won’t work.”

  I sucked in a breath, stunned.

  “She loves you,” Marna whispered. “And you love her. You’re not going to soil her soul, babe.”

  He shook his head. “My past has to be taken into account.”

  “Your past is in the past,” I said, staying calm. “And it’s not going to . . . rub off on me or something. You know it doesn’t work like that.”

  His jaw ticked as he glared at the wall.

  I started to move forward just as my father’s weightless form lowered toward Kaidan and encircled him. Kai stilled, as if listening. What was Dad saying? More listening and head shaking. They seemed to converse for hours. Now Kaidan gave an almost imperceptible nod. I wanted to stop their silent conversation. For all I knew, Dad could be threatening him, like he’d once done when he wanted Kai to stay away from me. He’d gone from using all his power to keep us apart, to wanting us to get married?

  “I need some time to myself,” Kaidan said. Without a backward glance, he left the room. I let my special hearing trail after him until he stopped on the deck outside.

  I looked to the other three Neph. Blake raised his pierced eyebrow.

  I turned on my dad and spoke to him telepathically.

  You’d better not have threatened him.

  I tried to reason with him and reassure him.

  But . . . if this was a possibility all along, why didn’t you tell me?

  I assumed you’d figured it out for yourself. This is what I hoped would happen with you and the son of Alocer.

  Hold on. He’d wanted me to marry my friend Kope? Ugh! I turned my back, irritated. Dad’s massive spirit form moved in front of me.

  I knew the son of Pharzuph would have reservations. I tried to back off and give the two of you space, but there’s no time for that now. I’ve told him that if he loves you, he needs to marry you.

  “Gee, no pressure, Dad,” I said out loud.

  “Sometimes people need to be pressured to do the right thing,” he said only to me, completely unapologetic.

  “I need to talk to Kai.” I walked away from my dad and past the others. I took a couple wrong turns, Blake’s house being so huge, and when I got to the back doors, Kaidan was coming in. He must’ve heard me. To my relief, he reached out his hand and took mine, leading me down a flight of carpeted stairs and into a cave of darkness.

  “This is my favorite room,” he said quietly.

  I adjusted my sights and saw that it was a mini movie theater with four rows of stadium seating. The walls were covered in old movie posters and pictures of pinup starlets from long ago when it was considered unsexy to be skinny.

  The room was atmospheric and cozy. We took a seat in the back row, never letting go of each other’s hands.

  “Look,” I began. “I don’t know what my dad said to you, but don’t let him pressure you. You don’t have to do this. I’ll find a way to hide from Pharzuph.”

  He looked resigned. “You can’t hide from him forever.”

  “Yes, but I don’t want that to be our sole reason for getting married.”

  He dropped his eyes to our hands, letting strands of dark hair block his face.

  I tried to tell myself not to be disheartened, but it was hard. Talking about marriage like a business proposition or a means to an end . . . it was depressing. Yes, it would keep us safe to a degree, but both our hearts had to be in it or it would be a farce, not an arrangement born of love.

  I began to stand. “I’m telling him no.”

  Kaidan’s eyes shot up, wild, and he held my hands tighter. “You don’t want to get married?”

  I sat again. “Of course I want to, but you have to want it, too. And it has to be for the right reasons.”

  “I’d do anything for you—to keep you safe.”

  His words were sweet, but he wasn’t getting it. Tears of disappointment filled my eyes, and he kept going.

  “When I think of what those sons of Thamuz could’ve done—”

  “Wrong reason,” I whispered. “We can’t do this.” I tried to pull my hands away, but he wouldn’t let me.

  “Anna—”

  “Let me go, Kai.” I didn’t want to bawl in front of him.

  “No, please. God . . . I’m just not good at this, luv. Any of it.”

  I closed my eyes and let my head fall back against the tall seat.

  “I know this is something you’ve always wanted,” he said.

  I shook my head. “That was a long time ago. When I thought I was normal. I never wanted it to be like this.”

  Kaidan was so tense. I wished I knew what he was thinking. I hated this whole stupi
d situation. The pressure. The rush. The unknown.

  “That’s what I tried to tell your father,” Kaidan said. “We’ve no time to plan a fancy ceremony or to have a gown tailored—”

  “Whoa, stop.” I held up a hand. “I don’t need any of that fairy-tale stuff. It’s the marriage that matters to me, not the wedding. As long as our hearts are in the right place, we could be in pajamas for all I care.”

  A mass of tension seemed to roll away from him. His eyes softened as he looked at me. “But . . . I wanted to give you all that.”

  Sparks of love lit up behind my eyes. I tried to gauge the jumble of emotions inside me—but it was hope that rose up and caught wind.

  I’d always thought marriage was special—a partnership of challenge and love. What Dad was proposing was a secret wedding. A bond between us that no one would know about except our small group and the Maker Himself.

  A tingle of joy circled my soul as the possibility of it all became real.

  “Kai, please, tell me what you’re thinking right now. We don’t have much time, and we have to make a decision.” He knew I wanted it, so the ball was in his court.

  He froze. “I . . .” Then, as he searched my face with wonder, he slid from his seat and down to one knee. “My sweet, lovely Anna. I love you . . . and I want to marry you. But only if you want to. Do you? I mean, will you? Marry me?”

  Be still my heart. His proposal was so adorably awkward that I had to laugh, sliding out of my chair so I could face him on my knees, too. I grabbed his face and kissed him for saying exactly what I needed to hear. We kissed once, twice, three times before he pulled back.

  “Does it always take this long for someone to answer? It’s making me bloody nervous.”

  I looked into his eyes. “Yes, Kai. I’ll marry you.”

  And as we kissed again, a cheer rose up outside of the door, making us laugh.

  “So much for privacy,” Kaidan said with a grin.

  His genuine happiness sealed the deal for me, and I was warming to the thought of marrying him. Okay, I was pretty much hot for it. This was Kaidan Rowe on his knees for me. This was my desire—our mutual love and devotion.

  We stood when Marna came bouncing into the room, throwing her skinny arms around our necks.

  “Brilliant!” she said.

  Blake and Ginger came in behind her. Blake slapped his palm into Kaidan’s, and they shared a back-clapping hug.

  “Man,” Blake said, “you almost screwed it up. I thought you were smoother than that.”

  Kaidan gave him a shove and said, “Shut it.” But they kept grinning.

  Ginger was the only one not smiling. I felt bad celebrating when everything in her life was falling apart. She crossed her arms, appearing anxious. Time to get back to business.

  “Where’s my dad?” I asked.

  “He’s scouting the area,” Blake said. “He’ll be back.”

  And sure enough he flew down into the room from above, sending my heart into pounding mode.

  All clear, Dad said, speaking telepathically to all of us. I’ve worked out the details with the son of Melchom. We all looked at Blake, who gave us a wink as Dad continued. You’ll need to go somewhere remote this evening, and then head back to your individual homes tomorrow to avoid further suspicion.

  Only one night? Well, we’d have to make the most of it.

  My insides flipped in nervous anticipation.

  Everything has been prepared. I must leave now.

  “Thank you for everything,” I whispered to him.

  Dad moved forward, wrapping his wings around me and bringing his head down as if to kiss my head. Though I couldn’t physically feel him, my soul felt whole and full.

  I raised my hand and signed, I Love You, and a smile lit up his otherwise frightening face. He kept his eyes on me as he flew up and away.

  “All right,” Blake said, motioning us into a circle. “I’ve got some things to take care of. Let’s meet at the regional airport in three hours.”

  Nerves zipped through me again. “Where are we going?” I asked.

  “You’re getting married in the sky,” Blake said. “Courtesy of moi.”

  “You mean . . . ,” I started.

  “You’re flying us?” Marna finished, looking doubtful.

  “He’s got a pilot license,” Ginger said proudly.

  “That’s right.” Blake beamed. “I’ve been shopping for a small jet the past few months, and I’ve got one waiting on me now. It’s a beauty.”

  “Nice,” Kaidan said.

  There was a long lull in which we all kind of stood there looking around at one another in disbelief.

  “So, yeah.” Blake clapped his hands and rocked back on his heels, seeming to think the awkwardness was funny. “You know what this means, right? Our little Anna’s gettin’ some tonight.”

  Oh, my gosh! My face lit on fire and I could not look at Kaidan. I wanted to crawl away from the twins’ and Blake’s laughter.

  “I totally hate you,” I said.

  “Nah, you love me.” Blake tried to put me in a headlock, but I wriggled away and shoved him, laughing despite my horror.

  “Get off, mate.” Kaidan slid his arm around my waist. “You’re just jealous you can’t have me.”

  “That is the truth, brah.” Blake grabbed Kai and pretended to latch on to his neck. The two of them wrestled while Marna took my hand and pulled me and Ginger away.

  “We should break up for the three-hour wait so we’re not seen with each other,” Marna said.

  The boys got their acts together and followed us to the doors. We were all set to leave when I thought about poor Michelle.

  “Guys . . . what are we going to do if she’s still out there?” I looked pointedly at Blake.

  “She’s gone,” Blake and Kaidan both said. So, they’d been listening. Blake had the good sense to appear guilty while Ginger stared down at her thumbnail.

  I opened the door to the bright, hot sun. Blake led Kaidan and me to the garage and handed me keys to a cherry-red convertible Mini Cooper. I couldn’t help the little “Ooh!” that escaped.

  “Yeah, it’s cute,” he said. “I bought it on a whim, but it’s too girly for me. I was gonna give it to . . .”

  He froze as we realized he was referring to Michelle, and we braved glances toward the twins just as Ginger yanked the door of the rental car open. Blake shook his head, probably cursing himself for the slip up.

  Kaidan looked out over the clear skies, on alert. “Thanks, mate. Let’s get moving.”

  “Yep. See you in three hours.” As Blake walked back to his front door, he winked at Ginger, who flipped him off before letting the tiniest smile grace her lips.

  The twins drove away. Now it was just Kaidan and me. We stood there shyly avoiding each other’s eyes.

  “What will you do for three hours?” he asked.

  “Maybe shop, since I didn’t bring anything. I thought I’d be flying back today.”

  It felt surreal to have a casual conversation when our lives were hanging in the balance and a huge event was about to take place between the two of us.

  He gave me a shopping center’s name, which I put in my phone’s navigational system for directions.

  “Cool,” I said.

  More shyness.

  “So, I’ll see you soon?” he asked. The blue of his eyes shone through strands of hair.

  “Yeah. See you soon.”

  “Right then.” He cleared his throat, walking backward now, away from me with a flick of his head to clear the hair from his eyes. I loved the way the sun made him squint a little.

  I loved everything about this boy. And I was going to marry him.

  Oh. My. Gosh.

  I was about to marry Kaidan Rowe.

  If I get married, I want to be very married.

  —Audrey Hepburn

  UNCORRECTED E-PROOF—NOT FOR SALE

  HarperCollins Publishers

  .............................................
.....................

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  SKY HIGH

  I went straight to the mall and stood in front of the lacy nighties. I didn’t even realize I was wearing a dreamy, dorky smile until a sales associate came up and asked if I needed any help.

  Embarrassing.

  I said, “No thanks,” and hurried off. Kai wasn’t the type of guy to be impressed by frills, anyway.

  My nerves were building—jitters of the monstrous variety. Not the sickening kind of anxiousness the Dukes gave me, but precarious, dancing nerves that made me light-headed and giddy. Drunk on anticipation. High on Kai. Okay, that was incredibly cheesy, but that was the kind of mood I was in.

  I kept an eye out for dark whisperers or creepy Neph kids. If anyone or anything tried to ruin this amazing plan of ours, my demon side would definitely be coming out to play.

  I bought some travel toiletries and an outfit for the next day. Then, on a whim, I decided to purchase a sundress. I may not have needed a grand, elaborate gown, but I also didn’t want to get married in grungy jeans if I didn’t have to.

  The white dress had a halter top with an open back, and it flowed down to my ankles in a light, silky material that made me feel pretty. I was glad to see that my bruises were mostly gone. I ran to a hair salon for a quick style, changed my clothes in the mall restroom, and got to the airport just in time. Shaking. My teeth were all but chattering.

  The twins were waiting for me in the entrance. Marna let out an excited squeal and bear-hugged me, praising my dress choice.

  “I wish Jay could be here,” she said.

  My heart dropped. “So do I. And Patti, too.”

  “Ah, Patti.” Ginger smiled, causing Marna and me to halt and stare at her. “What? She’s lovely. She’ll be sad to miss this madness.”

  “She will,” I whispered. So would Veronica. I wished they all could be here, and I hoped I could see them and tell them our news soon.

  With a sigh, Ginger picked up the pace through the terminal. Marna and I followed.

  “Kai and Blake are on the plane,” Marna explained as we speed-walked to an exit ramp. A man in uniform led us outside to the jetway. “Blake’s been doing all the safety checks and whatnot. I’m sure they’re ready for us by now.”