Everspell (21 page)

Chapter Thirty-four

SERENA

I sat on the couch at Tamera and Dave’s house waiting for them to come back into the room. Tamera’s cell phone had rung a few minutes ago and interestingly, they had
both
excused themselves to answer it. They had been acting strangely since I had arrived. In fact, people had been acting weird around me for most of the day. I had wanted to try and spend some time with Logan, but couldn’t seem to find a moment to myself since early this afternoon. I knew something might be going on, but no one would talk. I stopped trying to get anything out of them long ago.

“Whew! Excuse us!” Tamera and Dave came back into the living room, all smiles and looking like cats that had recently partaken of a canary dinner for two. I’d grown tired of the subterfuge and just wanted to go home.

“I’m so glad we got to visit, Tam, but would you mind talking me home now? I’ve been out all day on one errand or another, and I’m just so tired.”

Tamera exchanged a glance with Dave and said, “No problem, Serena. Just one thing? Jade asked me to have you try on a dress she wanted you to wear for the baby shower. Would you mind? It’s just here in the guest bedroom. Won’t take a minute!” She trilled the last sentence with so much hope, I couldn’t bear to let her down.
What could it hurt?

“Of course I will, Tam.” She happily grabbed my hand and led me down the narrow hallway to the pretty little guest room. Spread out on the bed lay a one-shouldered, sapphire blue dress. It was breathtaking. I thought it might be a bit much for a baby shower, but I didn’t say anything.

“Oh, Serena, this dress will fit you beautifully. Jade sure knows how to dress you. Let me know if you need anything.” Tamera left me to change. I slipped into the gorgeous dress and found Tam was right, it did fit me perfectly. I loved the fabric and style. I thought Logan might, too. Blue happened to be his favorite color.

“Knock, knock. How does it fit?” Tamera came back in a few minutes later, sipping a glass of punch. I stood so she could check out the dress.

“Oh, Serena! You are amazing!” She stood up so quickly, she spilled the red liquid from her glass on the pile of clothes I had taken off and set on the edge of the guest bed. “Oh no, Serena!” she exclaimed. “I guess you’ll have to wear that dress home.”

“Don’t worry about it, Tamera. Accidents happen. I’m sure the punch will wash out.”

“Oh, it will. I’m sure of it.” She snapped open a bag she had handy and stuffed my clothes inside. “Oh, look. You can borrow these sandals I have. They match the dress exactly.” She knelt down and withdrew a pair of tan and blue sandals from under the bed. They had little topaz and baby blue crystals on the bands and were darling.

“Tamera, these are adorable! I love them! Thank you.”

Tamera beamed. “You are so welcome. Now, we should get going.”

She hustled me and my bag of clothes out of the room and through the living room. Dave stood there on the phone. As soon as we emerged, he stopped talking and grinned broadly.

“Wow. You look like a movie star.”

“Why, thank you Dave. How sweet.” I curtsied for him and giggled when he blushed madly.

“Dave honey, I’m going to drive Serena home. I’ll be back soon, okay?”

“Okay.” Dave waved goodbye to us and walked away to continue his conversation. I thought I overheard him say something about us leaving to his caller, but I couldn’t be sure. Tamera and I headed out of the house to take me home.

****

We pulled up to the house and it surprised me when Tamera didn’t shut off the engine.

“You’re not coming in?” I asked her.

“No, not tonight. I’m going to go on home to my Davie. You have a nice night now.” She snickered a little when she said it. It sounded so funny, I stood there watching her as she drove away. Then I turned and considered our house. In all the time we had lived there, I don’t think I had ever seen it so dark. Not a light burned, save for the porch light. I fished my house keys out and had just about got them to the door, when I spotted the note pinned to the front.

Serena, meet me out back
—
Logan

A smile slowly spread across my face. So, this was what all the secrecy and ploys were about. Running me all over town and keeping me away from Logan all day. My smile grew wider still when I realized the depth of the deception. Tamera and Dave in it too, spilling punch on my day clothes and getting me into this beautiful dress, clearly
not
intended for any baby shower at all. My Logan had planned this down to the very last detail. I felt flattered and charmed. And madly in love. I no longer cared where anyone could be. Giggling, I pushed open our massive front door and ran into the house.

Running down the hallway, I couldn’t wait to get out to the patio. I careened past the kitchen and nearly smacked into the closed sliding door. I saw the scene before I got out there. It nearly knocked me off my feet, it appeared so breathtaking. Slowly, I opened up the glass door.

Logan stood next to the circular fire pit, illuminated by the thousands of colored lights, candles and Chinese lanterns suspended from the branches of every tree in our back yard. The garden and deck area were completely lit up and the effect seemed, well, magical, you should excuse the pun. Logan and his devious helpers had made the entire patio into a wonderland. I started to speak, but Logan beat me to it.

“Serena, you look amazing.”

“Logan. Did you do all this? For me? What’s this all about, anyway? If you’re trying to make me fall in love with you, you’re a little too late, buster. That ship has already sailed.”

Logan dazzled me with one of his smiles. “Not saying that doesn’t make you crazy, Baby. Just makes you crazy like me.” He closed the distance between us and reached for my hand. “Crazy about you. Serena, I wanted you here tonight, all to myself, because I wanted to ask you something.”

I brought one hand to my chest and inhaled sharply.
This couldn’t be happening, could it?
My question was answered when Logan lowered himself to one knee and reached into his pocket. I watched with widening eyes as he drew out a small, white velvet box and held it out to me in one hand. He took my hand with his other.

“Serena,” he began, “you are the most wonderful, crazy, insane, unbelievable thing to ever happen to me. Since the day I met you at school, my life has changed in ways I could never have imagined. Amazing, incredible, fantastic ways. You brought my family back to life, you
gave
me a new family and you have shown me a kind of love I never knew existed. And you have taught me how to love the same way. Without restrictions or reservations. Freely, and with wild abandon. I will never be able to repay you, but I intend to spend my lifetime trying. If you’ll let me.” With that, Logan flipped open the lid of the ring box and presented it to me. “Serena, will you marry me and let me be your husband, for the rest of our lives together?”

I sank down to my knees to meet him, tears staining my cheeks. “Logan, there is nothing in this world, or any other, that could make me any happier. But, you have to be sure. I’m a witch. I may always be a target. You’ve already seen what baggage being with me brings. I can’t promise you that will ever change.”

“I don’t care, Serena. Don’t you know that by now? Look at what we’ve been through already. Girl, I am not going anywhere. I’ve never felt more sure of anything before in my life. I want to marry you and I aim to do it.” Logan helped me to my feet and crushed me to his chest. Then he held me at arms length and gazed into my eyes. “Serena, I love you. Marry me.”

I thought of everything we had been through and the fact that my heart still skipped a beat when he entered the room. I remembered how it felt when he told me he loved me and the way his lips felt the first time they kissed mine. Then I thought of how he looked at me the day we danced at Dave and Tamera’s wedding. I knew I loved him and exactly at that moment, I knew I would love him forever.

“Yes. I will marry you, Logan. I love you, too.”

He didn’t say a word. He took the ring out of the box and handed it to me.

“Don’t you want to put it on me yourself?”

“It has an inscription. Read that first.”

I held the ring up to the light and squinted to read the carefully inscribed words. My tears flowed freely now. I knew I would love this man for the rest of my life. I handed the ring back to him and softly said, “Please put my ring on my finger.”

He did. I threw my arms around his neck, sobbing tears of love and joy. He had inscribed my engagement ring with the word he’d whispered in my ear at our friends’ wedding:
Someday.

And now, our someday had come.

Chapter Thirty-five

SERENA

Two days later, the entire coven gathered in the living room for the announcement. Of course, since practically everyone but me had been in on the big sting, it came as no surprise to anyone when Logan and I got up and made our way to the front of the room. Eden prefaced us.

“Everyone, Serena and Logan would like to make a declaration to us all. Please give them your attention.”

All eyes in the room watched us make our way to the head of the gathering. Knowing looks and smirks accompanied our path. I let Logan take the lead.

“So, most of you know this already, but I’m here to make it official. Serena has agreed to marry me.” It wasn’t like him to drag it out. The roar in the room became deafening. We were stampeded. Even though I knew most everyone had been aware of the engagement, it appeared no one had seen the ring except for Jade and Lily. They all wanted to check out the inscription and hear the story.

Eden quieted us down, which wasn’t easy. Finally, everyone took their seats and directed their attention to her at the front of the room. It appeared she had another announcement. By the looks of things, this one involved Jade. She sat just to Eden’s right and had an expression on her face as if she might burst. Eden gave Jade a nod and Jade struggled to her feet to address us. Sully hurried to her side.

“Well, I guess we are going to have to get moving on this baby shower.” She glanced around the room as the expected buzz rose up and grew in volume. She seemed extremely pleased. Eden nudged her discreetly and she continued. “So, my doctor says the babies are getting too big for me to carry, and we are scheduling a caesarean section for next week.”

This time the noise in the room became unbearable. Lily rushed to her daughter’s side and crushed her in a hug, reaching for Sully at the same time. My coven sisters all over the room went to Jade and Sully to issue their congratulations at the imminent and impending birth of their twin boys. Only four of us remained behind, exchanging glances of unquestioning dread; Eden, Prudence, Logan and myself.

We four knew that the births of Callum and Caleb would be too tempting of a circumstance for Christophe. We had no doubt that he knew about them. It was the only reasonable explanation for why he sent the hooded goons, and he wasn’t going to stop until he got to them. Prudence had been having nonstop visions regarding the unborn twins since Jade revealed to us that they could mindspeak. Even though Christophe had not shown himself, he had sent underlings to battle Logan, testing his powers. Prudence truly believed he was biding his time until the babies were to be born. She took us aside now while everyone else was preoccupied with Jade and her news.

“You know this wonderful news could be just the distraction Christophe is waiting for, right?”

Eden weighed in. “Prudence, have you had any visions directly relating to the safety of either Jade or the unborn twins?”

“No. But I have had vague foresights of impending danger. I have known for some time now that we are destined to lose someone important to us. I don’t know who. It tears into my soul that I can’t see it, but I cannot. I’m sorry.”

Eden reached forward for one of Prudence’s hands. “Never mind for now, Prudence. It will come to you. It always does, when the time is proper. In the meantime, we again must remain vigilant and aware. As always, Christophe will strike where we are soft and vulnerable. And I cannot think of anything more tender and defenseless than the new lives Jade is about to bring into this world.”

Logan slipped his arm around my waist. “Eden, I gave you my all last time we had to tap dance with that monster. And you know, there were enough reasons then for me to take him down. But, I need you to know, this time, there are even more.” Logan stared into my eyes before continuing. “Now, I’m about to marry the girl of my dreams and my sister and my best friend are going to make me an uncle…..times two! I belong to this big, crazy coven full of the most amazing and wonderful women I’ll ever know in my life and if this wasn’t enough, this insanely beautiful woman who came into my life brought me something else I’ve never had – a brother! I have a family, the likes of which I could never have dreamed. Plus, I’m a warlock!” Serena smiled at that. “No
way
am I going to let that demon freak take any of this away. I don’t know
how
he got out, but this time, he is going back in
forever
.”

I couldn’t have been more delighted by his impromptu speech. I knew Logan to be a man of few words. For him to have spoken at length like this, I knew it had been from his heart. And I could tell, by watching the faces of Eden and Prudence, they had realized the same thing.

“Logan, your loyalty and dedication to us and our coven family has never once been questioned or doubted,” said Eden, nodding gravely. “You are as much a part of this family as any one of us. That being said however, I must say, hearing you speak so eloquently is touching. I can tell, Prudence feels the same.”

I glanced over at Prudence in time to catch her dabbing at a tear.

“Wow, Prudence. Emotion is not normally your thing.” Logan handed her a tissue. She grabbed it and swiped at her dampened eyes.

“I know. But, darn it, Logan. That moved me. I didn’t expect it from you.”