Fighting for Infinity (31 page)

BURN BRIGHT

Maryah

It was our wedding day, and I was terrified.

Not terrified of marrying Nathan—I loved him more than chocolate. And we had already been married many times throughout our existence. There was no doubt I wanted to marry him again—and remember it. The thing that terrified me was history repeating itself.

Dylan and Amber’s wedding in their previous life had been the event where many of our kindrily had gathered and been killed.

I was ninety-nine percent sure Dedrick’s soul had truly departed our world for good, but the one percent
What if?
still worried me.

What if he had somehow taken over River’s body again? What if he sough
t revenge? Every member of our kindrily would be there today. What if today—the day that was supposed to be the happiest day of my life—turned out to be another massacre of our kindrily?

I shuddered. I didn’t have memories of Dylan and Amber’s wedding, but knowing I was there and so many of the people I loved were killed sent my heart writhing with pain.

“Stop sweating.” Faith blotted my cheeks and forehead with a tissue.

“I can’t help it.”

“It is kind of warm in here,” Krista said. She opened the balcony door then returned to my dresser mirror to finish braiding her hair.

I flopped back on my pillows and stared at the dream catcher swinging above my bed. I blew out a big breath, hoping to send my negative worries up into its wood, string, and feathers to magically be erased.

“This better not be about Dedrick again,” Harmony growled.

I lowered my guilty eyes and fidgeted with my bedspread.

“Maryah.” Faith finished smearing extra glitter on her eyelids then shook her finger at me. “Stop. Evelyn told us River is living with her in Ireland, and there is no possible way that Dedrick has taken over his body. Don’t let that hellhound ruin your wedding day.”

“Rina agrees,” Harmony said. “She checked on River and Evelyn a couple times, and she says River is definitely himself.”

I took a deep breath. “I know, I know. Okay. I’ll stop.” I sat up. “Where is Rina?”

Harmony pointed to Faith sitting cross-legged on the floor in front of the other mirror. “Next to Faith. She’s fascinated with her makeup ritual.”

“Aww, Rina.” Faith held up her eye shadow brush and blew sparkling powder at the space beside her. “As soon as you come back here, I will be your personal beauty consultant. We will accentuate all of your star princess features.”

I giggled at the thought of Faith applying lipstick and assorted glittery products to the future toddler version of Rina. My stomach swirled because whenever I thought about being pregnant so that Rina could return to us, it required me to also think about having sex with Nathan—for the first time
.

Most girls wouldn’t already know their daughter before they married their baby’s father, but add that to the ever-growing list of stranger-than-fiction facts about my life. Bottom line was it was my wedding day. And everyone knows what happens on the wedding night. My palms were sweaty, so I rubbed them on my thighs.

I closed my eyes and pictured Nathan’s lustful gleam that he could never hide. I pictured his hands and how slowly but confidently they touched my skin, how he could be so gentle one moment and so incredibly strong the next, the way he’d discreetly moisten his bottom lip right before he kissed me. Every inch of me tingled just thinking about it.

Tonight would be the best night
ever.

Louise tapped on the door then stepped inside with a garment bag draped over her arm.

Krista rushed toward her. “The dress!”

The same wedding dress I wore last lifetime was unbelievably beautiful. Louise had it stored in her bedroom closet, but last night she and Helen made me try it on for alterations. Much to my dismay, I wasn’t nearly as busty in my current body so the strapless top didn’t have much to hold it up, and several inches had to be hemmed from the A-line skirt, but when I stepped into that dress, I felt like I had slipped into a fairy tale.

“Helen and I just finished,” Louise said. “We added a few embellishments. I hope you like them.”

She hung the garment bag from one of the posts on my bed and unzipped it. Two peacock feathers had been added beneath the bust where it cinched together at the high waist. The feathers were secured with one blue pearl.

Louise’s lips pursed with a bittersweet smile. “The pearl was—”

“I know.” Tears welled in my eyes. “My mother gave it to me the first time I ever played dress up and pretended to be a bride. She told me she wore it when she married my father and that I could wear it at my wedding. As my something borrowed and blue.” I smiled at the happy memory and then wiped away a tear. I wanted my mom with me today more than anything. “They’re perfect. Thank you.”

Krista handed me a tissue and wrapped her arm around me.

“That’s not all,” Louise said with a wink. “Nathan made a request too. Turn around for a moment and don’t look. I want you to get the full effect when you see it for the first time. Faith, will you assist me?”

I turned around, but I was giddy. The dress was already so pretty. What would Nathan have requested be done to it? The bag and fabric rustled behind me. Krista stood right beside me, so I watched her face, waiting to read her reaction.

She gasped so hard, she almost sucked in my hair.

“Ooooooh,” Faith cooed.

“What?” I turned my head, but Krista stopped me. “Not yet.”

“I’ll admit,” Harmony said, “even I like it.”

I bounced on my toes. “You guys are killing me.”

“That side needs to be spread out a little more,” Louise directed. Fabric shook a couple more times as Krista and Faith not-so-quietly tried to contain their excitement.

“Okay.” Louise’s bracelets jingled. “Ready.”

With her hands on my shoulders, Krista turned me around.

I gasped even deeper than Krista had. The back of my dress was breathtaking. The skirt fanned out along the floor with a train made of
white
peacock feathers. They started near where my hips would be. Hundreds of them, layer upon layer, overlapped in arched rows until the final row lined the curved edge of the train.

“It’s...” I couldn’t think of a word that meant super-duper, jaw-dropping amazing, more-than-I-ever-dreamed beautiful, so I opted for, “exquisite.”

Louise petted the soft feathers near the waist. “Nathan said they’d represent your purity. Your soul’s new beginning.”

Faith giggled. “He’s such a keeper.”

“Wedding number twenty confirms that.” Harmony elbowed me. “What are you waiting for? Put that thing on so we can get you to the chapel on time.”

I shook out my hands, which had been clenched from a mixture of nerves, excitement, and a million other emotions, and I untied my robe. I
was about to marry my soul mate.

What more could a girl ask for?

∞

Krista and Faith stood on either side of me, helping me gather my dress so I could climb into the Desoto.

“Where are your shoes?” Harmony asked, staring at my bare feet. 

“I’m not wearing any. I li
ke feeling the earth between my toes.”

She rolled her eyes.

I assessed the backseat of the Desoto then looked over my shoulder at the train of perfectly arranged white feathers.

“For crying out loud.” Carson strutted down the driveway in his best man’s outfit of tan pants and a matching vest. Under it he wore a crisp white shirt, and his blue and green tie was perfectly knotted. Krista lit up at the sight of him. I had to admit he looked handsome. He stuck his hands in his pockets and chuckled. “You can’t be serious. No matter how careful you are, your peacock tail will be ruined if you climb into that car.”

“We already discussed this,” I said. “Nathan can’t traverse me there. It’s bad luck to see the bride before the wedding. I’ve had more than my share of bad luck already.”

Carson started rolling up his sleeves. “The cliffs are less than a mile from here.”

“Walking that far will ruin the dress too,” Faith argued. “I can’t promise to carry this skirt that far without dragging it at some point.”

“I’ll carry you,” Carson told me. “We’ll be there in no time.”

I laughed. “No way. The only man allowed to carry me today is my groom. Besides, you’d probably ruin more feathers than the backseat of the Desoto would.”

“Rina has a suggestion,” Harmony said. “We blindfold Nate and then he traverses you there.”

Faith dropped my skirt and clapped. “Oooh, I love that idea.”

I raised one brow at Carson. “How come you didn’t think of that one first, Boy Genius?”

Carson’s face contorted while he searched for a snappy comeback. “Just stay put, Sparky. I’ll take the girls to the cliffs and tell your past and future husband to come get you.”

“We can’t leave her here alone,” Krista argued.

“I’m not alone,” I pointed out. “Rina’s with me.”

Carson nodded. “Besides, it takes all of two minutes to drive there.”

They piled into the car. Krista, Faith, and Harmony were all careful with the skirts of their green dresses. The Desoto cranked to life, and I waved to them as Carson backed my car down the driveway.

“Oh, Rina.” I sighed. “This is happening because of you. Thank you for saving him. But I’m brokenhearted that you can’t physically be here.”

Her warm, loving energy embraced me in a hug.

“This is it.” I stared up at the cerulean Sedona sky. “My whole life is about to change. Again.”

∞

“Don’t peek,” I warned Nathan.

“I would never.”

I ran my fingers along the muscles in Nathan’s forearms. His sleeves were rolled up like Carson’s, and maybe I was biased, but Nathan looked infinitely sexier in his wedding attire. I was ready to ski
p all the hoopla and start the honeymoon. 

I examined the silk sash tied around his head. “You really can’t see?”

“I swear.” He hugged me tight to him. “I’ve waited too long already. Let’s go.”

I giggled as we traversed to the cliffs.

“Can I take it off now?” He asked.

“Not until I start walking down the aisle.”

“Fine.” He grinned. “But could you ask Carson to guide me from here?”

I waved Carson over, and he escorted Nathan to his position.

There were no chairs, no altar or stage, just a makeshift aisle lined with huge gorgeous stones that I assumed were the handiwork of Helen. The path led to a large circle of more stones and white flowers which looked beautiful against the red rocks and the setting sun.

All of our kindrily members circled around the ring of flowers. Nathan stood in the middle, blindfolded.

Harmony approached me with a genuine full-blown smile. “You look beautiful.”

“Thank you, so do you.
”

“Take a deep breath,” she ordered.

I did, and before I had completely exhaled, she hit me with another emotional bomb.

“Your father asked me to tell you something when this day arrived. He said to tell you that he
understands you have been Nate’s for centuries, but you will always be his little girl.”

I stared down into my bouquet of white Stargazer lilies, fighting back tears.

“He couldn’t be happier that you’re marrying such an amazing man.” Harmony wiped a tear from my cheek. “See you in the circle, Bonita.”

“Wait, Harmony?” She turned. “Rina and Dakota, where are they?”

“Dakota is in his place in our circle.” Her focus drifted to the space beside me. “Rina is by your side, ready to walk the path in front of you.” Harmony smirked. “She said to tell you she can’t sprinkle flower petals, but she will be sprinkling stardust.”

Gregory watched me, waiting for me to tell him I was ready. I nodded, and he started strumming a slow song on his Spanish guitar. Eightball, our ring bearer, sat at Carson’s feet and chewed on his leash. Manny the mouse, Eightball’s new best friend, was perched on the ring pillow secured to Eightball’s back.

I turned to the seemingly empty space beside me and exhaled. “Shall we, Rina?”

I could feel her loving energy move in front of me. I stared at the path, imagining the back of her dark hair fanning out like black feathers as she strolled along sprinkling stardust.

Amazingly, I saw a faint blue light. I happily followed her lead.

Anthony and Helen stepped apart, creating an opening in the circle and motioned for me to walk through.

Nathan slid the sash from his head. His green eyes locked on me. My knees weakened as dragonflies started our first official wedding dance in my stomach.

That beautiful, charming, sexy, superhero of a man standing in the center of the circle was about to become my husband. I walked faster.