Firefight in Darkness (2 page)

At some point, she had to go home.

♦ ♦ ♦

“This one is pretty.”

Blythe’s eyes flicked up in the mirror as she looked at the pale blue dress Capri was holding up. It was knee-length and strapless, and made of shimmering silk.

“You’re kidding, right?” She snorted, whirling around, her lips curved into a smirk. “Honey, if you don’t stop picking dresses that you really want to wear, you’re never going to find one for me to wear. You did say you wanted to help, right?”

Capri blushed, but tilted her head up indignantly anyways. “I wasn’t looking for myself. I happen to think that this dress would look lovely on you.”

“That may be, but I can tell by the way you’re looking at it that you see yourself in it a lot more than you see me in it. Pale blue isn’t really my color, anyway.” Taking the dress from Capri’s hands, she held it up in front of Capri so she could see it against her coloring. “See, it’s perfect for you. Now find something for me.”

Knowing she was caught, Capri pursed her lips and gently set the pale blue dress aside before rummaging through the closet once again. When she resurfaced, she had another knee-length dress in hand, this time a leaf green number with a heart shaped bodice and skinny shoulder straps.

“This one is eye-catching.” Capri concluded, eyeing the dress speculatively. “And unlike the other dress, it would look horrible on me.”

With a wink, she tossed the dress at Blythe, who held it up against her body as she examined herself in the mirror.

“Hmm…yup, this one will do.” Decision made, Blythe quickly put on the dress and did a quick three sixty so she could see it from all sides. “What do you think?”

“It looks gorgeous with your hair…but, you know what I really think?” Capri walked over and wrapped her arm around Blythe’s shoulders, meeting her eyes in the mirror. “I think he could care less if you were wearing a dress made of diamonds or a trash bag. He’s going to be looking at you, Blythe, not your outfit.”

With a sigh, Blythe turned and hugged her friend, holding her close. “I know. God, I’ve never been so nervous before. And it’s only starting to piss me off because I never get nervous over anything, but…”

“Nothing has ever been this important.” Pulling away, smoky eyes soft, Capri smiled.

“Exactly.” Blowing out a breath to chase her bangs out of her eyes, Blythe grinned. “Which means that I should at the very least take the time to put on some make up.”

As she turned to head into the adjoining bathroom, there was a brisk knock on the door.

“Come in!” Blythe shouted as she continued into the bathroom, setting up what little makeup she owned on the vanity.

When the bedroom door opened, Rian poked his head in.

“I just wanted to let you girls know that we’ve got about twenty minutes until show time.”

“Thanks.” Capri smiled as she walked over and kissed him, lingering against him for a moment. Blythe rolled her eyes and continued applying blusher to her cheeks, chuckling to herself over the lovebirds.

Who knew that the deeply serious and quiet Rian could actually smile? She could remember him before Capri had come back to Euphora, but seeing him now…it was like he was a whole different person. He actually seemed like a pretty nice guy, and she had to congratulate Capri for unlocking whatever it was that he had held inside of him all these years.

“I’ll see you down there in a few minutes.” Capri pulled away, only to kiss him again a second later, her lips curved into a bright smile. He backed away, looking a bit flustered as he glanced over at Blythe, who was eyeing him from the bathroom, amusement clear on her face.

“Okay, baby.” He murmured as he kissed the knuckles of her hand delicately. Then he was gone.

Blythe watched as Capri shut the door gently, then just seemed to hover near it, unmoving.

“You okay?” She called out to her friend, even though she knew the answer. God, lovesick people were embarrassing sometimes. She hoped she never acted that ridiculous over some guy.

“What? What?” Capri blinked, whirling around, seeming to forget where she was. “Oh, the dress, yes, I should put it on.”

“You know, I get that you’re all gaga over your new boyfriend, but you shouldn’t forget that you came in here to help me get ready.”

“Right, I’m sorry.” Standing at attention, Capri parked herself in front of the bathroom door. “What would you like me to do?”

“Nothing.” Blythe couldn’t help but laugh. God, Capri was so cute. “Just put your damn dress on.”

“Yes, ma’am.” Capri grinned as she grabbed the pale blue dress from off the chair she’d set it on before slipping behind the changing panel. When she emerged, Blythe glanced over and nearly gushed.

“I swear, honey, you look like an angel. No wonder that boy is crazy over you.”

“Oh, well…” Capri brushed at the pale silk skirt, feeling exposed. “It’s just a dress.”

“Just take the compliment.” Applying one last stroke of mascara, Blythe turned around to hunt for her shoes.

Pouting a bit, Capri watched Blythe tug on a pair of strappy gold stilettos with three inch heels.

“You just wait, Blythe. The day you fall for some guy and start making lovey dovey faces I’m going to give you a taste of your own medicine.”

“Hmmph, please.” With a grunt, Blythe got to her feet and strutted over to slip on simple gold strand earrings and a necklace. “I’m immune to the advances of men. They can’t woo me, and I will never go gaga over one. Besides, I have ridiculously high standards that no man could possibly ever meet, so therefore I will live life as a spinster. Your kids will call me Crazy Auntie Blythe and I’ll have twenty cats living in my room and life will be amazing.”

“How are your standards impossible to meet? I’m sure there’s someone-“

“Hey, if you can tell me where I can find a guy who’s mysterious but honest, clever but not a complete nerd, tough but not a macho-man, and passionate without being obsessive, then I think you’ll have the man for me.”

“Well, even if he doesn’t exist, I’m sure you’ll stumble upon someone who meets most of your criteria sooner or later.”

“Maybe, but I’m in no hurry.” Taking one last look in the mirror, Blythe turned to face Capri. “It’s time, isn’t it?”

Biting back an excited grin, Capri nodded. “Yes, it is.”

♦ ♦ ♦

If she hadn’t known better, she would have thought that the courtyard was on fire.

Bright red, flashy yellow, and vivid orange flowers rioted throughout, filling nearly every nook and cranny of the gardens with fiery personality. Someone had even put flowers in the trees, and in the ponds.

Tables and chairs were set up around the dance floor on the patio, each with several tall tapered candles already alight with flame as centerpieces. Circling the tapers were more candles, tea lights, so that every table seemed filled with little beacons of light.

Above her head and over the entire courtyard, fireflies danced. And against the night sky, the brilliance of their glow illuminated everything in a warm golden light.

Strung across the cobblestone pathway was a large sign with the words “Welcome Home Brock!” in bold cursive letters on both sides. She had a feeling it was the Muses’ doing, as the sign, with all its gilded designs and patterns, was obviously painted by a magnificent artist, most likely their latest protégé.

Beneath the sign stood Lucian and Liam, their arms crossed and their eyes fixated on the artwork above them. Both were tall and lanky, with long faces and brilliant blue eyes. The only difference between them other than age was hair. Liam’s was jet black, framed around his face, while Lucian’s was bright white, long and pulled back at the nape of his neck.

When they noticed Blythe and Capri approaching, their faces lit up with identical goofy grins.

Without realizing it, Blythe’s eyes filled at the sight of it.

Annoyed with herself, she brushed away the tears before they could fall, forcing herself to smile. After all, she was supposed to be happy tonight. Her long lost father was returning to her an innocent man. Everything that had been wrong in her life was suddenly about to be righted. She had no reason to feel that while something wonderful was about to begin, something even more special was coming to an end.

“You’re crying already? He’s not even here yet.” Liam joked, pulling her into a one armed hug and messing up her hair.

“Oh, shut up and hug me, idiot.” She laughed and held on to him, fighting back the tears but letting her emotions run their course. She pulled away and turned to Lucian, who pouted at her for good measure.

“Do I get a hug too?” He asked, amusement glittering in his eyes.

“You get an even bigger hug.” Blythe announced as she threw herself on his tall, slim frame, hoping he didn’t notice the single tear that slid down her cheek. Holding herself against him, she breathed in the scent of peppermint, and sighed. “You know that this won’t change anything, right? Not between us.”

She felt him stiffen, knew it had been on his mind.

“I know, honeypot.” He held her at arm’s length, his all-knowing sapphire eyes inspecting her, his lips curved into that trickster’s grin. “But you were his first, and I have to respect that. Even though, in a way, you will always be mine.”

“Of course I will, nothing can change that.”

She saw what she could only describe as relief flash in his eyes, and seeing it there made her throat tighten. She never wanted him to believe for one second that she would abandon him or forget about him. She may have a one track mind when it came to a lot of things, but not when it came to her own heart. And in her heart, Lucian was her father, bloodlines be damned.

“The Muses certainly outdid themselves on the decorations, don’t you think?” Capri’s father, Clynn, asked cheerfully as he approached, Rian at his side. Rian went immediately to Capri, his arm wrapping around her protectively.

That was something that Blythe had noticed about her friend’s relationship with the Fury. He was extremely protective of her, as though vicious monsters were waiting for a chance to jump out of the bushes and eat her. It was something that she knew would personally irritate the hell out of her, as she was entirely confident she could slay her own dragons. But judging from the way Capri leaned against him, clearly content in his arms, the arrangement suited her just fine.

“Yes, Clarity has been going on and on about their plans for the welcome home party all week. I suppose this is their way of trying to assuage their guilt.” Lucian replied with a smirk.

“I suppose we all feel a bit responsible.” Clynn mused, though there was sadness in his tone. “Maybe we were just too quick to judge him.”

“Dear friend, no one expected you to be of sound mind at that time, what with losing a wife and daughter in the same evening.” Patting the other man’s back compassionately, Lucian eyed his own children warily. What would he have done if it had been his child who had been taken instead? He would have believed anything as truth just to have justice…

“At least we know the truth now.” Capri put in, reaching out to lay a hand on her father’s arm in comfort.

“And once this demon hunter guy catches Dante, we will have justice once and for all.” Blythe added, fire in her eyes. “None of this will have been for nothing.”

“My little warrior.” Lucian said fondly, wrapping his arm around Blythe. “If there’s a battle to be won, she’s there.”

“Injustice pisses me off.” She insisted seriously, though she had to bite back a smile. “Besides, if this guy can’t find Dante fast enough for my taste, I’ll just have to go find him myself.”

She felt Lucian tense beside her, and knew she had crossed one of his invisible lines. In fact, everyone around her seemed apprehensive at her words, as though none of them agreed with her. Only Liam exuded nonchalance, his lips curving in a grin.

“You won’t get the chance. I bet that bounty hunter brings us Dante within one month. I hear he’s good…very good.”

“Well, we’ll just have to see, won’t we?” Pursing her lips, Blythe shifted away from them to glance around the courtyard, where everyone else had begun to gather.

The Muses, dressed in flowing gowns of soft pastels, were perusing the gardens, making any final changes to the décor. Their kids, including Tobias, were hovering nearby, attempting to look indifferent but it was clear they were anything but. Anxiety and nerves practically crackled in the air from them and their mothers.

Rohan and Rhiannon stood quietly side by side near the cobblestone walkway, their eyes and faces blank. Blythe figured that both of them could care less about being there, but had only shown up because Thea expected it.

The Fates lined the opposite side of the walkway, their children beside them, looking dark and broody. Nyxa was at the front, pretending to look coolly unconcerned, but Blythe could see the truth on her mother’s face. They may not know much, if anything, about each other, but Blythe knew the woman enough to know she was edgy and very, very eager. She could see it in the twitch of her mouth, aching to smile, and the way she kept pushing back her dark curls with agitated movements, as if the moment Brock arrived couldn’t come fast enough.

She spotted her half sister, Nova, and her step brother, Brogan, standing on either side of Nyxa as a show of support. Both looked tense, as though painfully aware nothing good was going to come out of the event to come.

She supposed that she should be bitter that while she had been disowned, Nova and Brogan had been cherished. For all of Balgaire’s faults (namely framing Brock for the raid he had orchestrated all those years ago), he had loved his son. And Nyxa loved Nova in a way that she would never, ever love Blythe, even though she was her first child.

While Blythe was the spitting image of Brock, Nova was the spitting image of Nyxa. So if for no reason other than narcissism, Nyxa adored Nova and kept her close, showing her the motherly devotion she had never wanted to share with her other daughter.

Annoyed that she let it bother her, Blythe tried to shrug it off. Screw them if they wanted nothing to do with her. She hadn’t needed them then, and she certainly didn’t need them now.