Tina Gerow Page 23

  Gabriel laughed and the inevitable placid calm descended on everyone as it always did when the angel laughed. Logan shook off the feeling and waited for the angel’s answer.

  “I can’t get involved in the ins and outs of the prophesy that don’t concern me. I have a specific part to play in Her plan as do all of you.” He reached out a hand to James to help him stand. “But I’m glad you’re back, James. You may feel a bit unsteady for a while, it’s quite a task for a vampire’s body to remake itself.”

  Thunder clapped, startling them.

  “Nothing She can’t handle, however,” Gabriel conceded. And then under his breath, he said, “There’s no reason to be testy.” A ripple of wind sounding suspiciously like laughter played through the trees.

  James stood unsteadily with Logan and Dara supporting him on either side. Kefira stood off to the side next to Odeda, her hands on her hips, her red hair shining black in the moonlight.

  “What did you mean about my body remaking itself?” James asked.

  All attention turned to Gabriel and he smiled so fully it caused the cinnamon smell to grow stronger. “The parents of the child requested you as his protector with a few modifications. You can now walk in sunlight as well as darkness and you no longer have to survive on blood, human or otherwise. But you retain all of your previous powers.”

  James looked stunned, but then threw his arms around Logan and dragged him closer to Ariel so he could throw an arm around her as well. When he pulled back, tears shone in his eyes. “The best of both worlds. Thank you. I’ll protect the child with my life.”

  “You mean your grandchild,” Logan said softly.

  James dropped his arms and faced Logan. “I hope you’ll forgive me, I did what I thought was best for you. Although I won’t blame you if you don’t see it that way. You grew up without a father and even without a mother because of who and what I am.”

  Logan studied James, the man he’d known and trusted for years and realized he had nothing but love and admiration for who and what he was. “Knowing now that I’m going to be a father, I can understand your decision. All these years I’ve wished for a father of my own and now I have one. And as an added bonus, he’s my best friend.”

  The men stood looking awkwardly at one another until finally, James pulled Logan into an emotional embrace. Logan gasped for breath inside the vice-like grip, but didn’t want to break the mood of the moment. When Logan pulled back, his eyes were heavy with moisture and he blinked rapidly to keep the tears from falling. There was a tap on his shoulder and he turned to face Ariel.

  “I think it’s my turn.”

  A wide and probably silly-looking grin bloomed across Logan’s face. “I thought you were reluctant to fall in love with me. Something about trust issues with this jerk behind me.” He chucked his thumb over his shoulder in James’ direction.

  “Glad to see I’m so loved and appreciated now that I’ve come back from the dead to watch over your offspring,” James said from behind him.

  Ariel and Logan both ignored him and Ariel stepped forward to twine her arms around Logan’s neck. “Ever since I found out I was pregnant, I’ve wanted nothing more than to tell you about our child. But I was afraid…”

  “I know, you thought you were carrying the child of destiny. But now we know the truth.”

  Ariel pulled away from him and huffed out an impatient breath, crossing her arms over her chest. “Can I finish?” she asked imperiously, but then ruined the effect when she smiled at the end.

  “By all means,” Logan conceded.

  “I don’t want to waste any more time with misunderstandings.” She drilled a finger into his chest. “Do you love me or not?”

  Logan couldn’t help but be amused at her highhanded tactics, especially if the outcome was what he’d wanted all along. “Yes—“

  Ariel cut him off, “I love you too and we belong together—the three of us. So is there anything else to say?” Then she pressed her lips to his giving him no more chance to argue.

  Logan had never been happier to be interrupted. He pulled Ariel against him until he could feel the heat of her skin through their clothes and let her lead the kiss.

  “I wonder if she can kiss and fly, I’m hungry,” complained Odeda.

  Logan pulled away and looked down at Ariel. “Put a hold on your stomach, Odeda. I’ve got one more thing to say.” Logan stepped back from Ariel and knelt down in front of her, still holding her hand in his. Blood still caked what was left of her lavender top and she was grimy and dirty from their ordeal, her hair in disarray—and she’d never looked more beautiful. “Ariel Knight, in the presence of God and all those you hold dear, will you marry me and be my wife…”

  Ariel smiled down at him and opened her mouth to answer, but it was his turn to cut her off.

  “Before someone else comes up with some obscure piece of the prophesy that will cause us more misunderstandings.” Logan glared back at Gabriel who shrugged innocently. He noticed Alonna now perched on the angel’s shoulder watching the proceedings with interest.

  “What?” Alonna protested as all eyes turned to her. “I told you, I don’t write those things! Just finish what you’re doing, man-thing before you mess it up.”

  Logan turned back to Ariel expectantly.

  “Yes,” she whispered as she pulled Logan to his feet and into another mind-numbing kiss.

  EPILOGUE

  >“My giant cousins look breathtaking,” Alonna told Gabriel from her perch on his shoulder. “And Ariel looks so happy.” She clapped her hands together in childish delight.

  Gabriel smiled to himself and looked out over the crowd from their invisible perch in the rafters. The groomsmen already stood in their appointed places like sentinels next to Logan, all wearing black tuxedos with a lavender cummerbund. The music started and Ariel emerged through the double wooden doors dressed in a flowing white wedding gown, low in the back so the iridescent ‘tattoo’ of her wings remained bare. James, looking stoic and dark in his tuxedo, escorted her. Her sisters followed behind in gowns of smooth white silk, also low backed, their identical tattoos glinting in the light filtered through the stained glass windows of the old church.

  “They’re lovely,” Gabriel heard himself whisper. The gargoyles had all insisted on the low backed dresses in case of emergency they needed to use their wings.

  Alonna sighed with longing. “My kind never have joinings like these, I think we are missing out.” She swung her legs, her small heels tapping lightly against Gabriel’s shoulder. “Man thing looks handsome too, but the goofy smile isn’t very becoming.”

  Logan stood in front of the pastor in a black tuxedo with white cummerbund and an admittedly silly grin. He’d been fidgeting as if he had hot coals inside his shoes until he saw Ariel. Now, his gaze riveted on her, tracking every movement, his mouth hanging open, no doubt at how radiant she looked.

  “Alonna,” Gabriel warned. “That just proves he’s in love. Let the boy alone, everything worked out as it should.” Even if I had to nudge them along.

  She harrumphed. “It took them long enough. The prophesy left several clues and still they were confused.”

  Below, the guests, who consisted of friends, family, country music A-listers and press oohed and ahhed as Ariel and her sisters passed. Ariel reached the front of the congregation and James leaned down to kiss her cheek and place her hand in Logan’s. Logan held her hand as if it were precious porcelain and guided her next to him so they could face the pastor together.

  The murmurs of the crowd quieted as the pastor’s vibrant voice echoed through the church. Gabriel breathed deeply, enjoying the scent of gardenias and roses that emanated from all of the bouquets and arrangements adorning every available space. “There is still much to do. It will be many years before the child of blood can take his place among those fighting on the side of good.”

  Alonna fluttered her wings absently and rose a few inches above Gabriel’s shoulder. “That it will. And what of my other
giant cousins?” She gestured down at them. “What role will they play in all this?”

  Gabriel paused to listen to Ariel’s vows before answering.

  “I, Ariel, pledge before God this day to take you, Logan, to be my husband…to have and to hold from this day forward…for better or for worse…for richer or for poorer…in sickness and in health…to love and to cherish till death do us part.”

  Gabriel spoke, his voice a mere whisper. “The other three have destinies that still await them. The prophesy is far from finished. It’s been many thousands of years in the making.” He nodded toward Ariel. “God is smiling down on her today. I remember the day she was christened, ‘Lioness of God.’” Gabriel was surprised when a large lump formed in his throat and he swallowed hard to dislodge it. He turned to see Alonna watching him, sympathy clear in her lavender gaze.

  “She was the first created, and is the leader. It was fitting for her to find her destiny before the others.” She fluttered closer and laid a small hand against his cheek. “Besides, you’re not losing her. And soon we will have a small one to play with.”

  Gabriel only nodded, afraid anything he said would give away the emotions coursing through him. Now he understood why fathers cried at their daughter’s weddings. After all, the original five-hundred gargoyles were all like daughters to him. The four who stood before him were the last of their kind and more dear to him than he previously realized.

  “I, Logan, pledge before God this day to take you, Ariel, to be my wife…to have and to hold from this day forward…for better or for worse…for richer or for poorer…in sickness and in health…to love and to cherish till death do us part.”

  Alonna sighed again and brushed a lavender teardrop from her cheek with the back of her tiny hand. “Oh, man-thing, that was lovely.” She turned to Gabriel with unshed tears glistening in the liquid depths of her eyes. “But mark my words, if he hurts Ariel ever again, I’ll give him horrible nightmares!”

  Gabriel chuckled. He knew just how vindictive the little fairy could be when angered. A few hundred years ago, she’d haunted James’ dreams for almost a year before Gabriel found out and put a stop to it. “Somehow I don’t think that will ever be a problem again. They are totally besotted with each other.”

  “Shhh, I want to hear,” she complained.

  Ariel’s clear voice rang out in the excellent acoustics. “With this ring, I thee wed.” She slipped a silver wedding band on Logan’s left ring finger. When she tried to drop her hand, Logan pulled it to his lips, to place a quick kiss on her open palm and then pressed the palm to his heart. The congregation including Alonna responded with appreciative murmurs and a flurry of camera clicks from the press.

  Ariel blushed and dropped her right hand from his chest. She gave Logan her left hand while he retrieved a sparkling diamond solitaire and wedding band from James. Logan took her fingers in his and held the ring poised in front of her ring finger. He cleared his throat and his voice shook as he said, “With this ring, I thee wed.”

  “It is done then,” Alonna said through a sheen of lavender tears. “Who is the next one to meet her destiny?”

  A shaft of sunlight slanted down to glint off Kefira’s fiery-red hair and Gabriel smiled. Excellent, My Lord. He turned his head to Alonna and said, “Kefira has been through much in her lifetime and has borne the most personal loss. Her destiny will find her next.”

  Alonna nodded emphatically, her blonde hair gyrating around her wildly from the movement. “You should have let me sick the succubus on Dagan for hurting her so. And the baby…”

  “Dagan is off limits to your vindictiveness for now. We must focus on Kefira.”

  Alonna shrugged, clearly unconvinced. Gabriel chuckled and vowed to keep a close eye on the little fairy.

  “I now pronounce you man and wife. Logan, you may kiss your bride…”