Vicious Minds: Part 2 (Children of Vice 5)

“Maid of honor, where are you? I need help.”

“Maid of honor?” I mouthed in question to Helen.

She’d only just told me about the wedding or renewal or circus…I guess it depended on who you asked. Because we were all being told different things.

“Uh…I’ll be right there. Just give me a few,” Helen said into the phone.

“Helen, if I had a few to give you, do you think I would be calling you?” she asked me.

Helen glanced at me, frowning. “I’ll be—”

Grabbing the phone, I held it to my ear. “She said she’d be there. It’s not like we can start without you anyway, Calliope. Give her—Ah!”

I flinched away when some horrid whistle blew over the line, nearly making me drop the phone. “What the fuck?” I yelled.

“Do you like it? I call it a bitch whistle. Seeing as how you wanted to play guard dog, I thought it would come in handy for us both.”

“You—”

“Helen, your brother should be walking in…3…2…1.”

We both turned around, and sure enough, Darcy came in dressed in all black, looking thoroughly confused by the people coming in with him. He looked just like he did last week, except his beard was a little fuller now.

“Happy? Can you get yourself over here now? Or do you need to sniff him, too?” she pressed.

“Coming.” Helen smiled, waving to her brother before going to the evil queen witch herself.

Darcy, still somewhat dazed, came to me and asked, “Who the fuck are all these people? There is a line outside as long as heaven to get in here.”

“Better question, where the fuck have you been, man?” I smacked his arm.

“Long story…” His voice trailed off as O’Phelan handed him a rose to pin on his lapel. Darcy looked at me, his eyebrow raised. “Are we going to prom?”

“Ethan and Calliope are renewing their vows.”

“Ah,” he said as if it weren’t surprising.

“Ah? That’s all you have to say? Everyone’s been pretty animated about it since finding out less than an hour ago,” I replied.

He nodded. “After the week I’ve had, a wedding is barely worth the energy. I just want something decent to fucking drink.”

“Then let’s get you a drink, so you can explain.” He had no idea how nervous his family had been. Helen had spent more than a few minutes just illegally checking cameras online.

CALLIOPE

I looked down at my daughter, who was now wearing a white dress I had never seen before, and her hair was slightly off from how I had it before.

“This is how Ethan gave her to you?” I asked Helen.

She nodded, and from the look on her face, she didn’t know what was off. So I looked down at my daughter, who was just looking back up at me.

“Gigi.”

“Yes, Mommy.”

“Why did Papa change you?”

She shrugged.