“Sure,” I reply and then turn to Zora. My first instinct is to ask if she’ll be okay on her own, but I shut my mouth. She survived the Underworld. Of course she’ll be okay here, surrounded by my closest friends.
Rainey grabs my hand, then leads me back to the office. This was the one place that is actually already finished, and I’m stunned as I take it in. When Rich occupied this place, it was bare and utilitarian. I hadn’t bothered to change it. But Rainey has gone all out with a soft cream paint on the walls, framed artwork of peaceful landscape scenery, a feminine-style desk in whitewashed wood with a matching credenza, and the most beautiful executive style chair, that was framed for a woman’s size, done in cream leather and black lacquered wood. The floor is new hardwood, but a plush rug in creams and mint green adds just enough color to the space.
“It’s stunning,” I praise Rainey as she pushes me inside and shuts the door. “Just, wow.”
Waving her hand impatiently, she says, “Yes… glad you like it and all, but that’s not why I pulled you back here.”
I frown, crossing my arms. “What’s up?”
“I need to get married now,” she gushes, her expression pained.
“Are you pregnant?” I ask in shock.
Rainey slaps me on the arm.
Hard.
“Ow,” I exclaim, jerking sideways lest she decides to smack me again.
“No, I’m not pregnant,” she snaps. “But the world could be ending soon, so time is of the essence.”
“But your wedding is next weekend,” I point out calmly. “Eight days. Surely you can wait that—”
“No,” she hisses, leaning into me. “No, I can’t wait. Just this month alone, you’ve battled a wraith, stole the Blood Stone from Micah’s realm where you almost got crushed by a tree, got kidnapped by Pyke and Kymaris, and traveled to the Underworld to save your sister. God knows what you’re going to do next week.”
I smile at Rainey, pulling her into a hug and rubbing her back, understanding exactly what she’s saying. And it’s all born from worry about me and that I might meet my demise at any time.
“I need you to be there for the wedding,” she murmurs as she gets that I understand her but it needs to be said. “I just don’t want to wait.”
Pulling back and tucking my chin in so I can look her in the eye, “When do you want to do this?”
“Tomorrow,” she says. “Myles agrees.”
“You know we can’t get the flowers and cake in that timeframe,” I point out.
“I have the dress, which is enough. Plus, Zaid can do a cake.”
“You won’t be able to find a minister—”
“Zaid’s a minister, and he said he’d officiate,” she replies, her eyes now sparkling with excitement that there are no barriers.
But I’m shocked about Zaid being a minister.
Wait… no, I’m not.
Zaid is a master of so many things that this should not be shocking at all.
“You’ve clearly talked this through with him,” I say, giving her a chastising look. “I’m the maid-of-honor, you know.”
“Yeah, I know,” she sighs, stepping out of my embrace. “But you were busy getting kidnapped and then traveling to the Underworld.”
I cross an arm over my stomach, rest my elbow there, and tap my chin with my finger as I study my friend very critically. After a moment of reflection, I say, “Let’s do this. We can totally pull off a wedding in one day.”
“Really?” Rainey squeals with excitement.
“Really,” I tell her assuredly.
Besides, it will be nice to have just one day where we can let all our worries go and have some true happiness.
And also, Rainey isn’t wrong to worry. There’s no telling what the rest of this month is going to look like or if I’ll survive long enough to make it to the prophecy.
CHAPTER 11
Carrick
Carrick would never admit it to anyone, but he rather thought it was a good idea to have Rainey and Myles’ wedding tonight. Despite loving his Eireann—now Finley, and one day to be named something else—he wasn’t what anyone would call an overly romantic man.
Sure, he had built her a rose garden long ago, but he was more the type to sit and listen in rapt attention as she yammered about something of no importance than someone who whispered poetry. He’d hold her while she cried over something that broke her heart and he’d break the bones of anyone who hurt her. Those weren’t necessarily romantic things, but they were the ways he showed his love.
And the one thing that Carrick respected was the notion of true love.
Of having a soul mate.
Of being devoted to one and only.
While Rainey and Myles admittedly didn’t have the history that Carrick and Finley had, what they had was real and special and a wedding should not wait.
Also, Carrick acknowledged they were all living minute to minute, so the sooner-rather-than-later scenario applied here.