Clash of the Otherworlds: Book 3, Portal Guardians (42 page)

She resisted my guidance.
 
"I'm not ready."

I sighed.
 
"What's the matter?"

"It's just a big step, Jayne.
 
How do you know when you're ready?"

I threw up my hands, not angry at my friend but at a loss for answers.
 
"You just know, I guess.
 
You feel like the person is the only one you want to see on a consistent basis for the rest of your life.
 
Someone who makes you feel special and smart and awesome."

"Finn does that for me."

"Well, there you go.
 
You know what the secret formula is.
 
You guys are perfect together."

She smiled.
 
"We are, aren't we?"
 
She looked down.
 
"I'm so glad Jared found us in Miami.
 
We owe him so much.
 
It's a debt I'm afraid I'll never be able to repay."

"Good thing he doesn't hold that over our heads, because I owe him the same.
 
Can we go now?"

She looked at me, pleading with her eyes.
 
"I'm nervous.
 
I know you're the one doing all the talking, but I'm still freaking out."

I sighed, stepping closer to the tree that was holding her up.
 
"Let's hug it out, Beckster.
 
Come on ... you know you want to." I gestured with my finger.
 
"Hug the damn tree."

Her smile lit up her face.
 
"Oh, boy, I never thought you'd offer!"
 
She grabbed onto the tree and hugged for all she was worth.
 
"I'm ready," she said, her face smooshed up charmingly against the bark.

I shook my head, smiling at her silliness.
 
Even on a day like today when she was freaking out to the max, she still managed to be the sunniest being in the forest.
 
I wrapped my arms around the tree, overlapping my arms with hers.
 
The Green came flooding into us through the living things around us that we touched through this young tree.

Becky sighed, a look of bliss coming over her face.
 
"Oh, man, that is just exactly what I needed.
 
Life is so, so good, isn't it?" she asked.

"Yeah.
 
Life is awesome.
 
Ready to go now?"

She nodded.
 
"Yeah.
 
I'm ready.
 
But you're going to have to pull me off this tree though, because I'm still a little scared."

I disconnected, letting The Green go back into the earth, and stepped over to detach my friend.
 
"Come on, little water sprite.
 
Brush your robe off.
 
We have a binding ceremony to get to, and it can't start without us."

She worked at getting the last bits of bark from her robe as I practiced my lines in my head.
 
When she was ready, I took her by the hand and led her out into the meadow.

As soon as the group saw the guest of honor, they stopped mingling and organized themselves into a mass of fae with a path between them.
 
It wasn't a straight aisle, but curved, making it possible for more fae to see the bride and wish her well as she walked past them.

A beautiful song rose up above the heads of the guest, and I saw my handsome incubus standing nearby giving slight movements of his hand to direct the music.
 
He winked at me once before turning back to the group of sirens who were the entertainment for the special occasion.

I walked with Becky to the edge of the crowd where Dardennes waited, wearing his finest duds.
 
We stopped in front of him.
 
"Are you good?" I asked her.

She nodded, silently, unshed tears making her eyes bright.

I pointed in her face.
 
"No crying.
 
That's an order.
 
You'll mess up your makeup and make me cry too."

She jumped at me, grabbing me in a stranglehold of a hug.
 
"I love you, Jayne.
 
You're a wonderful friend."

I patted her on the back, rolling my eyes at Dardennes who watched over us, smiling.
 
"I love you too, freak.
 
Now let me go.
 
I have to walk up that stupid aisle."

She stepped back and touched the corners of her eyes with a handkerchief that Dardennes had given her.

I looked up at the silver elf, standing silently and waiting for us.
 
"You ready to deliver the package?"
 
I smiled, nervous now about what I was about to do.

"I am ready and honored."
 
He held out his elbow.
 
"Shall we?"

Becky nodded, slipping her arm through his.
 
"As ready as I'll ever be."

"I'll catch you guys on the flip side," I said.
 
"And hey ... don't walk too fast.
 
I have to get through all your fans."
 
I took off running for the outskirts of the crowd, intent on beating my water sprite buddy to the altar.
 
I practiced the vows I'd written with Spike's help in my head as I pushed through the fae who'd gathered to celebrate the love of two of their youngest members.

I reached the front in record time, the crowd having split for me like the Red Sea.
 
Spike came over and gave me a quick kiss and a thumbs up before going back to stand with the sirens.

Finn stood all alone at the head of the aisle, a mess of nerves, waiting for his bride to be delivered to him.
 
He hadn't seen her since yesterday, and I took pity on him, seeing him standing there visibly shaking.

I walked over and put my hand on his shoulder, causing him to jump.
 
"Nervous?"

"Oh, hell yeah, I'm nervous.
 
I ain't never been this sick in my life.
 
There's a whole troop-a butterflies in my stomach and they're doin' the cha-cha or somethin' in there."
 
His freckles stood out in stark relief against his overly pale face.

"You have nothing to be nervous about.
 
I just saw her, and she's totally ready to be bound to you.
 
And she looks amazing."

"She is?
 
She does?
 
Are ya sure?
 
What if she changes her mind?
 
What if she takes off runnin' like one-a them runaway brides or whatnot?
 
What'll I do then?"

"You'll chase her down, tackle her, and bring her back here.
 
Then I'll say the words and finish her off.
 
She won't know what hit her."

Finn smiled.
 
"I knew you'd have my back, Jayne Blackthorne.
 
You ain't half bad, you know that?"

I punched him in the arm.
 
"You aren't so bad yourself, country boy.
 
Hey, look
 
... here comes the bride."

Finn followed my gaze and laid eyes on his beautiful life partner.
 
I watched his face as he saw her coming and recognized the expression I saw there.
 
It was just like the one Spike had for me, when he hadn't seen me for a day and was glad to be back together.
 
I sighed with barely contained happiness.
 
If I wasn't careful, I was going to start jumping up and down and clapping with glee like my nutty water sprite friend.

I stepped back, centering myself on the spot that had been designated as the binding ceremony's epicenter.
 
It was a circle outlined in a huge pile of flowers of every shape and color.

Dardennes brought Becky to the edge of the circle, leaning down to kiss the top of her head before stepping away.

I cleared my throat.
 
"Becky of the Water Sprite Clan of the Green Forest," I said in as confident a voice as I could manage with my pulse rocketing into outer space.

"Yes," she said in barely a whisper.

"Do you wish to enter into the binding circle?"

She nodded.

"Then enter, please, with your heart holding only love."

She stepped over the flowers and moved to the center of the circle.

"Becky, do you wish to invite another to enter the circle with you?" I asked.

She lifted her chin.
 
"Yes, I do," she said, more confidently now.

"Name this other."
 
My voice was gaining volume, carrying over the crowd in front of us.

"I invite Finn of the Green Elves of the Green Forest into the binding circle with me."
 
She glanced over at me, and I nodded, telling her she'd gotten it exactly right.

"Finn, step to the edge of the circle if you wish to join Becky," I said.

Finn's face was on fire.
 
Except for the fact that he had all his hair and eyebrows back, he looked a lot like he had the day the dragon had sizzled him.

When he reached the edge of the flower ring, with eyes for no one but Becky, I said, "Finn, enter please, with only love in your heart."

When he was centered in the circle, I said, "Face each other and hold hands.
 
Turn so I can see you both equally."

They followed my instructions, staring into each other's eyes, both of them flushed and shaking.

I raised my head to face the crowd, lifting my voice so it would carry across the hundreds of heads I saw before us.
 
"Thank you, gentlefae, for coming to the binding ceremony of Becky and Finn.
 
We ask that you bear witness to their dedication to one another, and do nothing but feed the love that grows in their hearts from now until their departure from the Here and Now."
 
I looked at the couple in front of me.
 
"Becky and Finn ... please repeat after me."

They both nodded nervously at me and then faced one another.

I began my speech, waiting after each line for them to repeat it.

I, Becky and Finn, vow that on this day,

We will be bound to one another.

And that no man, no fae, no beast, nor creature,

Shall come between us or sever this bond,

Not upon penalty of death or other threat of pain

But out of respect for the love that binds us all

The power that ties each of our destinies to that of the other.

I raised my arms up, gesturing to the crowd.
 
"Gentlefae, I ask that you show your enthusiasm for the loving couple.
 
Put your hands together!"

My changeling friends began clapping enthusiastically, cluing the other fae into what was expected of them.
 
Soon the meadow was filled with thunderous applause.

I looked at my two friends.
 
"Becky and Finn, you can smooch now."

Becky threw her arms around Finn's neck and gave him the biggest whopper of a kiss I'd ever seen.
 
The longer it went on, the more exuberant the crowd became.
 
Leaves began to fall gently from the oak over our heads, caressing my arms gently and giving me a small shiver.

Flowers came flying over the heads of the crowd to land in the binding circle.
 
Soon my two friends were covered in colors, surrounded by the love and magic of more than a hundred fae.

Spike came over and pulled me into a warm embrace.
 
"You did a great job, babe.
 
Perfect."

"I like your band.
 
They have potential now that they have the right conductor."

"Yeah.
 
Just wait for my next act.
 
I got some guitars and drums brought in for the reception."

"It's going to be an epic party," I said, smiling so hard I thought my face might crack.

"You said it.
 
Come on ... let's get the happy couple over to the reception hall."
 
Spike took me by the hand and started to lead me away, but then a slight breeze at my back had me stopping to look around.

"You go ahead," I said.
 
"I'll be right there."

I ran to the edge of the forest on the other side of the meadow, following a sense I had that something was happening, something that needed my attention.
 
I passed through the edge of the trees, seeing nothing at first.
 
But then the shimmering began, and three sets of wings attached to three angels appeared before me.

"Hello, Jayne."

"Hello, Shayla.
 
Chase ... Beau.
 
What's up?"

"We've come to pay our respects to the happy couple," she said.

"And to remind you that we are here to watch over you, should the need arise," said Beau.

I looked at Chase.
 
"Anything to add?"
 
It was a challenge, but a friendly one.

"I just wanted to tell you how proud we are of you."

My cheeks turned pink.
 
"Thanks.
 
That means a lot."

"And I wanted to tell you too how happy I am that you accepted Spike's love for you.
 
He's a good man.
 
A good fae," said Chase.

"He is exactly what you need," said Shayla.
 
"Don't ever forget to be grateful for what he has to offer you."

"I won't.
 
I promise.
 
Thanks for stopping by.
 
I'll tell Becky and Finn you said congrats."

The forms of Beau and Shayla began to fade out, but Chase's remained solid.

"What's up?" I asked him, confused about the tortured expression on his face.

"I also came to apologize."