Chapter 19

Alina

Sleep easily came that night. After that conversation with Kenna, I couldn’t say I blame her for not trusting humans. I would too if I was in her position. Most of all, I was glad I got to speak to her about Emiel. Now, I was sure that deep down, she still loved him.
Until now, I had never really interacted with her so closely. When my parents were alive, I simply stood to the side and smiled politely as etiquette demanded and watched my mother do all the talking. It felt nice to get to know my mother’s friend more closely. It was like getting to know another side of her. For the first time in a long while, I felt peaceful.

****

It was very late at night when I heard a knock on my front door. At first, I thought I had imagined it. After all, who could be knocking on my door at two-thirty in the morning? Then I remembered the guards outside, and a sudden fear gripped me. What if Emiel had found me?
So, instead of trying to be a heroine who stands tall in the face of danger and ultimately gets kidnapped, or worse, killed, I decided to be sensible and called Erick. It was when I heard the familiar ringtone coming from right outside my door that I finally relaxed.
“Took you long enough. Were you sleeping?” He pushed past me and into my living room. Sure Erick, come right in, I thought sarcastically, rolling my eyes as I closed the door shut.
“Yes, Erick. That’s what normal people do at two-thirty in the morning!” I said, throwing my hands up in the air, exasperated. I was about to pass out on the floor. I felt completely drained.
“Did my mother tell you where and how the wedding is going to take place?” he asked out of the blue.
“What? Why would she do that? I know where and how—”
“Shit! I knew she’d forget. She thinks you’re supposed to know this beforehand.” He turned to face me, looking all pale and worried, while I stood there gaping at him like a goldfish.
“Bu—but that’s what I just said! I know where and how weddings take place!” I said.
“You do? Really? Then please, enlighten me because this wedding sure isn’t taking place in a church.” He folded his arms over his chest, waiting for an answer.
“Oh?” I stared at him, stupefied. “Then where will it take place?”

****

“Erick... this place... it’s...”
“Kinda creepy, I kno—”
“Beautiful! It’s absolutely gorgeous!” I exclaimed, twirling around so I could get a three hundred sixty degree view.
I wasn’t exaggerating even a bit. This place truly was magnificent. It almost looked like a huge mountain from outside if you failed to notice the angels sitting atop the high-rise. They were like sentinels in the dark with their wings spread out to its full width, shoulders hunched, and body bent forward in preparation for flight. Their faces weren’t prominent in the dim moonlight, but the statues looked so perfect. I would have thought they were real if Erick hadn’t told me otherwise.
After Erick told me that vampire weddings don’t take place inside a church, he literally dragged me out of the house that instant. Giving me only enough time to put a robe on top of my night dress, he placed me in his car and drove off for the sole purpose of showing me where our wedding would actually take place. I fell asleep after about fifteen minutes of driving and woke up to Erick calling my name and telling me that we’ve reached our destination.
“It’s called the Constantium. It’s he sacred temple of vampires,” he said, pointing towards the mountain. “The gates remain closed normally, but they’re wide open during occasions. However, just like a church, we can go in and out as we please. There’s an entrance only vampires can open.”
“So, we can’t go sightseeing?” I asked, moving closer to the cliff that was right next to the Constantium.
The water glistened silver in the moonlight. The Constantium gave away to a waterfall, which fell into the open sea. It was too dark to see anything else, but I could see a faint light coming from the direction opposite to the Constantium. Houses, maybe? I couldn’t tell.
“No, unfortunately, but I could tell you how our wedding’s going to be… if you want to know.” He leaned back against the bonnet of his car, tucking his hands into his pant pockets.
“Of course, I want to know, Erick. Stop prolonging the suspense.” I leaned against the bonnet next to him.
“Okay, like I said, this wedding won’t be like any church wedding you’ve ever seen,” he explained. “First, we’ll enter the Constantium escorted by our respective groups. Then, a branch of Tangenina will be tied around our arms. The thorns would pierce our skin and the anti-clotting agent in the plant will keep the blood flowing. Don’t worry. It won’t hurt for either of us. Then our blood will be collected in a colander and offered as a sacrifice to our Gods, Hades, the God of all dark creatures, and Nyx, Goddess of the night. Once the offering has been accepted, our blood will again be collected in a goblet and allowed to intermix. The ritual will be completed once we’ve drunk the blood and the binding sets in place.”
I stared at the waterfall as he explained the rituals to me. Honestly, they sounded a hell lot bloodier than any wedding I’d ever heard of, but it’s a vampire wedding, what more could I expect? I looked up at his face illuminated by the soft moonlight. I couldn’t believe I’m here with him right now, learning details about our wedding. I thought it was impossible even a month ago, but this close to the wedding; I wanted to go through with it, especially because of Erick. I knew I would be safe with him.
“So there won’t be any dancing at the reception?” I asked. I couldn’t say I missed that part. I seemed to have two left feet when it came to dancing.
“You want to dance now?” Erick asked out of the blue.
“Now? Here?” I looked around at the deserted landscape, the soft moonlight, the grass beneath our feet, and the angels on top of the Constantium standing like sentinels against the dark and thought, why not? “Sure,” I told Erick, who grinned at me in return.
Turning on the sound system with the remote in his hand, a soft melody came on through the speakers. He held out his hand to me. “Shall we?”
“Yes.” I placed one hand onhis and the other around his neck as we started to sway lightly to the tune. With the moon as our spotlight, we danced until the first rays of the sun touched the horizon.