Chapter 508
It wasn't long afterward that they laid out a large piece of vinyl on the floor, and the pottery breaking began. Guests threw a collection of plates and cups, smashing them to shards on the vinyl. Even Verchiel joined in, a woman Katelina didn't recognize laughing next to him.
When they'd been through the pile of crockery, Sadihra and Wolfe were handed brooms to "clean up together".
"I saw this in a movie once," Xandria said. "It's supposed to symbolize them working together to fix things, or whatever."
Though Katelina couldn't see Wolfe's face, she could see Sadihra's; the way her eyes shone, the curve of her smile. She thought about the Scharfrichterin's answer, the only changes are those you allow to happen. The words felt wise, though Katelina wasn't sure she was ready for the wisdom.
Her musing died when she noticed several of the Scharfrichter look suddenly to Wolfe, mischief gleaming in their eyes. He backed away, but they pounced as one.
The group struggled for a moment, then broke apart. Hethin waved a wad cloth, and it was only when Wolfe pulled to his feet, wearing nothing below his waist but a pair of red boxers, that Katelina realized it was the groom-to-be's pants.
"What in the-" Katelina gaped. Was this the part Sadihra had said they'd enjoy? They weren't going to strip off the rest of his clothes, were they?
Though not a mind reader, Xandria elbowed Katelina and grinned, as if to say she hoped so.
A pair of vampires lugged over a large metal tub, while Hethin gleefully unfurled the pants and waved them about, rattling off German. Whatever he said was apparently hilarious, because everyone except Wolfe burst into laughter.
Jorick's eyebrows shot up a moment before Hethin produced the cigarette lighter. Still laughing, the pale Scharfrichter lit Wolfe's pants on fire. Flames licked their way up the garment, and he quickly tossed it into the tub, laughing.
Katelina drew back instinctively. "Isn't that dangerous?"
"That's an understatement," Oren replied.
Wolfe lunged forward then, and Katelina expected him to knock Hethin in the head, at the very least. Instead he peered over the tub as the flames died down, then broke into a grin of his own. The expression seemed misplaced on his usually serious face. The laughter that followed seemed even stranger.
The words escaped before Katelina could stop them, "He's-laughing? I thought his face would crack if he ever did anything except frown."
"He's had a lot on his mind," Jorick said quietly. "It's hard to be jovial with a weight on your shoulders." He glanced at her and she suddenly wasn't sure if he meant Wolfe or himself. Like the Scharfrichter, Jorick was known for being broody and irritable.
Except he's not as bad.
"In your opinion," Jorick said with a chuckle. "I imagine Sadihra thinks the same about Wolfe."
Right. Because she's crazy.
***
The wedding was the following evening. Xandria helped Katelina zip up her purple dress, and turned her attention to her hair. "It's a wedding. You should put it up."
As Xandria brushed and combed, slid in bobby pins and spritzed hairspray, Katelina let her mind wander. The proceedings made her think of Sarah. Guilt she thought she'd left behind returned. She and Sarah had spent countless hours in high school doing one another's hair and makeup. Though the practice had lessened, it survived into adulthood. In her memory she could see Sarah holding a curling iron, bobby pins sticking out of her mouth, as she tried to decide what to do with "all that hair."
"You have so much," she always said. "It's not fair."
What wasn't fair was that Sarah would never get to drown her in hairspray or force her to wear watermelon lipstick again. Sarah would never get to dress up or go to a wedding. She would never get married, or have children, or do any of the things she'd planned. And it was all Katelina's fault.
Xandria's voice cut into her thoughts. "Hey, don't look sad. This is supposed to be a joyous occasion."
"Sure." She faked a smile, but the joy had already been sapped out of it.
Jorick seemed appreciative of the work Xandria did, though he eyed the makeup. "Is that stuff necessary?"
"It's called eye shadow," Xandria suggested. "Or do you mean the blush?"
"All of it, actually. I've never understood why women want to wear a mask of paint."
"To look pretty," Katelina muttered.
"You look prettier without it." He frowned at her unhappy expression. "Never mind. You look beautiful, little one. You'll put the bride to shame."
Katelina was surprised to discover that the stronghold had a church, complete with altar, marble pillars, and stained glass windows. The light that shone through them was artificial, but still beautiful. Even more surprising was the lack of decorations. There were no heaps of flowers, no red carpet, no cages of doves. Only the large silver candle stands, and well-dressed vampires in the pews made it feel like a special occasion.
Since she wasn't a real bridesmaid she didn't get a bouquet of flowers. Instead she and the other witnesses were lined up at the front of the church. A priest appeared. Katelina bit back a gasp when he smiled to reveal fangs. A vampire priest? Now she'd seen everything.
The lights went off one after another until the room was dark. Though Katelina could see in the gloom, her pulse raced. Was there a black out? Was the stronghold under attack? Had Samael decided to take his anger out on Ishkur after all?
Half, if not all of the Scharfrichters were at the wedding, and probably a large part of the guards. If there was ever a time when the stronghold's defenses were distracted, this was it. So why did no one else seem concerned?
The priest's voice boomed, "Brothers, sisters, friends, family. On this day we come together to bless the union of Sadihra and Wolfe."
Music started, soft and low. Schorsch and Sadihra entered from the left side of the church. Her long blonde hair was pulled up into a braided crown around her head. The wedding dress left her rounded shoulders bare and, with an empire waist, accentuated her breasts and slimmed her chubby figure.
The smile on her face was dazzling. Katelina followed her gaze to see Wolfe and Grimald enter from the right side of the church. The masters met in front of the altar, leaving their charges behind them.
The music faded and the priest called, "Do these masters deliver their fledglings to the bonds of holy matrimony?"
"Yes," Grimald and Schorsch said together.
"Let what has been agreed upon be blessed."
