A Call of Vampires (A Shade of Vampire #51)

“Yeah, knowing Anjani, she wouldn’t throw shoes, though. Axes and swords, sure, but not shoes,” I mumbled, generating another round of laughs.

“It’s okay to bring her flowers for no special reason. Just because it’s Wednesday,” Lucas added. “It’s the little things, the attention, the pleasure of a gift. Don’t ever stop treating her like she’s the most important creature in your life. She is.”

“I can do that,” I replied, scratching my chin. “I can totally do that. Thank you!”

“Be patient, Jovi,” Derek said. “Whatever you two share, it lasts longer than anger, frustration, jealousy, or anything else that’s dark and nasty and might try to wiggle its way into your marriage over the years. Be patient. It’s the only piece of advice I can give you. It’s the only one that counts, at least.”

I nodded my appreciation.

“Thank you, Uncle Derek. It’s… It’s good advice to give,” I replied. “What about when she says she’s right and I know she’s wrong? Come on, guys, give me the juicy stuff, the man’s guide to survival through marriage!”

“If she says she’s right, chances are she actually is and you’re deluding yourself into thinking otherwise because your ego is clouding your judgment,” Dad said with a grin.

“Fair enough. But what if I fact-check her and find out that she’s wrong?” I sighed.

“You are marrying a very intelligent succubus, Jovi,” Bijarki replied. “She can take the truth, always.”

I nodded again, internalizing everything. Truth, patience, attention. The three ingredients I needed to add to my love for Anjani to make sure our life would be beautiful, healthy, and damn near perfect.

“Besides, should she ever prove herself to be… difficult, you can always buy her chocolate. You can never go wrong with chocolate.” Field smiled.

“Is that how you keep Aida from kicking your ass every other day?” I smirked, beaming at my brother-in-law.

“Pretty much. That and… you know…”

“Oh, no,” I shot back with faux horror. “Oh, the mental image! That’s my sister, you perv!”

“And my wife,” Field chuckled, prompting Ibrahim to double over from the laughter along with the rest of the room.

A knock on the door startled me.

“Yes?” I called out.

Alma’s curly head popped in, her eyes widening when she noticed all the males in the room.

“Hey, Alma.” I gave her a friendly smile.

The teen succubus nodded, tucking one of her black curls behind her ears.

“Hey, Jovi. So… they’re ready to start the wedding,” she said, trying hard to mask her excitement.

“Perfect, we’ll be out shortly,” Derek replied, then nodded at me with an encouraging smile. “Come on, Jovi. Let’s get you and Anjani hitched!”

Alma smiled then vanished behind the door. I gave myself another look in the mirror.

Eritopia had been brutal, but it had also been kind to me. In the middle of adversity, I’d glanced into Anjani’s emerald-gold eyes and I’d found the meaning to my life. I’d found a purpose. I’d found love.

Today, I was going to stand in front of Anjani, and I was going to give myself to her, body and soul, for the rest of my life. It was still a new and scary concept to me, but every time I looked at her, any trace of anxiety went away, my heart swelling with love and my soul eager to touch hers.

I was a lucky wolf-boy, indeed.





Harper





(Daughter of Hazel & Tejus)





This wasn’t the first wedding I’d attended. It wasn’t even my first in Eritopia. But still, I couldn’t help but marvel at the beauty of the event.

Two worlds were coming together in Luceria to celebrate the kind of love that transcended time and space and was undeterred by the fact that the couple involved came from different universes altogether.

The entire castle of Luceria was decorated to mark this occasion. The white marble walls were adorned with silver torches and wild orchid arrangements. White and gray organza curtains were elegantly folded on either side of each floor-to-ceiling window.

Hundreds of guests from both The Shade and Calliope were expected to arrive after the wedding ceremony was over. Jovi and Anjani had tried to keep the numbers relatively low for their vows, mainly because they wanted their families, close friends, and allies to share this special moment with them, while the many others were invited to join them for the dinner party.

A delicate fragrance of jasmine and lilies wafted through the castle, and I could hear harps being played in the banquet hall, just one of the musical ensembles rehearsing for the dinner. I was on my way up to the platform, where Jovi and Anjani had chosen to have the actual ceremony. It was to be officiated by Great-Grandpa Derek and Safira.

Jovi wanted to bind his life to Anjani’s on the same platform where he’d nearly died, where the succubus had saved him. He wanted to have nothing but good memories tied to that part of Luceria, and it made sense to me. What better way to muffle the darkness and violence associated with a place, if not by turning it into an essential part of a wedding?

I reached the platform and felt the need to stop and take it all in, because it was breathtaking. The white marble floor was polished to perfection, with intricate silvery details embedded into each slab. The arches stretched lazily in a circle, pouring into columns that bordered the giant terrace. Like with the Plateau, a swamp witch spell had been put in place to prevent anyone from falling over. It made standing on the edge a thrilling experience, as hundreds of square miles of the Antara continent unraveled below in rolling green hills, colorful orchards, dark jungles, and sweet-water rivers snaking toward the ocean.

The sky was a perfect blue, with wisps of white scattered across, and the giant sun was bright and happy to see us. However, its warm rays couldn’t touch us directly, as another swamp witch spell had been cast above, encompassing the entire top level in a white sheet of energy that blocked the sun from shining through but reproduced its brightness artificially. It looked amazing.

The platform itself had been extended by the Druids to hold up to two hundred guests—it turned out that our immediate families, friends, and allies were many, and needed additional space. It was connected to the floors below and the ground level through two sets of spiral stairs, wide and sturdy enough to support the ascension of Dearghs. Zur and Inon had been invited, and it would have been a shame to let Luceria’s original architecture prevent them from enjoying today with the rest of us.