It's been three months since Delilah "Del" Cross stumbled her way into the mysterious town of Whisper Valley. During that time she's grown to appreciate her new life amongst ghosts, vampires, mages, zombies, and werewolves. Yet, there's still so m...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
"So, where are we going to sit?" I asked, my eyes uncertain where to linger with so much beauty surrounding us.
The old Derosiers' manor home was a post Civil War construction of brick, with towering columns around a grand entranceway; tall, ornate trimming that occasionally complimented a decorative frieze or imposing cornice; and elegant dormers that lined a steep slate roof that was dotted with chimneys. Lights were strung along the front facade of the house, which then connected to the draping lights that hung from various posts around the front yard. Beneath the twinkling lights, the lush lawn supported pearly white folding chairs and a luxurious runner of the deepest red. The long rug split the sea of chairs in half and ran up to a gazebo dripping with greens, poppies, calla lilies, and dark burgundy roses that bordered a shade of black.
"Whatever is the closest to the reception area," answered Liz with a low groan in her voice. "After spending a week prepping the food for this party, I'm dying for some gourmet flesh." When I cringed, she flashed me what was supposed to be an apologetic grin. "Sorry, being my date comes with a price and that's having to stomach my choice of food. I'm not going to be shy about the free buffet we're going to have here."
"No, I'm sorry," I replied with a genuine smile. "I'm just glad to have a friend to keep me company, even if it does come with the stench of decaying meat."
"Mmm, deliciously rotten organs," she said licking her lips.
"Okay, no need to rub it in," I sighed before tugging her along to the far right side of the arranged seats. "It looks like they have tables and chairs set up over by this back patio, so why don't we sit here."
"A good a spot as any."
We got settled in and, during the time before Calista's grand entrance, Liz pointed out who everyone was. As she went around the yard, directing me from one zombie to the next, I found a few friendly faces waving in my direction. The first couple of times it happened, I didn't even realize they were waving at me until Liz elbowed me and reminded me to wave back. When I offered a meager greeting in return, still fearful of discovering they really weren't reaching out to me after all, I was surprised to find happy smiles in response to being acknowledged.
Eventually, the night set in with only a light hue of magenta upon the tops of the valley's enclosing mountains. The Blood Moon, however, still hadn't made its appearance.
"I'm so excited," whispered my companion as a hush overtook the crowd. Not long after, a collective pull, turned all the guests towards one of the house's side entranceways. From there the handsome groom stepped out with a single attendant by his side. An attendant with a slight hunch and a strained gait to his step, which was likely due to the recent trauma that had damaged his back. Apparently when Liz claimed Bungee would be a guest of honor, she meant Matias' best man.
Fortunately, the tide of the crowd pulled my gaze away from the lumbering attendant and instead, redirected it to the front of the house where Calista emerged in an outfit that only she could pull off.
