Exquisite

Epilogue: The End and the Beginning

~Neith~

"You're going to make me cry." Vivienne sniffed as she expertly pinned another lock of my hair to the top of my head. "I didn't think you could ever look more beautiful than you do generally, but look at you now."

"I want to Viv," I giggled. "But you threatened to cut off my balls if I try to turn and look in the mirror before you're done."

"And it still holds." She huffed before taking a simple, bejeweled clip and attaching it to the side of my head. "But I'm almost done."

"I'm very happy for both of you." She smiled gently, her eyes meeting mine. "And I'm so, so glad we'll all be safe now because I love my new family."

I felt a lump at the back of my throat, swallowing it as I nodded. "Safe. All of us."

"And soon enough we'll have a little red-headed baby boy running around the house and his blonde sister beating his ass, so ..."

I smacked her arm, blood rushing to my face. "We haven't thought that far yet, Viv." At the same time, I couldn't help but imagine the picture she had painted. Perhaps ...

Vivienne's phone pinged with a text and I raised an eyebrow slyly. "Can't wait to see you, can he?"

It was her turn to blush in the most satisfying turn of karmic fate, and I shook my head. "I still can't believe Damen thought you liked Bruce. The first time he told me, I thought he was joking."

"Hey!" Vivienne exclaimed, wounded. "I thought my acting was decent."

"With all due respect, love, it really wasn't." I knew what Vivienne was doing the first time I saw her do it; she was using the most basic diversion tactic possible. With two elder brothers watching over her like a hawk, I didn't particularly blame her.

"Valdez didn't know." She defended herself, dabbing a little brush on my eyelids. "So,"

"Valdez was desperately in love with you, of course he didn't know. I think he's still worried you're in some kind of paralytic shock and said yes to him because ..."

"He knows."

I looked up at her, taken aback by the rare softness in her voice. Her eyes were slightly moist, and for a moment I saw a flash of what I had felt the first time I had kissed Damen.

"You love him?"

"I've always loved him."

It was such a simple statement, a declaration without expection. That's how Vivienne was, at the end of the day. Simple, clear, without expections and without barriers.

"Red?"

I broke out of my reverie as Vivienne smiled at me proudly. "You can look now."

It took me a minute to remember what she was talking about, and I sucked in a breath before turning to face the mirror.

~Damen~

I never thought I'd see this day. Not for myself, at least.

"She's going to love it." Cassien's assurance was more helpful than I had guessed it would be as I finally stopped fiddling with the flower arrangement.

"You know that's it's just you she'll be looking at, right?" He smiled gently and I felt myself flush, a pleasant, tinkling sensation running down my chest like warm soup on a chilly day.

"Mom would have loved this." It had been years since I had mentioned her and while my throat clenched painfully, I could feel that empty place in my heart. It didn't feel that empty anymore.

"I never thought I'd see a wedding. Your wedding." I've never seen Cassien glowing, the way he did right now. "She would've been very proud of us,"

"And of Neith."

I nodded, suddenly unable to speak.

"She would've loved Neith." I knew she would have. I could see them together, baking in the kitchen and laughing over the ratios, packing lunches for the rest of the family.

"She's here, D." Cassien breathed, closing his eyes. "I know she is."

It was a simple ceremony, just us and Valdez. It was still too early of us to be too much in the public spotlight and if anyone found out that I was getting married, it would lead to a media meltdown.

That hadn't stopped Cassien from going all out, though. The roof of our building had been set up elegantly with tulips and daisies, Neith's favourite flower combination. We hadn't gotten a priest, but Vivienne had gotten herself ordained for today.

It felt unreal. It felt beautiful.
I was happy.

And then I saw her.

~Vivienne~

She looked unreal.

As she entered, we could see Valdez playing the violin. When I found out he could play, it had taken mild coercion and some gentle threats to get him to play in the ceremony, and I blinked to get rid of the sudden tears yet again.

My make-up was too good to get ruined.

I led her to Cassien, who looked a little awe-struck. It was an unspoken agreement that he would give her away; in fact, I had never seen him look so proud. "You look..."

It was a simple, silk dress with ruby rosebuds all across it. It clung to her like a wispy caress, her hair pinned in an updo that looked like a crimson halo.

She looked up at Cassien, her hands shaking as she clutched the bouquet. "I hope you know," She cleared her throat as her voice shook, "that it's my honour to be given away by you at my wedding."

I could see the play of emotion in Cassien's eyes, the sudden exposure of vulnerability that he had become so good at hiding over the years.

"You're my sister." He took her arm, tucked it under his. "Welcome to my family officially, Red."

I felt a tear slip, running down with my foundation.

It was worth it.
I was happy.

~Cassien~

There was a time when I had forgotten what Damen looked like when he smiled. It was strange, because as a kid it was impossible to catch him without a toothy grin on his little face.

I saw it again, that smile, that day. When Neith woke up in our house for the first time, battered and bruised and scared. It was a quick smile, of relief and joy.

Since then, it hasn't left his face.

Neith's hand was shaking under mine as I led her to the aisle, and I chuckled. "Look at him, Red."

I watched her lift her eyes, meet Damen's.

I watched the way she took in his slack jaw, his clenched hands. The wonder in his eyes. The love in his gaze.

I felt her hand stop shaking.

The ceremony was a blur, my heartbeat ringing loudly in my ears. I had too much to lose now, and while the threats had reduced, they weren't all gone.

Nothing would touch them now. Ever again. I was going to be the shield that would capture this moment, this happiness and the joy and the love, and hold it together for the rest of our lives.

What I didn't know then, was that it was all going to change. Everything I had built and everything I knew about life, it was all going to crumble and burn.

And it started with a phone call.

"Cassien? It's ... It's Scotch." Her voice was ragged, slow; her words were slurred and pained. "I - I need you. Hunter ... He's dead. I shot him. And I'm ..." It was a single sob, clearly the result of a hurried attempt to muffle it.

Fury sang in my blood, anger so potent it made my bones burn.

Scotch.
It was her.
She was in pain.

And I would obliterate anyone and everyone who had done that to her.

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To be continued in the second book of this series: Sublime.