For All Eternity (Crescent Moon series, book 2)

Chapter 8

Thank you for the beautiful cover, Shaylee.  This chapter is for you!

“When I say McKayla Angelina Zandler, you step forward and kneel in front of me. It’s that easy. You don’t have to say a thing.” I tried to reassure McKayla as she was getting the last of her hair and make-up done.

“What are we getting married? And, Zandler?” Well at least I got her to smile.

“Vampires don’t get married, but if you want to look at it that way, then do so. And yes, Zandler.” I snapped back, I was getting irritated.

“That’s not a very intimidating name.” She continued to smile and tease.

“Should I change my whole human name? I was named after two biblical characters. Ethan and Joseph” All eyes turned to me in shock. “A name doesn’t make a saint. Besides most that were born around the same time I was in Bethlehem, were named after biblical characters.”

“You were born in Bethlehem?” She began laughing.

“You girls should sharpen her fangs.”

“I don’t have any fangs.” She stopped laughing

“That’s exactly my point.”

“You sharpen your fangs?” Her shocked expression was priceless.

“No,” I started laughing heading to the bathroom to get dressed.

“Stand tall, walk tall, sit tall, be tall,” I whispered outside the doors to the throne room.

“I’m not tall,” she retorted whispering back.

“Pretend you’re tall. Now hush, I can’t walk in there laughing and neither can you.” I whispered back chuckling quietly.

The doors opened and I quickly whipped the smile off my face. I could feel McKayla next to me trying to hold back her laughter. I nudged her with my elbow to knock it off. The loud low pitched chimes of the bells began as we entered the room, symbolizing midnight. I knew the sound was loud on McKayla’s newly formed ears, but she kept up with me, walking tall and focusing at her destination, her throne. I focused on Michael and Alexis standing tall slightly behind and on the sides of our thrones. Alexis behind mine and Michael behind his mother’s, just as it‘s suppose to be. Neither of them showing emotion. It took everything I had not to smile in pride. McKayla and the children were acting perfectly.

As the last and twelfth chime ended we were at our thrones. McKayla stood tall, strong and emotionless, looking out above the crowd, waiting for my hand to sit. I only hope her children are still standing tall, strong and emotionless, looking out above the crowd and not at us. I couldn’t help my self I shot a warning telepathically to the both of them, “you are above them, never look down to them.”

“We not,”they both shot back in unison,

I reached my hand out for McKayla to take, “McKayla, don’t look down. Just take my hand and sit.” I told her as my hand reached its destination. She reached out gracefully and gently placed her hand over mine, never looking down.

“Can’t they hear us?”

McKayla thought back, taking her seat emotionless and tall.

“I’m blocking out the crowd in front of us. However, if there’s something you don’t want the council behind us to know, I wouldn’t think it.”

I answered openly to all three of them. “Now pay attention, McKayla stay sitting until I call for you, Alexis and Michael stay standing until the end, and above all stay awake,” I warned before standing up. Please don’t let me down, I thought to myself and only myself. McKayla was not one for being the middle of attention and here she was in front of most of the kingdom, other kings and soon to be our council.