The Roarhaven sorcerers watched on remorsefully as the prisoners of war were shoved ruthlessly onto their knees by Faceless Ones' supporters, forced to kneel at their deranged religious enemy. They were unmasked to reveal exactly who China had expected. She saw the skeleton in the finely tailored suit, the flowing dark-hair, Sapphire's dirty blonde waves unbound, Tanith's unruly curls, and Ghastly's marred bald head. She saw Dexter Vex's muscled back through his shirt and Ellion Rune's brown hair, head hung low. And a stranger was among them. One with dark-brown hair streaked with metallic read and tan skin from what she could see of the back of his neck.
"You know what this means, Grand Mage Sorrows. Your precious Dead Men, your dynamic duo of Pleasant and Cain, none of them will come to your aid this time. Look upon these fields. Upon my army. This is a force you cannot hope to defeat. You will be slaughtered." Hansard snarled, addressing them all. "But if you give in, join us, the Unnamed may have mercy upon your soul and make it quick and painless. So, surrender and avoid the pain and suffering of your people."
China looked to both Aria Shade and Ophelia Wisp before making her decision. She nodded at Saracen Rue further down the line and he moved fast and unseen. A flaming arrow flew through the air, whistling as it traveled straight toward Hansard's heart. It stopped a centimetre from piercing the skin at the command of Hansard's raised hand and he laughed at her attempts.
"I assume that means your answer was a no. I wish you were as easy to convince of my cause as Alice and Vivi. They've been essential to the building of this army. Risking themselves to travel back in time and resurrect all these sorcerers to work for me, just like they did for Ghastly Bespoke and Anton Shudder." He spoke with jest.
China held her chin high as Hansard motioned to the army behind him and Lord Vile stepped forward. China did something unspeakable. She showed her emotions on her porcelain face and China Sorrows gaze upon Skulduggery, appearing well and truly shocked for once in her life.
"How great of the whole gang to be together, here, for the final moments of the human race on this filthy, contaminated Earth. Even the weakest of you," he strolled to the line of prisoners, looking down upon Ghastly's solid frame. "You'll all experience it soon enough so there's no point in avoiding spoiler alerts. Tell us, Mr Bespoke, what was it like? Being dead?" he mocked.
"You keep talking like that and you'll be able to tell us yourself, courtesy of me and my sword." Tanith snarled at him and struggled to break free of her bonds as she charged forward only to be held back.
"And where is your sword?" Hansard frowned and pretended to think before a clarity came over his features. "Ah yes, Serpine would you like to give the lady her sword?"
Nefarious Serpine stepped forward and pulled Tanith's beloved sword from a sheath at his back and dropped it into the grass just shy of her range of reach. "Bloody Bastard." she spat at him.
"You're very protective of your boyfriend, aren't you Miss Low." He laughed at her and she flashed him her left hand.
"Husband, actually." She corrected him with a growl. Surely enough there was a glint on her fourth finger.
The priest looked to Ghastly expectantly as the scarred man in the black tuxedo began to recite his vows.
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"I, Ghastly Bespoke, take you, Tanith Low, to be my lawful wife, to have and to hold from this day forward. I never truly loved until I met you. Every day with you was a day worth living, and every minute away from you was a painful struggle. I realized that I could never imagine a life without you in it, and I never want to because I know it would be a life wasted. I promise to be true to you in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health. I will love you and honour you all the days of my life, until death do us part."
The tears of joy leaked from the blonde woman's amber eyes. "I, Tanith Low, take you, Ghastly Bespoke, to be my lawful husband, to have and to hold from this day forward. The times that I spent without you in my life were the most horrible, heartbreaking days of my entire existence. It was only once I lost you that I realized how much you meant to me and how much I had been denying my feelings because I was too afraid to love. Too afraid to let myself feel that way for someone and to let another person hold my heart knowing it was possible for them to break it. But with you, I trust my heart and my love wholly. I promise to be true to you in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health. I will love you and honour you all the days of my life, until death do us part."
"I now pronounce you, husband and wife. You may kiss the bride." The priest smiled and Ghastly and Tanith beamed at each other.
Ghastly let his hands tangle in Tanith's golden curls as he kissed her, taking in absolutely everything about her. Her smell, her touch, her love. Her fingers trailed over the ridges of the scars that covered his head, as if tenderly whispering that she loved every part of him, no matter how ugly or broken. He broke away, breathing deeply.
Her eyes were full of emotion and she kissed him again. "I love you." He said.
"I love you more." She whispered and pecked the tip of his nose.
"I love you most." He sighed and kissed her forehead.
"Is this real or am I dreaming?" she asked him.
"It's real." he murmured.
Tanith smiled and leaned back into her pillow, cuddling the sheets to her chest. "The war is coming. What if ..." she began.
"No. Don't say it." He interrupted and entwined her fingers in his, pressing his lips to her knuckles.
"Someone has to, Ghastly. I don't want to lose you again." She propped herself up on her elbows.
"It's war, Tanith. We can't control what happens." He replied sadly.
"I want to grow old with you. I want us to raise a child and teach it how to box and use a sword." She smiled at the thought.
"If we live through this, I promise you, you will have all that and more." He slipped an arm around her waist and she cuddled into his chest, resting her head over his heart. She fell asleep listening to the steady beat. He was alive again and she wouldn't lose him a second time.
"How touching." Hansard mocked them. "Roarhaven, I present you, your heroes!" he chuckled before his expression turned dark and he said to Vile, "Kill them."
