The Sweetest Burn

His gaze glinted with determination. “We’ve had so few chances to make good memories with everything that’s happened since we met. Since we can only do this once, I want to make sure it’s something you’ll never forget.” Then his mouth curled as humor mixed in with his usual arrogance. “Besides, a hotel room? I do have my pride as a former prince, you know.”

Part of me couldn’t believe that this was really about to happen, yet the rest of me wasn’t the least surprised. So many momentous events in my life had been thrown at me with nary a warning of catch! that this seemed par for the course. Yes, it was a destiny-altering tethering that would bind us together in ways I still didn’t really understand. Yes, we still had to figure out a way to find the staff before more realms started clobbering this world, and yes, a permanent, soul-binding ritual kinda meant that I’d end up with a demon for a father-in-law, so...it was a lot to take in.

This was my life, however, and although we didn’t have a lot of wiggle room on our to-do list, if I’d learned anything over the past several months, it was that we had to live every moment to the fullest because any one of them could be our last. Put in that light, it would be foolish not to make the most of our soul-tethering ritual. As Adrian had said, it was a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

“So tell me, where do you want to go to say goodbye to your days as a single former demon prince?” I asked with a grin.

Adrian kissed me with such passion that I almost forgot what we were talking about. “Get showered and dressed, and I’ll show you,” he murmured against my lips.

Then he spun around, saying to Zach, “Stay here with Ivy. I’ll be right back.”

CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

IN A HIGH-END hotel like this, I expected the bathroom to be stocked with toiletries, and I was right. After I showered to get all of the nasty river water, dirt and blood off me, then blow-dried my hair, I left the black-and-white marble bathroom to find a gorgeous new dress laid out on the king-size bed.

The duvet on the bed was royal blue, which made the pearlescent dress stand out more vividly against the dark fabric. I touched the bottom of the dress, which flared out mermaid-style against the fitted body, and the material slipped like raindrops through my fingers. I’d say that it was silk, except that it was diaphanous, and the color was the most beautiful blend of white, pink and pale gray. If I had to name the blend of colors, I’d call it ashes of dawn, and the dress was so beautiful, I was almost afraid to put it on.

Of course I did, and then spun around just to see the fabric billow around my legs. It was strapless except for the single thin swath of fabric over my left shoulder, so I wouldn’t be able to wear my bra. At least with the snug, square cut and the thicker, opaque material across the chest, I didn’t need one.

I did need shoes, though, and I was glad to see a pair of heels by the bottom of the bed. They fit, although like the dress, they were a little too small. Still, I was amazed that Adrian had managed to find anything this nice, let alone close to my size. The clock showed a quarter to five in the morning, so no shops would be open. Guess the same hotel store that Adrian had gotten our other clothes at had fancier attire, as well. And as the hotel owner, Adrian must have unlimited access.

I ran a hand through my hair, wishing I could style it into something prettier, but my hair spray and curling iron were back in the bus. So was my makeup bag, not that I could have done a great job of primping without being able to look at myself. All the mirrors in this suite had either been broken or removed. Adrian’s friend, the manager, must have had employees scurrying like mad to do that during our fruitless drive to Long Island.

“No need to be concerned,” a voice said from behind me. “Your appearance is quite pleasant.”

I swung around, stunned more by his words than by how Zach had snuck up on me. “Was that a compliment?”

His expression remained serious even as the faintest smile pulled at his mouth. “Compliments cater to vanity. This was merely my stating an observation.”

“Bullshit,” I said with an amused snort. “You just gave me a compliment. Be a big Archon and own it.”

“Are you ready, Ivy?” Adrian asked from the other room.

I gave my hair a final swipe before letting the dark brown waves settle naturally around my shoulders. “Yes.”

Adrian walked in, having showered in the bathroom adjoining the suite’s other, smaller bedroom. It had been less than an hour since I’d seen him, and in that time, he’d not only managed to get me a beautiful new dress; he’d also found an elegant black suit for himself. His dark gold hair was slightly tousled, as if he’d been running around after his shower, which he must have been, considering all he’d done. His jaw was smooth from a fresh shave, and his silver-rimmed, deep blue eyes had never resembled sapphires more than they did now as he stared at me.

“You’re stunning,” he said in a hoarse voice.

Zach arched a brow at me. “See? That is a compliment.”

Adrian crossed the short distance between us and pulled me into his arms, but when I tilted my face up, he didn’t kiss me. Instead, he caught my hand, pressing something hard into it.

I opened my hand and gasped. A large, oval-shaped diamond winked up at me, but in addition to the fiery colors it reflected from the overhead light, it also glittered with...darkness. I didn’t understand how until I held the ring by its platinum loop and saw black diamond baguettes beneath the center stone, their color reflecting outward.

Darkness and light, just like the two of us.

I swallowed several times, but my throat still burned from the emotion overloading me. Adrian couldn’t have gotten this from a hotel store, and he’d had no time to go anywhere else.

“When? I mean, how?” I choked out.

“I bought it after you told me you didn’t want to see me again.” Each low, rasped word slammed right into my heart. “I’ve been carrying it around for months, promising myself that one day, if I didn’t give up, I’d see you wear it.”

With tears blurring my vision, I held my hand out, and Adrian slid the ring onto my finger.

“I only have one more hour,” Zach said, breaking a moment I would’ve wanted to live in forever. “We will need all of it.”

Adrian raised my hand to his mouth and kissed it right above the ring. Then, with a wide smile, he turned to Zach.

“Let’s do this.”

* * *

WE ALL RODE in the limo, but our destination turned out to be so close that we could have walked to it: St. Patrick’s Cathedral. If the past hour hadn’t been such a whirlwind of the impossible made real, I would’ve been impressed to see Brutus perched on one of the cathedral’s soaring towers, beating his wings as if claiming it for himself. Then Zach walked up to the massive doors of the elaborately styled, multistory church and, with a burst of light from his hands, broke the locks open.

I followed Adrian inside. Brutus landed with a thump moments later, and then the gargoyle entered the church. If I’d thought the exterior was impressive, the interior put it to shame. Instead of pale gray-colored stone rising majestically into tall, pointed peaks, the inside walls were warm amber shades, and that effect was deepened by the countless candles that Zach somehow caused to blaze with light as we walked down the long aisle.

When we reached the altar, the curved archways and magnificent stained glass windows faded into insignificance as I turned to face Adrian. His gaze was almost feral in its intentness, but a smile curved his lips as he stared down at me.

“Do you like it?”

“It’s more than memorable.” Even my whisper sounded loud in the huge, empty building. “It’s unforgettable.”

“Adrian,” Zach said, suddenly sounding even more formal than his usual stuffy style. “Take Ivy’s hand.”

He did, and the warm curl of his fingers around mine stilled my nervousness. I didn’t know what this ritual involved, but my experience with the supernatural made me brace for a lot of pain. Still, I’d go through agony with a smile to prolong this moment. For longer than I could imagine, Adrian had been told that his choices had already been made for him. That no matter what he did or what he wanted, his life would culminate in an awful, unavoidable betrayal. Yet still, he’d fought with everything he had, and now, I was about to be an integral part of his victory.