Chapter 17
“You look beautiful,” Dad said, eyes getting a little moist as he stepped into the room to greet us. But he was smiling, too. “Both of you!”

I saw that he took note of my bandage and the cloth that I clutched in my hand, and a shadow crossed his face, dimming his smile. I knew that, having traveled to Romania with Mom when she’d studied vampire culture, he would be familiar with the marriage rituals – probably knew exactly what I’d done. And I had a feeling that, while he was always open-minded, he still didn’t like seeing his own child bleed. But he didn’t say a word.

Like Mom, he was letting go.

“You look pretty spiffy, yourself, Mr. Packwood,” Mindy noted.

I checked out Dad’s appearance, too, appraising him head to toe. When I got to the tips of his polished shoes, I raised my face to his and heard the surprise in my voice as I asked, “Dad?”

I’d expected my father to dress up for my wedding, but the tux he wore looked like something Lucius would have chosen. It rested perfectly on his shoulders and the pants broke just where they should, at the top of those gleaming shoes. He wore a bow tie, too, and not only was it tied neatly, but it looked like somebody had checked it with a level.

In short, my dad appeared pretty regal, himself.

“It is my daughter’s wedding,” Dad reminded me, clearly understanding my shock. “Of course I’m wearing a tuxedo!” Then he grinned and noted, “Although, I’ll admit that it’s a very nice tuxedo, commissioned by Lucius, who apparently has some sort of issue with rented clothes.”

I started laughing as Dad added, mimicking Lucius, “I have come to understand your passion for recycling, Ned, but I must draw the line at pants. Especially at my wedding!”

“Sounds like Lukey,” Mindy agreed, grinning.

I smiled, too. Yes, it did sound like Lucius…

Then Dad held out his arm for me, elbow crooked, and offered, “Shall we? Your guests – and your groom – await the princess!”

Although the gesture was also kind of teasing – a fancy flourish to go with his suit – we both got serious. In a heartbeat, all of the laughter stopped.

Mindy sensed the mood change, too, and wordlessly stepped behind me as I took Dad’s arm. I waited while she gathered up my train so it wouldn’t drag along the floor when we walked to the secret spot where the ceremony would be held.

It really was time…

“Dad,” I said quietly, as we stepped toward the door, arm in arm. “Do you know where we’re going? This castle is like a maze!” I didn’t want my father to give away Lucius’s surprise location – not when I’d waited so long in suspense – but I was honestly worried about getting lost.

“Oh, Lucius thought of that, too,” Dad said with a twinkle in his eyes.

He reached out to open the door, and as he ushered me through, I got the full view of something I’d only glimpsed as my father had slipped into the room, maybe purposely keeping me from looking down the hallway.

“Oh, it’s beautiful,” I gasped, stopping short in the doorway.

Or maybe Mindy said that. Maybe we both did.

The entire corridor was lined with hundreds of flickering votive candles in small, leaded-glass holders. They were each about a footstep apart, the only light in the otherwise dark hallway. A fire-lit path for us to follow. A lovely gesture on Lucius’s part…

As always seemed to happen when I was about to see Lucius, my stomach tickled with anticipation, and although I was still nervous about the ceremony, I squeezed Dad’s arm, signaling that we should go, and the three of us began to follow that glowing pathway, which twisted and turned deep into the heart of the estate.

We walked for what seemed like a long time, all three of us silent, heading into parts of the quiet castle that I swore I couldn’t recall seeing before. Or maybe Lucius had shown these places to me, and I couldn’t remember them. Everything seemed different that night. Magical and strange and hushed.

My heart, which had slowed when I’d become fully a vampire, started beating harder with each step I took. Yet I was growing strangely calm, too.

Lucius lay at the end of this path…

The moment we’d been waiting for – born for – was about to take place…

We approached a bend in the corridor that was so sharp and narrow that for a second it looked like we were headed toward a dead end – a blank wall – and when we followed the turn, I felt a warm breeze on my face. Breathed in fresh air, scented with flowers. And I saw that the candles ended just a few yards away, at what looked like a curved archway cut into the stone wall.

I stole a look at Dad’s face and saw that he was smiling again, like he was certain that I’d be pleased by what I was about to see, and a few moments later – when I wasn’t sure if I wanted the anticipation to be finally satisfied or to stretch on and on, it was so wonderful – we reached the end of the path and Mindy released the hem of my gown, allowing it to fall to the floor.

As we stepped under the arch, I pressed my hand against my heart, forgetting that I might stain my dress with blood from my palm, and cried out, softly, “Oh, Lucius!”

Continue to Chapter 18...