“I don’t,” Pierce said. “I don’t like you, but that’s not a crime, is it?”

  Unfortunately, it wasn’t.

  “I don’t want to hurt you, Hazel,” Toby volunteered. His eyes shifted to Lily.

  She nodded. “He’s…not lying.” Even so, my BFF looked like she wasn’t sure she believed what she was saying.

  “Is it a half-truth?”

  “No,” she said. “He’s telling the truth.”

  David nodded. “Same. I don’t have a problem with you. At least I didn’t.”

  Mark shook his head. “I kind of want to hurt you right now, but I’m not behind all this.”

  Ralph shrugged. “I’ve got no beef with you, Chief.”

  Finally, Tom said, “Ditto all that. I’m not behind this. Besides, I really liked Gary Gary.”

  I looked a Lily. Her face pinched with anxiety. “All truths.”

  Damn it! This was getting me absolutely nowhere.

  Carly came running back into the room. “Get your wedding dress on, Haze! I got Sister Sandy a new shawl!”

  CHAPTER 8

  “WE’VE ONLY GOT a few minutes to get this shin-dig started,” Carly said as she, Lily, Tizzy, and, surprisingly, Tanya rushed me up to the Bride’s Room to hurriedly dress me for the female procession. Tanya used magic to enhance my makeup and my hair. The men would be doing the male version of the pre-ceremony ceremony in Ford’s Groom’s Room.

  “You have a great crowd for the binding,” Tanya said. “I still can’t believe my uncle came. He’s not a fan of your family.”

  “I think you’re probably the only one. Your mother thinks I’m the devil.”

  “No,” Tanya said. “She just thinks you’re not qualified to police a town full of witches who are better at magic than you.”

  I glared at her. “Well, don’t hold back, Tanya. Tell me how you really feel.”

  “We don’t have time for a pissing contest,” Tizzy interjected. “Not if you want to get hitched.”

  “I don’t like this,” I said. “We still don’t know who’s after me, and we have about three hundred people outside who I am putting in danger.”

  “Whoever is doing this wants you dead before your binding. This might be our best opportunity to flush them out,” Lily said.

  “Your skinny friend is right,” Carly agreed. “Besides, I’m pretty sure the old Battle-axe has planted some of her super-troopers among the guests.”

  Great, that didn’t sound dangerous at all for the innocent bystanders. “Is she here?”

  No one answered, which meant she wasn’t. If Clementine Battles had arrived, the whole place would be buzzing.

  “Are you ready?” Tizzy tapped her tiny wrist. “Time’s a tickin’.”

  “I…” I fluttered my lashes to keep them dry as tears threatened to spill over. “This isn’t how I thought my wedding would go.”

  Tiz climbed up on my lap, she reached up and caressed my cheeks with her tiny little fingers. She had a cream-colored bow on top of her head that matched my gown. “You are not going to be any less bonded no matter how many people we have to kill to get you there.”

  I sniffled. “I didn’t kill Gary Gary.” I pouted. “Besides, you hate Ford,” I blurted. “How is this going to work?”

  “I love you, you foolish witch. And Ford loves you, which makes me not hate him. And you love Ford, which makes me actually love him. I am in this with you, Haze. I may not have said this before, but it doesn’t mean I don’t mean it. I am happy for you.”

  “Aww, Tiz.” I dabbed at my eyes.

  “You’re smudging your makeup,” Tanya said. She dabbed the corner of her own eye. “You have a strange relationship with your familiar.”

  “Tisiphone, I’m happy for you too. Even if I never say it again.” I’d never live it down with Luwithaview. “You’re my family.” I looked at Lily. “Both of you. You’ve been my rocks. I don’t think I could’ve gotten through this day without you.”

  “The day’s not over,” Tanya reminded us. “It’s eleven o’clock. Let’s get going.”

  One hour to wedded bliss. “I wish the other shoe would drop already.”

  “Maybe the interrogation scared the person behind the assassination attempts into stopping. Maybe there is no other shoe,” Lily said hopefully.

  “I’m digging the optimism, Lils.” I looked up at my friend. “But do you really believe that?”

  Her smile faded. “No, but a cougar can hope.” She sat down on the bed next to me. “I love you, Hazel. I’m sorry your day hasn’t been sunshine, rainbows, and unicorns. It should have been.”

  “The women are coming to usher you,” Tanya said. “Get up and be ready to take your blessings.”

  I nodded. It was time to put my big girl panties on. I forced my fears down where they wouldn’t distract me and stood up.

  Tanya opened the door. Nita, Becksy, Joy Decker, Aunt Morgan and nearly a hundred more women, some I knew by name, some I didn’t, some shifters, some witches, and all dressed in their best clothes, had lined the hall, the stairs, and the path to the lake. Lily preceded me with Tizzy in her arms.

  Nita, who was first in line, had agreed to act in my mother’s stead. She gave me a reassuring smile and held out her hands. I took them. We pressed foreheads.

  “Blessed binding,” she said.

  “By the grace of the Goddess,” I responded, then moved on to Becksy. Nita, as the mother of the bride, took her place behind me.

  “Blessed binding,” Becks said when we touched foreheads.

  “By the grace of the Goddess,” I said again.

  Twenty minutes later, my neck had a kink from touching foreheads with shifters and witches. Toward the end of the line, I saw Carla Wells, the raccoon shifter who’d been in love with Danny Mason, Lily’s brother. She looked different, happier than the last time we’d met. Lily stopped, and I could see her fighting to keep her composure. She and Carla exchanged nods as we moved on down the line.

  When we reached the end, Nita retook my hands. “May your life be filled with joy and promise. This is my unending hope.” She leaned in once more, touched her forehead with mine, then kissed my cheek. “I’m so proud to have you join my family.”

  “Thank you, Nita. I’m proud to be your daughter.”

  “It’s time to go now,” Lily said. She smiled, her green eyes full of love for me. She gestured toward the beautifully lit gazebo at the end of a path surrounded by hundreds of townsfolk, where my dashing Ford waited for me. It was perfect, just like his love for me.

  I took Tiz from Lily and carried her on my left arm and linked my right arm with Lily’s. “Let’s do this.”

  My dad waited outside the door. All the guests along the path, men and women, touched me, murmuring blessings as I passed. I wanted to enjoy the beauty and magic of my community coming together to strengthen the ceremony, but I couldn’t help but fear one of the many hands reaching out to me could be holding a weapon.

  The clear night sky sparkled with stars as the full moon seemed to shine down on me like a spotlight. I slowed when we were only thirty or so feet from our destination. Ford stood under a coronation of white roses woven into the open-roofed gazebo. Damn, that man took my breath away.

  Sister Sandy stood facing me on the other side of Ford. Lincoln and Patrick Edger stood with Ford as his groomsmen. Tanya took a seat in the first row of chairs. Tiz and Lily both kissed my cheek, and Lily took Tizzy to the stage. My dad turned to me. He looked scared.

  “You okay, kitten?”

  I choked on a laugh that threatened to turn into a sob. “I should ask you that question. You look like you swallowed a bug.”

  He nodded and pressed his forehead to mine as he took my hands the way Nita had. “You’ll make this work, Haze. You won’t be a disaster like your mom and me.”

  I nodded.

  “You’re better than both of us. You always have been, and Ford will love you. Always.”

  “He better,” I said as a tear spilled down my cheek. I’d been so angry with my dad for so long that I hadn’t even realized that I’d forgiven him. When had that happened?

  “Thanks, Dad. I love you.” I gave him a rare hug. “I’m ready.”

  “I know you are.”

  We began our father-daughter walk toward my mate. The ritual would last for at least fifteen minutes. Lots of incantations and such, but the final bonding moment had to happen at midnight exactly.

  “This is really happening,” I whispered to my sugar bear when my dad handed me off. I’d wanted this for so long, and considering the way the day had started, I had been confident it wouldn’t happen.

  He stroked his fingers down my arms, raising goose bumps along my skin. “You’re so beautiful, Haze. I’m the luckiest man.”

  “You’re not so bad either, hot stuff.” We’d really pulled it off. We hadn’t found the assassin, but the wedding was on. Thank the Goddess Carly had found a shawl.

  Sandy cleared her throat. “Good people of the town of Paradise Falls, we are gathered here tonight to witness the union of two souls. Hazel Marie Kinsey and Ford Harvest Baylor have both agreed to enter this pact willingly and with joy. What magic and love bind together, let no one break asunder.” The high priestess took the magic shawl and wrapped it around Ford’s forearm then took the other end and tied it around mine.

  She pivoted toward the lake. Dozens of teenagers launched their flower boat wishes onto the water. “Woven souls, mind to mind, willing partners, souls to bind,” Sandy incanted. My arm began to tingle, and the sensation tickled. I giggled. Ford’s smile made me want to raise my flag on his pole. He was so getting molested the minute this binding was concluded.

  “Heart to heart, always entwined, love forever, souls will bind,” the priestess continued. She repeated both phrases over and over. I could hear dozens of guests join in the chant as power surged through my body, creating a pulse of magic weaving itself between Ford and me. The euphoria overwhelmed me, and I had to fight to stay on my feet.

  I picked up the incantation, Ford began to speak it as well. I could hear Lily and Tizzy now, too. Everyone was smiling, laughing, as the ecstasy of magic poured through the field. Now I knew what Pierce Roberts had meant when he said a binding ceremony was a rush. This magic felt like the best drug ever.

  “Souls will bind,” I said for the hundredth time, feeling loopy and loved up. It was almost time. Midnight would be here soon, and Ford and I would never be parted.

  Then the other shoe dropped.

  CHAPTER 9

  A CRACK of thunder followed by a hot breath of wind ripped between Ford and me. I dropped to the deck, the shawl falling between us. “Ford!” I shouted as panic clawed at my chest.

  The thunderous noise had been a rifle shot; the heated air, a bullet.

  “I’m here,” he said, grabbing my arm. “We’re sitting ducks on this platform. We have to move.”

  I heard splashing, and a few unGoddess-like words spew from a wet Sister Sandy’s mouth. Thank heavens she’d survived. Ford and I rolled together as another shot tore through the wooden base where we’d just been.

  “Swim to the bank, Sandy! Don’t try to get out on the deck,” I yelled.

  She shouted a few more curse words, but I heard her swimming—well, more like splashing—away from us.

  Most of the crowd ran for cover, not that I blamed them. There was such a thing as collateral damage. After all, Gary Gary had suffered an innocent’s fate.

  Ford and I took cover behind a dense bush. “Do you see the shooter?” I asked him.

  “No,” he said. “But we need to get moving. This plant isn’t going to stop a high-speed rifle round.”

  I shook my head. “We need to get this jerk.”

  Parker dive-rolled in behind us. “Where’s Lily?” he asked, his eyes scanning the nearby area. “I haven’t been able to track her since after the first shot.”

  Oh no. If anything happened to Lily or Tizzy, I’d never forgive myself. Never. “We’ll find her,” I reassured him. I stood up to get a better look around.

  Ford tried to yank me back down. “In that dress, you’re a bright target on a dark field,” he shouted.

  “I have to find Lily and Tizzy. I won’t let anyone else go down for me. I’m not playing his game anymore.” Another crack split the night. I twisted as the bullet grazed my arm. “I. Have. Had. Enough!” I bellowed.

  Another shot had me changing my mind. I flattened myself to the ground next to Ford. “I am so frying this dude.” I raised my hand and focused all my energy on the sparks sparkling from my fingertips.

  I reached out and began a spell.

  “Goddess give me what I need

  To stop this assassin with hasty speed.

  Give me strength to end this spree.

  I ask this of you, so mote it be.”

  Flames shot down my arms as powerful energy full of rage and vengeance washed over me. Another shot whipped over our heads. Parker began to low-crawl toward the dock.

  “Cover me!” he shouted.

  “Go, go,” I told him. “I’ve got you.” I jumped to my feet and threw up my hands as the next shot was fired. The bullet stopped two inches from my palms then dropped to the ground.

  I walked forward. Copper rounds bounced away from me in a quick one, two, three succession. Until the fourth one made it through and whizzed past my shoulder. Up until that point, I’d felt invincible.

  “Hazel, the magic can’t stop the mundane. Not for long. Get behind something, now!” my dad bellowed.

  There had been a pause in the shooting. If I had to guess, the guy was probably reloading his weapon. I looked behind me for Ford. He wasn’t there. “Ford!”

  My dad grabbed my arm and dragged me away, out of the open. “Ford took off up the hill. He went after the shooter while you distracted him. Now you do your part again and stay safe.”

  I saw Parker. He was still searching for Lily. Goddess help me. My heart sank in my chest. “I have to find Lily and Tizzy.”

  Toby Rosen ran over to us. “I saw your friend. She’s just beyond the stone wall just on the other side of the rose garden. She and your familiar ran over there to get out of harm’s way.”

  “Where?” I asked. “Show me.”

  Toby nodded and directed the way, and I scrabbled behind him. My dress caught on a chair anchor and ripped. “Goddessdammit!” I hissed as I settled in next to Toby behind the barrier.

  The firing had stopped. I heard someone shout, “He got him! Ford got the shooter. It’s the freaking caterer.”

  I should have known. He’d been Vivi’s recommendation. But so had the florist and the bartender, and as far as I knew, they hadn’t been homicidal.

  Still, relief flooded my bones upon hearing the celebratory cheers. I hadn’t realized how afraid I’d been. Not for me, but for my friends, my family, and the life I’d started here in Paradise Falls. Finally, I’d felt home at home, and home was something I never wanted to lose.

  I looked around but didn’t see Tizzy or Lily. “Where are they?” I asked him. “Are you sure they were here?” Had they moved to another location? Maybe they managed to take cover in the house.

  Toby shrugged, then shook his head. “I’m sorry, Hazel. I didn’t—” Toby’s eyes widened as I felt a cold blade against my neck and heard the menace in the voice behind me.

  “I had a fiancée once,” the man said.

  I recognized the voice straightaway. Tanya’s uncle, David Declan. “Why are you doing this, David?”

  Toby looked frightened.

  I gave a slight shake of my head. “Toby, you should go. This doesn’t have anything to do with you.”

  “I had a fiancée,” he said again. “But thanks to your father, she died on our wedding day. Make one twitchy move, Chief Kinsey, and I will slit your throat.”

  The cold blade bit into my throat as Declan emphasized his threat.

  “Why do you think my father’s responsible?” I asked. My dad wasn’t a killer, unless you included my mother as a victim, which I did not.

  “Shut up,” he hissed. He gripped me tighter. So much for stalling tactics. I could try to apparate away, but I might put myself into a tree or at the bottom of the pond. Besides, David could slit my throat before I could get out two words of the spell.

  Nervous sparks danced on my fingertips, and Declan pressed the blade in hard enough to break the skin.

  “Don’t,” he said. “I will kill you before you have enough flame to light a match.”

  He obviously wasn’t the shooter if Ford had taken the guy down. Another hired assassin, probably. David Declan hadn’t wanted to do the deed himself, but desperate times… “Why are you doing this, Mr. Declan? You don’t seem like a cold-blooded killer.” If he had been, I’d already be dead.

  “I’m not a killer,” he said. “Not like your parents.” His hands were shaking now, but he didn’t ease up on the blade.

  I was both disturbed and relieved. Declan didn’t want to get his hands dirty. He sought to hurt my father, but not enough to do it himself.

  My nerves caused another ripple of sparks over my skin.

  “Ow,” he said. “I told you to stop that.”

  “I’m not doing it on purpose.” I really wasn’t. Sheesh. “How did my parents kill your girlfriend?”

  I wasn’t sure I wanted to know, but I had to keep Declan engaged.

  “My soul mate,” he corrected me. “The love of my life.” He turned me to face toward the gazebo. I hoped Toby took the opportunity to run.

  He pointed the knife toward the lake, and it was a relief to have it off my neck. “We were standing right over there on that same gazebo as you were, ready to take our vows, when a lightning storm out of nowhere began to throw bolts all over the lake.” His voice trembled. “Tilda was struck with a direct hit straight through the heart.”

  Had his fiancée been the bride Lily had mentioned earlier? If she was, I still didn’t understand why he blamed my dad. “How is that my dad’s fault?”

  “Cheryl called me after you killed Adele. She told me the truth about the wild storms in Paradise Falls, and it wasn’t hard to put two and two together. The monstrous druidic magic they were performing caused that lightning storm. They killed my baby girl.”

 

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