Chapter 25

CHAPTER 25

" C ome on, Ivy, give it up," Devon said with a shake of his head.

Ivy raised her chin. "I will not. I have reason to speak up."

Drucinda skirted past Devon, her hands on her hips as she blocked the aisle. "And what reason is that?"

"Devon belongs with me. I have been raised to be his bride, his princess. Not this…common interloper."

"Hey!" Paige said.

"Yeah," Dewey answered, fluttering forward to hover next to Drucinda. "Paige may be common, and she may be an interloper, but still…she has every right to be a princess, too."

"Dewey!" Paige growled through clenched teeth. "I'm not an interloper."

He shot a glance over his shoulder before he shifted his focus back to Ivy. "Right. She's common, but has every right to be a princess."

She shook her head at him as the argument raged.

"I don't care," Ivy said. "He's mine. She has no right to this wedding. I demand to know why the pact between our families has been broken. "

Dominic rose from his seat and stepped in front of Drucinda and Dewey. "My deepest apologies to you and your family. But my son has made his choice. I cannot force him–"

"Oh, come now, Dominic," Marion answered, "there are ways to ensure this pact was honored."

Dominic's jaw clenched as he stared at her. "It's over, Marion. I am sorry. While I had hoped to join our families, it simply did not work out."

Marion's nostrils flared as she glared at him. "No, it isn't. I demand this be rectified and my daughter be rightfully restored to her place as your son's bride or–"

"Or what?" Dominic demanded.

"Or this will be an all-out war between us. And I don't think you want that."

Paige swallowed hard. Had they come this far only to lose at the last minute with the Delacroix's power play?

She shot Devon a panicked glance. He looped an arm around her waist and pulled her closer. "It's okay, Paige. No one is going to stop us from getting married."

"Sounds like she's really trying to," Paige whispered.

"Not going to happen, I promise." He kissed her cheek before he strode forward to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with his father. "Bring your war. We'll crush you."

Dominic slid his eyes sideways to his son, his eyebrows raising.

"Don't disagree, Dad. You're always saying I need to take my rightful place, and I am. I'll be the next leader in this family. And I plan to rule with an iron fist."

"Or a very foolish one," Marion answered. "It's decisions like this that will cost you, Devon. Your father should know. Perhaps he can explain it to you. Sacrifices often need to be made to cement your power."

"I'm not sacrificing anything. We don't need you to remain at the top of this pyramid. Now, get out of here and take your pouty daughter with you." Devon jabbed a finger toward the door.

Marion's jaw clenched as she set her features in stone. She shifted her gaze to Dominic. "You are still the head of this family, are you not?"

Dominic met her gaze, his eyes steely as he wrapped an arm around his son's shoulders. "I agree with…"

Paige held her breath, wondering if he was about to break it gently to Devon that he'd have to marry Ivy. Would she soon be dragged from the altar and tossed into the street?

Dominic shifted his gaze from his son back to Marion. "Devon. As beneficial as an alliance between our families may have been, it is hardly necessary. In fact, it's more beneficial to you than us. I'm sorry, Marion, but this is over."

"You'll regret this, Dominic," Marion growled before she clamped a hand onto her daughter's arm and spun to leave the chapel.

"But, Mother–" Ivy shouted before her voice faded down the hall.

Dominic sucked in a breath as he adjusted his tie. "Sorry for the interruption, everyone. Let us proceed with the wedding."

He waved at the minister as he took his seat, and everyone returned to their places. Paige blew out a shaky breath when Devon stepped next to her again.

"Told you everything would be okay," he said with a grin.

She offered him a tight-lipped smile as she wrapped her fingers tighter around the bouquet.

"Yes, well, all right. Uh, where were we?" the minister said. "Oh, yes. Anyone with an objection which feels like we have safely moved past–"

"Wait!" a voice said from the back.

Paige's shoulders slumped as she shook her head. "Now what? "

She glanced over her shoulder to find a shapely young woman, her dark hair mixed with blue streaks, standing in the doorway. She fixed her gaze on Devon. "You can't get married without me."

Paige's stomach twisted into a knot at the words. Who was this?

A grin spread across Devon's features, and he stepped away from the altar. "Luna?"

She smiled at him as she opened her arms for a hug. "Hey, big brother, you didn't think I'd miss your wedding, did you?"

"Wow, it's Luna Durand," Dewey whispered. "You must rate."

"Or Devon does," Paige answered.

Dominic traversed down the aisle, approaching his children. Devon let go of his sister, still grinning at her.

"Luna," Dominic said, his features registering uncertainty.

"Hi, Dad. Thanks for letting me know about Devon's wedding." She stepped forward to give the man a tight hug.

"Well, you haven't missed it. We were just about to exchange vows," Devon said as he looped her arm around his and led her down the aisle.

Luna set her purple eyes on Paige, her footsteps slowing. "Oh, you're not marrying Ivy?"

"Please don't start. We just got rid of her after an Amor Fortis, and then an interruption to the wedding," he said. "No, this is my soon-to-be-wife, Paige Turner."

"Oh, wow, you're really dodging a bullet marrying my brother, huh?" Luna said as she offered Paige a once-over and a wave.

Paige grinned at her, unsure of what to say.

"I mean with your name. At least now you can be Paige LeBlanc, not Paige Turner. You sound like a ridiculously named librarian. "

"Actually, Paige is a librarian and ridiculous names run in her family," Dewey explained. "So, she'll probably keep it."

"Aw, a teacup. You are adorable, you little monkey."

"Well, I'm not a monkey, I'm a dragon, but I sure do appreciate that compliment." Dewey grinned at her.

Luna reached forward to tickle his chin with a sweet grin.

"Oh, that tickles."

Paige tugged her lips into a grimace. "Stop that."

"What?" Dewey asked.

"I'm standing at the altar about to get married, and you're flirting with my soon-to-be sister-in-law."

"Okay? Someday, I hope to get married, too, you know? You gotta make the moves when you have the opportunity."

"All right, Luna, let's let them get to it, shall we?" Dominic asked as he returned to his seat and patted the bench next to him.

Luna slid into her seat as Paige twisted to face the minister again.

"Let's hope that's it for interruptions," Devon whispered.

She nodded as the minister cleared his throat. "I'm almost afraid to do this, but is there anyone who has any objections or can we finally move on?"

Paige shot a terrified glance over her shoulder before Devon finally said, "Move on, Padre, let's finish this."

"Right," the minister said with a bob of his head. "All right. Do you Devon–"

"I do," he said with a roll of his hand."

"Oh, uh–"

"It's fine, just keep going."

The man nodded again as he shifted his gaze to Paige. "And do you Paige, take this man to be your lawfully wedding husband? To have and to hold–"

"Paige, say yes," Devon hissed as he elbowed her.

"Oh, right, I do. "

"Well, then, that was very expedient. We'll now exchange the rings." He glanced at Dewey who floated in the air with his paws clasped.

"The rings," the minister repeated.

"Dewey!" Paige whispered. "The rings!"

"Oh, right. Here you are," Dewey said as he tugged them from his pocket.

Devon slid the ring onto her trembling finger before she struggled to slide his ring onto his hand. With that finished, she blew out a long breath as the minister finally announced them as husband and wife.

Applause filled the chapel as she offered the guests a nervous smile before Devon dipped her to the floor and kissed her.

"You've really got to stop that," she said as he returned her to standing.

"Crowd loves it, Paige." Devon grinned at them as he waved before he grabbed Paige's hand and led her down the aisle.

She blew out another shaky breath as they reached the hall. "Whew, we did it."

"Just the reception to get through, and then I'm asking my dad for that compass. We'll be searching for your mom by tonight."

She pressed her lips together in a tight-lipped smile at him as guests started to flock from the chapel. "Thanks, Devon."

Their conversation was interrupted by well wishes as everyone shuffled from the chapel. The final guests shook their hands before wandering to the ballroom for the reception.

After Dewey bustled her dress, the bridal party entered the ballroom.

"Hey, we don't have to– "

"And now for their first dance as a married couple, the bride and groom," the DJ announced.

"Oh, no," Paige said with a wrinkled nose. "Couldn't we have skipped this bit?"

Devon whisked her onto the floor and pulled her close. "Don't think so, Paige. This has to look legit, remember?"

"It could have looked legit without the dancing. I'm a terrible dancer."

"You must have had bad partners," he said with a grin before he stole a kiss from her.

"You really need to stop doing that."

"Gotta–"

"Make it look legit, yeah I know," she said, bobbing her head.

He raised his eyebrows at her.

"You're doing a really good job of making it look like you love me," she said.

"Cutting in," Dewey announced as he sailed over to them. "You're with Drucinda."

Paige grabbed his paws as she swayed to the music.

"Well, Paige, you did it. I can't wait to get back to my manuscript and write the wedding scene now that I've witnessed one in person."

She heaved a sigh. "You know, I feel so good that we pulled this off, I don't even care what you write."

"Oh, good. Because I've got a steamy post-wedding scene in mind that'll curl your toes."

"Dewey!" she said with wide eyes.

"What? You said you didn't care!"

"Well, I do about that. Never mind, let's just…go sit down and eat."

Dewey grinned at her. "Yes, let's do that. I'm excited to eat."

"You're always excited to eat. "

They made their way to the table for the bridal party and settled in for their meal.

After a few heartfelt toasts by Drucinda and Dewey, they finally started on the first course and quickly worked their way through the meal.

When they'd finished, Dominic approached the table and shook hands with Devon before he shifted his gaze to Paige. "A dance with the bride?"

Paige choked on her champagne as she shot Devon a wide-eyed glance before she rose, plastering a fake smile onto her face. "Sure."

She rose, wiping her sweaty palms against the fabric of her dress as she skirted the table and offered him a nervous chuckle. He led her to the dance floor where they swayed to the music.

"I know you don't care for me much," Dominic said to her.

Heat rose in her cheeks as another chuckle escaped. "I feel like the same could be said for you about me."

He flicked his eyebrows up as he twisted them in a new direction. "I will admit you came along and changed quite a bit of my plan."

"You wanted Devon to marry Ivy."

Dominic puckered his lips. "It would have been an interesting alliance. Though perhaps not the best move we've ever made."

"Sorry to have ruined that," she said with a shrug. She wanted to tell him it hadn't been her idea. He could have simply given her the soul compass, and she'd have left him to his original plan.

"As I said, it may not have been the best move."

She snapped her gaze to him, her eyebrows furrowing.

"Yes, you heard correctly. You see, I played the hand I was dealt in the best way possible. And now I expect you to do the same."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, if I had truly wanted the alliance with the Delacroix's you wouldn't be here."

Paige knitted her brows as he spoke.

"I think Devon's marriage to you is far more beneficial. At least, I hope so."

"Mr. Durand–"

"The Amor Fortis was very telling, Paige. I'll admit, my final decision was not made until after it, though I was leaning toward you all along."

"Really?" she asked, her voice hinting at her surprise.

"You rescued Devon once before. That was very impressive to me. So, I may have manipulated things to ensure you'd be his wife. And after the Amor Fortis, it became obvious how you feel. That is the kind of woman I need at my son's side. Not someone who will sell him out to the highest bidder."

Paige tried to keep her expression neutral as he spoke. What had he seen in the Amor Fortis to convince him that she was the better match?

"You must realize, Paige, that this situation helps you, too. The Durand's wield an incredible amount of power. And you are one of us now."

"I didn't do this so I could have power–"

"Oh, I know that. Which is why I am quite pleased with the way this turned out."

Paige offered him a slight smile for the first time during the conversation. "I'm not displeased with the outcome either."

"Well, then let us promise to work together toward our mutual goals. Which reminds me…" He let go of her and dug in his pocket. "I believe you were hoping for this as a wedding gift."

Her eyes went wide as she stared down at the old-fashioned compass. "Is that the soul compass?"

"It is. Good luck using it to find whomever you are searching for."

"Thank you," she said as she stared down at it reverently. "I appreciate this so much."

"It comes with a price of loyalty to your family. We are family now. Remember that." He offered her a cryptic smile as he strode away.

She lifted her skirts and hurried back to the table.

"I see you survived," Dewey said. "Did he offer you a sports car? No, maybe one of the chateaus in France?"

"Better," Paige said as she plopped into the seat between Devon and Dewey. "The soul compass."

Devon's eyes widened as he stared down at the object in her hand. "You got it?"

"I got it," she said with a grin.

"Well, let's get Drucinda and go."

"Oh, but…I hate to leave the reception. Your father–"

"Will live," Devon said as he rose. "Plus, I think Drucinda is ready to go."

Paige searched the crowd, spotting the Valkyrie near the bar. Henry offered her a coy glance as she collected her martini and proceeded to toss it in his face before she stormed away.

"Oh," Paige said with a wince as she rose, "yeah, let's go before she kills him."

Dewey settled on her shoulder as Devon took her hand and led her toward Drucinda. "Dru, we got the compass. Let's split."

"We did?" Her eyes widened as a grin turned up the corners of her lips. "Let me change and meet you in your bedroom."

"Let's meet in Paige's," he answered. "Although…with Ivy's behavior earlier, you shouldn't be alone, Paige."

"Do you think she'll come after me?" Paige asked with a frown.

Devon lifted his shoulders to his ears. "I don't know, but I'm not taking a chance. Come to my room first, I'll change, then we'll go to yours."

"Okay," she said with a nod.

"Devon," Dewey asked as they strode toward the door, "any chance we can take one of the sports cars for this trip?"

"Yeah, dude, of course. We'll get a sweet ride for the trip."

Dewey shot a finger gun at him as they reached the door. Dominic slid between them and the exit. "Leaving?"

"Yeah, Dad, we're going to head out. But we'll see you soon."

Dominic pulled his son into an embrace, slapping his back. "I expect to hear from you soon about the next steps."

"Definitely."

"Next steps?" Paige asked as they stepped into the hall.

Devon shook his head. "Don't ask."

"He means you becoming a vampire, duh," Dewey said with a shake of his head. "Sometimes, Paige, sometimes."

Her stomach clenched at the words as her conversation with Dominic flitted back through her mind. She shook her head, trying to dismiss it. She'd worry about that later. Right now, she needed to focus on finding her mother.

After a quick stop in Devon's room, they moved on to hers. She replaced her dress with more comfortable clothing before she joined the others in the bedroom.

"Okay," she said as Dewey held a glowing bottle of silvery liquid. "How does this work? "

"The soul compass will latch on to the emotions you have about your mother," Drucinda answered.

"And the Star Serum will supercharge it, making this far less vague," Dewey added.

Drucinda bobbed her head. "Right. It will point in the direction we need to go, but the Star Serum will also give distances and other information. Otherwise, we could be walking for days or weeks trying to find the spot."

Paige wrinkled her nose. "Right, okay, so let's get this started."

Her hands trembled, and her stomach twisted into knots as Dewey poured a few drops of the Star Serum into a well surrounding the compass. The metal object warmed in her hands before it began to glow.

"That's it," Dewey said with a nod. "It's supercharged. Now, concentrate on your mom. On how much you miss her and want to find her."

Paige bobbed her head, blowing out a shaky breath as she tried to focus. Nothing happened with the compass. Its glow continued to light her face, but the needle never moved and no other information appeared.

"Concentrate, Paige," Dewey said.

"I am concentrating. This isn't working." She tapped the glass covering the needle. "It's broken or something."

"Try again," Drucinda said. "Really feel all the things."

"What does that even mean?"

"It means to really dig deep into how you feel about finding your mom," Dewey said. "Like all those times you cried and stuff. All that stuff you felt when we were at that chateau. That kind of thing. Really let it well up inside of you."

Paige crinkled her brow as she nodded again. "Right. Welling up. Got it."

With another sharp inhale, she focused on her mother, on how she'd lost a lifetime with her, on how she'd felt when she realized she may still be alive. The hope, the fear, the upset, the excitement. She allowed all the emotions to course through her.

"There we go," Drucinda said. "It's moving."

Symbols appeared around the face as the needle bobbed around before finally settling in a direction.

Paige scrunched her eyebrows. "How do we read this? Someone knows what this says, right?"

"No," Drucinda answered. "I can't read it."

Dewey's horns wiggled as he wrinkled his nose. "That's Celestial. I don't speak or read it."

"No one that I know does," Drucinda said with a shake of her head. "Not even my grandmother. It takes a special bloodline for that."

Paige's jaw dropped. "So, if no one can read it…we're stuck. We can't find her. We went through all of this, and we can't find her!"