Page 39 of The Warlock's Trial

Warm magic tickled my skin, and I laughed happily. “Grammy didn’t tell me about this part!”

Lucas grinned as he drew me closer. “It’s the best part—it means our marriage is complete.”

Words couldn’t do it justice just how passionately in love I was with him. I took his face in my hands and kissed him again.

“Witches and warlocks, I present to you Mister and Mrs. Taylor!” Talia announced.

Their cheers faded into the background as I kissed Lucas over and over again. I could hardly believe we’d made it. After everything we’d been through, I wasn’t sure we’d ever get this far. Lucas and I had defied death, survived the Burning, fought a demon, and won our trial. I wasn’t sure we’d live long enough to make it to the altar.

Furthermore, we defeated the Reaper’s Shadow curse. When Lucas and I first started dating, we’d agreed we wouldn’t marry because of the curse that had been placed on all reapers. If a reaper like Lucas fell in love, his lover—known as the Reaper’s Shadow—was destined to suffer. According to the curse, if the couple had sex, the woman would experience a great illness. If they married, she would suffer a tragedy. Once they had children, the child would be destined to kill their mother.

But that was all over now. Lucas and I had tracked down the graves of the women who had been affected by the Reaper’s Shadow curse, and I’d broken the curse in the cemetery. We didn’t know back then if we’d ever be able to get married, but goddess damn it, we did it.

I was surrounded by my family and friends, and I felt healthier than ever. More than that, Lucas and I were together, and it was everything I ever wanted.

Nothing could ruin this day. It was an absolute dream come true… and no force in hell or otherwise could shatter this beautiful dream. Lucas and I were forever tied. Whatever the future held, we could handle it side by side.

Come what may, this fantasy of ours would last forever.

Chapter Seven

LUCAS

My heart soared in my chest as I kissed Nadine. I felt like I was flying a mile above the ceremony. She was my wife now, and despite everything that nearly tore us apart up until this point, we had made it.

I finally drew away from Nadine, though I didn’t want to. “I can’t believe we’re married.”

I had to say it out loud again, because it didn’t quite feel real. This had to be a dream, because it was already the best night of my life.

“We are, so you better start believing it,” Nadine joked.

Grant cupped his hands around his mouth. “Let’s get this party started!”

Everyone cheered, and we danced happily as we made our way back through the trees to the house. Nadine and I led the way, and the others followed. Witch lights floated above the patio like twinkling Christmas lights, and a feast surrounded by candles had been set out on a long table. In the center of the table, a punch bowl had been enchanted to spray upward like a fountain. Nearby, a self-serve cocktail bar had been set up. Grant had made a poster that said Pick Your Poison with various mixed drink suggestions he’d made up himself.

There was also a table for gifts and another for cake. Nadine and I had opted for a multi-layer cake—one layer pumpkin spice, and the second layer apple cider. The cake was violet, with dark purple roses set into the frosting. Talia placed The Chariot card on top of the cake, which served as our wedding topper. After tonight, we would frame the card to hang in our home someday.

Everyone had worked really hard to make this night perfect. It was everything I imagined—except for one table set near the cake that I didn’t recognize. It held a large poster with all kinds of photos, and various items scattered across the tabletop.

I shot Nadine a glance. “What’s this?”

“I wanted to surprise you,” she said as we approached the table. “It’s everything of ours that I kept.”

We stopped beside the table, and I could finally make it all out. My jaw dropped as I took it all in. There were tons of photos of us and our friends. In one of them, Nadine and I were slow dancing at the Midnight Formal, and in another, we were twirling around the bonfire at the Halloween festival. There were photos of us playing games in her dorm room the night before the kidney transplant, and a picture of us with Grant and Talia after we won The Haunted Tournament at school my sophomore year. I laughed, remembering how we’d signed up for the magical competition out of pure spite and ended up winning the challenge against upperclassmen.

Photographs weren’t the only thing tacked to the board. There was also a ticket from The Hearse dated for Valentine’s Day over a year ago, along with a voided massage gift certificate I’d given Nadine that night. Next to that sat another gift certificate we received after Nadine and I had solved a mock mystery at a haunted mansion last Halloween. I also noticed a flier for corn mazes at Blossom Orchards that Nadine must’ve picked up when we went. I reached out to touch our medical bracelets that she’d saved from the transplant.

“I had no idea you’d kept all this,” I said.

Nadine placed the Wedding Wand on the table with the other items, as if adding it to her collection. “I keep all my memories of you. They’re the best ones.”

I smiled wider. “They are, and tonight is one for the books.”

“Look here!” Talia called.

We turned, and a flash went off in our faces. Talia snapped a few photos, then said, “We need to get everyone in. Come on!”

Talia set the camera on a tripod, and we all gathered around to take a few pictures.

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