Page 75 of Lahaina Noon

Murmurs went around the room reminding her of when he’d spoken to the group in Dallas. That seemed so long ago, although it was only a few weeks. Bridget just hoped there were no surprise guests thistime. Vaughn refused to speak about his father’s betrayal. No one had seen or heard from Ivan since.

Vaughn continued, “It was my dear brother Jack here who gave me the insight I needed.” He nodded at Jack, who waved jauntily around the table.

What? When did that happen?Bridget thought. Obviously, Vaughn hadn’t told her everything he and Jack had talked about.

“We need to get as close as possible to him, obviously, and we will need to keep him in solid form without him being able to escape into shadows. That’s the hardest part. We need a diversion. Davis, Shepard, and Jack have been working on that plan. They assure me it’s a good one, but will be hard to pull off. They will need a green wielder to go with them.”

No one was surprised when Siobhan volunteered. Vaughn shook his head, “Shi, I appreciate it, but you will be needed at base; we have another task for you.”

She frowned; she clearly wanted to be on the front lines but deferred to Vaughn’s leadership.

Another hand rose. It was a wielder from Greece who was quite powerful. He and Shepard had been hanging out and quickly became friends. Many nods indicated this was a good choice.

“Thank you, Dio,” Vaughn said, then turned and faced her. “My darling Bridget, you know I promised to keep you safe always. I promised I would never hurt you.”

She nodded, nervous about where this was going.

“You know you are the key to the success of our efforts. Only with your powers can we stop the Shadow Claw.”

She shrugged and nodded again.

“This has to be your choice, my dear. I cannot protect you from harm during this mission. It will be my number one priority, but I cannot guarantee it. Some of us may not make it out, but we are all going into this with years of knowledge of what the Shadows can do. Prophecy or not, this is your decision.”

Hilde started to protest, but Circe slapped a hand over her mouth and sighed happily. “I love a happy ending,” she whispered. Hilde looked at her like she was insane. Bridget figured she might be, just a little bit.

Everyone was waiting for her answer. She stood tall, “Of course, I’m in. These shadows have caused my family too much pain. I can’t let them do it to anyone else when I have the ability to stop it.” The group cheered, toasting each other.

After a round of drinks were passed out, Vaughn nodded at Jack who smiled and came around behind him. Vaughn tapped a spoon on a glass to quiet the room. He stood, looking extremely uncomfortable.

Bridget looked at Jorrie, who looked back at her and shrugged; she didn’t know what was going on either.

Jack waved at Gabe, who bolted from his chair and ran to stand next to them. He was bouncing on his toes and grinning.

Bridget tried to link Vaughn to ask him what was going on, but Drake was humming and not responding. Something was up.

“As we are here, surrounded by our closest friends and family, I have one more thing to do before we launch this mission. I have been warned and threatened that I am, under no circumstances, to leave this child.” Here he wrapped Gabe in a playful headlock, then let him go. “What was it? Ah, yes, a poor motherless child. So, to that end, I need to get some insurance. It’s something that I never thought I would be able to do, so I’m not the best at this. In fact, I’m probably doing a terrible job. But you know when something is right, you must move on it. You must move quickly before life throws changes your way. I had this wonderful speech all prepared, but I can’t remember a word of it.” Vaughn paused and blushed.

Everyone was looking at him in shock. He was babbling. Vaughn Drake did not babble. And he did not blush.

Jack leaned forward and stage whispered, “Just get on with it.”

Vaughn pulled Bridget to her feet. As she stood, he dropped to one knee. A loud cry went around the table as they realized what was happening. He held out a hand to Jack, who passed him a velvet box.

Bridget’s eyes were fixed on Vaughn’s face.

“Bridget, I know we haven’t been together long, but we are bonded mates, and that is a bond that transcends a lifetime. I’m usually more eloquent, but all I can think to say is I love you beyond reason and everything else in this world. You are my world and my reason for living. Please, do me the honor of becoming my wife.”

A tear rolled down her face as he slipped a large black diamond on her finger. The band was gold, with two sweeping pieces cradling the diamond, reminding her of his beautiful wings. It was stunning. She looked at him and nodded. “Yes, of course, Vaughn Drake, I will marry you.”

He stood and wrapped her in his arms, delivering a passionate kiss that made most of the ladies and some of the men fan themselves.Cheers resounded around the room, and everyone clamored to congratulate the couple.

Gabe tugged on Vaughn’s arm and whispered in his ear. Vaughn held his hand up for silence. He motioned Jorrie over. She stepped warily to the growing group. “Earlier, I mentioned this was also an insurance policy. Now, Jack and Gabe have already given their blessing. Obviously, I love Bridget and want to marry her as soon as possible, but I have been advised that if we were to get married without giving Jorrie the opportunity to participate, she will—”

He turned to Gabe, who announced, “Rip your balls off and feed them to you.” The room was suddenly full of choking sounds as people tried to cover their laughter.

Jorrie covered her face with one hand and shook it.

Vaughn continued, “So to ensure that Jorrie doesnotget her hands on my balls,” more laughter, “We will hold the wedding after we defeat the Shadow King to make absolutely sure Jorrie gets her chance.”

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