Page 75 of The Wrong Fiancée

"No, baby, you were taking care of her, loving her because she's your sister."

My Elika had such a big heart, I thought. She was always giving. How had I ever thought that intellectual prowess beat humanity, beat love? I'd been such a fool.

It was going to get dark soon, and as much as I hated it, I wanted us back in Dad's Range Rover before the sunset.

I stood up and held a hand out to her. "Ready to head home?"

She gave me one of her bright, luscious smiles—the one that had made me fall in love with her four years ago. She put her hand in mine and let me pull her up.

"I haven't had a home…for a very long time." There were tears sparkling in her eyes. "But you and Tate…you're giving me one, a sense of family…not a brick structure. You understand?" I nodded, feeling emotional. "You both have accepted me with arms wide open. I'd be foolish not to at least see where this could take us, what you and I could be."

The gods were smiling at me.Thank you, Pele!

I kissed her long and hard, pouring all my love into it, letting her see into my heart and soul. "I love you," I whispered.

"I know." She laughed as if overflowing with joy. "Let's get out of here before it's dark and the Night Marchers come looking for us. I'd rather not end up face down in the dirt being dragged off to the underworld."

"What the hell is a Night Marcher?" I queried as we packed up.

"Night Marchers areHuaka'i Po. They're the spirits of ancient Hawaiian warriors who are said tomarchthrough sacred areas in forests and mountains."

"What happens if we meet a Night Marcher?" I asked once we were back on the hiking trail.

Elika dropped her voice to a hoarse, ghostly whisper. "EncounteringHuaka'i Pois extremely dangerous. Anyone who sees or hears theHuaka'i Powill face death unless they lie face down in submission or are related to one of the spirits."

"Related?"

"Don't worry. I'm probably related to any spirit we come across," she said nonchalantly.

"But what about me?" I asked in feigned horror.

"You're related to me, so you'll be fine," she said easily, and my heart expanded and doubled in size. "Now, you may think Night Marchers are dangerous, but the'aumakuais worse."

"Do I even want to know what that is?"

"Theyare ancestral guardian spirits that take the form of owls, sharks…other creatures. They are generally protective of their descendants, but they can become dangerous if they are disrespected or if their sacred places are disturbed." She dropped her voice to a low, exaggerated whisper. "Some say that encountering an?aumakuain the forest can bring dire consequences if you fail to respect it."

"No shit, but I'm safe because you're probably a descendant, and I'm related toyou."

"Exactly," she said cheerfully.

I enjoyed Elika's storytelling, and we held hands all the way back to the Range Rover andhome.

Chapter Twenty-Six

ELIKA

My week-long vacation was almost over. I turned down Dean's offer to stay at the beach house which he'd rented for a few months.

"Why are you renting it for months? How long are you staying here?" I asked as I combed my hair.

Dean lay on the bed of the room I was staying in as he watched me get ready for dinner.

"You're here, so I'm here." He looked around the room. "You like this house."

"What's not to like? It's a palace."

He laughed. "Maybe we should buy it."

---