Page 88 of Partnering with the Artist

“I’m not.”

“But—”

He pecks my lips. “I’m not.I can’t be. These are my educated and professional opinions. My facts. If they differ from yours, that doesn’t make them any less true for me.”

“You’re sure?”

“I am. Completely.”

Taking a deep breath, I search his eyes. “I’m sorry I’m so nervous.”

“Nerves mean this is important to you. You’ll not catch me faulting you for that. In some ways, I wish I could be more nervous for you.”

It’s hard going from a man who claimed I did everything wrong to one who finds hardly a fault in me. The whiplash is nearly unbearable, yet it’s easy to know which of the two deserves my time. “I want to marry you,” I say. “I want to love you. I want todecideto love you. I want my actions to reflect that decision. Will…you help me?”

Warmth seeps into his cold gray eyes as he says, “Gladly.”

Chapter 32

?

I very big like my brothers-to-be. Especially the crazy one.

Maelin

By some miracle, I didnottrip on the red carpet. My eyes are bleeding, though. After a long drive in a mood-lit limo (complete with a flat screen TV and a snack and drink bar), walking through a ruckus of flashing cameras into a glittering ballroom equates to having peered directly at the sun.

Because I didn’t want any surprises, I did check Harry’s Leopard to learn that, yes, he and MoonWoof are still together and he was invited, but I suppose it doesn’t matter now. After all, I can’t be worried I’ll see him if I’m unlikely to ever see again after this, right?

Agonizing, I squint, finding myself cocooned by all my brothers-to-be while Zakery helps wipe the weeping from my eyes.

“I’m so sorry,” I whisper, blinking as fast as I can. “All the headlines are going to say horrible things about the squinty albino walking into the fancy Creator’s Ball with the Bachelors.”

I think Kaleb turns toward me. It’s his voice that comes from the tall dark blob, at any rate. “Do you need sunglasses? I can head out to the limo and get some. I didn’t park that far away.”

I shake my head. “No. No, thank you. I don’t want to be pretentious and uppity, wearing sunglasses inside like I think I’m cool.”

Cool people probably don’t cry like this.

My eyes begin to adjust at long last, and I find myself truly circled by four men, each tall, each dark-haired, each depictingvarying levels of concern. Kyran, as far as I can tell, looks bored and broody, but he keeps glancing at me anyway, so I know he cares about his soon-to-be sister.

Even though, I should mention, the three of them only learned I’d become their sister about four minutes before Kaleb stopped the limo in front of the red carpet.

Zakery mentioned it, casually, after the venue came into view. It was a real,Oh, yeah, right. Maelin and I might be getting married later. I’ve got an officiator on speed dial, and we got our marriage license on Wednesday.

Very largeno big dealenergy. Surplusmight not happenvibes. Explicit:if it does, though, can someone take lots of pictures? It’s physically ailing me to not be drawing her in her dress right now.

Kaleb said,Congratulations.Viktor said,It’s not a race to see who can get married first.Kyran said,You could have brought your LeoPad if you wanted to draw, idiot.

For the following three minutes, Zakery argued that drawing in a vehicle was not acceptable conditions for obtaining the likeness of an angel, and I blushed my head off.

Now, I’m here.

Protected.

Beholding the expansive room, the crowds, and the chaos for the first time.

Dozens of small groups gather throughout the splendor. More people mingle upon a balcony that runs the full perimeter of the pearl tile before me, accessible only from stairs at the crest of the room. A handful of men and women with cameras speckle the space on both floors, capturing shots, requesting interviews…

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