Page 29 of Depths of Desire (The Emerald Dagger Mafia #3)

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

I stare at myself in the antique mirror.

The dress is gorgeous. Everything I’d ever want in a wedding dress if this were real.

Layers of ivory silk and delicate lace hug my body in all the right places.

The intricate beading on the bodice catches the faint candlelight like dew on spiderwebs.

The skirt flows out in soft waves, airy and light.

A satin ribbon wraps just beneath my chest, tied in a subtle knot at my back.

It’s elegant. Romantic. It doesn’t belong to a bride being forced to marry a vampire.

The church is ancient, nestled high above Nice like a forgotten relic of another century.

Stone walls, with thick wooden beams that cross the ceiling.

It’s like they’re both holding up the weight of time.

Everything is lit by candlelight—hundreds of tiny flames flickering in sconces and candelabras, casting shadows along the walls.

The scent of roses and incense clings to the air, old and sacred.

But it’s not real.

I’m marrying Nico so they don’t kill me, and he’s marrying me to keep the family from looking bad. Somehow, I’ve ended up exactly where I never wanted to be. The candlelight gives me a halo, and it makes me laugh. I don’t want a halo. Not with the murderous thoughts I have in my head.

“You look so beautiful,” Pippa says. I give her a half smile. She continues, “Why don’t I go out and see if the boys are ready?” She squeezes my shoulder and leaves the room.

Mia comes over and takes my hands. I try not to wince. Renzo made a small cut on my hand and took some blood for the ceremony. Just another reminder that I am marrying a vampire.

“I want to apologize,” Mia starts. “You were right. I should’ve put you first. Instead, I immediately thought of la famiglia .

The repercussions...” She gives me a rueful smile.

“I’m really sorry. It’s habit now. Honestly, Renzo and I spend so much time worrying about the business and all that entails, it’s always foremost in my mind.

But I owe you a huge apology. You should’ve been first.”

I give a nonchalant shrug. What am I supposed to say? It’s true. I should’ve been first in her mind. We’ve been best friends since we were little.

Mia continues, “I know this isn’t exactly what you wanted, and I wish—God, I so wish—you’d come to me earlier.

Maybe we could’ve gotten you out of town before this all came to a head.

I’m not sure. And obviously, we can’t go back.

That’s one of the things I’ve learned...

even with vampires and the magickal realm, you can’t play with time. ”

She squeezes my fingers.

“But Luna... I know— I know deep down, you and Nico were meant to be together. This was not the way you wanted it to happen, but maybe this is the only way it would happen.”

I stare at her. “Really?” I ask. My heart thuds against my rib cage.

I’ve been feeling the same thing. My connection to Nico grows stronger and stronger, and no matter how much I logically want to fight against it—because I don’t want to be part of la famiglia —my heart.

.. my soul says that Nico is my partner in life.

It’s all so confusing. I let out a long breath. “On the one hand, I feel this deep connection to him... but you know I don’t want to be part of this life. I don’t want to have anything to do with it.”

Mia squeezes my hands. “I know. We’ll figure this out. I promise. I won’t let you down this time.”

I swallow a soft sob. “You didn’t let me down, Mia. And I’m sorry, because I shouldn’t have put you in that position. I know we’ve been best friends since we were kids, but realistically... you’re married. I shouldn’t have asked you to choose between me and your husband. That’s not fair to you.”

She shakes her head. “It was fair. If anything, I let you down. But I won’t do it again. We’ll get through this. I promise. We’ll figure it out.”

I stare at her for another moment. “I hope so. I just want a life, you know? A life that doesn’t involve la famiglia .

A life away from my parents and all the stress and anguish they’ve caused.

I just want to be... me. Somewhere new.” A life where Nico always calls me vita mia.

Because as much as I don’t want to admit it, I truly do want to be his life… his one and only.

Mia nods. “I understand that. There are days when I want to ask Renzo to run away with me. Just give it all up and go. But it’s not who he is. He’s worked very hard to get where he is. I get that. And I enjoy some of the work... but you’re right. It’s a lot. We’ll figure something out. I promise.”

The door opens, and Pippa steps back in. “They are ready.”

“That makes one of us,” I say dryly.

“This will work out,” Mia insists.

She drops one of my hands, and Pippa takes it. She squeezes it gently. Then both she and Mia step closer and pull me into a warm group hug. “We’ll get through this. All of us,” Mia says. “I promise.”

I say nothing, but in my heart, I pray my friends are right. I hope this isn’t going to be as bad as I think it is. I desperately want things to get better—quickly.

“All right,” I say finally. “Let’s do this.”

The girls stand on either side of me, and together we walk out of the little room and into the foyer of the church. We move toward the chapel doors and line up, facing the aisle. The boys are already there, waiting.

And then I see him—the priest. He has a faint glow around him. I stop. My breath catches.

“What is it?” Mia asks.

“The priest,” I whisper. “He’s supposed to be a vampire, right?”

“Yes,” she says cautiously.

“He’s not.” I stare harder. “He has a glow around him. He’s not a vampire.”

“Shit,” Mia hisses. “Okay, go back into the room. I’ll go up and tell them somehow?—”

“No. Come with me,” I say. “We’ll go back into the room, and I’ll call them. I don’t want you to say it in front of everyone. I don’t know what he is.”

We turn and walk quickly back to the little room. Mia pulls out her phone. It rings once, and she immediately answers. “It’s Nico,” she says, handing it to me.

I bring it to my ear. “The priest isn’t a vampire,” I say without preamble. “He has a glow.”

“Are you sure?” Nico’s voice is sharp, but calm.

“Absolutely.”

“Okay. I’ll take care of this. You guys stay back there.” And he’s gone.

Warmth spreads through me. He believed me. He didn’t question it—he trusted my instinct without hesitation.

A few loud crashes and bangs follow, echoing through the old stone walls of the church. I don’t even want to think about what’s going on out there, and none of us makes a move to look. Whatever it is, we don’t need to see it.

A few minutes later, Luca steps into the room. His expression is tight. “There’s going to be a slight delay,” he says. We all stare at him. There’s a small spot of blood on his collar.

Pippa lets out a small, shaky sigh and squeezes his hand. “You’re alright?”

He nods and drops a kiss on her forehead. “Fine. It’s handled.”

“Do you know who sent him? The fake priest?” I ask. “I know Nico said Renzo had found the guy. Obviously, it wasn’t the same guy Renzo called.”

Luca exhales through his nose. “Our father sent him.”

The air leaves my lungs like I’ve been punched. “Do you think?—”

“No,” Luca cuts me off, shaking his head firmly.

“My father wouldn’t knowingly send a fake priest. He sees the logic—and the value—in you and Nico being married.

I think he got the name from someone... and this imposter showed up.

We’re trying to track my father down to ask some questions.

Because whoever gave him the name must have set him up.

How else would a fake priest make it here? ”

I finally manage a breath, the tightness in my chest easing slightly. At least Nico’s father isn’t behind it. That’s... something.

“That doesn’t bode well,” Mia says, sinking onto a nearby chair. “That means word is out—that you and Nico are getting married. And some of the vampire kings are against it.”

Luca hesitates but then gives a curt nod.

I must have made a sound, because Pippa gently ushers me to a nearby sofa. She gestures for me to sit.

“My gown will wrinkle,” I protest weakly.

“I think that’s the least of our worries,” she replies with a weak smile.

She’s right. I sink onto the cushions. Pippa looks over at her husband. “What’s the plan?”

“We’re making some calls,” Luca says. “Trying to locate another priest. But it has to be a vampire. We have to do this in blood—it’s the only way it will succeed.”

I try not to panic. “You guys didn’t marry by a vampire priest or do anything with blood, did you?”

Mia frowns. “Well, no, we didn’t, but no one had a claim to us, and honestly, the vampire world just didn’t care.

Since the wedding, we’ve had a few…issues, though.

I think getting married with the vampire priest and signing the contract in blood is a much smarter way to go.

Renzo and I have talked about doing it as a precaution.

A lot of vampires don’t like humans much. ”

I stare at my friend. “I had no idea that you had any issues.”

“I didn’t know you knew about vampires and the magickal realm. If I had, I would’ve told you. I would actually love to discuss it with you.” Mia nods at Pippa. “We’ve been discussing it as well.”

Pippa offers me a smile of encouragement.

“You’re doing it the right way. Mia is right.

Luca and I are also considering doing an official vampire marriage ceremony.

It’s a way to protect me more, and it forces the vampires to accept me as part of his father’s kingdom.

There’s a certain amount of security in that. ”

“I had no idea,” I say as my heart rate ticks up. “Have you two been threatened?”

Mia and Pippa exchange a look. “Not threatened, per se,” Pippa states. “More like intimidated. Or, at least, there are those who try to intimidate us. Mia, especially, since she helps Renzo run la famiglia.”

“By marrying Nico under the official vampire rules, you are forcing the other vampires to accept you as part of their world. I think Pippa and I will have to do the same. It’s better for them to be forced to accept us, and Pippa is correct, it affords us more protection.

No one wants to take on one of the vampire kings and start a war, which is what would happen if we were officially vampire wives and they… bothered us.”

“No one but Malrick,” I say, my stomach roiling.

Pippa squeezes my hand. “Don’t worry,” she says. “We’re all on this. Malrick will not get you. This wedding will happen.”

I squeeze her hand back but say nothing.

My mind is racing. Why is it that every single time I try to do something, it all goes wrong?

But then another thought hits me, quieter and darker.

Maybe it’s not going wrong. Maybe this is what’s supposed to happen.

Just because I feel so connected to Nico doesn’t mean that’s necessarily true.

Maybe this is a sign. Maybe I’m supposed to run.

I glance up and catch my reflection in the nearby mirror. My eyes are wide, my face pale in the flickering candlelight. This is definitely a sign.

The question is... a sign of what?