Page 56 of A Spark in the Ash

I’m happy. And it’s been forever since I was happy.

I focus on the sound of Jaxon’s heart beating. It’s slow, steady. He’s relaxed. And I vow to myself that I’ll do whatever it takes to make him happy.

As the song crescendos toward the end, I look up and Jaxon dips his head, pressing his lips to mine. I smile against his lips and hold onto this last moment before we have to put on a front again.

“If I may interrupt.”

I pull away from Jaxon and find Vivian standing right next to us. She’s carefully composed her face into a smile. She almost pulls off the expression of hope.

Jaxon just offers a thin-lipped smile and takes her hand. The music swells, and he dances with his mother.

A little pang of jealousy hits me as I watch them. I know Vivian is possessed, that she is no one’s picture of a perfect mother. But I miss family. I miss my own parents. They’ve been gone for a long, long time, and I never got to say goodbye to them. We left with them thinking I was a terrifying demon monster.

“May I stand in?” Aaron asks as he walks to my side.

I look over at him and try not to let emotions play the backs of my eyes. I nod, and he takes my hand.

As he takes my hand in one, and rests his other against my back, I marvel at how quickly people can change. Aaron was exorcised hours ago, and hours before that, he was a drug addict who loved nothing more than to fill his nights with lewd activities. Now, he’s feeling sympathetic toward me and standing in because I don’t have a father here to dance with me at my wedding party.

He looks terrible. It’s obvious he’s going through withdrawals. But he’s fighting for his life back.

When the song ends, others join on the dance floor. The beat of the music picks up. I push all the weight of the situation out of my mind, and I let myself sink into the music.

My eyes catch Jaxon’s, and I smile as we work our way towards each other.

It’s a good hour. Jaxon and I seem to find our most normal, happiest moments in the span of an hour when there is dancing involved.

His hands are on my hips, my neck, my lower back. My hands are in his hair, on his chest, sliding into his back pockets. I’m pretty sure we’re making half of this room blush, and they live in Vegas, but we’re having a good time. We dance. We grab a quick drink when we start running out of steam, and we dance some more.

For just a moment, I do appreciate Vivian throwing us this party. Jaxon and I are having a great time.

But as the hour rolls toward ten o’clock, Jaxon wanders back over to me after he talks to some late arrivals. He has my cell phone pressed to his ear. I’d given it to him earlier tonight. My little dress doesn’t provide any hiding places.

“It’s Ascelin and Davorian,” Jaxon says as he hands the phone over. From the dark look in his eyes, I know they’ve already delivered some kind of bad news to him.

“What is it?” I ask, cutting right to it.

“The Kindred have crossed over into Nevada,” Davorian says without hesitating. “They’re just barely over the border from California, but they’re definitely tracking in your direction.”

“It’s time to head back to the compound,” Ascelin says.

I let out a hard breath as my eyes rise back up to meet Jaxon’s. He gives a little nod that he knows we need to leave. My eyes cast around the ballroom. The room is still full, but the clock above one of the doors reads 9:55. Vivian said this party would only go until ten.

“Okay,” I say simply. “We’ll wrap things up quick and head back. Do Sybil and Azrael know?”

“We’ve already told them,” Ascelin says. “They’re standing guard just outside. Are you two really at a wedding party?”

I want to smirk. I’d really like to rile him up about this and play it out. But there isn’t time for that. “Yeah. It’s always complicated when it comes to the Gray family. We’ll be back within two hours.”

“Make it quick,” Davorian says. What he doesn’t have to say is how there’s a lot riding on this. We can’t lose our gatekeeper.

“Got it,” I say, and I end the call.

“Time to roll out?” Jaxon asks. He takes my phone when I hand it over and slides it into his pocket.

“Yeah,” I admit. “I’m guessing we can’t sneak out without causing ourselves some trouble?”

Jaxon shakes his head and reaches for my hand.

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