Page 127 of Suffer No Fools
"Of course." Vadim glanced over his shoulder. "Where are your guard-consorts?"
"Hiding from you back home."
Vadim laughed. "Fair. I did drain them of consciousness when they tried to leave you." He met Hugo's gaze and seemed to look right through him. "Are you mad at me?"
Hugo hadn't expected the question. "Why would I be?"
"Both Stan and Tovey railed at me when I pushed the three of you together, and you thought I was badmouthing your parents by suggesting you could have more than one lover." Vadim glanced at Jasmine, who was hanging on every word, and he frowned. "If you want to yell at me, now's the time. I'm sorry—"
"If you're apologizing for helping me make the best decision of my life, you need to stop." Hugo couldn't keep the smile from spreading across his face. "I love them. They make me happy. I don't know why so many people have a problem with it." He frowned at Vadim. "I didn't think you were one of them."
"No." Vadim grinned. "I'm happy for all of you."
Hugo hugged him again. "Good. Will you walk me down the aisle?"
"The what?"
"My meddling servants keep asking me who will be walking down the aisle. They insist one of us has to do it. 'You can't all be standing at the front of the room when your guests arrive,' they say." Hugo shrugged.
"You're getting married?" Jasmine asked. "Can I come?"
"Everyone on Aquarion can come," Hugo said. "I want you all to be there." He stared expectantly at Vadim.
"Yes, I'll walk you wherever you need to go." Vadim crushed him to his chest. He smelled like salt and sea, reminding Hugo he'd just gotten home.
"Thank you." Hugo stepped back toward the tree. "Elder Beatrice and I will resume our Monday morning meetings. I'll keep you all updated with the wedding plans." He grinned. "There seems to be a stark time difference between there and here, so I should be on time, for once."
Vadim nodded. "How did you know?"
"About the tree?" Hugo tapped him lightly on the chest with his forefinger. "I once had a crush on a man from Aquarion, so I read every book I could find about it. Turns out this was Empress Moira's vacation home. She mentioned a sentinel gateway, but I didn't know what she meant."
"How many are there?"
"Many. Some in places I've never seen. Some so far away, it's dark there when it's light in Hearthstone." Hugo hadn't explored much of the new world that opened to him through the gateways. He didn't know if he ever would, beyond guarding the few in Embertide to keep anything awful from coming through them. He hoped that was enough to keep Embertide safe.
He returned to Hearthstone with renewed vigor. He had a wedding to plan.
#
Tovey
One month later
"You're sure it's safe?" Tovey asked. "He won't try to drain us again?"
"For fuck's sake, he only drained you because you were being ridiculous." Hugo sighed. "Vadim's the closest thing to family I have left, and I would very much like to meet yours. The fastest way to do that is to takeStarlight Specterto Luminest."
"I thought you said there was a tree in Glamiere." Tovey knew he was sulking, but he couldn't help it. Since Vadim's return toStarlight Specter'screw, Tovey had thought he'd gotten over his fear, but it all came rushing back when Vadim had drained him and left him unconscious for a full day.
Hugo held up his hand, and Vadim was suddenly there, standing before them, hands on his hips, eyes wide. "What the fuck?"
"Sorry. Please tell my adorable future husband you won't try to kill him again."
Tovey's face burned as he met Vadim's gaze. "'Allo."
Instead of his usual glare, Vadim smirked. "You finally got your head out of your ass. I didn't want to kill you. You needed sleep. It didn't take much power to convince you."
"I told you he wasn't trying to kill us." Stan slung his arm over Tovey's shoulder, startling him. They'd been waiting for Stan to return from the vault with the gifts Hugo wanted to deliver to Sovereign Oton when they arrived in Luminest.
