Sweet Reckoning

Her voice was the most tender sound in the universe. I felt a brief flashback to my days in the womb when I heard her singing. It was her human voice, but her angelic soul had been shadowed within it.

Words couldn’t express what it meant to have her there at that moment. I could see why Dad’s soul had been drawn to hers. She was like a sweet wind of comfort that beckoned and pulled, sweeping me closer.

“I keep watch over you when I can, Anna, though I’ve only been given permission to visit this special night. We have been celebrating your marriage.”

“You have?”

I must have looked stunned because she giggled. At least I think it was a giggle—it sounded like light, jingling chimes ringing, and it made me smile.

“Oh, yes. We rejoice when love endures. I believe you already know the truth of life, my dearest Anna. That love is the strongest force. The binding substance. The element worth existing for. That is what makes you pure of heart.”

I didn’t know what to say. I felt buoyant and light, lifted by peace. Because she was right. I did know the truth.

“Never doubt it,” she said, and her voice sounded like song in my ears.

A bright star flashed far out in the sky, making my heart jump. Mariantha noticed it, too.

“I cannot stay.” She circled me, again like she was dancing, and I turned to follow, together, spinning. Then she looked up toward the trees. “Your young man searches for you. He is frightened.”

Oh, no!

“Kai!” I called to the air. “It’s all right. I’m at the canyon.”

I pushed my hearing into the trees and heard him running down the path. I met him at the edge as he emerged barefoot, wearing only a pair of shorts. He looked around wildly, eyes landing on my mother.

“It’s okay,” I whispered. I went into his arms. He was short of breath as he stared at her. I took his hand and led him to the lookout point.

“Kaidan . . . this is my mother, Mariantha.”

His eyes got huge. He bowed his head and said, “It’s an honor to meet you.”

I couldn’t hear her, but she must have been talking to him, because he looked up at her shyly and thanked her. Then she spoke to us both.

“I must go. Guard your love, for it will lead you through the darkness.” She turned to me. “You are ever in my heart, Anna. I love you always.”

“And I love you,” I whispered to her as she drifted farther out above the canyon.

My fingers clutched the railing as she rose high with a magnificent flap of wings that took her out of view.

Kaidan and I grabbed hands and hurried back to the cabin so we weren’t in plain sight. When we got there, he grasped my face in both his hands and backed me into the wall.

“You scared me to death,” he said. “Don’t ever leave me like that again.”

“I’m so sorry. You were sound asleep, and I saw her. . . . I know it was dumb, but she was like . . .”

“A beacon to you?”

“Yes.” I reached up and held his wrists, feeling horrible that I’d scared him.

“Were they really celebrating us?” he asked. “Up there?”

I smiled. “They really were.”

His eyes glassed over, as if he couldn’t fathom anyone in heaven talking about something he’d done, much less celebrating him. His astonishment made me kiss him, wanting to capture his sensations and mingle them with mine. Kaidan responded, not holding back a single part of himself.

“Let’s not sleep tonight,” I said between kisses. We had to leave in a few hours. I didn’t want to waste a minute.

“I’m going to let you make all the rules in this marriage, Anna.”

“Good boy.”

He laughed, a delicious sound that turned his gorgeous face into that of the happy man I wanted to see. We spent the rest of our wedding night loving each other and trying to forget about the things we’d soon be facing. For those last few hours we wrapped ourselves in one another and forgot about the world.

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

ALL-AMERICAN BOY

Leaving Kaidan in the past had never been easy. Leaving him this time felt like I was ripping out some vital part of myself. We lingered at the airport too long, risking too much, waiting until the final calls for our flights and barely making them.

As I flew to Virginia, I couldn’t help but smile to myself. In this one way we’d outsmarted the Dukes, taking something special for ourselves. And it had been the best night of my life.

My only regret was that Patti hadn’t been there when we exchanged vows. I wanted so badly to see her—to tell her everything and be filled with her loving energy.

I’d received a text from Jay early that morning that simply said: All good. I hoped they were keeping each other safe and sane. Maybe even having a few laughs.

I bit my thumbnail and stared out at the wisps of clouds as we flew through them. Could I chance a visit to Patti and Jay? My heart accelerated in happiness as I imagined it, but I wasn’t sure I was willing to take the chance. I would never forgive myself if I drew attention to them and they were hurt.

My head spun with details and I knew I needed rest. Kaidan and I had not gone back to sleep.

Ah, my Kai . . .

I closed my eyes and allowed only happy thoughts until sleep found me.

The dorms of Virginia Tech opened that day. I adored the castlelike gray stone buildings and mountainous landscape. Campus was a wild rumpus of minivans and families with armfuls of stuff. I felt like an outsider. An impostor. No family. No belongings. Just a book bag with a laptop and a few changes of clothes. I had spent most of my life feeling like I didn’t belong, so I should have been used to it, but that desire to fit in and be like everyone else never went away. Especially on a day like today.