My Big Fat Demon Slayer Wedding

Who was she to inspire such loyalty?

He’d been playing griffin politics for so long, trying to put together a team to save his sisters, he’d forgotten what it was like to find someone who was so completely genuine, so refreshingly open, even if she wasn’t completely aware yet of what she could become. 

It was almost a shame to lie to her.

He jerked, then pressed harder against me. These were his memories, not mine. I had no right to them. But I needed to see inside him. I needed to know.

His palms burned and his head felt ready to explode. But she wasn’t there yet. 

“Try it again, Lizzie.” He handed her another switch star, schooling his expression as it singed his fingers. 

Her mouth quirked. “You realize I just decapitated the Shoney’s Big Boy.”

“He was asking for it.” A grin tickling his lips, despite the pain, despite everything. She made him feel, in a way he’d never allowed himself. “Let’s try again.”

She threw, coming closer to the target this time, even though she sighed in frustration. 

He reached for another star. Every touch took a year off his life. But damn fool that he was, he knew she was worth it. It wasn’t only about his sisters anymore. It was about helping her reach her true potential, even if that meant she would leave him.

“Dimitri,” I whispered. He had his eyes closed, as if it could shield him from me knowing. There was nothing so personal as being inside a person’s mind. But in his case, it was beautiful.

He held a wedding ring. It was a wrap-style, made to fit around her diamond solitaire engagement ring. The jagged aquamarine-colored stones glinted in the afternoon sun. They were the most rare and precious things he could give her. 

They weren’t cut by a jeweler, or bought in a store. These were pieces of skye stone, one of the last things he had left of his original clan. They had belonged to his mother and radiated a quiet beauty.

He would give this to her on their wedding day.

It was tradition to have the stones blessed by the head of each of the oldest clans. He’d made it to five of the kingdoms already. He was tired, but happy.

He smiled to himself. She had been asking where he was going, had been a little impatient even. But it would be worth it when she saw. Perhaps she’d be so busy when they met with her mother, she may not even notice him gone.

These stones not only expressed his love for her, but they could absorb it and give it back to her, even when he wasn’t there to tell her how much she meant to him.

He’d go to the ends of the earth to make her feel that way. 

My breath caught in my throat when I felt the true depth of his love for me. It filled me, drew from my strength and gave it back a thousand fold. He needed me, like no one ever had before. He wasn’t corrupted by a demon. Dimitri was with me, body and soul.

Tears stung my eyes as I slowly came back to myself. “It’s not you,” I said. The words themselves sounded beautiful.

He looked at me with such love it undid me completely. “You did discover my surprise.”

“I love it,” I said. I couldn’t believe he’d go to the ends of the earth for me.

“You’re worth all that and more.” He tugged me into his arms and kissed me. I gave myself over to him as his arms wrapped around me, safe, like they always did.

Grandma banged on the door. “Are you done in there? Whatever you’re doing, this isn’t the time. We’ve got to talk about what happened in the Cave of Visions.”

I understood her frustration, I really did. But, now wasn’t the time. I pulled back, gazed up at him, his bottom lip damp from my kiss. “I need to talk to you. Somewhere where we won’t be disturbed.”

“All right.” He twined his fingers in mine. The biker witches started beating on the door. “This should be fun.”

My room was certainly out, as was his.

We opened the door on a gaggle of witches shouting questions. It was like the paranormal paparazzi, with Dimitri as my hunky bodyguard.

He pulled me close and cut through them like I never could.

“How’d you do that?” I asked, as we cleared them.

“Extreme focus.”

We headed down the stairs, with Grandma and the gang close behind. I didn’t know how we were going to shake them.

We were almost to the foyer when the doorbell rang. I didn’t know who that could be, considering it was at least eleven o’clock.

My mom rushed from the sitting room to answer.

“What are you—” I managed to utter, before she gave a half-apologetic glance and opened the door to the VanWillens and the Rodgersons, two of her country club couples.

She did not look surprised enough. I wanted to scream. I’d told her no more guests.

The Gucci couples gave exaggerated hugs and sighs and talked about late flights and rude taxi drivers.

I broke away and found Rachmort as he came in from the sitting room.

“They have to go,” I told him.

My mentor shook his head. “It’s too late. They’re a part of it now.”

Jumping Jesus on a pogo stick. Everyone was in danger, and I didn’t have the one thing I needed that could stop this.

“Keep moving,” Dimitri said under his breath, as he drew me straight for the mini-society gathering in the front hall.

I glanced over my shoulder at Grandma. “You follow, and you’re out of the loop,” I said under my breath.

She looked like she wanted to thwack me over the head with a Truth spell, but she didn’t.

Dimitri tensed as we approached the VanWillens.

I put on my best grin. “Hi! So glad you could make it! We ran out of ice. Be back in a jif!”

His grip on me eased as the fight drained out of him. “I don’t know what’s more frightening,” Dimitri said once we’d made it out into the cool night, “the idea of you in the Cave of Visions or what I just saw.”

A glimpse of society Lizzie. “Yes, well you’re stuck with me now.”

“We’re not married yet,” he mused, as we headed down the steps.

“No.” I squeezed his hand. “But you love me.”

We let the darkness envelop us as we drew farther and farther toward the front of the house, away from the marks, to where the trees stood tall along the drive. The moon hung low, and the sound of insects and frogs pierced the night.

“Is there any particular place you’re taking me?” I asked, fighting to keep up with him.

“Away,” he said, as we passed the first gargoyle.

Yes, well, I couldn’t wait. Moonlight played of his strong features. He was so determined, brave. Beautiful. If I needed anyone on my side—for this and in life—it was Dimitri.

I glanced at the darkened path behind him to make sure we were alone, and then the truth poured out of me like water. I explained to him about the three marks, and how the soul of the murdered bride was powering them. I told him about the necklace, and how the grave dirt inside it had been dampening my demon slayer radar. That someone close to us was possessed. At last, I told him what I’d seen in the Cave of Visions, how the most powerful demon I’d ever encountered was powering up to take me on, to hurt everyone I’d ever loved. To kill me.

He didn’t hug me, or tell me that everything was going to be all right. Dimitri respected me too much to lie. Instead, he walked beside me, his powerful body alert, no doubt trying think of some detail, some way out that I’d missed.