There was a substantial shift in the Ternion. From his hole deep within the earth, Daunator felt it, and it rocked him to his core. Closing his ancient eyes, he felt out with all of his power and knew immediately what had happened. The Queen was gone, their numbers decimated, and the Hunters’ power had increased with the addition of the Hybrids.
For over a hundred years, he had minded his own affairs, locking the rest of the world out of his thoughts and dealings as much as possible. Now, it was evident there was a choice to be made. He could either allow the current trajectory to follow its course, or he could take matters into his own hands, hoping to right the Ternion and bring balance back to the universe.
The idea of becoming involved after all of these years was unsettling—particularly when he considered the idiocy that would draw him out. He’d warned Holland not to overstep, but her reckless self-confidence had been her undoing and nearly wiped out their entire species. The Guardians had chosen a side, something they were forbidden from. If Daunator wanted the Ternion to return to the state of its original intention, he’d have to take matters into his own hands.
With a sigh loud enough to shake the mountain above him, he made his choice, his steel gray, red-rimmed eyes flying open with a purpose he hoped he’d never embrace again. But the decision had been made, and he would do his best to avenge his kind. When this was over, the Ternion would be corrected, or else one side or the other would be completely destroyed. A power stronger than a hundred Vampires combined flowed through his veins. He had talents LIGHTS could not comprehend and thousands of years of knowledge to draw upon. One way or another, this fight would lead to complete and utter termination.
Second Wedding Take Two had gone off without a hitch—other than Cadence’s friend from high school, Taylor, momentarily forgetting the words to the song she was singing during the ceremony. Cadence didn’t even notice, she’d been so captivated by the eyes of her husband, but someone pointed it out to her later. In fairness, “Broken Arrow” was kind of an obscure song, but she’d always loved it and thought the lyrics were fitting to their situation.
Liz Findley had cried throughout the entire ceremony. Cadence couldn’t blame her. She’d had tears in her eyes, too. The rest of the crowd had been curious as to why the delay, but they were happy to be celebrating the “young couple” coming together despite the unexpected difficulties. Cadence’s dad had a smile on his face the whole time, even when he’d given her away.
The reception had been more fun than Cadence could’ve ever dreamt. Everyone drank way too much, which hardly affected the non-humans. There was music and dancing and perfectly cooked steak and chicken. It was just like she’d always imagined it would be as a child. Even Aurora managed to keep her emotions in check despite Elliott being glued to Amanda. Aurora’s disposition was a matter Cadence was glad to leave to Ashley.
The only person who seemed a little less enthusiastic than Cadence would’ve liked was Cassidy. After reading Alex’s message, she’d slipped into a funk, and no one was having much luck pulling her out of it—despite Brandon, Elliott, Tara, and Lucy giving it their best efforts. When Cadence had asked her what the message had said, she wouldn’t say, only that it was unexpected. Maybe by the time Cadence got back, her sister would want to talk about it.
But for now, she was reclining on a lounger, watching the sunset over the ocean, a cold drink in one hand, her other entangled with the strong fingers of the man she’d love for the rest of her life. A giddy giggle escaped her lips as all of her emotions bubbled to the surface. She was so incredibly lucky in so many ways, so very blessed. Never in a million years would she have thought her life would turn out this way, but she wouldn’t change it for the world.
“What’s so funny?” Aaron asked, raising his sunglasses as he took her in. He was only wearing swim trunks in a blue almost as brilliant as his eyes, and she could get used to the idea of seeing him in much less than the black leather he usually wore.
“Nothing,” she said, squeezing his hand. “I was just thinking... it’s funny how life can take you on a journey to a destination you’d never expect to reach, but once you’re there, everything turns out better than you could’ve ever imagined.”
“I can definitely understand that,” he nodded. He seemed more relaxed than she’d ever seen him in all of the time that she’d known him, which was a surprise. She’d thought not having his IAC on would be killing him. But he’d learned to trust Hannah and the others to run the show. They still had their cell phones in case of emergency, but so far no one had dared call, and she hoped it stayed that way. After four decades of being in charge of everything, the man deserved a little break.
The question of what might happen next popped into her head from time to time, but she never let it linger. Was there a chance someone else would rise up to take Holland’s place? Of course. Could Daunator finally raise his ugly head? Part of her hoped he would because otherwise they’d be forced to leave him alone, and she didn’t like having such a powerful creature out there unchecked. There were a thousand scenarios playing through her mind, but the bottom line was she’d likely never guess what was going to happen next anyway. They’d figure it out when it happened, like they’d always done.
Cadence inhaled the fresh sea breeze, letting the salty air clear her thoughts and calm her body. Maybe someday they’d retire here, build a little house overlooking the pristine water, have a few kids, let someone else save the world. It was a lovely thought. Watching seagulls circle above them, she wondered what it would be like to have this sort of freedom permanently. Would she embrace it, or would she long for the adventure she’d grown to love?
“The tide’s coming in.” Aaron’s voice broke through her thoughts. “Wanna go play in the waves?”
His smile was easy, and the idea that he wanted to “play” made her feel like a child. “Race you to the shore?”
A careful glance around revealed there would be plenty of humans watching. “Only if we walk.”
“You’re no fun,” Cadence teased, but she was already hopping up out of her seat, and though it wasn’t quite a walk, she wasn’t full out sprinting either. Aaron’s arms were around her waist, and he lifted her up off of the beach and swung her around in an attempt to slow her down. Cadence giggled, kicking up the sand, and by the time they hit the water, they were laughing uncontrollably.
Pushing out past the breaking waves, Aaron took her in his arms, and Cadence breathed him in. “I love you, Mrs. McReynolds,” he said, brushing her hair back over her shoulder.
“I love you, too.” She smiled up at him certain she would never let him out of her sight again. Not for anything in the world. As the waves collided with the shore, Aaron’s lips crashed down on hers, and Cadence let go of everything else in the world. Saving the universe could wait until after the honeymoon. For now, she would relinquish the title Vampire Hunter Extraordinaire and just be Cadence McReynolds—sister, daughter, friend, wife. She really liked the sound of that last one....
