"Lock lasers on target!" Shelton shouted. "Fire!"
Though it felt like our ship was being pounded to pieces, it held together as we fought a pitched battle against impossible odds and finally passed through the enemy armada.
As we drew closer to the black orb hovering in the night sky, Adam rotated his chair to face Shelton. "Sir, it's a moon."
Shelton leaned forward, eyes narrowed with intensity. "That's no moon, ensign. It's a battle station."
Lasers erupted from the battle station.
"Shields at thirty percent," Cinder reported.
"Divert power from auxiliary systems." Shelton walked between the gunner seats and held on as the ship shuddered. "It's time to save the princess."
By the time we finished with the scripted adventure Cinder had prepared for us, it was nearly two in the morning and we piled back into the lab, laughing and unable to stop talking about how much fun it had been for us to live out a collage of every geek's fantasies.
"Was that Princess Ardala we saved?" Adam asked. "That costume she wore was definitely from the seventies."
"It was awesome, dude." Shelton gripped Cinder in a one-armed hug. "Man, that was the best bachelor party of all time."
Cinder managed a genuine looking smile. "I thought you might like it, Harry, especially considering your collection of science fiction shows and movies."
"How did you pull it off?" Adam said.
"I used my limited golem creation abilities to make the characters," Cinder said. "Students at Science Academy helped me craft the space ships."
"It was perfect," Shelton said. "Thanks."
Cinder's eyes actually softened, as if he were experiencing true emotion. "You are welcome, Harry."
"Better than a strip club," Adam added.
"No doubt about that." I stifled a yawn. "I'm gonna hit the sack, guys."
"Night," Adam said.
"Yeah, me too." Shelton slapped Cinder once more on the back and we went back to the mansion.
Elyssa had just gotten out of the shower when I came inside. "Let me guess, strip clubs and debauchery," she said.
"Couldn't be further from the truth." I grinned. "How about you?"
"Pole dancing lessons." She rolled her eyes. "Took us about ten minutes to get better than the instructor. Stacey did a routine that had the teacher begging her for lessons."
I snorted. "I'll bet. How did Meghan do?"
"She just watched," Elyssa said. "Meghan isn't exactly the partying type."
"Yeah, she can be a bit of a killjoy." Meghan was a Templar, but not the agile fighting kind as far as I knew. She probably didn't want to look foolish with two dhampyrs and a felycan showing her up.
"After pole dancing we took twerking lessons," Elyssa continued. "It's a lot harder than it looks."
My tired body perked up. "Wanna show me?"
She leaned against the door frame and bounced on her legs, but her bottom refused to join in the dance. "I can't get it to jiggle!"
"Too much muscle," I said, enjoying the show.
"You think?" Elyssa slipped into boy shorts and lay down on the bed.
My mouth was already watering from the twerking demo. "Let's practice together."
She licked her lips. "I'm game."
The next morning, we joined Shelton, Bella, Adam, and Meghan for breakfast in the kitchen. Bella let Shelton make his usual pancake breakfast for the occasion, much to his relief. The big topic of the morning was the bachelor party.
"Wow, I can't believe Cinder pulled it off," Elyssa said. "I wish I'd been there."
"You prefer fighting starship battles to twerking?" Bella asked.
Elyssa laughed. "Any day of the week."
Cutsauce yipped and looked up at her expectantly. She dropped a piece of bacon on the floor and he gobbled it down in an instant.
"By the way, the security sweeps for the mansion came back clean," Elyssa said. "The portal blockers will be checked every hour."
"That's a relief," I said. "Just the thought that Serena could pop in at any minute scares the hell out of me."
Shelton ate a lot less than usual and kept tugging on the collar of his T-shirt as if it was too tight.
"Looking a little pale, buddy." Adam commented. "Didn't get enough sleep?"
Shelton gulped some orange juice. "Nah, I'm fine."
Elyssa and Bella exchanged a knowing look.
Stacey arrived moments later, Ryland and the twins in tow. The boy looked like a miniature version of Ryland with bushy brown hair sprouting in all directions. The girl, an adorable little blonde with big innocent eyes toddled behind her mother, bouncing up and down on her toes and exclaiming loudly in baby-speak when she saw us.
"Come here, you precious little thing!" Elyssa said, and scooped up the girl. "Alana is growing so big already."
Little Tyler hid behind his father's leg and peeked around at the commotion.
"Hey, Ryland." I exchanged grips with the lean, muscular lycan. "Looks like fatherhood is treating you well."
Ryland chuckled. "Best thing that ever happened to me."
"Who's the cutest wittle munchkin?" Bella peppered kisses on Alana's face and the girl giggled. "You are!"
Adam knelt next to Tyler. "How's it going, big man?"
The boy squeezed between Ryland's legs and looked out with wide brown eyes.
Ryland swept him up and held him in one arm. "He's a bit shy until he gets to know you."
Shelton still sat at the table, eyes a bit wild as he watched the women gush over Alana.
"I think reality is hitting him right now," Adam said in a conspiratorial whisper.
I snorted. "I don't think he's ready for kids anytime soon."
"I can't wait to have our own little Harry running around," Bella said.
Shelton's face went from white to green. He gripped his coffee mug with shaking hands and guzzled the steaming liquid.
Adam and I snickered.
"What's so funny?" Shelton said.
"Your expression," Adam said. "It's priceless."
"Hey, I like kids," Shelton said, pushing to his feet. "Kids are great."
Adam elbowed me. "Look, I think he's having a panic attack."
Everyone burst into laughter.
The other guests began to arrive around noon—my family and Elyssa's, Cinder, and Katie Johnson along with two of our high school friends, Ash and Nyte.
"Justin!" Ash gripped me in a full-blown hug, while Nyte settled for a manlier one-armed chest-bump.
Nyte ran a hand through his short carrot-colored hair. "When we heard you were overdue from your mission in Seraphina, we got worried."
"Yeah, things got intense," I said. "Thankfully, we got some help and took care of business."
"We've got the feeder corps ready to march," Ash said. "They're pretty excited to be needed by Seraphim again."
"Yeah, well, the Tarissan Legion isn't very large anymore," I told them.
Katie's face fell. "I'd heard rumors, but Commander Salazar hasn't told us much."
"There's only a handful left," Elyssa said. "Don't repeat that outside of here, please."
"Oh no," Katie whispered. "That's awful."
"What happened?" Nyte asked.
"Cephus wiped most of them out with a crystoid," I said and let that sink in a moment before continuing. "Don't worry, though, we're going to need the feeders to rebuild the legion and to reinforce the entire army."
Ash grimaced. "Sounds like we're starting over."
"There's a lot of work to be done," Elyssa said. "For now, let's focus on today. I don't want to spoil the mood for Bella's wedding."
Katie nodded and managed a wan smile. "Yeah, let's perk up and move out."
Ash chuckled. "Spoken like a true Templar."
"That's exactly what Commander Borathen says right before a battle," Nyte said with a huge grin.
I went upstairs and got dressed then met the rest of the wedding party in the hallway outside of the grand dining hall. Shelton already stood at the front of the room looking pale and nervous. It was strange seeing him in formal Arcane robes, snug and black with white ruffles on the chest and sleeves. His hair was combed neatly to the side and, for once, he was clean shaven.
"Hardly looks like Shelton," Adam said.
"He cleans up nice," Meghan commented. "A shame he dresses like a cowboy most of the time."
"I like the cowboy look," Elyssa said. "It suits him."
I turned to Adam. "You've known him longer than all of us. Why does he always wear a wide-brimmed hat and leather duster?"
He shrugged. "There's a lot he doesn't talk about, even with me."
I thought back to the revelations about Shelton's childhood during my brief tenure as a student at Arcane University. "Seems like he had it rough."
"He's changed a lot since you became friends, Justin." Adam put a hand on my shoulder. "Shelton is a nicer jackass than he used to be."
Elyssa laughed. "I can agree with that."
"Shelton is a bit of a rogue." Stacey tapped a finger on her chin and looked at the groom. "But he's also brutally honest, and I've always admired that about the man."
"Yeah, he doesn't mince words," Adam agreed.
Flava and Lanaeia walked around the corner and approached us.
"I am curious to see a mortal wedding ritual," Flava said. "Would it be acceptable for us to observe?"
"Sure," Elyssa said. "Go have a seat."
"I wonder if it will be as wonderful as the weddings in romance novels," Lanaeia said as they left us to join the murmuring crowd inside.
The small orchestra began playing an unfamiliar but soothing melody that cued our entrance. I hooked arms with Stacey, since she was the maid of honor, and led the procession down the aisle. We split at the front and took our positions at the podium.
I put a hand on Shelton's shoulder. "You hanging in there, man?"
He nodded and took a deep breath. "I hate dressing up."
"It'll all be over soon," I assured him.
Shelton wiped away a bead of sweat from his forehead and his voice cracked when he spoke. "Yeah, I know."
Once the wedding party was in place, the orchestra changed to a spirited rendition of Mozart's
Wedding March
. Bella stepped through the doors and Shelton's heavy breathing caught in his throat. His bride looked beautiful in a white dress that hugged her curves and contrasted with her olive skin. Despite her age, Bella looked like a college girl getting married for the first time.
"She's beautiful," Shelton murmured. "I'm the luckiest man alive."
Stacey sniffled and wiped tears from her eyes. "This is so bloody romantic."
Bella smiled, her violet eyes twinkling with delight at the stunned look on Shelton's face as she slowly paced down the aisle. Elyssa looked at me, a look of love and adoration on her face. I wanted to kiss her so badly, it hurt.
"This is very touching," Cinder whispered behind me. "I offered to sing a romantic love song before the ceremony, but Bella requested we keep it short."
Adam snorted. "I'd pay to see you sing, Cinder."
Thomas Borathen cast a warning look our way that rocked us back on our heels and shut us up.
Bella reached the podium and took Shelton's hands, and the ceremony began.
"We are gathered here today to join Bella Pizarro and Harry Shelton in holy matrimony," Thomas said. "If anyone objects to this marriage, let them speak now or forever hold their peace."
I braced myself as visions of another sneak attack from Serena flashed through my mind. Elyssa looked tense as well, perhaps thinking the same thing.
"Nobody better object, or I'll blast them!" Ivy shouted, bringing a wave of laughter from the audience.
Thomas waited until the noise died away and continued. He led the bride and groom through the usual questions and, moments later, made it final. "I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride."
Shelton no longer looked nervous or pale. He looked happy, like a man who'd opened a door to his future and found out it would be wonderful. I tried not to think about the new war, about how many people would die, or Cephus's terrible plans, but the thunderclouds on the horizon were almost upon us. There would be no honeymoon for the newlyweds.
I just hoped they both survived what was to come.
Chapter 25
After the reception ended later in the afternoon, Shelton took his bride through an omniarch portal to eke out a meager honeymoon in the Caribbean while the rest of us got back to business.
"The question remains, how are we going to break through the shield?" Elyssa said to me and Thomas as we studied battle plans in the war room back at the Ranch.
Thomas rotated the holographic map projected above the table. Icons representing the various factions of the army surrounded the wasteland at the city center, but the plan for moving the troops closer had stalled until we could figure out a reliable way to break through the shield and hold it open for troops to funnel through.
Squadrons of Blue Cloaks on flying carpets would blockade the air to prevent any airborne attacks from escaping the fortress while the rest of us built a beachhead within the city. Thomas had decided a wider perimeter would be safer in case another crystoid attack slipped past our aerial defenses.
"You should speak with Cora about the Mzodi fleet," Thomas said. "Despite her personal issues with you, Cephus poses a threat to all of Seraphina, especially if he can truly open a portal to the Void."
"Any tips about how to approach her?" I asked.
Thomas nodded. "With great humility."
"Cap in hand? On my knees?"
"If she's reasonable, she'll understand the threat Cephus poses," Thomas said. "From what you told me, she cherishes Seraphina and the Mzodi. I believe she'll help for their sake if nothing else."
"I think she's being a bit butt hurt about it, myself," Elyssa said. "On the other hand, her secrets weren't ours to tell."
"I thought it was important at the time." I shrugged. "Guess I got a little exuberant."
"You, exuberant?" Elyssa's jaw dropped open in mock surprise. "Say it isn't so."
We left Thomas to contemplate the logistics of the attack and headed up the levitator to the hangar bay and the portal zones. I heard footsteps and spun around in anticipation of the help Fjoeruss had promised, but it was just a Templar racing through on his way to deliver an important message, or perhaps dashing for a toilet after an unfortunate dinner of spicy Indian food.