e Goodw

ng to the steps of the Duskfog

ge conjured by stress and grief. But precisely at 7:58 AM, a sleek, utterly una

finger, a heavy antique silver signet ring set with a deep blue lapis stone caught the pale morning sun. Despite the c

d, checking my w

l replied smoothly, offeri

or identification and proof of employment, Cyril placed his wallet on the cou

Cargo Pilot. Polaris Air Cargo,

raising an eyebrow as we waited f

nternational logistics and private freight. Long hours,

ural pallor, his exhaustion, his icy hands, and why he was so willing to

"That means we won't ge

htened impercep

perplate script that looked like it belonged on a seventeenth-century treaty rather than a modern marriage

tly, signing Joseline Goodwin-Sweeney withou

missing a beat. "High-altitude cockpit draft

e document with a he

. and Mrs. Sweeney.

ed to Cyril, extending the document. "I'll make copies for my lawyer. As agreed, you have your fre

apping around my wrist. The touch was firm, yet remarkably gentl

of paper. "If you return to your old apartment, your uncle will have investigators watching you within the hour. If they see us

thur was vile enough to hire private

ost-Fir woods north of town. It's secluded, private, and secure. I have a two-week rotation of night flights starting

"You're offering me your

s gaze locking onto mine with an intensity that made my b

rely, closing my fingers around

ing back into the morning

Sweene

undary line of the ancient forest, the

he Astra Sanctorum. Colin Hayes, my chief seneschal, was waiting by the

For forty minutes in that tiny clerk's office, standing beside Joseline while her sweet, intoxicat

coven has received the marriage fi

very bloodline in the territory. Joseline Goodwin is now the High Lady of Astra. No vampire is to approach her. No thra

e lack of a heartbeat

apis stone absorb the ambient daylight. "She thinks I'm