A knock sounded on my bedroom door. “You decent?” Roth asked through the wood.
“Yeah, you can come in.”
“Wow.” Roth leaned against the doorframe, his eyes taking in the dress.
“Seriously? I’m minutes away from getting married. I don’t think it’s really appropriate for you to be checking me out.”
“I enjoy looking at beautiful things. Don’t worry, darling, I’m not interested in ruining your wedding.”
“Then kindly keep your eyes on my face so my soon-to-be husband doesn’t punch you in yours.Thatwould ruin my wedding.”
Roth’s amber eyes met mine and he smiled, a genuine, warm smile. “You look lovely, Laila. Are you ready to do this thing?”
I grinned. “Yeah. I really am.”
“We’ll be waiting in the entry hall for whenever you’re ready to make your grand entrance. Do you need anything else?”
I shook my head.
“All right then. I’ll see you soon.”
“Roth?”
“Yeah?”
“Thank you. For everything.”
“You don’t have to thank me, darling. I owed you.”
He didn’t give me a chance to respond before he turned, closing the door behind him.
In God’s court, when angels of the first order married, women wore veils that covered the head and face. The man would then lift the veil when it was time to kiss his bride after the vows the couple made to each other, which were primarily focused around respecting one another and promising to remain faithful for the rest of their lives.
I suppose I could have asked Roth for a veil like I had a dress, but I didn’t want to say my vows while looking at Joriel through a piece of fabric. This wedding was going to be different than anything that had ever been done before. I was a first-order angel marrying a former seventh-order angel in the house of an original Fallen. As far as I could tell, we got to make up the rules as we went. It was the intent that mattered, not the traditions or the ceremony.
Giving my reflection one last glance in the mirror, I left the bedroom and headed for the staircase down into the entry hall.
Joriel stood in the middle of the room beside a small round table, his eyes already looking for me when I stepped onto the staircase. I watched him take me in, his eyes heating with desire and awe. He looked at me like I was both precious and delectable. My blood heated as I took in the sight of him too. He was dressed in black pants and a dress shirt with the sleeves rolled up to show his forearms, and the top was unbuttoned enough for me to see the hickey I’d given him last night. His long hair was tied back in a knot at the nape of his neck.
Roth stood behind the table, his eyes darting between Joriel and me, his lips tipping up at one corner. Carter leaned in the doorway of the living room.
I walked down the stairs slowly, careful not to trip on the hem of my dress as it brushed the floor. A part of me wanted to sprint down the stairs and straight into Joriel’s arms. Considering it was my wedding and we didn’t have much of an audience, I didn’t think anyone would mind if I did. But I knew if I tried to run down the stairs, I’d probably end up falling on my face.
What felt like an eternity later, I finally made it to Joriel and the table with the rings, also provided by Roth. Angels of the first order didn’t exchange rings, but it was a common human tradition that Joriel wanted to do. It made sense since his brothers were married to humans that rings would be a part of the marriage experience in his world. I liked the idea too—having something easily seen to show that we belonged to each other.
“Ready?” Roth asked.
Neither of us looked away from each other as we both nodded.
“All right. Take hands over the table.”
Joriel’s hands were warm as they engulfed mine, soft and gentle. There was a lightness about him that I’d never seen. The sadness that had been lurking in his eyes for as long as I’d known him was absent. If he still had doubts about being good enough for me or feared that he’d somehow taint me with his sins, it was overshadowed by happiness.
“We’re going to keep this simple,” Roth said. “So, starting with Joriel, you may deliver your vows.”
We’d written our own vows, not finding any of the traditional ones sufficient for our situation or relationship. We’d written them together but hadn’t said a word of them out loud.
Joriel’s fingers squeezed mine lightly, and then he started to speak. “Laila, you’re the light in my darkness, the sun of my life. I promise to love you for eternity, to stand by your side and support you through all the trials of our lives, to be loyal and steadfast, to never leave you, and to be your partner in all things. You are my equal, the only person I’d ever want to walk through Hell with, and the one I want to be by my side for the rest of my life. I’m yours from this moment forward.”
