The Raven and the Witch Hunter Omnibus

THE WEDDING CHAPTER 2

THE WEDDING CHAPTER 2

Vanessa wiped her palms along the sides of the white dress. When she realized what she'd done, she groaned and carefully examined the area for damage. Thankfully, the creamy white satin didn't show the evidence of her nervous perspiration. She turned from side to side, inspecting her appearance in the mirror again, and frowned. If she wasn't careful, she'd have to go on a diet. The last few weeks with Emma Jane, especially since their friends had arrived in town, had turned into a wild food-fest. It was funny how every time she got together with her girlfriends it seemed to involve dinner or drinks, or other high-calorie items. She sucked in her stomach as she contemplated the damage.

"Hey, how are you feeling? Ready for your big day?"

Vanessa turned to see Cat standing in the doorway of her bedroom, looking slightly uncomfortable in the dress Vanessa had picked out for her to wear. If this was as close to a real wedding day as she’d ever get, Vanessa insisted on doing it properly. That meant she got a white dress and all her friends had to get dolled up as well. Evelyn and Zahara had jumped at the chance, eager to have something pretty to wear, and Mai had accepted with quiet amusement. Cat, on the other hand, had put up a stronger protest. When she’d found out that Emma Jane wasn’t planning to wear a wedding dress herself, she’d almost refused outright.

"How’s that fair?" Cat had whined.

Vanessa shrugged. "It's her wedding ceremony, too. If she doesn't want to wear a white dress, she doesn't have to. However, that same liberty does not extend to my sister. You get to wear a dress because I say so, case closed."

Now, as Vanessa examined her sister, she couldn't help but think how beautiful she was. She was so used to seeing Cat dressed in jeans and a sweatshirt that Vanessa sometimes forgot her baby sister was gorgeous in her own right.

She'd never tell her so, but ever since they'd been kids Vanessa had been jealous of Cat's long red hair. More than half the world had black hair, but red hair really made a person stand out, something Vanessa would have appreciated far more than Cat ever had. It was ironic, really.

While Vanessa had been anxious, and probably verging on being a bridezilla over the previous few weeks, the one place she knew she’d done a great job was picking what her bridesmaids would wear. Along with her mother's artistic eye as a second opinion, the girls had all gone shopping at a bridal store which had come highly recommended by one of Vanessa's friends from work. Not only had the selection been outstanding, but they’d also done a stunning job with the alterations, all at a great price.

As it was a winter wedding, Vanessa had stuck with more muted colors for her theme. For Mai and Cat with their paler skin, she'd chosen a navy blue which highlighted their fairness and figures, and for Zahara and Evelyn, she'd gone with a ruby red which made their darker complexions pop. She couldn't wait to see what they looked like in their dresses, but seeing Cat in hers confirmed her initial impressions from the bridal shop, and she knew the wedding pictures would be stunning.

"You look beautiful, Cat. But what did you do to your hair?”

Cat glanced down at her loose hair before looking back at Vanessa with confusion. “What? It’s clean and not in a ponytail. Those were your only requirements.”

Vanessa raised her eyebrows. “Must you be so literal? Okay, fine. Come over here.”

She pointed at the bed and Cat stomped over, her gait belying the graceful lines bestowed upon her by the dress. Still, she knew better to object aloud to the direct order, especially on today of all days. Vanessa quickly brushed her sister's hair, then twisted it into a messy bun, allowing a few tendrils to escape, as if by magic.

“There, that’s better,” she pronounced, with satisfaction.

Cat stood up, peering into the full-length mirror with a look of shy astonishment. She touched her hair with surprise before looking at Vanessa. “I look really nice. Maybe I should wear my hair like this more often. It looks easy enough to do.”

Vanessa smiled patiently at her self-effacing sister, wondering if she’d ever convince her to get out and meet people. “It is easy. And let’s face it, the ponytail’s getting old."

Cat rolled her eyes, reverting back to being a bratty little sister once more. "All right, I'll try to switch it up a bit more. I'm assuming you want me to put makeup on as well?"

Vanessa smiled, pointing back to the bed. "You guessed right."

Cat sat down again and Vanessa quickly applied a light layer of makeup, just enough to highlight her sister’s eyes and unblemished fair skin. When she was finished, Cat looked the best she'd ever looked. Vanessa's heart warmed as she took in her sister's wide-eyed expression in the mirror.

"I wish you knew how beautiful you truly are."

Cat blushed, looking down at her hands before gazing back at Vanessa with a hopeful look on her face which surprised her. "Do you really think so? I mean, you're not just saying that, right?"

Vanessa shook her head, pulling her sister in for a quick hug. When she drew back, her eyes brimmed with tears.

"No, I'm not just saying that. I could get you a job acting in a heartbeat if you wanted one, but I'm so proud you're doing well in university."

While Vanessa had never been interested in continuing school after finishing grade twelve, she'd been impressed with her sister’s dedication over the past three years. Especially with all the extracurricular activities she'd had to deal with in addition to studying, like battling witches and evil jinns. Vanessa didn't think she would've been able to handle everything with the same grace that Cat had.

But while still as poised as ever, Vanessa was suspicious that something was up with Cat. She spent more time at school than Vanessa thought was strictly necessary, but she'd never known her to date or hang out with friends outside of their little circle of gifted girls. Cat had been quieter over the past few months as well, more wistful, especially after she'd returned from her impromptu winter vacation with Evelyn and Zahara. Vanessa had been waiting for Cat to tell her what had been bothering her and was wondering if there was someone special Cat was crushing on. It was possible her sister had a secret romance and Vanessa was desperately curious to root out all the details. She knew her sister and something was definitely up, but the trick was to find out what.

Cat blushed. Vanessa knew she wasn't comfortable with compliments, and as Vanessa hardly gave them, she imagined her sister was a little surprised.

"Umm, thank you?"

Vanessa smiled, knowing today was going to be a tough one for her own makeup if getting her sister ready for the ceremony was causing her to tear up. So, she did what she did best. Deflected.

"Tell me about this guy at school." Vanessa figured she'd jump right in and see if she could shock Cat into revealing any details.

Cat looked startled, then began to stutter. "What guy? There’s no guy."

Vanessa laughed, the expression on Cat's face alone making her glad she’d asked, even if she didn’t get any information. "Methinks the lady doth protest too much."

Cat groaned, dropping her head back as she looked at the ceiling for strength. "Not Shakespeare again!"

It was an old joke between the sisters. After moving to their last of a long line of new towns, their favorite mutual high school English teacher had been obsessed with Shakespeare. That meant whenever anyone quoted one of his plays, the students who’d had Mr. Grayson tended to groan in memory of all the fun group activities. But it was a good memory and now a running joke.

"Hey, you're the one who said there was no guy, like, three times just now. What do you call that if not protesting too much?"

Cat's cheeks flushed even brighter, if that was even possible. Vanessa watched her with amusement as she started to say something, then stopped and glared at her. Finally, she answered with a scowl. "It's none of your business."

Vanessa raised her eyebrows. "Okay, I won't press. But, I can see I've hit a nerve. Whenever you want to share, I’m more than ready to hear all the details."

Cat looked as though she was going to protest again, so Vanessa gave an airy wave of her hand.

"Anyway. Now that you're ready, you can send Emma Jane in." At Cat’s surprised look, Vanessa mock-pouted. "What? You think you're the only one being subjected to a hair and face makeover? No way. We're getting pictures and they are going to be good. I’ll make certain of it."

Cat laughed, her cheeks now only a faint pink. "That actually makes me feel better. I'll go get her now. Good luck."

Vanessa smiled, then once again turned back to the mirror with a sense of unease. She'd already done her own hair and makeup and knew she looked great, but she still had the same strange pit of anxiety in her stomach that had made her skip breakfast. It was weird, because she’d never been anxious during plays in front of a whole town, or even when she'd first auditioned to act in San Francisco, so she was positive it wasn’t the idea of speaking in front of a crowd. Maybe she was having the unexpected case of the jitters because this time, she’d be in front of everyone she knew.

As she searched her worried expression in the mirror, the door reopened and a vision in a slim-cut dress walked in. Vanessa had fibbed when she’d told Cat that Emma Jean wasn't going to be wearing a wedding dress. She was, sort of. It was just she hadn't been sure if Samuel would be able to find the one she wanted and she’d had no interest in wearing a modern, frilly one.

Vanessa had never seen anything like it. It was a cream-colored dress made out of the softest leather, with beading intricately placed along the shoulders and a fringe along the chest and arms. Under the tunic, she wore a close-fitting pair of pants in the same color which closely resembled leggings.

Emma Jane came to a stop behind Vanessa, but in the mirror, they appeared to be standing side by side. Her swirling white eyes were a slightly darker shade than normal, resembling clouds on an overcast day. Her hair was down, allowing the mahogany silk to cascade like a waterfall ending just above her hips. Her cheekbones always made Vanessa jealous, and her mouth was cherry-red and delicious, but it was the look of adoration on Emma Jane’s face that made Vanessa melt. All of her anxiety faded away against the strength of the love she saw shining out from Emma Jane.

She turned around, holding her hands out, palms-up. "How are you holding up?"

Emma Jane took her hands and Vanessa pulled her in for a hug. She took a quick nibble from her luscious lips then drew back slightly as she waited for her to answer.

Emma Jane let out a quick exhale, her lips curving into a smile. "Much better now. Your parents are lovely, and I've had a wonderful week with all of your friends." Emma Jane shook her head with an expression of bemusement. "I'm still having a hard time wrapping my mind around the fact that I went from alone and lonely for the better part of my adult life, to the reality of being surrounded by so many wonderful people."

Vanessa leaned down to give Emma Jane a quick peck on the nose. "You're welcome," she said, then wrinkled her nose as she admitted her own concerns. "Don't tell anyone, but I'm pretty nervous about today. I don't know why. It's not like I've never been in front of a crowd before."

Emma Jane gave her a meaningful look. "Yes, but it's because of who the audience is and because of what today means. You're basically telling everyone that I'm the one you want to be with forever. That's fairly momentous, even for an extrovert."

Vanessa chuckled dryly, then leaned down to rest her head on Emma Jane’s shoulder. "Maybe you’re right. But at the same time, I really can't wait to tell everyone. So I'm not sure why I’d be so nervous."

Emma Jane stroked Vanessa's back, her hands sending small tingles of excitement wherever they touched bare skin. "You just are. Now, speaking of nervous, I'm here as ordered for makeup. Please, be gentle."

Vanessa rolled her eyes, reluctantly standing up straight again. She gestured for Emma Jane to sit in the place Cat had recently vacated. In only a few moments, Vanessa had transformed Emma Jane's naturally beautiful face into one that was strikingly, more exotically beautiful. She knew Emma Jane wouldn’t be wearing her sunglasses for once, as a special gift to Vanessa, so she'd taken extra care with her eyeshadow. By the time she was done, Emma Jane could have graced any magazine cover in the world.

"Damn. I don't know how I got so lucky. You're the most beautiful woman I've ever seen."

Emma Jane blushed, but Vanessa was pleased to see she didn't actually protest, for once. Maybe Emma Jane was starting to believe Vanessa when she gave her compliments, but since they were true, Vanessa felt she deserved to hear them as often as possible.

"Thanks. Is there anything else we should do before we head over?"

Vanessa bit her lip, thinking for a moment, then shook her head. "Not that I know of. Cat’s already dressed and made up. You have on makeup and look amazing in what you're wearing. I'm sorry I forgot to say that the second I saw you, but I was too dazzled by your beauty to get the words out."

Emma Jane smoothed the dress she was wearing, smiling shyly down at it as she did so. "It was my grandmother's. She wore it to her own wedding, many years ago."

Vanessa saw the sadness and pride on Emma Jane's face and nodded, swallowing the lump that suddenly appeared in her throat. I’m going to have to get that checked out. I’m swallowing a lot of lumps lately. Maybe it’s my thyroid, not because I’m getting soft.

"It's beautiful. Whoever made it was incredibly gifted. I'm so pleased that you're able to have a piece of your family with us today."

"Thanks, Vanessa. Me too. But Samuel will be there; I consider him family. He’s been a constant in my life from the moment I lost my regular vision and he was the reason I was able to develop my spirit vision. I wasn't sure he'd be able to make it, but now that he has, everything seems that much more special."

Vanessa hadn't met Samuel yet. While Emma Jane had been in contact with him by phone, he’d elected to stay elsewhere, citing his age and need for rest and comfort as the reason he hadn’t attended any of the pre-wedding events. Vanessa couldn't help but wonder what he was like and what Emma Jane would be like around him. She’d found that people often acted differently depending on who they were with and knew that people from different parts of your life could cause you act in unexpected ways, depending on which part of life you’d been with them.

Suddenly realizing they were still standing in front of the mirror, holding onto each other, Vanessa shook her head and smiled down at Emma Jane’s more diminutive frame. "We should leave. The service starts in an hour. I'm sure there’ll be a few last-minute hiccups to finagle when we arrive."

"Sure. Are you driving, or were we going to go with your family?"

Vanessa wiggled her eyebrows. "Even better. As it's our wedding day, I rented a limo. Everybody else can get there on their own. In fact," Vanessa looked down at the delicate silver watch she’d put on to match the dress, then batted her eyelashes at Emma Jane with a playful grin. "I believe the limo should be here by now."

They left the bedroom together and Vanessa took one last glance at the room. It was strange, leaving the house with her wife, on their way to another wedding ceremony to repeat vows they’d already spoken, but at the same time, it felt as if another chapter of their lives was about to begin.

Although she was ecstatic about committing herself to Emma Jane in front of her loved ones, Vanessa couldn’t keep her anxiety from rebounding. The nagging thought that she was forgetting something surfaced once more.