What Doesn't Kill Her (Cape Charade #2)(105)

“What about—?” Verona pointed at the canvas covered body.

With an awesome calm, Arthur Waldberg said, “Don’t worry. I’ll take care of him.”

“And of the Triple Goddess!” Rae said.

“And of the Triple Goddess. In the meantime, you are currently—” he checked his watch “—eight minutes and fifty-two seconds late for your wedding, and your guests will be getting restless. So if I may?” He offered his hand to Kellen.

In a daze, she took it. He pulled her to her feet—she was surprised to realize her knees were trembling—and led her to the sink. He turned on the water, held her hand under the faucet and used soap to wash it as if she was a child, incapable of taking care of herself.

He might have had reason—she hadn’t noticed the blood that stained her skin and nails until it disappeared in a pink swirl down the drain.

He took a small clean white towel from the waiting pile, wet it and carefully wiped her face clean. “There’s no saving your makeup,” he explained. “No problem. You’re beautiful without it. Still...” He looked around at the others, still immobile and staring. “Does anyone have lipstick?”

Birdie jumped as if stung. “I do! I’ve got lipstick! Zio Federico gave it to me with strict instructions I was to keep it on me to refresh Kellen’s look.” She pulled the tube out of her pocket and with a shaking hand, offered it to Arthur.

He took some on his fingertips and blotted it on Kellen’s cheekbones, then skillfully blended it. “There. You don’t look quite so white. A pale bride is always lovely, of course, but you had taken the aspect to stricken.” He looked around. “Now you, Miss Rae.”

“What am I thinking?” Verona stood, shooed Rae to her feet and over to the sink. “Come, Rae, we’ve got to clean you up. Quickly, now!”

The scene, which had been quiet and weighed with intense emotions, changed, became one of bustle and haste.

Verona scrubbed Rae’s hands and face, except where Daniel had hit her. There the swelling had turned dark red and was starting to bruise, and the look on Verona’s face boded ill for Daniel Lykke, should she ever meet him in the afterlife.

Kellen supposed she wouldn’t; Verona wasn’t going the same place Daniel had gone.

Arthur lifted Rae’s chin and examined her face. “As soon as we get close to the ceremony, we’ll get her a cold pack,” he told Verona. “She’ll be sore, but it will be gone in a week. You’ll see.”

Rae was far less concerned than the adults and asked, “Can I have lipstick on my cheeks?”

Using a light touch, Arthur accommodated her.

“And on my lips?” Rae asked.

Arthur fought a smile and took care of Rae.

Max splashed water on his face, straightened his cuffs, ran his fingers through his hair and muttered about running in the heat and smelling manly at his own wedding.

No one had a comb.

Arthur apologized for that. “I do have kits assembled for any bridal emergency, but sadly I didn’t think to put one in the blending shed.”

Birdie worked on Kellen’s hair, then burst out, “The veil! The ring! I left everything in the room!”

In a soothing tone, Arthur said, “It’s being handled as we speak. All will be waiting for us at the back of the white tent—where we must arrive as soon as possible.”

“But first...” Max knelt in front of his daughter who had been wiped and tweaked by her grandmother. “You look lovely. No one would ever know you were a superhero.”

“I’m LightningBug!”

“No one must ever know. No show-and-tell about this.” He gestured at the covered corpse.

Rae didn’t even bother to look at it. “No one would believe me anyway.” She sounded annoyed about that.

“Superhero pinkie promise.” Kellen held out her finger.

Rae wrapped her pinkie around Kellen’s. “I promise.”

Kellen smiled at Rae, at her daughter. The child was the best daughter ever, perfect, agreeable, kind, accepting, a fighter for good...

Kellen’s consciousness faded, then she focused again. “We are one,” she whispered.

“Are we ready?” Arthur opened the door, held it wide and made a shooing gesture.

Max picked up Rae and ran into the bright sunlight and toward the wedding canopy.

Kellen and Birdie followed. Temo and Adrian brought up the rear. Kellen glanced around to find Verona and saw her waiting while Arthur spoke to Mateo Courtemanche.

Mateo Courtemanche, who had been waiting outside for them. He looked quite unlike the pleasant young man who waited tables and sold wines and instead appeared narrow-eyed and coldly efficient. Apparently Arthur had sent for him to deal with the body. Mateo’s résumé must include skills Kellen hadn’t imagined.

But she wasn’t going to worry about that. She had other, more pressing matters. Like getting married.

At the back of the tent where the wedding would take place, the side panels had been lowered to shield the wedding party from the waiting guests and to allow them to prepare in private.

Inside the canopy, Kellen could hear the guests buzzing with speculation.

Max put Rae on her feet. Arthur handed him a chemical cold pack, and Max pressed it to her cheek. “Are you going to be okay?”