Morning Afters and Blood Breath

Title: Morning afters and Blood Breath. by Paige Lux

Summary: Weddings just bring the most interesting people together. And what are natural enemies supposed to do with an open bar and a no killing policy?

Warning: Loosely based on a lot of paranormal romance/stories out there. All put
together. I have four in mind. If you can get me all four ... well, good for you! Our bookshelves are probably identical. :D


Serious warning: Unbeta'd.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Please, send me reviews! of any sort! Criticism, spelling corrections, pacing, etc! My first foray into ... well, this sort of thing. K. Happy Read!

email: paige.lux@gmail.com

Weddings always made her skin crawl. The hairs on her arm danced up and down, making a mess of her nerves, like nightmares.

Nightmares and Weddings were all the same to her.

Unfortunately, unlike nightmares, Cynthia 'Cyn' Baker had no say in leaving this particularly hellish event - if her sister had anything to say about it.

The nuptials between Dawn Baker and Colin Westford has been in full swing. The Reception was all covered in pink and mint green. If it wasn't for the tasteful arrangement, Cyn would have easily found herself in an easter basket.

If only she had worn black - it might have made the situation tolerable. Maybe. As it was, being the Maid of Honor required that she suit up according to the theme - and hell would freeze over twice before anyone found her in bubblegum pink.

If only her recently added brother in law would stop smirking and flirting at anything twirling in a skirt.

Somewhere above six feet, glaringly garish blonde, and ice blue eyes, the man was not pretty. His nose was too arrogant, his forehead too confident, and his cheeks could cut glass. And Cyn really wanted to see if that was really possible starting with her 4th dry Martini - glass that is.

If only she hadn't made a vow not to cause any paranormal deaths - including Seth Westbrooks - at her sister's wdedding.

If only...

"Why the glum face, luv? It's our respective siblings wedding. It wouldn't kill you to have fun."

"It would you." Cyn raised the drink to her mouth. The burn was starting to fade - not a good sign.

"Aren't you a bloodthirsty little thing."

Response? Glare. Cyn just could not understand the thing that kept talking to her. Is there something in the water in Europe? Are they all just that thick-skinned?

Seth Westbrook laughed. Sulky as can be, Cyn was hunched over at her chair, nursing her drink like a lifesaver. The wedding party table was set to view the festivities. Everyone rejoicing in the match the century. Well, the match of two well established Paranormal Detective Agencies this side of the hemisphere.

Seth sat back in his chair, looking carefully at Cyn. Ebony haired, steel-eyed, spitfire. No one dared poke at the Ice Princess, pun intended, less one had a deathwish. In Seth's case, he couldn't care less. Cyn was just a prickly piece of work that needed to be shaken up a little.

"At least you could smile at such ... youthful beginnings. You know, Live a little."

Cyn had just about had it. The music, the sickly pastels, the effin' Dress - and now this... undead soulless thing telling her to live a little?!

"Oh fuck off, Westbrook. Don't talk to me. And since you're a vampire - don't even pretend to breath. I don't like you. You don't like me. And we certainly don't have anything to discuss, besides your soon but inevitable death - again - so, step up and off. Alright?"

Seth chuckled. "Ha! You are jealous of sis. Big sis is jealous of precious little Dawn -"

"Shut your mouth. I'm not jealous. I'm having a bad day, which you are making worse. I hate this dress. I hate any dress - that is why I don't normally wear them. I hate weddings, and I certainly greatly dislike you right now."

"Why?"

"Why?! You ask me why?! You've stolen 3 of my clients in the past 6 months, actively tried to buy out my lease, interrupted a majority of my leisure time - and to top it off, you are now a part of the family and have been crossed off the To Be Killed list. Death would be welcome at this point."

"Aw come on, it ain't so bad. We can be partners. Share the work load and what not. And besides, I didn't do all that, on purpose. Well, the clients went to me since your workload was so big anyway - and your landlord wanted me to buy out the lease because You're the one causing property damage with all the Dimension Openings you and your sister conduct. As for being part of the fam - just think of me as your Drunk pervy uncle in the corner. You won't even have to buy me a real christmas present. For eternity, since - we are both immortal -"

"Correction: I'm immortal. You're the vamp with redemptive qualities. Big difference."

"Oi! I am not redemptive. I'm perfectly bad and evil - I just choose not to do so while my generation still live. And it makes for good business. Paying taxes eternally, you know."

Cyn covered her small sound of amusement quickly by taking a sip of her drink.

"Doofus, you're 185 years old. People of your 'generation' have conveniently passed on to the hereafter."

"My brother is here."

"Your brother is really your great great great or whatever nephew - who just so happens to be the reincarnation of your brother from ancient years ago."

"How about you, oh eternal one - how many candles you gonna be blowing?"

"I'm only 52, thank you very much." Cyn brought her hand to her mouth to cover a burp. Naturally, her state made her miss the innuendo and the opportunity to pop the villain in the nose.

"52? So you're telling me you will always and forever look like you're barely in your 20s? Lucky. Oil Of Olay hates you."

"Not lucky, moron. Hunters are destined to meet a nasty, gruesome - and sometimes humiliating - deaths. I've already died twice - drowning, hellish dimension - and each time, humiliating."

Impressed, Seth looked around the room. He only had the pleasure of dying once. And that was enough.

"Died twice? Resurrection in any?"

"One was a drowning. Too weak to roll out of a puddle due to blood loss. Second, Powers that currently Be decided that my sacrifice was an accident and was not meant to be so... tada. Made a big mess of it and everything. Subjected me to immortality with the second rising."

Silence. Cyn has been counted on to bring down the mood of any house. If she hadn't already killed them all.

"So. You still get carded don't you."

"Oh my god. STOP TALKING TO ME!"

"Is everyone having fun?" Dawn Baker Westbrook's shadow, in all her bridal glory, fell ominously over the table from behind Seth and Cyn.

"Merry good time."

"Yes."

"Good, good. We're throwing the Bouquet now. Cyn, come on!"

Glaring at Seth and downing the rest of her drink, she stomped off to the crowd of female hopefuls. Far enough for everyone to doubt if she was participating or not, barely.

After the hoopla and teetering and pastel insanity - the countdown began.

Cyn raised her hand for a drink - and out of nowhere a weapon of destruction was being hurled at her head. With quick reflexes she moved her head to the left and caught the offending thing with her right. She was going to wield the whatever it was with the natural agility of a Huntress when a loud and roar-like sound the crowd was making registered in Cyn's brain.

And the thing that she held in her hand was worse than any sword, mace, or any eviscerating weaponry.

And Cyn knew who had cast the spell. If it had been anyone else but her sister, heads would roll.

Unfortunately with how everything in the world conspired against her, this particular event isn't merely superstition, or maiden wishful thinking.

This really did mean that she, Cyn Baker, was next.

It really sucked to have a White Witch as a sister.