“True,” I admitted. “But that doesn’t mean they’ll let my wife be punished. We go to Court, and we’re golden.” She didn’t answer right away, and that silence unnerved me. I began to worry and find other problems, ones that had nothing to do with my plan’s questionable logic. “But if you’re not sure about us . . .”
She focused back in on me. “Oh, Adrian, no. That’s not it at all. I mean, it’s like I said. I never expected to get married so young, but I can’t imagine spending my life with anyone but you. I figured it would happen someday. This is just kind of a shock. And think also about what our life would be like. If we’re getting sanctuary with the Moroi, does that mean we have to stay at Court forever? Will I ever get to see my family again?”
That caught me off guard. The biggest complications I’d foreseen would’ve been reactions from my family—and others, say, like Nina. There would be problems there, yes, but what Sydney and I faced now was too important. I was prepared to deal with whatever fallout my people might present, but I honestly hadn’t thought far enough to consider Sydney’s side of it. I didn’t have easy answers for that but responded confidently, as though I did: “It’ll be short-term. I mean, I don’t know how long ‘short-term’ is, but eventually, this’ll pass, and we’ll be free to go wherever we want and see whomever we want.”
Her wry expression told me she was skeptical. “How do you know that?”
“Because I just do. And I believe no matter what conditions we’re in, we’ll be okay as long as we’re together.”
“Okay,” she said after a little more deliberation. “One more thing. Putting aside the whole issue of getting sanctuary with the Moroi, do you think we’re strong enough for it? Marriage isn’t just a piece of paper.”
I got up and sat next to her. “I know it isn’t,” I said. “And I know it would be hard—for all sorts of reasons. But I think we can handle whatever comes our way, so long as we keep loving each other like this.” I thought of my parents and their sham marriage. That seemed like more of a joke than anything hasty Sydney and I might do.
“How do you propose we pull it off then?” she asked. “I’m sure this hotel has a wedding chapel, but there’s no way we could do it here.”
“No,” I agreed. No Moroi minister was going to bless this union. “Right now, no Alchemists are getting near this place. We have a tiny window to get out. We can just go down to the courthouse and—what’s wrong?” She was starting to tear up again.
“Nothing, nothing,” she said. “It’s just . . . no. Never mind.”
“Tell me,” I urged.
“It’s just . . .” She sighed. “Every other plan I’ve had has gone out the window. College, my family . . . and now moving up my wedding by several years. And with that, even the wedding has changed. I always thought that when it happened, we’d have our friends there, a dress, the full deal. I know none of that matters, and I mean it: I’ll gladly marry you in a teal T-shirt. It’s just all so different. I just need a minute to adapt to all these changes.”
I stroked the side of her face. “No, you don’t. Not on this, at least. Give me a second.”
I stood up and took out my cell phone, looking up a few things while she watched me curiously. Within minutes, I had a plan. I just hoped it didn’t cause us more trouble than it solved.
“Okay, we’re getting out now, while the Alchemists are blocked from this hotel. They’ll eventually find a way back in—if only with makeup-covered tattoos. Do you have any more invisibility amulets?”
She shook her head. “I can cast a minor invisibility spell . . . but it won’t work well in a crowded place like this. Too many people to run into.”
“I’ll cover us then. Come on.” I held out my hand. “We’ve got to get out of here now.”
We went back downstairs, and I cast a wave of spirit around us that made us unmemorable and obscured our features to anyone who got too close. I knew it was working when we walked right past one of the guards who’d brought me in earlier, and he didn’t give me a second glance. It wouldn’t work for anyone seeing us from a distance, though. I couldn’t affect minds that far away, which was why acting now before the Alchemists could get spies out was essential. I led Sydney down through the underground tunnels that existed underneath the Witching Hour and extended to certain prominent points on the Strip. There were a number of exits, and I didn’t doubt the Alchemists would soon have them all monitored. I just hoped we were ahead of them and that the one I picked wasn’t watched yet.
When we emerged, it was into a major hotel on the Strip. Neither of us saw any signs of being followed, so I relaxed the spirit magic as we walked through the establishment. I spent no time there and simply went straight to the taxi stand outside. We caught a cab and soon were on our way to the nearest office that would give us a marriage license. The first good luck we’d had in a while was on our side, and we arrived to find a minimal line, probably thanks to it being a weekday afternoon. We each offered up our IDs when our turn came, and I shot Sydney a grin as the clerk processed our paperwork.
“Getting married as yourself, huh? Not Misty Steele?”
“That would be safer, absolutely,” she said with a wry smile. “But if we’re going to try to claim asylum with the Moroi, we need this to be as legal as possible. You’re marrying Sydney Sage, whether you want to or not.”
I kissed her forehead. “It’s the only thing I want.”
No Alchemists assaulted us during this errand, which I took as a good sign. Once we had our license, we took a cab back to the Strip, to yet another hotel, this one adjacent to a huge underground shopping complex. I double-checked an address on my phone and then guided Sydney to the place I’d looked up earlier: a business whose sole purpose was to prepare people for quick Vegas weddings. The part we walked into was filled with wedding dresses, and beyond it, I could see a salon area. A consultant stepped out as soon as we entered.
“You look like a happy couple,” she said. I wondered if that was true, since we were both pretty tense about being followed. “How can I help you?”
“We’re getting married,” I declared. “And you have two hours to give her anything she wants and needs to get ready.”