Darkness Dawns (42 page)

“So are yours.”

He smiled. “They’ll always glow when I want you.”

Releasing her, he unlocked the door and punched in the security code. Then, turning, he lifted her into his arms, carried her across the threshold … and stopped short.

Sarah followed his gaze and stared at their living room in disbelief. “Wow.”

There were brightly wrapped gifts everywhere. On every surface. Every piece of furniture. Stacked nearly as high as the ceiling.

Roland lowered her feet to the floor and closed the door. “Seth warned me there would be wedding presents, but I didn’t expect there to be so many.”

The two of them had been married earlier that evening in David’s backyard in a private ceremony attended by Seth, David, Marcus, Chris, Lisette, and Étienne that was presided over by a minister friend of Chris’s.

Well, private wasn’t entirely accurate. The wedding had been broadcast live over the Internet on a heavily encrypted website only other Immortal Guardians and their Seconds could access. So many around the world had been awed and enchanted by their story that they had wanted to witness the historic event themselves.

Sarah and Roland had consented.

“Are these all from Seth and David?” she asked.

Roland glanced at the cards on the packages closest to them. “They’re from … everyone. Every immortal on the planet sent something, by the looks of it.”

“But they don’t even know me.”

“Most don’t know me either. And few that do like me. I’m as stunned as you are.”

They stood there for a long moment before he took her hand. “Why don’t we put off opening these until later. There’s something I want to show you.”

“Okay.”

Wending his way through the mountains of boxes, Roland led her to the back door. Sarah followed him out into the shadows that darkened the large deck.

A pretty meadow spread out before them and off to the side was …

She gasped. “A veggie garden!”

“I regretted that you never got to plant yours.”

Throwing her arms around his neck, she hugged him tightly. “Thank you, Roland. It’s perfect.”

He grinned, locking his arms behind her back. “
You’re
perfect.” Bending, he kissed her forehead, her cheeks, then her lips. “Thank you for saving my life, Sarah, in so many ways.”

She kissed him back. “Thank you for transforming mine.”