Miles Dartmore had been so moved by my sister’s beauty, he had teared up. His mother had also teared up, but hers hadn’t been happy tears. Her only son had just married a woman who his mother already knew was a mistake. Mother’s instinct, I imagine, or just common sense. Men were charmed easily by Kamlock women. Women weren’t as easily fooled.

Geneva hadn’t wanted others to stand with them for the ceremony and distract from her, so luckily, Leanne and I were seated beside our mother. On the other side of our mother sat Geneva and Leanne’s father, Zephyr. That was his only name, as if he were Eminem or Beyoncé. He was a powerful, evil warlock, but he wasn’t a superstar.

I had never attended a regular wedding, but I assumed this one wasn’t that normal. My sister had researched weddings and refused any pagan rituals in their ceremony. She was determined to keep what she was from Miles. I didn’t know much about Catholics, but I knew none of their regular traditions were being represented here. That hadn’t gone over well with the Dartmore family, I assumed.

Once the debacle was finished and everyone was directed to the cocktail and appetizer tent while the bride changed into her party attire, I was free to leave my family and go back to my friends.

A swarm of workers from the event planning company that had been hired to transform the ceremony area into the after party came in once the guests moved to the smaller tent located on the west side of the house. My gaze found the Dartmore family, and I saw the mother forcing a smile as she spoke to guests I didn’t know. I truly felt sorry for her. I knew what was to come for not only Miles but also his relationship with his mother. A Kamlock woman could be deadlier than a disease. Just ask anyone who had ever loved one, if you could find them still living.

With a sigh of heaviness, I turned slowly away from the parents whose son had just been lost to a darkness he had no idea existed.

“She’s that bad, huh?” A deep voice was so close to me that I jumped and let out a startled squeal. I’d been so lost in my thoughts I hadn’t heard or felt Rathe beside me.

“Holy crap! You scared me,” I said, glaring at him and wishing I didn’t like looking at him, or smelling him, or listening to his voice.

He barely grinned. The left corner of his mouth lifted slightly. “I wasn’t trying to sneak up on you.”

“Well, you did,” I snapped and moved away slightly to put some distance between us. I glanced around for Heath and Margo, but they weren’t with him. “Where are Heath and Margo?”