Charlotte whispers to Ambrose, “This is so exciting!” and they make their way down the central aisle, stopping every few paces to greet people.

I look out over the crowd, searching, but not finding. Then a voice comes from behind me.

“Hey, handsome. Fashionably late?”

I turn, and my breath catches in my throat. Siaka is wearing a grey suit over a black shirt accompanied by a silk tie and pocket square the color of ripe apricots. But I barely catch that—all I can see is his face. His brown skin, glowing with health. Jade green eyes sparkling with amusement. Only a month ago, he was a corpse, and now?

Well, now...

I take his face in my hands and pull him into a kiss.

It’s a kiss that says, I’m so happy to be here with you. Not to mention, You’re so hot that even though we’re in a room full of people, I can’t keep my hands off you.

Siaka leans back and smiles. “You know we’re in a church, right?”

“Yeah, but I haven’t seen you in over twenty-four hours,” I respond. “That’s more than a day without a kiss, which has got to be some sort of sin. So, this is the perfect place to do penance.”

“You are insane,” Siaka says, laughing. He pulls me back in for another kiss. Then, he takes me by the hand. “Seriously. We better hurry. Bran’s saving our seats.”

He leads me towards the second row, where two chairs sit empty next to Bran and Charles. As we take our seats, Ava and Jules turn to greet us. In a stage whisper she says, “Louis. So good to see you again. And you must be Siaka. We’ve heard so much about you.”

“The American Champion. It’s an honor,” he says, leaning forward to give her the bises. I’ve forgotten how stunning she is. I know a part of it is the same magnetic Champion allure that Kate has, but it’s clear that Ava was remarkable even before she animated. It’s practically impossible to take your eyes off of her.

Jules reaches over to shake Siaka’s hand. “I’m Jules, no honorific title. Nothing special about me...not now that she’s around.”

Siaka laughs. “Nothing special? That’s not what I’ve heard. Your exploits are legendary, man.”

Ava eye rolls and holds up a hand. “Don’t even start,” she says, and then leans in toward Jules for a playful kiss. “He’s mine now. His past stays firmly in the past.”

Jules’s expression shows how smitten he is. Siaka sits back, grabs my hand and holds it between his. The look he gives me makes it feel as though all this adoration is contagious.

Which it clearly is.