Darkly Deceived (Darkly Devoted Series, Book 2)

Chapter 5 - The Last Choice

Chapter 5

THE REHEARSAL dinner was to be held at the local diner. It was Daniel's choice. Despite posting the location online ages ago, Vivienne was the first person to show up. She imagined Daniel was probably playing a video game and lost track of time. Allison was habitually late, especially now that she traveled with a flock of sorority girls.

Her parents were coming into town the next morning because they got a flat tire. As Vivienne got ready for the rehearsal dinner, Janun texted her that their father was throwing a fit and heading off to the nearest casino. It did not surprise Vivienne to hear that. She doubted they were going to make it to dinner. It's not like she really wanted to see her father hold his nose while meeting Daniel's comic-book store-owning parents again.

The last thing Vivienne wanted was to sit at an empty table, so she lingered outside the diner and played on her phone. She thought of the message on the note. You will always be loved. Yeah, right, Vivienne thought to herself. Always, must be a very short amount of time, Blake.

The only person Vivienne was looking forward to seeing was Marie, an elderly woman in their small town with the demon sickness who Vivienne had seen three years ago, shortly after leaving Manna City. In the beginning, Vivienne could absorb demon energy through her hands, but a couple of months after leaving, those powers faded. Now, as time passed, Vivienne had no powers at all to offer people like Marie. All she offered now was her free time.

The woman had no family and settled out here because the property was cheap. Vivienne visited Marie frequently and adopted her as a grandmother figure. In the past, Marie had taken Nectar pills for her arthritis pain and now, without those enchanted medicines, she relied on Vivienne to help her with some of her daily chores. Vivienne didn't mind, she enjoyed feeling as though she was finally doing some good in the world.

Marie would always say she had less pain when she was addicted to the Nectar, but now she felt like herself again. Vivienne noticed a group of people approaching the diner. She put her phone away. It was Marie, but she was with two people Vivienne didn't know. There was a young girl, around Vivienne's age holding Marie's arm. Vivienne wondered if it was another friend or a paid aid of the elderly woman. Then Vivienne realized with amazement that Marie could run up to her and throw her arms around Vivienne's waist.

"You look so beautiful today, my dear," Marie said.

"Wow, you're spry today," Vivienne said in shock.

"Evelyn here, she has the most miraculous hands," Marie reached over to the young girl's hands and brought her close. "Let her touch you and she'll heal you."

"I don't need healing," Vivienne said as she eyed the young girl coldly. There was something about the way the young girl was staring at her that made her uncomfortable.

"Don't you?" Marie asked in a coy way that only an eighty-year-old granny could. "Your heart needs healing."

"I'm afraid I can't help with that," Evelyn said with a knowing smile. "I can only heal flesh and bone. Not feelings."

"Vivienne here also has the most amazing gift," Marie said as she leaned into her young friend. "The two of you are like opposite sides of the same coin."

"Why don't we go inside and have a seat, Marie," Vivienne said as she directed the elderly woman indoors.

"Evelyn here was looking for you," Marie said, as she walked up the stairs to the diner. "Why don't you hear what she has to say?"

Vivienne turned back to Evelyn and offered her best imitation of a smile. "I am very busy today, as you can see. So why don't you tell me what you want?"