"You're kidding right?" I asked as I looked over at her. She just shook her head staring down at the letter with something akin to horror shining in her eyes.

"But why would we be invited?" I asked after a long silence. Seri wasn't exactly the silent type...well when we were private, she tended to keep her trap shut in public though for various reasons...namely she didn't want to lead all the men out of the city the way the Pied piper had lead away the rats. Being a siren can be rough. Course being a vampire wasn't a picnic either. I heaved a sigh.

Seri shook her head again. If she didn't start spilling the beans I was going to have to hurt her...okay so maybe I wouldn't...but I'd think about it. What can I say, I'm pretty much a non-violent person...most the time.

"It says that Kash and Luce are getting married...on the 22 in St. Louis." She finally said still staring down at the invitation.

I frowned. Okay those names I knew. Why either of them were in St. Louis, and why they'd be getting married...that was a horse of a different color. "What are they doing in St. Louis?" I asked turning my eyes back to the road.

We were driving home from work...it was about four in the morning...see another reason it sucks to be a vampire...I missed watching the sun rise and having a day job. How many libraries are there that are open 24-7...none that I've found...which sorta put a crimp in my career plans. Fortunately enough I'd found a way around that, I was the archivist for a private collection...and could make my own hours. See God really does work in mysterious ways. Which reminded me.

"Kash is actually going to marry him...did he drug her?" I demanded griping the steering wheel. It didn't make any sense Kash was an Avi, Luce was well...Lucifer...it was like the old story about the fish and the bird falling in love...where would they live? He couldn't exactly live with her in Chirval, and she sure as....well she wouldn't be wanting to set up house keeping in his realm. Course there was always Earth I suppose. Still, it was twisted.

"How the hell would I know?" Seri replied looking up at me with disgust. She stuffed the invitation back in its envelope. "The only way we'll find any of that out is to go to the wedding and ask." She added sighing.

"Go back to St. Louis...now there's a GREAT idea," I said with as much sarcasm as I could muster...which was a lot. I'd changed in the past two years, having your family disown you and sharing a demonic possesion with a Nightingale could do that to a person. Go figure.

I pulled into the drive of the small tudor cottage that we were slowly renting to own. I don't know how other Vampires make their fortunes...but in that area I hadn't changed much from the human me...I was still working for a living...well you know what I mean.

Seri unbuckled her seat belt and opened the door, grabbing some groceries from the back seat. Sure I may be a vampire...but every girl needs her Herbal Essences...body wash, shampoo and conditioner. I'm actually rather grateful at times for my heightened senses...nice smells are just that much nicer....well so long as they weren't cloying. I grabbed the other bags as I got out of the car and headed to the house. I had the keys so I had to unlock the door.

Seri flipped on the lights as she came in the house. We were both just now starting to get in habit of doing that, neither one of us needed light to see. Another one of the benefits...but I don't think it makes up for the whole 'I have no soul and have to feed on the blood of others' thing. Course I could be wrong...least now I had all the time in the world to read every book ever written...that was an upside...of course the down side was I could never eat another raspberry truffle...that was the real clincher...what was immortality without chocolate?

"So are we going then?" I asked as I set the bags down on the counter. I guess other vampires lead exciting and unusual lives...deaths...whatever...personally I perfered the quiet existence Seri and I shared. Well usually it was quiet...there were the ocassional outbursts from Fata, but we were getting better at controlling those all the time. Controlling her was the reason the two of us had decided to share eternity...we were stronger together...and this way we knew that we were both safe and that she was still dormant...ever vigilent...wasn't that the army motto or something?

She had started putting away her yogart...Seri likes yogart...a lot. And that my friends is the understatement of the week. She looked up over the fridge door at me. "Yeah I guess...you realize Asher will be there." She added the last very softly and her head disappeared back into the fridge.

I gritted my teeth. My sire...of course he'd be there...I hadn't seen him in almost three years...it wasn't long enough. It isn't that I don't like Asher, I do. Like him that is. Its just, well all of St. Louis is sort of a sore spot for me. I had died there after all, of course at the time I'd thought it was much worse then I did now. I'd been a born again christian when I was alive...not that I'd lost my faith now or anything.

Its just that at the time, I'd been convinced that by becoming a vampire I was giving up my immortal soul. I wasn't so sure I had anymore...part of that was Kash's doing...which is why I was even considering going back to St. Louis for her wedding. I owed her. Seri and I both did, and we knew it. I also knew that this wasn't Kash calling in a favor...it was just her being her. She's strange. Okay so maybe that is my understatment of the day.

Still I wasn't sure I wanted to see them all again...the whole kit and caboddle...memories aren't exactly kind things. Not always at least. Of course there were some things in St. Louis that I'd missed. Some people actually. Some of the only real friends I'd ever had. I'm not a social creature...but in that situtation, I hadn't needed to be really.

"Yeah." I said finally to Seri, I wasn't sure how she felt about it...but I still wanted to go, if for no other reason then to revisit and old nightmare and finally lay it to rest. I started taking fruit out of one of the bags. I missed fruit. "I'm sure Asher will be delighted to see me." I said with a hint of mischief. Time to move on to the teasing...after all if I didn't do it who would.

I could practically hear Seri blushing. "I'm sure." She said mildly. staying well out of site. She had a major crush on Asher, it was one of the reasons we'd left St. Louis. She'd been afraid to stay...afraid she'd hurt him, or get him hurt. I can't say as I blamed her. He'd ended up almost dying of silver nitrate poisoning because Fata had come to town...well that was partly my fault as well, but I'd just be the tool...it wasn't because of me per se. Seri though still felt extremely guilty about all of that, not to mention the fact that Padma was still out there plotting and planning to his feindish heart's content.

Enemies can really put a damper on a person's love life. Fortunatley I'd finally convinced her that together we were more then a match for him, and she had agreed not to go into hiding again. I personally am opposed to hiding...it chafes.

"You going to finally get the nerve to do something besides pine from a distance?" I asked one eyebrow arching. Seri's my best friend, I'm allowed to torment her if I want. She stood up and glared at me. "Who says I've pined at all." She demanded.

I laughed. "Oh come on, you've pined for him for over four hundred years, its about time you stood up and admitted it." I said shaking my head at her.

"You can't prove that." She said her hands on her hips her foot tapping in agitation. She's so cute when she gets riled. I try to keep her riled...its more fun for me that way...of course I've been hit in the head with more then my fair share of pillows because of it.

"Riight, go on keep denying it." I teased tosing her and orange. She caught it easily but didn't stop glaring at me.

"I have never said one word about liking Asher as anything more then a friend." She said haughtily putting the orange away.

I laughed at her again. "Get a grip girl its written all over your face anytime I even mention him. Not to mention the near swoon you did when you say him on the news last year." I tossed her another orange.

"I did not swoon...I just got a tad light headed...it was from donating so much blood". She returned as we continued adding oranges to the fridge. Putting up groceries is only fun if you get to throw things.

"Ouch now that was a cheap shot."
"I did NOT swoon."
"Whatever you say."
"I didn't"
"Uh-huh."
"I didn't."
"I think the lady doth protest to much."
"I'm going to shoot you."
"I'm soo scared."
"Mess with me and I'll call Edward and have him shoot you."
"I'm shaking in my boots."
"You should be."
"Don't worry I am."

Seri's eyes narrowed for a minute and then she burst out laughing. "Okay so we're going to St. Louis for a wedding...and maybe...I promise nothing, but maybe I'll talk to Asher. Will that make you satisfied." She said after controlling herself.

"Maybe, just so long as I don't have to bare witness to any of these conversations." I said leering.

She just shook her heand and glared at me...then suddenly her eyes widened and she spun around running out of the kitchen. "What?" I called trailing her to her room. She was frantically going through her closet. She turned to look at me and smiled. "Well don't just stand there, help me find something to wear."