Kill A Dove (Sealed Blood Book 3)

Book summary

In "Kill A Dove," Raiven's joyous wedding plans are overshadowed by danger and her escalating necromantic powers. Hunted by Mater Vitae, she and Kisten journey to Africa, her birthplace, seeking answers about her past and the fate of Supernaturals. In a world rife with fear, deception, and uncertainty, Raiven faces a pivotal question: who can she trust, and can her future with Kisten withstand the harsh truths awaiting discovery?

Excerpt from Kill A Dove (Sealed Blood Book 3)

I sighed as I spun on the projector again, doing my best to let Shannon see the dress from behind. She frowned as she leaned back in her seat, balancing the tablet on her knee as she made several different noises. Then finally, she shook her head, blowing a raspberry as I glanced over my shoulder. She was running her hand through her blonde hair, a pouty expression on her face as she glared at the screen.

“It just looks too… princessy,” she complained, swiping on the tablet as I turned to face her again. Justina laughed in the chair beside her, adjusting her wrap as she shifted baby Noelle in her arms. “Too much fabric, and it’s just way too big.”

“Is my сестра not good enough to be a princess for her own wedding?” the sorcerer joked, and I couldn’t help my slight laugh as Shannon rolled her eyes at the two of us. I spread my arms out as she chose another dress and the image around me shimmered before adjusting. This particular dress shop had actually been recommended by Vanessa, but the vampire had declined to accompany us for the fitting, saying it still held too many memories for her.

I sighed as my thoughts drifted, barely hearing what my other bridesmaids were saying as they fussed over the detail of the dress. It hardly seemed like only three months had passed since Shannon’s wedding and Mark’s death, and I couldn’t help as I pushed against the ring on my finger. Vanessa was Mark’s surviving wife, and while she agreed to still be a bridesmaid for my union, she excused herself from most of the planning, more than content to leave it to her sister-in-law and Justina.

“Feathers? Just because she’s named after a bird doesn’t mean she should look like a plucked курица .”

“With the way you’re acting, I would think this was your wedding, Bridezilla.”

“You are insane if you think I’m going to let you do that to my Raiven,” Justina spat, and I couldn’t help my giggle as the two went back and forth, Justina trying to take the tablet from Shannon. Both were strong-willed and stubborn, neither willing to back down once they had made up their minds about something. Luckily, their partners liked their fire, and I simply found it endearing as Justina finally stopped trying to take the device, settling for reaching over Shannon’s arm instead.

I jumped slightly as my phone vibrated and I was careful to pull it from my pocket, not wanting to disrupt the projection. It held a message from Kisten and I couldn’t help smiling as I opened the device.

<I swear these two are worse than their wives,> he complained, and I laughed out loud as Justina changed my dress again. Kisten and I were only separated by the wall behind me, Arkrian and Crispin helping the Alpha to choose his suit. The shop specialized in holo-designed wedding attire, and the couples could easily share their designs with each other via the designing tablets. It was exciting to think that we were so close, but would still remain unaware until the day of the wedding, my heart pounding as I considered seeing him in his suit.

“There it is!” I returned my attention to my bridesmaids as Shannon exclaimed, excitedly selecting a new dress. I was unable to help my surprise as the hologram changed, the fabric now dragging from my hand as I lifted my phone. Even Justina seemed interested in the more goddess-like style, humming her agreement as she finished feeding Noelle.

“The style is nice, but white looks absolutely hideous on Raiven,” the sorcerer mused, reaching over to tap on the tablet in Shannon’s lap. I watched as the material around me flashed through an assortment of colors and shades, the women trying to agree on a color. I carefully slid my phone back into my pocket, looking up to notice baby Noelle watching me curiously. Despite the danger to such a young vampire, Justina took Noelle with her everywhere, wanting to enjoy as much time as she could with her child. Considering it was likely the sorcerer wouldn’t even live long enough to see her daughter’s tenth birthday, it was a choice that made sense and my chest clenched slightly with the thought.

“Hey.” I pushed away my morbid thoughts, waving slightly and the little girl tilted her head more, still watching me as her mother adjusted her again. Noelle had been born right after the incident at Shannon’s wedding with Whistleblower, and her bright green eyes were an exact match of her mother’s. Justina and Crispin were still betting over whether her hair would be blue or blonde, but I had a feeling they would both be wrong as I made a face at the baby. She looked at me curiously before attempting a smile, and I was unable to help my chuckle as Shannon spoke again.

“C’mon Justina, dark purple with glitter is perfect, look!” Shannon gestured toward me as the hologram shifted again and the dress shimmered as I moved. The purple was a slightly lighter shade at the neckline, but slowly deepened into almost a black color, and the glitter twinkled like stars as I moved. I turned to see myself in the mirror and my heart pounded at the sight. I found myself grinning as I considered Kisten seeing me in a dress like this, and I heard Justina sigh with defeat.

“Well, given that stupid smile on Raiven’s face, I’ll have to concede,” the sorcerer said, giving me a soft smile despite her dismissive tone. I shrugged and smiled back and Justina shook her head as she turned to Shannon. “Looks like you win this round, Дорогой .”

“If it makes you feel better, I’ll let you have full rein over the bridesmaid dresses,” Shannon offered, leaning back in her chair as she smiled at Justina.

“Good to leave that to someone with taste,” the sorcerer jabbed and Shannon laughed, motioning the attendant over as she sent the design to her husband. As the hologram faded from my body completely and I gently pulled my sleeves back down, I felt my phone vibrate again and was unable to help my amusement at Kisten’s new message.

<I don’t know what you guys did, but it set a fire under these two. I'm likely to be here for at least another hour.>

<Wait until you see.>