"Are you ready for this?" Phoenix asked.

Jayesh didn't answer. He was pulling on a formal black warlock robe over a white undershirt and adjusting it in the bathroom mirror of his tiny dorm room in the Tower. His Ghost flew around him, checking the fit.

Jayesh Khatri was a young warlock, just past his second year of life as a Guardian. He had warm brown skin and dark, wavy hair that spoke of the Himalayan mountains where Phoenix had found him. And today, he was marrying his fireteam-mate, Kari Winters.

"Yes and no," Jayesh finally answered, fiddling with his collar. "This entire past year, I just wanted to run off and marry her. I still do. But I also want to do the thing right, with vows in front of witnesses."

"And a big party afterward?" Phoenix laughed.

Jayesh grinned a little. "I don't think the other Guardians would let me get away without it. I didn't realize how many people have been watching us."

"Shipping you, more like," Phoenix replied. "Why do you think you're not ready, though?"

Jayesh began combing his hair in one direction, changed his mind, and combed it the other way. "Uh, well. She's been married before. To a Titan."

"Yeah, so?"

Jayesh looked at the comb for a moment. A dull red blush crept into his face. "What if I can't … please her? On our wedding night?"

Phoenix rolled his eye.

"I'm serious," Jayesh said. "I'm a virgin, Phoenix. I don't know anything about sex. And Kari does, and I …" He paused and gulped. "What if she thinks she made a huge mistake and … and has the marriage annulled or something?"

"Jay," Phoenix said, flying in front of him. "This is Kari we're talking about. She's crazy about you. I don't think she's worried too much about that sort of thing."

Jayesh fussed with the set of his robes for a moment. "I need to talk to her. Do you think I could talk to her? Won't she be getting ready for hours?"

"Let me check." Phoenix opened his shell and expanded into a sphere of blue Light, sending out a call to his brother Ghost, Neko. After a moment, Phoenix closed his shell, returning to his former size. "Neko says that Kari's having her hair styled right now and is really bored. We can relay your voices if you want to chat."

Jayesh looked around his bare room and sat on a box. His meager belongings had already been moved upstairs to Kari's spacious apartment, apart from a few odds and ends. Tomorrow, he'd finish cleaning it out and turn in his key to the Vanguard housing management. Marriage had so many mundane worries to go with it.

Phoenix disappeared and said in Jayesh's head, "Go ahead, I'll transmit as soon as you start talking."

Jayesh drew a deep breath. "Kari?"

"Hi Jay," she replied, her voice relayed between their Ghosts and slightly crackly. "How're you doing?"

"Done getting dressed, I guess," Jayesh said, studying the toes of his newly-polished boots. "Uh, can a lot of people hear you right now?"

"Yeah, the stylist and my bridesmaids, but I don't have to repeat everything for them to hear."

Jayesh reddened as if he was standing right in front of them. "Well, I just wanted … wanted to make sure this is what you wanted."

"What do you mean?" Kari said.

Jayesh chewed his lower lip. "I mean … marrying me. Us, together."

"Yes, silly," said Kari with a laugh in her voice. "We've been engaged for a year. It's been torture. I just want us to settle down together, no more being apart."

It sounded so simple, put that way. It had been an exquisite sort of torture, running missions with this new fire between them. Eating meals together, exploring the City. Jayesh had taken on loads of extra patrols to pay off his debts, so their dates hadn't been nearly frequent enough. And every time he saw her, he wanted to run his fingers through her auburn hair, draw her close and kiss her, make love to this woman who meant so much to him.

But what if she found him lacking in some way?

"Kari," Jayesh said softly. "I'm worried about … whether or not I can please you the way Rem did. Tonight." The words burned in his throat - or was that embarrassment choking him?

Kari didn't reply for a moment. Jayesh rubbed his sweaty palms on his knees while he waited.

"Jay," she said, so softly he could barely hear her, "now isn't the time. We'll have to talk about this later."

His heart sank. Maybe she had been thinking about it, too. Maybe she was already having second thoughts. After all, Rem had been a lot bigger than Jayesh, a burly, powerful Titan. Jayesh was lightly built, an inch taller than Kari if he stretched, a warlock who valued knowledge over muscle. As lovers went, he and Rem were opposites.

"All right," he managed to say. "I'll see you at the chapel."

"It's all right, Jay," Kari whispered. "No matter what happens, I love you. Only you."

This reassured him a little. Phoenix closed the connection and reappeared, gazing at his Guardian with a tender expression.

"What?" Jayesh said.

"You," Phoenix said softly. "Caring so much. I feel it in you. I know how precious she is to you. Neko and I have been talking about this for months. Kari cares as much about you as you do about her. Maybe more, because of losing her first husband."

Jayesh gazed at the floor for a moment. "Why does that make a difference? I'd think she'd have some standard that I can't compare to. Since I'm not a Titan."

"It's not about your jobs, idiot," Phoenix said with a flash of temper. "She'd love you no matter what kind of Guardian you were. You're doubting her, and it's doing her a disservice."

Jayesh sat there for several minutes in silence, staring at the floor. After a while, he said, "You're right. I can't afford to doubt her. But I doubt myself, little light. I always have."

"I know," Phoenix murmured, flying forward and bumping his red shell into Jayesh's cheek. "And I wish you wouldn't. But one step at a time."

"I'll get there," Jayesh said with a half-smile, patting his Ghost. "Come on, I'd better get to the chapel. Madrid and Max will be looking for me."

The Last City was a conglomerate of every people group and religion on Earth. Some religions had adapted the Traveler and the Light into their teaching, especially the ones built within the Core District, beneath the Traveler.

The chapel where Kari and Jayesh were to be married was a smaller church in the Tower North district. During the plague winter that had followed the Red War, the priest had opened his doors to the homeless and orphans. Jayesh had visited often during his mercy missions, healing people and bringing what extra rations he could scrounge. He and the priest, Father Edwards, had become friends.

The little church still sheltered several dozen war orphans, all of whom had helped clean and decorate the chapel for 'those nice warlocks who helped us'. When Jayesh arrived, he was greeted by a flock of children, five years old through upper teens, who hugged him and enthusiastically showed off the flowers and garlands strung along the walls and pews. Jayesh was glad to see them all so involved and happy, and accepted their tour.

Madrid and Max, Jayesh's best men, waited for him in an alcove under an arch. Both of them were Hunters, Madrid a tall Awoken, and Max Ross, a shorter human with a shock of blond hair that always seemed to hang in his eyes. They wore parade armor, which on a Hunter amounted to black bodysuits, a light breastplate, and long black cloaks with no holes in them. They watched Jayesh circulate around the chapel with the flock of orphans.

"At least he showed," Madrid said.

"Oh, come on," said Max. "Of course he showed. It's whether or not he runs at the start of the ceremony that we have to watch for."

Madrid grinned, his yellow eyes glowing brighter. "He can't outrun us."

Max laughed. "No warlock can outrun a hunter."

Jayesh finally extricated himself from the children and walked up to Madrid and Max. "Hey, guys. Overseeing the madness?"

"Edwards did that," Madrid replied. "He's in his office right now, getting ready."

Jayesh nodded and rubbed the back of his neck, gazing around the chapel. "It looks good in here." His gaze lingered on the altar, which was festooned with flowers. "I hope it goes as well as the rehearsal did."

"Hey, we're already having fun," Max said, grinning. "You're the only one who's not."

"Until tonight," said Madrid. He and Max guffawed as if he'd just told a prime joke. Jayesh laughed a little, but didn't appear quite so amused.

Madrid slapped him on the back. "Hey, lighten up. I hear Cayde is smuggling in a flask if you need something to help you relax."

"I'll be fine," Jayesh said faintly. "Thanks. Uh, wow, the guests are arriving already." He ducked into the alcove to hide as several Guardians walked in, laughing and admiring the decorations. The oldest of the orphans greeted them and helped them find seats.

"Wuss," Max said.

Jayesh gave him a disrespectful Hunter hand-gesture.

Max only laughed. "Come on, you can hide in the social hall. They have a tea table in there for anybody who needs the caffeine."

Tea was a common drink in the Last City, most commonly made from chicory root or herbs. Coffee and black tea, being tropical crops, were grown in hothouses and were considered expensive luxuries.

Jayesh helped himself to a steaming mug and drank it without sugar or creamer. Max made himself a cup with equal amounts sugar and creamer, for solidarity, he said. Madrid drank nothing, but kept an eye on the chapel through the doorway, watching the guests arrive.

"I hear you guys hired Eva Levante to decorate the Tower," Max said. When Jayesh didn't respond, Max turned to Madrid. "And they got Lord Shaxx to make his famous deep-pit barbecue. I hear he's got most of a pig in there."

This distracted Madrid from his vigil. "They got Shaxx to cook? How'd you do that? Bribe him with a new Crucible arena?"

Jayesh gave them a faint smile. "We asked nicely. He's, uh, been shipping us for a while."

Madrid and Max burst out laughing.

"Shipped by Shaxx!" Madrid gasped. "That's rich! How did he even know? You don't play the Crucible, Jayesh!"

Max said for him, "Haven't you seen Jayesh moping around the Tower when Kari's not there? Everybody knew what was going on. There's actually a running bet going that he's not a virgin anymore."

Madrid laughed until the tears came to his eyes. Jayesh didn't say anything, but he finally looked at his friends with a savage scowl. He clenched his fists and fire flickered around them. As their laughter died away, Jayesh said, very quietly, "We've abstained, and it's been the hardest thing I've ever done in my life. If you're going to mock me for it, you can leave. Right now."

Max and Madrid sobered.

"Look, we're just hassling you," Max said.

"Yeah," Madrid added. "It's been pretty obvious you're not sleeping with her. All the, how you say, unresolved sexual tension." He couldn't resist the smirk that curled the corner of his mouth.

Jayesh gazed at them a moment, then slowly relaxed. "All right, then. Phoenix, what's the time?"

"Thirty-two minutes until showtime," his Ghost replied, popping into view.

"Thanks." Jayesh poured himself another cup of tea. "So, what about you two? Any prospects?"

Max grinned. "You know Sorrel. We're kind of on again, off again, but I'm hoping she'll come around."

They both looked at Madrid expectantly. He shrugged. "I don't like being tied down. Had a few relationships in the past. They're over. My Ghost is the only female I need in my life."

"Spoken like a true hunter," Jayesh said, punching Madrid's arm.

Madrid grinned sheepishly. His Ghost, Rose, appeared behind him and peeked over his shoulder. She wore a handmade rosebud shell, testament to her Guardian's loving care.

Max held out a hand and summoned his Ghost, Zero. "Standing around is boring. Who wants to play cards?"

Thus Jayesh passed the next half an hour agreeably distracted.

Kari tried to quell her nervousness as she gazed in the mirror in her room. Her friends, fellow Guardians, had done a fantastic job with her hair and makeup. He auburn hair was pulled back in a soft knot at the back of her head, draping over her ears in two soft locks. Instead of the combat robes Kari had argued so hard for, her friends had convinced her to wear a white, lacy dress. Kari had to admit that she looked good. Jayesh would be stunned.

In her head, Neko said, "My beautiful Guardian. He'd better appreciate you or I'll make his life very uncomfortable."

"Don't you dare," Kari thought. "You're taking the Ghost vow, too."

"I know, I know," Neko groaned. "Binding contract and all. I don't see why I have to enter into the marriage agreement, too."

"You're taking Jayesh on as a secondary Guardian," Kari thought. "And Phoenix is accepting me. It's a big deal."

"You have no idea how big," Neko grumbled. "I've had other Ghosts trying to talk me out of it for months."

"What!" Kari exclaimed inside her head. "Why?"

"There's a lot of risk," Neko replied. "I pledged to Rem, remember. When he died, it damaged me as well as you. I'm not eager to do it again. The other Ghosts remember that."

Kari had no answer for that one. Rem's loss was still an ache below her ribcage, an empty space in her life. But Jayesh occupied a new place in her heart-a new, fresh place, full of promise and hope.

"We should get going," said Ildoreth, an Awoken warlock who had just returned from a long mission on Mars. She cracked her stoic facade for a wide smile. "You're beautiful, Kari."

"You really are," said Ellie-9, an Exo Titan whom Kari had known since Twilight Gap. "He'd better be worth it."

"Oh, he is," Kari said, beaming at her reflection. Suddenly she couldn't wait to find Jayesh and fling her arms around him.

As Ellie put the finishing touches on Kari's makeup, Ildoreth folded her arms. "Jayesh Khatri, though? He's a good healer, but he made up all that stuff about being trapped inside the Traveler. You have to really watch a man like that."

Heat erupted inside Kari's chest and boiled into her face. She couldn't turn and glare at her friend, because of the brush sweeping her face, so she sat very still, instead. "He didn't make anything up. It really happened."

"Lots of people say it didn't," Ildoreth said. "People like the Thantonaughts. And the Gensym Scribes. Experts. You sure his Ghost doesn't keep him high? I've heard of Ghosts doing that."

Lightning began to crackle over Kari's hair and down her arms. Ellie had to retreat, flinching.

"Stop," Kari said through her teeth. "Just. Stop. I will kill you, Ildoreth."

The other warlock retreated a step. "All right, all right. I just don't want to see you make a huge mistake, is all."

Kari couldn't answer. Rage burned through her whole body. It took all her concentration to control her temper and beat her Light back down, where it wouldn't hurt anyone. The media had smeared Jayesh after the Red War, seeming to delight in destroying the career of a young Guardian barely out of training. He had kept his head down and did his job as a Guardian, even spending the winter after the War healing the people who had hated him. Kari had watched him through most of it, and it was partly his graciousness that had attracted her to him.

And now she really wanted to hurl herself into his arms and protect him from ignorant people who still believed everything the so-called experts said.

Ellie-9 brushed a little more makeup on Kari's face and stepped back for a look, her green eye-lights blinking. "I think you're ready, girl. Good thing, too, because it's almost time."

The women summoned their Ghosts, who transmitted them a mile across the City and onto the pavement outside the little chapel.

Kari beckoned to Neko, who took his place at her shoulder. Then Kari entered the chapel's front doors. Her bridesmaids hurried off to the back doors to take their places at the front of the church.

In a human wedding, the bride's father would walk her down the aisle to symbolically give her away to the groom. But among Guardians, who were resurrected warriors with no memory of family, the Ghost had to fill that role. Neko took it very seriously. He wore a new blue shell for the occasion with a bright red rampant lion across it-the old one had gotten rather faded. He flew at Kari's shoulder as she entered the church and waited for the music to start.

Jayesh stood at the altar, waiting for her, looking odd in his formal robe and combed hair. When Kari met his eye, he beamed at her. A flicker of his Dawnblade wings touched his shoulders.

The music began. Kari and Neko moved down the aisle, giving the audience a chance to admire her. She recognized everyone, and had to restrain herself from giving out high fives and fist bumps as she walked. Then she looked up at Jayesh again. She was near enough now to see the smoldering desire in his eyes, half-hidden by his smile.

Light, she wanted to be there beside him now. Unbidden, her Stormcaller power burst from her, surrounding her in a storm of lightning and lifting her off the floor. The audience gasped. Some of them cheered.

Kari flew the rest of the way up the aisle. As she neared Jayesh, his fiery wings burst into full being at his shoulders, heedless of the flowers and garlands he'd probably ignite. Kari wrapped her arms around him, barely remembering to extinguish her lightning. Jayesh's wings swept forward to mantle around her, copying the movement of his arms as he embraced her.

The audience exclaimed, "Aww!"

Nearby, Father Edwards cleared his throat. "Ah, I would like to remind the bride and groom to please not burn down our church with their mutual passion."

Jayesh's wings vanished. Behind him, Madrid unobtrusively quenched a handful of burning garland with his cloak.

Kari hastily took a few steps away, assuming her proper spot at the altar. She and Jayesh beamed at each other.

"Thank you," said Father Edwards. He was a tall, broad-shouldered man under his vestments, with a face etched with permanent smile lines. "Before I join you together in holy matrimony, I have a blessing and a warning."

Kari and Jayesh knew the gist of this sermon, but gave him their full attention. It was sobering to hear the priest speak it aloud.