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Haut catches him before he can come in farther. “Let the spell finish before you get too excited and knock the candle over.”
Tris huffs with irritation, but stays put, his gaze fixed on the spitting flame until the last drop burns away.
“It’s done.” Zane sags with relief, and I realize that the tension inside me was from my bond with him when it vanishes.
“You’re a free man.” Mel sets the thimble down and snuffs out the candle. “What are you going to do now?”
“First, I’m going to join the party. I want to see the sunrise.” Zane looks toward the window, where the beginning of dawn lightens the sky. “After that, I’m going to take Drake’s ashes to his family.”
Ros shuffles into the kitchen, his throat still pink with new skin from his recovery. “Will you be back to Hartford Cove?”
Zane shrugs. “I’m not sure.”
“Whatever you decide, you’re always welcome here.” I squeeze Zane’s hand. “I owe you my life, so if you ever need anything, don’t hesitate to ask.”
“Thank you.” With a nod to everyone, he heads for the door. “I may see you around, but it won’t be anytime soon.”
His departure leaves a sad weight in the air, and Mel clears her throat to break the silence. “Are we ready for our next spell?”
My heart thumps. “Can we do it in front of the stairs?”
Owen walks over to take my hand. “Anywhere you want it to be.”
Together, we move to the stairs to stand in front of them, with Mel in front of us.
She holds up a handful of colored cords. “Who wants to go first?”
“I will.” Owen steps forward and grasps the other end of the cords. “How does this work again?”
Mel’s expression softens. “Choose your color and knot it around the other strings while thinking of what you intend to bring into this relationship.”
While it’s not quite marriage, Delilah had suggested the cord and knot ceremony as a way to equally honor the bond between my mates and me, and Mel had eagerly agreed to perform the spell.
With a deep breath, Owen selects the black cord and carefully ties it around the others. “Honor, for both the past, the present, and our future.”
“You didn’t have to say it out loud,” Mel whispers.
“Some things should be given voice.” Owen releases the cord to step back, and Haut takes his place.
Without hesitation, Haut chooses the green cord, and carefully ties it around the others, an inch of space between his and Owen’s knot. “Strength to overcome past hurts and to stand against future trials.”
Warmth spreads through me at his words, and I blink back the sting in my eyes.
Tris leaps off the stairs and grabs the pink cord. “Laughter and healing.”
Ros pats him on the back as they pass, and he claims the red cord. “Protection of home, heart, and soul.”
The stinging in my eyes worsens, and I swallow the lump forming in my throat.
Since we decided to perform the spell to deepen our bond, I’ve struggled to come up with what I can bring to our family.
But as I step forward and lift the blue cord, a single word spills from my lips. “Love.”
I tie the knot an inch below Ros’s but hesitate before releasing it. What if that’s not enough? It’s so broad and ambiguous at the same time.
“It’s good, Rowe,” Mel whispers. “The cord knows what you intend.”
Nodding, I step back and link hands with Haut and Tris, who in turn link hands with Owen and Ros. A knot in the cords of each other’s lives.
