“I’m here, aren’t I?”
It’s not the yes I was hoping for, but it will do.
Alex helps the priestess out of the carriage, her golden robes a little wrinkled. Her wizened brow crinkles in disbelief when she sees me standing with Raelyn.
“What is this?” Her voice is harsh.
“A bonding ceremony,” I reply matter-of-factly.
She glares at Alex. “This is not what I agreed to, young man. If the king were to find out?—”
“I’ll handle the king,” I interrupt her. “Trust me, you will be greatly compensated for this last-minute affair.”
“As I should be,” she harrumphs.
“Alex will escort you wherever you need to go after this,” I promise, and Alex nods.
My father’s wrath knows no bounds. It will be good for the priestess to get out of town for a little while to give the king a chance to calm down.
“Let’s get this over with,” the priestess demands.
The sky starts to light up as the sun’s rays peek up over the horizon, and I lead Raelyn to the small abandoned temple of the sun god. I hurry to get her inside, worried about her potential reaction to the early morning sun, but the beams appear to reach out for her, her skin taking on a faint glow.
Alex shudders as he brushes away cobwebs hanging in the entrance. Nature has started to reclaim the temple—only a few benches remain intact, the roof over the altar is essentially gone, tree branches poke through broken windows, and roots have burst through the stone floor—but it will serve its purpose.
It’s dusty and dirty, and I feel somewhat bad that this is the best I could do for my bride, but it is what it is.
The priestess takes her place by the altar, and we stand before her. She binds Raelyn’s right hand to my left with a golden ribbon, reciting the sacred words of blessing over us and our union.
I pull out a ring with a giant oval-shaped emerald on top, and Rae’s eyes fly to mine in shock as I place it on her right forefinger.
“To you I pledge my undying love and devotion. I will care for you and cherish you until the gods take me home,” I vow.
“I-I don’t have a ring for you,” Raelyn stammers.
“I’ve got that covered.” I wink.
Alex hands her a simple gold band, and she blinks before turning back to face me, slipping it onto my left forefinger.
“To you I pledge my undying love and devotion. I will care for and cherish you until the gods take me home,” she repeats.
Despite knowing this isn’t real . . . knowing there is no love between us . . . a band ofsomethingsqueezes around my heart.
The priestess continues with the ritual, anointing us with sacred oil. “Now, in honor of the gods’ ways, you will unite not just your lives, but your bodies and blood as well.”
Shit, I forgot about this part. Raelyn’s hand tenses in mine, as if nerves are getting the better of her as well. Real or not, our marriage will be unbreakable, even by the gods, if we complete this part. There’s no undoing it.
The priestess pulls out a ceremonial dagger and a golden chalice. Before I can say anything, she pricks my exposed thumb with the sharp blade. She squeezes a few drops of blood into the chalice and repeats the motions with Rae’s thumb.
The goblet is swirled, mixing our blood together.
In an almost macabre show, the priestess dips her fingers and paints Raelyn’s lips with our blood before turning to paint mine. I’m not sure if I’m just seeing things or if it’s the golden chalice, but the blood has an almost shimmering quality to it.
“Now kiss,” the priestess declares.
Raelyn looks up at me hesitantly.
I close the gap and take her mouth with my own, the tang of our blood a foreign but not completely unwelcome taste. Her lips are velvety smooth, and she tastes of tart cherries and the richest chocolate. Every part of me wants to deepen the kiss, to devour her like the finest of wines, but Alex clears his throat, and it’s as if I’m waking from a spell. I desperately wish to kiss her again and again . . . to taste all of her.
