I’m not even sureIlike me.
“Liz and I will be waiting for you after, okay? And then dinner with Reese?” She rests a reassuring hand on my shoulder and squeezes gently. “The ceremony takes like ten seconds. And there are so many people down there, no one is going to bepaying any attention to you. And your mate is, like you said, probably not even there. So just go and get it over with and then we can get out of here.”
I nod, giving her what I hope is a reassuring smile. I don’t like being the center of attention, but like she said, there are at least fifty fae down there already. I carefully walk down the stairs, managing to stumble a few times on the steep steps. I wedge myself in between two groups of female fae.Must be nice to have friends here with you, I think, wishing not for the first time that Amelia was my twin. It would have been so much easier growing up. I would have always had her by my side going through life. We would have started high school at the same time. Learned how to drive together. Maybe developed our powers at the same time.
We would have been standing here, about to activate our bonds together.
I would have been able to lean on her and borrow her fearless strength.
I fiddle with the hem of my blouse and look around as the group settles into silence. The fae leading the ceremony walks out into the very center of the stage, where a carved stone stand has been placed. She nods to a couple of male fae behind her, who together hoist a large opulent crystal onto the flat surface of the stand. It looks like it’ll be right at waist height for most fae. I remember Amelia’s ceremony. We’re all expected to place our hands on that stone and that’s what activates our side of our bonds.
Once the stone is in place, the crowd is asked to be seated. Silence ripples out from those of us on stage to those sitting around us witnessing the ceremony. I spot Amelia and Liz towards the front. They both grin encouragingly at me, but I just put my attention back on that stone.
The ceremony starts. The female fae—a water nymph from the fae council, if I’m not mistaken—reads from an ancient looking scroll in an old fae language that I never bothered to learn. But I know from years of anticipating my bond ceremony that it talks about our history. The story details past generations’ efforts to rid the realm of the wraiths that created Made fae and cursed them with immortality and bloodlust. Then it covers how, because Born fae defeated most of the wraiths in a decades long war a thousand years ago or whatever, the stars blessed us with mates.
Once a fae touches that stone, they’re on the lookout for another fae whose left eye has a rune only their soulmate can see. I see that rune on anyone’s eye and that’s it. Technically, the bond isn’t complete until it’s consummated, but the stars will just keep pushing us together over and over until that happens.
The fae switches to English, looking out at the participants. “We have been blessed by the stars with bonds no other creatures are given. Born fae are the only among fae and humans with these divine bonds. The stars have rewarded us, shown us how special we are through this gift. It allows Born fae to continue to be strong. The stars choose our mates for us to foster the strongest relationship, and to continue creating the strongest of fae. This auspicious day signals the beginning of your adult life. Your aging will slow, another gift from the stars. Your fertility will awaken from its slumber. And if you follow the stars’ guidance, you will be led to your love.”
The fae leading the ceremony stops and looks around at those of us on stage. “It is time to begin. May the stars belong to you.”
“May the stars belong to you,” repeats throughout the event hall, both from participants and those in attendance.
As if in response to the echoing statement, the stone flares to life, almost like a flame is inside it. The glow emanates outwards, beckoning us forward. But I don’t move.
The ceremony has always been popcorn style. Whoever wants to, goes first, no order to it.
A tall dark-haired fae flashes a toothy grin to his friend next to him. “I’m about to find me my man,” he says to her. They fist bump and he strides towards the stone. He puts his hand on it and nods to the crowd as cheers go up from a group—his family, probably—seated to my left, only a few rows from the front.
I watch as fae after fae look around, then take a step forward, some tentative, some more surefooted. After they touch the stone, they look around the group, towards the ones that have already gone, waiting to see if they see their partner’s rune.
Nothing special seems to happen after anyone touches the stone. There’s no noise. No shift in the energy. Amelia said the stone feels warm and there’s an odd sensation that flows through you, but that’s it.
I continue to watch as others offer themselves up to the stone, but even though I know I’m free to leave after I touch it, I can’t seem to force my feet to take a step forward. A fae with red hair finally steps forward with encouragement from her friends.
She touches the stone and then, as she looks around at the other fae who have gone before her, she locks eyes with a blonde guy and he lets out a low gasp. Without any words, she runs forward and he wraps her up in his arms. He leans in and kisses her. Immediately the crowd starts cheering and clapping. The two break apart, smiling, and walk off into the sunset holding hands. Okay, so maybe they just walk off the stage and out into the lobby, but whatever.
I stand there completely frozen as the fae in charge ushers the next person to the stone. There’s hope in her eyes that she too might meet her mate on this stage. I hope to the stars I don’t.Because I wouldn’t be able to handle the humiliation of him rejecting me in front of all these fae.
It takes me a while to realize that everyone is staring at me, because I’m the last one and I’m just standing there, making no move to approach the stone.
The water nymph in charge clears her throat. She looks around the amphitheater as if someone from the crowd will come and encourage me to touch it. I don’t want to.
I cast a quick glance over at the rest of the fae who have already finished the ceremony. Some of them look worried, as if I might be their mate and they want to see the stone activate my bond so they can be sure I’m not.
The nymph glares at me and looks pointedly at the stone. I loose a sigh and ignore the urge to look for my sister. She can’t help me. I finally force my feet to move.
“What is her problem?”
“Why is she just standing there?”
“Fucking weird.”
I hear their whispers as I stumble towards the stone, slowly reaching out to touch it as if it might bite me.
The second my skin makes contact with the smooth glass-like surface, a zap goes through me and it feels like my skin is burning. The jolt sends me flying back and I land on my ass with a thud.
Burning pain rips through my arm, starting at my hand and radiating up to my elbow. I wince, but I don’t take my eyes off the stone.
