“And what is it you do in Samyr?” I asked.
She smiled slightly before fanning her long-fingered hands over her lap, smoothing nonexistent wrinkles in her dress. “I’m a dressmaker. One of the finest in Kiluo.”
“Ah,” I said, not sure what else to say, and Faylinn coughed slightly. I suspected to disguise a laugh.
“Well . . .” I started, not sure what else to say, and was thankfully saved by Faylinn.
“Rohak, Gisei, if you would follow me.” Faylinn indicated toward the bedroom behind her shoulder, and I relaxed slightly when she took the lead.
Gisei. That’s her name.
It was pretty, like her, but I still preferred Faylinn—both her name and her appearance. Gisei was conventionally beautiful, and in another time, I would have immediately taken her to bed. Now, it seemed, I was doomed to compare everyone to theknowledge-hungry Rune Master with hair as untamable as her spirit and a penchant for tunics and bare feet. I’d even take the cat with an attitude if it meant I could have her.
Alas, it was not meant to be, no matter how much I desired it to be so.
My room was the same as always—large four-poster bed with black sheets and a neatly folded blanket at the foot and devoid of all other personal touches—though it was clear Faylinn had already made the necessary changes for the Bonding Ceremony. The covers were drawn on my bed, ready and waiting for my Vessel and I. A rickety wooden table stood to the right of the bed, a sharp and gleaming steel knife rested on the top next to a variety of cloths to wipe away excess blood or bandage the wound if necessary. There was also a bottle of some clear, viscous liquid that looked a lot like personal lubricant.
My cheeks pinked as I realized that’sexactlywhat it was, and my heart fell at the notion that I’d need to use it with a woman who wasn’t Faylinn.
“Gisei, the bathroom is through that door if you’d like to remove your clothes in private?” Faylinn asked, completely professional, even as she absently fiddled with the things on the table. Gisei shook her head.
“Thank you for the offer, Rune Master. If it’s all the same, I’ll just remove my clothes here. My Bonded will be seeing me shortly anyway.” She laughed lightly as she quickly unfastened the hidden buttons at the side of her dress before peeling it from her body. I turned my head at the last second, unwilling and unable to look at her nakedness just yet.
“Rohak?” Faylinn asked, her voice quiet and withdrawn, none of her usual fire present. She avoided my eyes, choosing to watch as Gisei climbed into the bed, the covers rustling with the movement.
I huffed and toed off my boots as I untucked my tunic with short, perfunctory movements. I shucked my shirt first, leaving it folded on the edge of the bed before removing my pants and briefs, stacking both on top of my tunic.
My flaccid dick hung heavy between my thighs, uninterested in anything that was happening in the bed. It, like me, only had an interest in the woman standing a few feet from us.
A woman who refused to look at me.
“Rohak,” Gisei called, patting the bed lightly next to her. I grunted and padded across the heated stone floors to climb into bed. She had the covers pulled up just enough to cover her nipples, leaving the rest of her chest exposed. Unbiddenly, my eyes drifted to her ample breasts—they were larger than a handful and should have made my cock harden.
They were nice. But I would have much preferred to see what Faylinn hid beneath her tunics. The dress she wore today was tighter than her normal attire, and I was able to see the faint outline of her small tits.
I was historically a tit man—until now, apparently.
Heaving a sigh, I climbed into bed and didn’t miss as Gisei’s eyes roamed appreciatively over my muscled frame before she paused at my cock hanging limply between my legs. Her eyebrows rose a hair in appreciation as her lips quirked.
Faylinn cleared her throat, and I settled the rest of the way into the bed, pulling the covers to my hips before refocusing my gaze on the Rune Master to my right.
“Before we can begin the ceremony, there are certain things I have to say and confirm,” she said, her tone completely professional and devoid of any emotion. I longed to hear something,anything, that would indicate how she felt about this whole situation.
But that was Faylinn—she reverted to her life as a healer when things became too emotional, too difficult, for her to handle as just herself.
“You both understand and acknowledge that you are entering into a Forced Bonding.” Faylinn paused, waiting for our nods of assent before continuing. “There are certain side effects from Bonding, even more so when a Bond is forced. Dizziness and exhaustion are to be expected but should pass within a few hours. If you feel a prolonged sense of tiredness, please see me immediately. Nausea is also common, as is increased libido. As a Forced Bond, you may experience heightened and longer effects. There have also been extensive reports that channeling your magic through a Forced Vessel can feel painful on both sides.”
She rattled off the effects of Bonding as if we were patients in a clinic, her eyes dead and almost unseeing.
“Do you still consent?”
“Y—” My voice cracked, and I cleared my throat. “Yes.”
“Yes,” Gisei mumbled.
Faylinn nodded her head before picking up the knife from the top of the table. “If you will expose both forearms and turn them toward the ceiling, I will begin the ceremony. I will need to make identical cuts on each of your left forearms before tracing the rune on the opposite arm. You will need to stay still during the entire procedure or risk further unknown and potentially dangerous complications.”
I felt Gisei stiffen beside me at Faylinn’s words, but I relaxed. Faylinn was a master, knew more about runes and their effects than anyone in centuries.
