“I gathered as much.” Even now, I can remember the chaos that had erupted when the seer first proclaimed Gabriel and I are fated.
Gesturing for me to follow, Skyler kicks the door shut behind her, and we start down the worn trail connecting the cabin to the main hall. “Even when magic was plentiful and there were scores of Blessed and Inherited who walked the land, bonds were considered sacred gifts from the gods. Signs of favor, of good things yet to come.”
The trees thin, and the faint hum of conversation reaches my ears. I can’t focus on what others are saying, though. There’s a tug in my stomach, drawing me forward, and I know Gabriel is already there, waiting for me.
Nerves flit around in my stomach, and I’m so focused on what the Hunter and I are about to do, I forget to tell Skyler about how much the gods hate me.
“It is an honor to have you wear my great-grandmother’s gown to seal your bond,” my friend concludes as we take the last turn and head up the path towards the main hall.
It’s a familiar trail, but the scenery has changed since this morning.
The usually empty area in front of the building is packed with bodies. I try to count all the people, but it’s an impossible task. It appears most of the community has turned out for this, save for those on duty.
The onlookers are standing in two groups, leaving a clear path between them. My eyes drift down it to the end where a wooden platform has been erected. The seer stands there, leaning on her cane and wearing the same lilac dress as the first day I met her. The pale green streaks in her white hair seem starker in the suns’ waning light, or perhaps it only appears that way because her hair is unbound and flowing to her waist. Her violet Mark pulses brightly from its place of prominence on her neck.
I don’t look at Evelyn for long. My eyes swing to the right where Gabriel stands tall. Mist is beside him, a midnight statue peering into the crowd with silver eyes.
My heart, which has been doing its best to beat regularly since the shock of seeing my sisters earlier, thunders. My breath catches, and the thrumming deep inside me becomes more insistent.
Suns, the Hunter is a magnificent sight. Dressed head to toe in black with his sword at his side, he is equally regal and rugged, a powerful combination that has warmth pooling below my navel.
Everything within me urges me to keep moving and stand next to this man who is mine. Not only because of our fated bond, but because time and again, Gabriel has proven over thepast few months that he is prepared to be my partner in every way.
And he loves me.
My stomach flutters, and I float down the path. When I’m halfway, Gabriel turns his head. His eyes meet mine, fields of green beckoning me forward, and everything else fades away. The crowd, the setting suns, and even my sisters in the front row next to Gabriel’s friends disappear.
There is just the two of us, like the first day in the woods when he opened his eyes and my world changed. I hold Gabriel’s gaze as my feet carry me the rest of the way to the platform, and he steps towards me.
“Birdie,” he murmurs, his voice low and warm and meant for my ears alone. Taking my hand, he draws me towards him. “You are a suns-damned vision in that dress.”
I bite my lip. “You like it?”
“It’s beautiful, but you could be wearing nothing but a sheet, and I’d still find you stunning.” His grip tightens around my fingers, and he leans in close. “I’ll enjoy peeling that dress off you tonight and showing you how much I love you.”
“Oh.” Heat rushes to my cheeks, and my mouth dries. “I would... enjoy that.”
He quirks a brow, amusement tugging on his lips. “Would you?”
“Yes.” I step towards him. “You look good, too. Really... nice. Handsome. You’re handsome.”
That’s a better word, although it still doesn’t do the Hunter justice. He looks like he was handmade by the gods, sculpted to perfection. I still can’t believe he loves me and wants to seal our bond, connecting himself to me for eternity.
Before I can speak again, which surely would’ve been an awkward experience, Evelyn clears her throat. Silence falls over the assembled crowd.
“People of the Wilting Roses,” she begins, her Mark pulsing in time with the working of her throat. “I am honored to stand here with you today as we bring together two of the gods’ own. A Blessed”—she places a hand on my shoulder and squeezes—“and an Inherited.” She repeats the action, touching Gabriel’s arm.
Evelyn continues, her voice filled with pride as she explains that many decades have passed since the last bond was sealed among their people. She speaks of the gods and how this is a sign they have not forgotten about the Kingdom of Myreth.
I’m not sure she’s right about that last part, but I keep the thought to myself.
“It’s time for the bonding to begin,” Evelyn announces.
Hushed murmurs sweep over the crowd, and then silence reigns once more. It’s heavier than before, weighted, as if everyone recognizes the significance of this moment.
The seer’s tone shifts as she continues speaking. Softer and lilting, it’s almost song-like.
It takes a heartbeat for me to realize she’s no longer speaking in the common tongue, and another for shock to settle in—I’ve heard this language once before, on the day of Amelia’s Giving Ceremony.
