I should feel afraid, but I don’t. Even though I don’t understand the meaning of her words, there is something comforting about them. As if part of me recognizes and finds security in them.
The blessing—because that’s what it must be—doesn’t last long. Evelyn switches back to the common tongue and turns to Gabriel.
“The gods and the suns, in their brilliant glory, have seen fit to bestow upon you one of the greatest gifts known to our people. It is an honor and a privilege to be granted a fated bond, and an even greater one to accept the gift and seal it for all eternity.”
“I understand,” he murmurs.
“Do you, Gabriel Charles Aiden Moreau, confirm that you are here of your own free will?”
“I am,” he answers, his thumb sweeping down my hand, his touch grounding me even now.
“Good. And do you accept this bond?”
The air thickens, and the crowd behind us seems to hold their breath. The Hunter’s eyes, brimming with so much love that I can barely breathe, meet mine.
“Yes. I am choosing to be here, and there is nowhere else I’d rather be.” It’s like he’s speaking directly into my soul as he says, “I wholeheartedly accept this bond.”
The thrumming in my chest picks up speed as if someone were plucking at the cord of our connection. Stronger than ever, it refuses to be ignored. My forehead warms, and a blue sheen joins the seer’s violet glow.
I barely hear Evelyn as she repeats the question, directing it to me. Even so, my answer comes easily. “Yes. A thousand times, yes. I accept this man, and our bond. I am here of my own free will, prepared to seal myself to him.”
“Wonderful.” Smiling, Evelyn turns to Gabriel. “You know what to do.”
He must’ve spoken with her ahead of time because he inclines his head and releases my hand. His eyes never leave mine even as he produces a dagger from gods only know where.
“I love you, Wren,” he murmurs. “I always will, from now until the end of our days.”
He retakes my right hand, holding it open. Before I can react, Gabriel runs the blade across the tender flesh of my palm. I gasp, and there’s a sharp sting as the skin folds back. Crimson rises to the surface.
Gabriel moves quickly, repeating the action on his left palm. Blood trails down our hands, but no one else seems alarmed.
“May the gods bless you. From this moment until the end of time, may you always walk in the light of the suns, guided by their brilliance,” Evelyn proclaims, reverence in her voice.
Something urges me to move, to press my palm against Gabriel’s, and he must feel the same pull because he guides our bleeding hands together.
The moment they touch, a blinding white light flares, stealing my sight. The air itself seems to pulse, a living, breathing creature. A ripple of pure power steals the breath from my lungs, and if the gasps behind us are any indication, others feel it as well.
Gabriel’s fingers weave around mine, a grounding force.
A moment later, there’s a shift. I feel it in the air and deep in my soul.
The wind, which had been blowing through the trees, dies down. The birds pause their evening symphony.
A tingling sensation starts in my palm, spreading beneath my skin until it’s touching all of me. With every moment, I feel more aware of Gabriel than before. His hand on mine, his nearness, even the steady sound of his breaths.
And inside me . . .
I thought I’d felt the bond with Gabriel before. I thought that when my magic first came in on my birthday, I understood what it would be like to be bound to him. To need to be close to him.
I was wrong. That feeling was nothing but a ghost compared to what I feel now.
My bond with the Hunter is firm, as solid as the platform on which we’re standing or the clothes on our backs. It’s threading through me, weaving itself into the very structure of my being, connecting me to him.
It should be uncomfortable, but instead an intense feeling of rightness resonates through me. As if for the first time in my life I am truly whole.
This is the person I was always meant to be.
I feel like myself, but more. When I breathe, my lungs draw in more air. My pulse is steadier. My magic is a stronger presence within me.
