Something Nix fought with nails and teeth for.
I would never betray her by refusing.
So, I take a generous gulp and down it in a blink of an eye.
“Should the General fall, the Blood Sentineal shall answer,” monks chant.
The odd liquid tastes like clouds. And it goes down my throat smoothly.
Before the goblet is out of my damn hand, I feel it.
The invisible tether extending between me and Nix, snapping into place.
It’s the weirdest feeling.
My chest warms, heart beating rapidly?—
Not only mine, though.
Nix’s heartbeat overlaps with mine inside my rib cage.
When she inhales a sharp breath, I don’t see it.
Ifeelit in my own lungs.
An alien presence awakens inside my mind, too. It fills my thoughts and senses.
I can’t navigate it. It’s too complex.
When our gazes meet again, I’m as certain as ever.
She’s mine to protect.
And I’ll stop at nothing to carry out my duty.
The iron throne she occupies is not a seat of power.
It is a blade aimed directly at her heart.
And now I am standing in its path.
Even as the ritual concludes, the ringing silence remains in the auditorium.
“You may rise,” one of the monks tells me with a pleasant smile.
I do as he says.
Anxiety swirls in my chest, and I look around the room again. Nobleman Yoni traces a finger over his jawline, looking victorious.
Nothing good can come from Caligos casting a supporting vote in Nix’s favor.
Payment will be due.
I’m sure of it.
What?Nix’s voice inside my mind startles me.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
