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Delilah and Menolly stood beside me. Delilah was wearing her golden gown she'd worn at Solstice, and Menolly, her black. I was dressed in silver. The silver of the Moon Mother, the silver of Smoky's dragon heritage, the silver of Morio's sword, the silver of Trillian's hair.
Delilah and Menolly had wanted me to wear Mother's wedding dress, but it didn't feel right, even if it had fit me. Mother bound herself to one man. I could never follow her path in love. It just wasn't my way.
Chase and Zachary stood to one side, Rozurial, to the other. Chase held Maggie. Iris was standing on a dais near the pond, and she held a chain forged of silver and a crystal wand that I'd never seen before.
"Are you sure about this? This is a bond deeper than marriage, you know," Delilah said. "You go through with this ritual, and you belong to those two forever—bound through all of time with their souls."
I gazed at the two men who were waiting for me. Two men who loved me. Smoky wanted me all to himself, but he was willing to give up that dream, to bind himself to me and one of my lovers, so that we could search out a man to whom I'd long ago pledged my heart. Morio was offering to bind himself to me out of love and loyalty. And he, too, cared about Trillian. I could sense the concern emanating from him.
And I… I loved both of them so much that I couldn't even explain it. For me, love had swelled to include three men, all different and yet, I was meant to be with all of them. Each provided a part of the whole that I needed.
Forever? I whispered. So it would seem, came the answer.
"I already belong to you. You're my sisters. My family. And that family expanded to include Iris, and Maggie, too. And now, my family grows again. And who better to choose for my husbands than a fox demon and a dragon? Can't ask for much more protection than that."
"But forever? To be bound forever?" Delilah seemed torn.
"Better that than always wondering if I could have saved Trillian." I glanced down the path. "We have to find him. He's like a mirror of myself. My heart says we will, but I can't do it on my own. And maybe… maybe if I find Trillian, I can find Father, too."
Delilah started to protest again, but Menolly shook her head. "We all make choices, Kitten. We all decide on one path over another. You can't stand at the fork in the road forever." She looked meaningfully over to where Chase and Zachary stood in an uneasy truce. "Sometimes, when your playmates won't play together, you have to choose."
"Come, it's time," I said, putting an end to any potential squabbles. "Be happy for me. How many people find even one person to love in this world? Or our home world, either? I'm blessed. I've found three men who hold the keys to my heart. Now, Delilah, I want you to promise that you aren't going to change into a pussycat during my wedding. Well, weddings."
When we were in front of the altar, Iris cast the runes once more, and once more, they blessed the union. She began the ceremony. As her words drifted into the night, I looked up at my dragon lover—soon to be husband. And then over at my youkai-kitsune—soon to be husband. They looked sure of themselves, sure of the ritual, sure of this step we were taking. And who knew where it would lead? When we found him, Trillian would be brought into the marriage. He'd give me hell, but he'd come around. I was sure of it. There was too much between us for him to turn away.
"Camille, do you accept the binding oath from Smoky and Morio, each to become your soul mate, each to eternally link himself to you? And you to them until the end of time?"
I realized they'd already assented their vows. My heart pounding, I opened my mouth and said, "I do."
"Then join hands." Iris held up the enchanted silver chain.
I held out my left hand. Smoky placed his left hand atop of mine. Morio placed his left hand beneath mine. Iris wound the chain around our wrists and began a low incantation.
She sang in some ancient language, but the intent was clear. As her words hit the air, the chain reverberated and began to fade. I watched as it sank into Smoky's hand, then through mine, then through Morio's, the atoms of the chain changing and transforming to forge an unbreakable bond in our auras, in our souls. Another moment, and it would be too late to ever reverse the spell.
I glanced at them quickly, wondering if they would change their minds, but Smoky leaned down and kissed my lips, and Morio leaned in and kissed my cheek, and the chain disappeared. An incredible sense of peace swept over me as our paths merged. Another moment, and we'd be fully bound for the rest of time. No matter where we went, no matter what we did, we'd always come back together. And with the grace of the Moon Mother, we'd find Trillian.
"It is done," Iris whispered.
I looked down at our hands as our fingers entwined. Though the chain was nowhere in sight, it was everywhere we were. I was married to my dragon lover and my fox demon. We were soul mates in the eyes of the universe, in the eyes of the gods. And nothing anyone—demon or otherwise—could ever do would sever the bond.
>"Come, it's time," I said, putting an end to any potential squabbles. "Be happy for me. How many people find even one person to love in this world? Or our home world, either? I'm blessed. I've found three men who hold the keys to my heart. Now, Delilah, I want you to promise that you aren't going to change into a pussycat during my wedding. Well, weddings."
When we were in front of the altar, Iris cast the runes once more, and once more, they blessed the union. She began the ceremony. As her words drifted into the night, I looked up at my dragon lover—soon to be husband. And then over at my youkai-kitsune—soon to be husband. They looked sure of themselves, sure of the ritual, sure of this step we were taking. And who knew where it would lead? When we found him, Trillian would be brought into the marriage. He'd give me hell, but he'd come around. I was sure of it. There was too much between us for him to turn away.
"Camille, do you accept the binding oath from Smoky and Morio, each to become your soul mate, each to eternally link himself to you? And you to them until the end of time?"
I realized they'd already assented their vows. My heart pounding, I opened my mouth and said, "I do."
"Then join hands." Iris held up the enchanted silver chain.
I held out my left hand. Smoky placed his left hand atop of mine. Morio placed his left hand beneath mine. Iris wound the chain around our wrists and began a low incantation.
She sang in some ancient language, but the intent was clear. As her words hit the air, the chain reverberated and began to fade. I watched as it sank into Smoky's hand, then through mine, then through Morio's, the atoms of the chain changing and transforming to forge an unbreakable bond in our auras, in our souls. Another moment, and it would be too late to ever reverse the spell.
I glanced at them quickly, wondering if they would change their minds, but Smoky leaned down and kissed my lips, and Morio leaned in and kissed my cheek, and the chain disappeared. An incredible sense of peace swept over me as our paths merged. Another moment, and we'd be fully bound for the rest of time. No matter where we went, no matter what we did, we'd always come back together. And with the grace of the Moon Mother, we'd find Trillian.
"It is done," Iris whispered.
