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“What?” Ruby and Ezra both snap at Zara.
“Calm the fuck down,” I snarl at them both. Fuck me, are we all going to get into a fight?
“Okay, deep breaths, everyone.”
Great, here comes Archer with his Zen bullshit. There’s going to be a fight.
“Let’s set aside any arguments for now and focus on why we're here. We’re on a strict timeline and need to get moving.”
Reluctant murmurs of agreement filter through the air. I relax, some of the tension bunching my shoulders. Fine. No fighting yet.
“Are you ready for this?” Lena says as she steps to my side, knocking into me with her shoulder.
“Are you? Last time we tried to do this, Davis and Miri said it hurt like a bitch.”
“I think, no I believe, that was because we were doing it wrong. I’m ninety-percent confident we’ve got it figured out now.”
Everyone looks completely out of place in their formal getups, formal eighties getups no less, and I stop and stare at Ezra for a minute. He’s wearing a pink suit. Ruffles tipped in a darker magenta color run down the chest of the shirt. His bow tie is huge and velvet, just like my coat. The one I left at the bar earlier because it’s hot as fucking hell out.
“Are you sure we should be walking inside this circle?” Miri looks down at the burned-out ring. Her hands are on her hips, her lips turned down.
“It should be fine,” Lena tells her, but Miri’s frown deepens.
“Should be isn’t what I would call a lot of confidence.”
“Let’s just get this done. Midnight is the ideal time. You don’t want to have to wait for the next Fae holiday to come around, do you?”
I grip Zara’s fingers tighter in mine and lead her into the center of the circle. It’s possible I exhale with relief when I don’t get zapped or anything. It’s idiotic since Lena sat in the middle of this circle to speak with the dead, but I will never discount the possibility of things going sideways around here.
Lena and Archer step in behind us, with Miri and Davis on their heels. Ruby and Ezra stay on the outside of the circle, both with their arms crossed and unhappy looks on their faces. Since they’re not bonded and, according to Ruby, have no fucking plans to bond, we decided it was best for them to stay back. Lena thought they shouldn't even come, but quickly gave up that idea when it turned into an immediate fight.
The night air is thick and the chirp and buzz of insects hum around us. The moon is almost full tonight and keeps sliding in and out of sight as clouds move past it. I grab Zara’s other hand as we come to a stop in the middle of the circle. Dressed up like we are, under the light of the moon, with our friends around us, it’s a little like a fucked-up wedding is about to take place. Surprisingly the thought doesn’t terrify me. It actually sounds like a much nicer reason to be out here than what we’re attempting.
I have no issues bonding with Zara. If anything, I’m looking forward to it. Despite growing up thinking magic was the root of all our horrors, I know differently now. The desire, no, the need, to have my life as intertwined with Zara’s as possible, is so much greater than I ever would have imagined.
“Are you ready for this, imolán?” I murmur low enough for just Zara’s ears. Her eyes shine, reflecting the light of the moon as she smiles up at me.
“I’m ready.”
“Let’s get this shit over with,” Davis rumbles and pulls a knife out of a bag Miri brought along with her and hands it over to me.
“Eloquent as always, babe.” Miri chuckles as Davis picks up her hand. He kisses her knuckles before they settle into place behind Zara. Their free hands are on her shoulder. Archer and Lena do the same behind me. With that, we’re all connected, through family bonds and those of friendship and magic.
“Here goes nothing.” I drag the tip of the blade over my palm, and a thin line of blood quickly pools in its wake.
I hold the knife out to Zara, but she shakes her head, holding her hand out to me, palm up, complete trust in her gaze. I swiftly swipe the steel over her skin, just enough to draw blood, and then toss the blade aside. Our bloodied palms press together, and I can already feel our magic singing at the contact.
With a deep breath, I repeat the words I memorized for tonight. The weight of the promise I’m making with this statement is heavy, but not unwanted. “I am summer born, cast in dreams and enchantment. My blood will bind, body and soul. I tie myself to you.”
Zara speaks the words with me, her voice and magic both coiling with mine, weaving an intoxicating feeling through my soul. Our eyes are locked on one another and even though there are four other people in this circle with us, she’s the only person I see.
A soft glow starts to grow from where our hands are clasped together. The light pulses and gets larger, until a faint gold and purple color vibrates over our skin. I wonder if this is how Lena sees auras? It’s incredible. The sight of our magic together and the feel of it humming through my body. It’s heady, the warm feel of a few drinks and the entire night ahead of you.
And then it grows. Like a living thing, a mythical beast that is made of pure energy, it slides under my skin and expands. With each breath I take, the magic grows, surging to almost uncomfortable levels. It’s too much, the power pressing against the boundaries of my body and getting pissed that it’s being confined. I can’t stop it. All I can do is hold Zara’s wide eyes with my own and believe that this is what’s meant to be.
The magic retracts slightly, only to pulse out in one more huge wave. It shreds through the last of my barriers and pushes into the tips of my fingers and down to my toes. It doesn’t stop there, though. Zara’s magic dances with mine, just as much of a presence in my body as my own magic. It’s as if I can taste the essence of her on my tongue. I smell the spicy, floral scent of her everywhere. I feel her heartbeat as if it was my own, because it is. Her heart belongs to me, as mine belongs to her.
I could get lost in Zara. In the feel of our magic combining for days on end, but that’s not the only reason we’re here tonight. As if she can read my damn mind, Zara nods and closes her eyes. I do the same and take all the boiling energy thrumming through my veins and focus it on our bonds. Not just mine and Zara’s, but Lena and Archer’s, Miri and Davis’s.
