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Keres put her hand into the pocket of her white toga and removed a small gold bangle. “That brings me to my errand.”
“Is that what I think it is?” Cleora asked in awe.
“What do you think it is?”
Cleora was half to her feet, reaching for the piece of jewelry before remembering herself. She snatched her hand back. “It’s an artifact of the time before He Who Reigns. The same people who built the aqueducts and coliseum in Carithian. I’ve read about them. The seven bangles of old.”
“Indeed. This is one of the seven. It was given to me when I reached my maturity.” Keres stared down at it with profound sadness on her face.
“What does it do?” Kerrigan asked.
“What I ask it to do. But for our purposes, it can open a portal to another world.”
Kerrigan’s mouth dropped open. “That little bangle can open a whole portal?”
“Yes. Though … it is not without its difficulties. It requires equal amount of power as the destination to which I am delivering you to. So, an immense amount for another world, which I will provide for us, as it would kill most people who attempted to use it.” Keres’s eyes moved to Kerrigan. “As my daughter, you could wield it, but … I am not sure anyone but Doma would survive.”
Kerrigan frowned. “Then, we should use it together.”
“No,” Keres said at once. “I will do this. I need to do this to make amends.”
“You don’t have to …”
“But I do. Allow me to do this.”
Kerrigan nodded. “Okay. You’ll open the portal, and we’ll all walk through.”
“Yes. Good,” Keres said. Her eyes were downcast before she sighed and looked up at her again. “And I have one other offer. Now that I better understand your power, I believe that I can pass the Daijan bond from myself to you.”
Fordham rose to his feet swiftly. “You can pass the bond?”
“Why didn’t you say so earlier?” Kerrigan demanded.
Keres smiled sadly. “Without your magic, I never could have done it. Breaking the bond is nearly impossible, but transferring that bond is permissible. However, I can only do so to someone who could handle such a responsibility. And I can sense … that there is already something between you two. Something that rings of truth.”
Kerrigan and Fordham glanced at each other. She could sense the mating bond. That had to be it.
“There is,” Kerrigan agreed.
“Yes, I can see it there between you. An old sort of magic.”
“What would giving Kerrigan the bond do to us?” Fordham demanded, crossing his arms over his chest.
“There is little known about this. I have transferred bonds before, and they were much the same as what I already held. She would have power over your magic, and you would be bolstered by her magic. But I have never transferred a bond to someone who is already bonded. I can’t say what will happen. Only that I assume you would prefer your love to have this power than a stranger.”
Kerrigan swallowed. “It’s your choice. I know you want to get rid of it.”
“Yes,” he growled. “Yes, I want to be rid of it.”
“I’d never use your power.” Not as Keres did. The words went unsaid between them. “You know me.”
Their eyes met. “I trust you.”
“Then, we should do it.”
Keres nodded and led them out of the back door. It was still drizzling outside. Kerrigan’s hair immediately puffed up to three times its original size. Rain always did that to her locks. Fordham looked as perfect as ever. Even as he walked toward the celestial pool as if he were walking to his doom.
They stopped before the pool where Kerrigan’s magic had forever changed. It was incredible to see it again in the dying afternoon light. The way the stars seemed to swim, as if they were still caught in the sky.
“Why here?” Kerrigan asked.
“It has already worked great magic,” Keres explained. “I’d like to use the energy here since we have it. It might or might not help, but I prefer to think that it will. Are you ready?”
“Yes.”
Fordham nodded.
Keres set them up so they were facing one another. As she had done in the arena, she crossed their wrists, one over the other. Only this time, she put Kerrigan’s wrists on top of Fordham’s upside down and had them clasp each other’s forearms.
“Ready?” Kerrigan whispered to Ford.
He nodded once, his gaze only on her. Keres had ceased to exist. The words she was speaking made no sense, and at the same time, it didn’t matter. Kerrigan was prepared to take on this bond. She wanted every part of her to belong to him and every part of him to belong to her. So there was nothing but the bond that remained.
“I love you,” she told him.
Balls of light appeared in Keres’s hands, illuminating the space.
