Chapter Nineteen

Elek

Despite being the one to pull her out, I was kept from Sera for the rest of the week. The sole reason stopping me from giving into my urges to see her was because before she was taken from my arms by Zander, I could see her chest slowly rising and falling. Knowing that she was alive and going to be alright was enough for now. Thoughts raged through me about her appearance when I had found her. Perhaps it was a trick of the light from the water. This was what I had kept telling myself.

I made a point to keep to myself for the time being. Remaining in my room whenever possible to avoid passing Anton in the corridors. There was no guarantee for his safety if I came across him. I still don’t know how she went under with him there, but I did see him aim for the shore rather than look for her and that enraged me to no end.

“This needs to stop! I have only known her for a couple of days.” I ranted one afternoon to Huri as we ate lunch at the table in my room.

My chest burned as the chain pleaded for me to go to her. To make sure she was truly safe. It made me despise myself for being so easily manipulated by the connection.

“That’s technically not true.” Huri said in between bites of a fruit salad.

I didn’t touch mine. Fruit was a rarity in Demarcus but I didn’t particularly like the tartness of some of them.

“Your souls have always known each other. That’s why you react so strongly to her. There’s not much you can do about it until the binding, where it will shift to something more fierce. But, I can provide you with a talisman to minimize the effects. Right now nothing will help other than to be with her.” Huri continued.

Vigorously I ran my fingers through my hair, dislodging the tie keeping it in place.

“Every day I ask to see her and every day I get turned away!”

Huri gave me a thoughtful glance and then put their fork down on the plate.

“Let me see what I can do about that. But for now you should just continue to keep a low profile. Everything has been heating up during the negotiations.”

My hand slid from my hair and down my face until I rested my chin against a closed fist.

“Has there been any progress?”

“Sort of.” Huri paused, as if assessing me.

“That duke fellow is rather loud and acts like a parrot to the prince. Jovan has come to terms that Princess Serafina has made up her mind and is more willing than before to sign the contract, but those two seem to keep squawking in his ear.”

“Do you think if she spoke with him herself that he would go against his son’s wishes?”

Huri shrugged.

“Who can say? But it certainly couldn’t hurt things to get the ball moving. If I can manage a meeting between the two of you then you can ask her about it.”

They then stood and made their way towards the door.

“I’ll try to be back as soon as I can.”

It was close to dinner time when Huri returned, eyes luminous against the setting sun rays streaming through the open windows of the room.

“Care for an evening stroll?” They said once the door closed behind them.

“I guess.” I arched an eyebrow in suspicion, but Huri only grinned at me.

“Good, because she will meet you at the maze garden by midnight.”

I blinked in surprise. As if reading my mind they began to answer my unspoken question.

“She has a governess who seems to be the one to make things happen. It was her who promised to have the princess at the entrance by midnight.”

Finally, I thought. I can see her again tonight.

When we met at the entrance she hardly murmured a greeting before taking me by the hand and weaving us through the maze, with no errors. Somehow she had perfected it.

It was a new moon in the sky and not even the tall hedges cast shadows to guide the way. Sera and I walked in complete darkness, her guard, only one this time, staying at the entrance like before. She didn’t speak until we made it to the fountain in the center, a small candle in her hand being our only source to regain sight.

She had only lit it when we sat down and used her body to block the light from being seen by anyone walking around the corridors of the second and third floors of the castle.

“I’m sorry for having you sent away.” Her sweet voice was soft and light.

“I’m sure you needed some time to recover.” I treaded lightly, not wanting to bombard her with personal questions that I may not have the right to ask.

Her head dropped as she gazed at the small flame between us.

“That wasn’t really it. And if we are going to do this then I want to go into it with no secrets. At least on my end.”

A soft and delicate open palm hovered near my eyes and a small glint from a silver band caught the light. In a moment the thin greenish membranes formed between the fingers and curled as the fingers curled. Then they were gone just as soon as they appeared. I swallowed hard. Was she really the daughter of the human king? Or was there something else at play?

“You’re not human.” I said, reaching to hold the hand that was still in front of me to inspect it. The skin was so soft and I was tempted to run my thumb along the back of it.

“I’m not sure about what I am. If you asked me just over a month ago I would have had a clear answer but now…” she paused, her eyes focusing on mine. “I don’t know what I’m supposed to be. All that I do know, without a doubt, is that I’m pulled towards you and it’s not of my own free will. But I also know that I need you in order to understand myself.”

Again, I swallowed hard. I needed her too. I needed her to end this nightmare of constantly wondering if she’s okay. Without a thought, I raised the back of her hand up to my lips and pressed against it. Her eyes never left mine as I kept her hand pressed against my mouth.

“Then marry me now, without interference.” My words came out before I could think them through. They didn’t even feel like my own, as if something ancient had taken over my senses.

All I could do was think that this was rash and wrong. There were protocols and meetings before people like us could just get married. And marriage was finite in Demarcus. She would never be able to leave me. Another soft hand grazed my other and placed itself into my palm. So small, I thought, compared to my own.

A twinkle danced in the golden flecks of her eyes as her lips drew upwards. Even in the dimmed candle light I would be a fool to believe that she looked anything other than enchanting. Then she nodded her response and the chain clanked and drew me closer to her.

“Good, then let’s do this.” Came Huri’s voice from the darkness, causing my heart to pound wildly.

I turned to see that Sera hadn’t seemed surprised at all to see them there. She turned to me and continued to smile.

“We had a long chat after lunch and I was filled in on some of the customs of dragons. If we do this then the contract will have to be signed.”

This is completely reckless! Insane! I hadn’t really meant it when I said it before.

My face must have given away my thoughts because she let out a light chuckle at my expense.

“It’s not like I’m proclaiming my love for you. In Cato’s name, it’s only been a few days,” she continued to giggle. “This is purely a mutual transaction. Obviously we cannot just ignore each other or we’ll both lose our minds. Or at least, I know I will.”

“That’s very rational thinking, Sera.” Huri said, stepping closer with a long white ribbon in their hands.

Since when were they so informal? That didn’t matter. I looked back at her, searching for doubt. The same doubt that I felt but there wasn’t any. Not a trace.

“A Binding Ritual cannot be undone, and it comes with heavy side effects.” I warned and still she did not falter.

“And ways to counteract those side effects.” She returned, referring to the talismans.

“This could cause issues with your father and brother. Especially your brother. He may never forgive you.”

I needed her to understand what she was about to agree to. Most in Demarcus did not bind themselves together, settling for the more modern weddings to symbolize their mating commitments. Only those of nobility still used the arcane rite, and even that was rare. The magic used to cast the spell had to come from a pure blooded dragon and could be expensive. What was worse, if either of the participants was only a mere human it could comatose them. It may have been something my father wanted, but I had many hesitations for her safety alone.

Then there was the issue of her family. If Huri performed the spell then Jovan would be obligated to allow for the marriage contract to pass, and Zander would have to stand aside to let it. I knew where my resentment for her came from, but that did not mean I wanted her to resent me in return. Especially for this.

Yet she continued to smile up at me. Reassuring me that her mind was made up.

How can anyone be so reckless? Through my doubts and hesitation, I found myself nodding and accepting her answer. The chain quivered.

When I turned to Huri to have them begin they had already drawn out a large magic circle on the stone ground in chalk. Knowing what the ritual called for, I pulled a small dagger from my belt and raised it up for her to see.

“At its core, it is blood magic. When Huri wraps our hands together with the white ribbon, each end begins in our palms, where it can siphon from us and create a link binding our souls. The link acts like a beacon. In most situations we should always be able to find one another. We also will be more aware of each other.” I began to explain as I ran the blade along my right palm and offered the dagger for her to do the same.

“Things like happiness, excitement, and fear will be shared between us. Only enchanted objects can weaken the effects once the spell is completed.”

Watching her run the blade along her pale skin caused me to pause. The trickle of her blood flowed freely and I experienced a strong desire to stop it. With her left hand, I felt her graze my cheek and when I took in her face all I could make out was the promise that she would not regret her decision.

“I’ve spent my whole life being given false hope that I would have safety or a true family. I was promised freedom and a true home. But all I ever had was a garden covered with a glass ceiling and a room that I could never leave without others with me. At least with this, even if I don’t fully understand it, is a promise that I know for certain can never be broken.”

I grimaced at her words, her naivety.

“I can’t promise you happiness. I can’t even promise you patience or love.” I should stop this.

“I can’t promise you any of that either.” She smiled.

“But we are promising each other a new life and that’s all I ever wanted. And besides,” she gazed over at Huri, now standing in the circle and waiting for us. “Affection will come later. For now let’s just learn about each other. We’ll have more than enough time after tonight.”

Reaching over, she pulled at my left hand and stood. We walked over to the circle and stood right in the middle, not taking our eyes off each other. We were putting all of our trust into one another and I didn’t want to be the first to break away and cause her to doubt me.

“Right hands, if you will.” Huri said and we both raised our hands with open palms up. Small droplets formed from our hands, making puddles by our feet.

We kept our eyes locked on each other as Huri wrapped the ends of the ribbon around our wrists and had us close our hands around the ends. Blood soaked into the silky fabric and began to creep to the center.

“Not that it is seeming to be a problem,” Huri began, “but when I start I will need you both to continue to gaze into each other’s eyes. Do your best to not look away until I am done, or we may have to start again and that’s exhausting.”

We mirrored a nod in understanding as her hand rested over mine, our palms touching.

“Alright, let’s get you two bound!”

From my peripheral, I could see the faintest of glows coming from the circle. The air tightened around us, as if a dome had been dropped down. With my left hand, I gave hers a gentle squeeze and felt a flutter in my chest when she returned it.

“I, Huri, descendant of Thanatos, bless these two souls. I bind them together with the power handed down to me and blessed by the goddess herself. Let this ribbon, meek and simple, grant them with her blessing. From this point on, two souls become one as ordained by the gods themselves.” Huri’s voice sounded distant as I refused to break our gaze.

Even in the presence of the new moon, the golden fleck of her eyes illuminated brightly, causing the green to be nearly as bright as if I were looking at her during the day. She may not know what she is but I knew she was similar to myself. We may have human blood in our veins but we were not one of them. Would she have my longevity? I hoped that she would, even if for the selfish reason of wanting to grow attached to her no matter how long it took. I hoped that one day my resentment would fade away completely and I could grow fond of her.

As Huri continued with the spell the sensation of the siphoning blood tingled in my hand and as it was replaced with her own. She didn’t waiver, not once. Even as a rush of heat simmered around us and fused in the ribbon. It was then that something seemed to click in me, maybe from a memory from an ancient time of when my soul wasn’t my own. One day I was going to find myself unwilling to leave her. One day I was going to truly love her and that thought nearly caused me to turn away and break the ritual. According to Huri it was possible that she would never love me in return.

What would I do if she could never love me in return? It was then that I came to a decision. Whether it be as a friend, a voice of reason, or a lover I would be whatever she needed me to be. And the fact that I came to the choice so quickly didn’t bother me as much as I thought it would.

“So let it be!” Huri finished in a raised voice and the heat from our palms began to seep away.

A race of emotions played out within me. There was excitement, hesitation, and anticipation. I was certain that they were not all mine as I stared down at her. The candle had become a mere ember on the wick and darkness enveloped us, but I knew even in the dark that she was the most beautiful being I had ever encountered. My very soul recognized her features, her long black strands, her slender neck. Somehow I knew all of her and still none of her at the same time. And then my heart lurched as her eyes closed and her stance faltered. I caught her just before she hit the ground, slowly kneeling with her cradled in my arms.