Page 94 of Stroke of Shadows

‘Remember the rules,’ Thea’s voice echoed in her ear.

“I need to understand the significance of this mating bond,” she said, taking a seat in the rickety old wooden chair opposite. It creaked when she sat down, and she wasn’t sure how it was supporting her weight.

Ilzake’s smile set her on edge. “What’s your name?”

Rule one: names have power.

“Harper,” she replied, not willing to give him anything more.

Ilzake’s smile widened, and it took everything not to stare at his sharp teeth. “You ask for information without payment.”

Rule four: Fae don’t do anything for free.

“Surely this question is within the scope of the original deal? Asking for more details is normal in negotiations.”

“Negotiations?” Ilzake laughed. “Are you sure you were brought up human?”

Harper waited.

“A mating bond, also known as soulbound, is a marriage of sorts between two people.”

“Like a human marriage?”

Ilzake puffed, reaching up to grab two teacups. He set them down beside the teapot. “In a human marriage, it is a simple contract between two people in which you can divorce. With a mating bond, it’s more complicated because it’s a magical connection between two souls.”

“Souls?”

“One soul chooses another, and then they’re connected as one for the rest of eternity. There is no divorce.”

Harper stilled, panic surging before she quelled it. “What does it mean to be mated?”

“It means you’ve found your other half. Mating isn’t to be taken lightly. Usually, both halves of the couple must agree to it on some subconscious level.” Ilzake poured tea into the two cups, the water a dark orange with grey vapours. “It’s rarer than you think, with many couples simply choosing a life partner the traditional way. Shifters are the most common to find mates because of their animal instincts.”

“What if you’re both different Breeds?”

“Magic has never cared for specifics. That’s a modern thing.” Ilzake blew on his tea, the smell both sweet and florally. “You now understand the significance of this mating bond, so what will it be?”

“You want my memory?”

“Yes, yes,” Ilzake said with a burst of impatience. “I want the exact moment your chi’s connected to create that bond.”

“What if I don’t remember?” She wasn’t ready to acknowledge the possibility of actually being mated, or that Sythe was so easy to give up the memory of it.

“Trust me, I’ll find it.” He gestured to the untouched tea.

Rule five: be cautious of gifts given.

“So you’re a faerie?” At his nod, Harper continued. “What type of faerie eats memories?”

Ilzake stilled, not a single muscle moving. “You’re asking questions again.”

“It’s fair of me to ask if the answers determine my decision.”

Ilzake didn’t move for a full thirty seconds, and the hair on the back of her neck prickled. “I’m known as a Sin-Eater. I absorb memories and sins. They become mine, and sometimes I like to sell them, or keep them for my own amusement.”

“But why?”

Ilzake let out a sound between a snort and a growl. “Do we have a deal?”

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