Page 36 of Ruined Kingdom

I should speak with Yenisey later to see if she has remembered anything more.

“Dear?” Tieni nudged me gently back into reality.

I looked up to see everyone as they filed out of the room.

I shook myself free of all needless distracting thoughts and refocused my attention on what truly mattered: my love for Kaine.

I stepped forward, away from Tieni and the maids.

I walked up to Kaine, who extended his hand to me.

He looked so handsome in his all-black coat and vest. Even his shirt was black now. His gaze didn’t waver a moment the entire time I approached him. He watched me like I was the single most important thing he’d ever laid eyes on.

I couldn’t handle the weight of such devotion. I felt myself crumbling inward. Suddenly, my nerves were getting the best of me.

It wasn't until he took my hand that every concern left me. His assuredness made me feel assured.

A smirk played in the corners of his perfect mouth. “My Goddess, you are stunning.”

“Kaine, how long have you had this planned?” I looked around at the flowers and decorations that looked like it all had taken months of work to achieve.

He didn’t answer me. He just kept looking into my eyes, seeming to get lost in them. “It was important to me that everything was right for you… The Binding of Souls is a rare and sacred tradition only granted to those who have been blessed with a union anointed by our Goddess, Helene. This ceremony is even more special because this isn’t just a union of souls but a bridge between worlds. A mortal and a shifter.”

Not as mortal as you think…

I quickly stiffened up, realizing that he might have read my mind. So, I watched him carefully to see if there were any signs that he was eavesdropping, but his demeanor never changed.

His eyes were aglow with delight—so much so that he might not have been capable of invading my mind tonight.

He looks so happy.

I opened my mouth to say something, but the words were lost on me as a beam of light cut through the room. I looked to see where the source of it was coming from.

The stained glass was somehow absorbing the moonlight throughout the room and was being channeled right to where we were standing.

This place really is sacred. I wonder why it was closed off for so long…

The light felt cool and warm at the same time and had the same sensation of crackling that I’d felt before entering Andromeda’s portal.

It had to be Helene. Even she was present for this.

I looked around the room once more, noting that there wasn’t another soul in sight. I thought at least Tieni would be in here, but we were entirely alone. “Shouldn’t there be others here … as witnesses, at least?”

My understanding was that it was something like a wedding, although I understood it was different in many ways.

Kaine smirked at me and gave a slight shake of his head. “We could have other witnesses, but I wanted this moment with you all to myself. The only other one here is only here because it is necessary.”

I reexamined the dazzling moonlight stretching through the stained glass above and likened it to raindrops of color dripping down on our heads. So I was right. Helene was here with us in some capacity.

Kaine leaned in closer, drawing my attention back to him. “Are you ready?”

His voice was deep like the sea. I found myself drowning in him.

My head moved of its own accord, agreeing to whatever he needed me to.

He took both of my hands in his and held them between us. “Then let us begin.”

I took a deep breath, filling my lungs with air and hope.

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