Page 61 of Taken By the Fae King

He lowers himself just enough to bring his forehead nearly level with mine so I can draw the first rune. As I speak the Fae words, magic thrums beneath the surface, responding to the call of the ancient vows.

Kyven straightens and I draw the next rune on his chest. The silver moonlight accentuates the finely carved muscles of his body. He is masculine perfection and my heart skips as I paint the final rune on the V of his lower abdomen.

When I’m finished, the priestess takes the bowl. Kyven lifts his palms to me, and I do the same, pressing them together.

The priestess recites a prayer to the gods, and I inhale sharply as the glowing runes pulse with warmth that seeps into my skin and flows through my veins.

Kyven’s eyes are twin pools of black—only a thin rim of green around the edges—as they remain locked onto mine. Everything fades away, and we are alone in the world, bound together in this moment as the priestess begins the sacred winding.

With my left palm pressed to his right, she threads the ribbon between our fingers and then around our wrists, binding us together.

From what I understand, the Elves follow this tradition as well. It is meant to remain in place until morning.

She holds out a chalice, filled with the sacred Fae wine. Kyven and I each take a sip and intense warmth flows through me, mixing with the magic of the bond.

With a trembling voice, I repeat the vows that will bind us together, for better or for worse, until the end of time.

“Flesh of my flesh, heart of my heart, bone of my bone. Two souls together, now become one,” we repeat solemnly.

“I give you my heart, my soul, and all that I am,” Kyven says, his voice full of emotion. “I am yours, now and forever.”

“I give you my heart, my soul, and all that I am,” I repeat. “I am yours, now and forever.”

The priestess bows low and then walks away, leaving us alone in the circle.

Kyven’s gaze holds mine, full of fire and possession as he moves closer. It does strange things to me to be so close to him like this. My entire body hums in awareness of his.

Gently, he drops his forehead to mine and closes his eyes. He loops his free arm around my back and pulls me close. “Hold on to me,” he whispers, and I nod against his chest.

His wings flutter, and he lifts into the air. I wrap my legs around his waist, and he groans, his wings stuttering a moment, as his hardened length presses firmly against my inner thigh.

“Sorry,” I whisper, biting my lower lip.

“You will be the death of me, my beautiful Grayce.” He breathes into my hair, and I smile.

He flies us to the top of a waterfall, above the temple. Gently, he sets us down in the soft grass beneath the light of the full moon. A yawning cave mouth in the mountain beside us draws my attention.

Kyven takes my hand in his. “Come,” he says, and I follow him inside.

The cool air embraces us, and I shiver slightly. Kyven curls his left wing around me, tugging me close to his side and warming me with the heat of his body. As we walk further in, the shadows give way to the light and my breath catches in my throat.

The cave is full of bioluminescent plants. They cast an ethereal glow, bathing the cavern in beautiful shades of blues and greens. Delicate tendrils of ivy climb the walls, their tiny flowers winking like hundreds of tiny stars.

The sound of dripping water echoes through the stillness. Kyven leads me further in and onto a ledge overlooking a vast pool of still water below. It glows with a light blue color, reflecting the gorgeous plants all around us. I gaze over the edge at our reflections. “A faint pulse of energy thrums through the air.

I lift my hand as if I could somehow touch it. “Is this magic that I feel?”

“Yes. The mountain is a source of natural power and energy. It is the reason my ancestors chose this place for our capital,” he explains.

“What created this?”

“We do not know,” he replies. “And if our ancestors did, that knowledge has been lost to time.”

“It’s beautiful,” I whisper.

“I hoped you would like it,” he murmurs. “The mating flight is meant to seal the bond between a couple.” My cheeks flare with heat as he continues. “But I meant it when I said that I would never ask you for anything you do not willingly give. So, I brought you here instead so you could see what it is to fly on your own.”

“How?” My brow furrows.

---