Page 99 of Bright Soul

“Cressida Rollins Darkmore,” I answered.

“Are you here of your own free will?”

“Yes.”

She spoke with the familiarity of an old ritual. “From this moment forward, these three men will be bound to you upon their agreement and admission of free will. You will become the strongest member of your circle, its core figure. As such, you must protect and cherish those who have joined you on this path. I sense three is the limit of what you can bind to you at this time.”

“That’s fine by me,” I said. I couldn’t even imagine needing the intimacy of such a close relationship with any other man.

“Very well.” A hint of some emotion touched her perfect lips before she went to Ben next. She had him state his name and agree that he was here of his free will as well. But what came after that was different for him. “Do you agree without regret to bind yourself to Cressida Rollins Darkmore’s circle?”

He looked over at me, a shy sort of smile on his face. Gone was his usual smirk. “I do,” he said.

She dipped her head in a brief nod. “From the moment of your binding, you shall be known as Benjamin Darkmore.”

Then she repeated the process with Geo, seeming puzzled when he stated his full name as Geo, like she expected more. He accepted his new name, Geo Darkmore, without complaint.

Finally, Phaeron, who quietly told her his new name before she could announce it. “Phaeron Darkmore et Sudair,” she repeated at the end of his part of the ceremony.

“Humans have been trying to give me a family name for centuries,” he murmured. “I am glad to accept yours, bright soul. Also…brace yourself.”

Crissina spread her wings again, and the particles of her magic began to form patterns and loops midair. More sparkles leaked from her palms to fill in the gaps of the complicated lattice of cupid magic which connected us. She drew in a deep breath and began to sing in another language, the words flowing out of her like an angel’s call.

“Body, heart, and mind,” Phaeron translated in a low voice. “I bid these souls entwined.”

The audience murmured in awe as the magic shimmered to the cadence of her words. There was more to the song, but I barely heard it as the binding portion began and I forgot who I was in the sudden crush of power, magic, strength, and knowledge that flowed into me.

For however long it took, I knew what it felt like to be my handbook, stuffed as full of foreign facts and magics as I could take.

I was Ben: young, limber, and irreverent. His power tasted of blood in the back of my throat and felt like possibility. Anything a body was capable of, his magic could do.

At the same time, Geo: solid, focused, and steady. I had the sensation of my skin being cool rock, impervious to all but the slow weathering of elements.

And also Phaeron, but he felt like a reprieve on the edge of where I could’ve been overwhelmed. I’d already seen the depths of his soul yesterday, yet his magic felt like raw power in my veins.

Just when I thought I couldn’t take it anymore, Crissina’s angel voice dipped, and all I’d experienced and all that I was moved on through the circle. Ben knew what it was like to draw librarian witch runes with a silver sword. Geo clutched thestrength of my emotions tight to himself. Phaeron focused on the skills he could glean, how to cut and sew and apply makeup like a modern human.

And just like that, the song was over, and the sparkling magic suffused us. While I figured I’d be sneezing cupid dust for days, a small portion of the ambient magic went to my three men. I squeezed my chest, feeling a heaviness that hadn’t been there earlier.

“Ladies and gentlemen, the Darkmore circle,” Crissina announced, and the foyer exploded with applause.

I looked around, dizzy and off-center all of a sudden. Sound was coming in and out, like I was hearing from one of my men’s ears as well as my own. The clinical lighting around us seemed too bright. Geo put his arms around me to steady me as I wobbled.

“Smile and wave,” Phaeron instructed in one ear. “We’re leaving as soon as you blow a kiss so we can consummate the circle and stabilize its effects.”

“Thank you for doing this for us,” Ben said, probably to Crissina.

I did as Phaeron said, hoping I didn’t make anyone concerned if they noticed my sudden disorientation. I found Mom and Eris and blew them the kiss, then closed my eyes to be whisked away into darkness.

35

CRESS

Phaeron placed me back in the same room we’d just been sharing with Ben. “I’ll go get the others. Just rest a moment.” He felt concerned for me, which was about as defined in my mind as if I were the worried one.

“Okay,” I said.

He vanished back into the shadows, and it was a relief to be alone for a few minutes. I rested my head back against the couch, waiting for my ears to stop ringing. The dizziness would probably return when it was just me and my men, but I sure hoped it wouldn’t be so bad after we consummated the mating circle.

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