Page 38 of Daughter of Shadows and Ash

The pull to him was undeniable. Like a sickness in my blood since that night, making me speak more than I ever would, drawing me back for more time with him. The devastation when I woke alone had shattered something inside me. I wasn't imagining the voices of both him and Maël. Deep in my mind, my consciousness brushed against that door where I'd felt such insistent pounding before. Now only the faintest taps remained.

You should open it, Lor,Maël's voice floated to me like a gentle touch, distant but comforting.

I cracked open that mental barrier with trembling caution. A foreign presence rushed in immediately.

There you are, Love.I stared at Oryn's unmoving lips while his voice caressed my mind, intimate and impossible. My heart stuttered in my chest as ice flooded my veins, the reality of what this meant threatening to bring me to my knees.

"Has no one ever told you about mates?" His voice softened, he could sense the storm of emotions coursing through me as memories of our time together flooded back.

The fury in his eyes yesterday had cut deep, yet I couldn't look away from him. My isolated life in the village had left me ignorant of so much. I'd never witnessed a mated pair, never heard whispers of such an overwhelming connection. The pull between us bordered on madness.

In the days after our night together, thoughts of him haunted me like a sweet poison. I'd buried those feelings deep, locked them away where they couldn't torment me. I convinced myself I'd been nothing more than a conquest, a fool dancing to his tune. Yesterday's cold fury was a stark contrast to that night when he'd looked at me like I held all the stars in my hands.

He lifted his gaze to the ceiling, releasing a heavy breath before capturing my hands in his warm grip.

"Gods, I wanted to hate you. What else could I think when you vanished, when you rejected our bond?"

I never knew,I whispered through our newfound connection.

I understand now.His lips found mine before I could respond.

I melted into his kiss, savoring every brush of skin against skin as our bond sang between us.

Oryn drew away, resting his forehead against my own. "I'm sorry for not being there that morning, but I need you to knowI had no intentions of ever parting from you once we met." His voice was low, laced with regret and sorrow.

I nodded, my mind reeling. The weight of this revelation settled over me like a heavy cloak. Betrothed. Mates. And my plans to vanish before becoming his wife. I couldn't afford to be drawn into his orbit, no matter how tempting.

"What does this mean?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper. The words felt inadequate, but they were all I could muster in the face of this life-altering revelation.

Oryn's fingers found a lock of my hair, twirling it gently as he spoke. "To be mated?" His voice dropped low, as if sharing a secret. "There weren't many texts on the subject. Most are nearly as ancient as the prophecy itself. But I've always been told it's a bond like no other. You couldn't live and breathe without the other. Once sealed, it could never be broken." His eyes locked with mine, intense and unwavering. "Most accounts speak of the mind connection. It was the only way I could think to reach you." He paused, his words heavy with meaning. "There's no one else for me, Lor. The Gods themselves tied my fate to yours, and yours to mine. In this life and all the others after."

The truth crashed over me like a tidal wave. This man's fate, eternally bound to mine. A beautiful, terrifying prospect that threatened to unravel everything I'd planned.

"I need some space to process all of this." I lied. Every fiber of my being yearned to abandon my carefully laid plans for him. The bond called to me like a siren's song, but I couldn't yield. I had to see this through, Johan had to die and he was somewhere in this palace. If I could put enough space between us, maybe I could keep control long enough to finish my mission. Even if it meant hurting myself by limiting my time left with Ryn before I became nothing more than a murderess in his eyes.

He looked hurt but nodded in acceptance.

"I understand," he said softly. "We'll take this slowly, navigate through whatever festivities my mother has undoubtedly planned." "Will you allow me to call on you at least once a day? Since our bonding, the very thought of distance feels like agony." His voice carried the weight of sincerity, raw and vulnerable despite his royal bearing.

"I'd like that," I breathed, the words escaping before reason could catch them. The thought should have terrified me, but instead, his presence called to me like a flame to a moth. This bond was already proving to be a liability.

"Just promise you won't close that door again," he whispered, his gaze boring into mine with an intensity that sent my heart racing. "I won't hover, but being cut off from you... it's unbearable."

Could I hide the darkness that lurked beneath my skin? The secrets that would shatter everything between us?

Through our newly reopened bond, a golden cord that hummed between our souls. Our connection shimmered like starlight on water, delicate yet unbreakable.

"Only if you promise not to pry," I warned, though my attempt at sternness wavered beneath the radiance of his smile. The way he looked at me made my knees weak, as if he could see straight through to my soul. His beauty was a weapon I wasn't prepared to defend against.

"I promise, Love," he breathed, sealing his oath against my skin.

His lips brushed mine in a gentle kiss before he pulled away. "I'll see you at breakfast," he murmured against my lips, "and then I'll guide you through every secret this palace holds."

Shortly after,another knock echoed from the door. Before I could reach it, two women swept into the room uninvited.

"Hello Lady Alora," the older woman said with an artificially pleasant voice. "I'm Miss Gregoria, and I'm the Head of Household. I oversee the staff and will be managing your schedule." Like one of the stern matrons from my childhood fairytales come to life, she loomed tall and willowy before me.

Behind Miss Gregoria, a young woman with warm brown eyes offered a timid smile. Her arms cradled what appeared to be a dress. Her curly dark blonde hair was pulled back into a neat bun, a softer style than Miss Gregoria's austere arrangement.

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