Page 55 of Her Fallen Angel

"But now?" I raise a brow.

"Now, we will support you and your soulbound."

I nod, clapping them each on the shoulder in thanks, and then I leave the compound. There is one last thing I need to do.

I find Aren in her usual spot in the courtyard, kneeling in prayer. Sunlight catches in her dark waves, creating a halo effect that makes my chest tighten. Her eyes are closed, lips moving in silent devotion.

For the first time in my existence, I drop to my knees before another being. The motion startles her - those deep brown eyes flying open, lips parting in shock. My wings curl forward instinctively, creating a private sanctuary around us both.

"Kai?" Her voice trembles.

"I need you." The words scrape raw in my throat. "Not just as mine to command. Not just as mine to possess." My fingers brush her cheek, feeling the warmth of her skin. "I need you bound to me. Soul to soul."

She starts to pull back, but I catch her hands in mine. Violet energy crackles between us, making her gasp.

"Listen to me, little flame. This isn't ownership - it's protection. It's power." My grip tightens. "No one could ever hurt you again. No one could take you from me, and I..." My voice breaks. "I couldn't hurt you either. Physically couldn't. The bond wouldn't allow it."

"What are you saying?" Her pulse races under my fingers.

"I'm saying I'd cut my own heart out before I let anything happen to you." I press her hand against my chest, let her feel the thundering beneath. "I'm saying I want to give you power over me that no one has ever had. That no one will ever have again."

Her eyes search mine. "Why?"

"Because I love you. And I truly mean that. The thought of you not being here..." Magic surges through me, making shadows dance across the courtyard stones. "Because I can't be away from you anymore. Because you've become as essential as breathing."

I've never begged for anything in my life. But for her... "Let me bind your soul to mine, little flame. Let me protect you. Let me..." The word catches in my throat. "Let me love you."

Her breath catches, those deep brown eyes searching mine. Time stretches between us like pulled glass, fragile and sharp. Then she nods - a small motion that shatters my world and rebuilds it anew. "I would love nothing more."

Magic explodes from my skin in violent waves of violet light, crackling across my wings and casting wild shadows through thecourtyard. My hands tangle in her dark waves, pulling her to me with a growl that's more beast than man. Her soft gasp is lost against my mouth as I claim her lips.

She tastes like sunlight and prayer, like everything I never knew I needed until she knelt at my feet. My tongue traces the seam of her lips, demanding entry, and when she yields - gods, when she yields - I devour her like a starving man. One hand grips her waist, fingers digging into soft flesh as I drag her closer.

My wings curl around us, blocking out the world beyond. In this moment, nothing exists but the slide of her tongue against mine, the perfect weight of her in my arms, the thundering of our hearts beating in desperate synchronization. She makes a small sound in the back of her throat that sets my blood on fire.

I break away only to trail hungry kisses down her throat, marking my territory with teeth and tongue. "Mine," I growl against her pulse point. Magic crackles between us with each touch, making her shiver. "Forever mine."

Her fingers thread through my hair, and the gentle touch nearly undoes me. I capture her mouth again, pouring centuries of loneliness and want into the kiss. She matches my intensity, that inner flame of hers burning bright enough to consume us both.

Let it burn. Let it destroy everything I was before her. I'll rise from those ashes a better man, worthy of the gift she's given me. Worthy of her trust, her submission, her love.

30

ARENWEN

Istand before the Praexa, my feet cool against the black marble floor through my thin shoes. The gauzy white dress Kai selected clings to my skin, making me feel almost ethereal. And worthy of him. Magic pulses through the ritual chamber in waves of violet and crimson, each surge making the black candles flicker and dance.

Kai stands next to me, his presence both threatening and oddly reassuring. His wings stretch half-open, casting shadows that writhe across the walls like living things. The heat from his body radiates against my back, close enough that a single step would press me against his chest.

The Praexa's golden eyes bore into mine. Her ceremonial robes ripple with darkness, adorned with runes that swim and shift before my eyes. Unlike the temple's grand ceremonies, this intimate setting only amplifies the weight of what's about to take place.

My heart pounds against my ribs as the Praexa approaches, her footsteps silent on the stone. The scent of burning herbs fills my lungs – sweet and cloying, nothing like the pure incense usedin ceremonies back home. Magic crackles around us, making the air taste like metal and midnight.

The candles surge higher, their black flames reaching toward the vaulted ceiling. In their light, I catch glimpses of ancient symbols carved into the walls, pulsing with power that makes my skin crawl.

The Praexa's voice rises and falls, each syllable resonating through my bones. Her words paint pictures of eternal bonds and unbreakable chains, of souls merging until they become one. My fingers tremble in Kai's iron grip.

"These two souls have chosen a bond that overcomes all else," the Praexa intones. "Together, they will become one, to find something stronger than they could before. To withstand life with the other always at their side. To commit to a lifetime that can never be changed after this."

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