Page 60 of Monster's Secret Baby

"Deeper than marriage." Adellum's voice is soft but certain. "It means your mother and I would be connected forever. Our souls would always find each other."

Brooke's eyes widen. "That sounds nice."

I laugh, the sound catching on unexpected tears. "It does, doesn't it?"

"So?" Adellum's question hangs in the air between us, vulnerability naked in his eyes despite the confidence in his posture.

I step closer, fitting my soil-stained hands against his face. "Yes. Of course, yes."

The tension leaves his body in a rush. He leans his forehead against mine, his breath warm against my lips. "You're sure?"

"I'm sure of you," I whisper. "Of us. I love you."

His kiss is gentle—reverent—and I melt into it, into him. When we part, Brooke is watching us with a mixture of fascination and mild disgust that makes me laugh.

"Can I watch the magic?" she asks, bouncing on her toes. "When you do the soul thing?"

Adellum sweeps her up into his arms. "Of course you can, little sorceress. You're part of this bond too."

"I am?" She looks between us, delighted.

"You're our hearts walking around outside our bodies," he tells her, with that fierce tenderness that still catches me off guard sometimes. "Of course you're part of it."

The xaphan soulbond ceremony isn't the elaborate spectacle I once imagined it might be—no grand procession through New Solas, no audience of nobles with their critical eyes and painted wings. It's just the four of us under the open sky: Adellum, me, Brooke, and the Nashai who arrived in Saufort two days ago.

We chose the meadow beyond our garden—a wild expanse of tall grass and wildflowers where Brooke likes to practice her magic. The setting sun paints everything in amber and gold, casting long shadows across the ground. In the distance, the silhouette of Saufort nestles against the darkening horizon, its windows beginning to glow with evening light.

I wear a simple white dress that falls to my ankles, the fabric light enough to catch the evening breeze. My hair is loose, the way Adellum likes it, with sprigs of meadow flowers woven through the curls by Brooke's careful fingers. The blue crystal ring gleams on my finger, catching the last rays of sunlight.

Adellum stands before me, resplendent in the simplicity of his formal clothes—a deep blue tunic that makes his silver eyes more luminous against his bronze skin. His wings are extended slightly, the soft gray feathers ruffled by the gentle wind. He's nervous—I can tell by the way he keeps flexing his hands at his sides, by the intensity in his gaze as it never leaves my face.

"Are you ready?" The Nashai's voice is melodic, her own white-gold wings folded elegantly against her back. She's older than I expected—her face lined with wisdom, her eyes kind but serious. "This bond cannot be broken. Your souls will intertwine—in this life and whatever lies beyond."

Adellum's hand finds mine, his fingers warm and steady despite his nerves. "We're ready."

I squeeze his hand, my heart thrumming against my ribs. "Yes."

Brooke watches wide-eyed from a few feet away, bouncing on her toes in the simple cream-colored dress we chose for her. She's been solemnly quiet for most of the day, absorbing the importance of what's happening with that preternatural awareness children sometimes possess.

The Nashai nods, her hands raising between us. "Then we begin."

She speaks in the ancient xaphan tongue—words I don't understand but feel in my bones nonetheless. They resonate in the air around us, weaving through the meadow grass, dancing on the breeze. As she speaks, her hands begin to glow with a soft golden light.

"The god Solis hears your intention," she says, switching to the common tongue. "Speak now your promise to each other."

Adellum's eyes never leave mine as he speaks. "Harmony." My name on his lips sounds like a prayer. "I choose you. I've only ever chosen you. Through darkness and light, through all the worlds we may walk, my soul reaches for yours. I promise to protect what we've built, to cherish what we create together. My life is yours, my heart has always been yours."

Tears blur my vision, but I blink them away, needing to see his face clearly. "Adellum." My voice catches, but I push through. "I never believed I could have this—this life, this love. You found me when I was lost, and you've shown me what it means to be truly seen. I promise to walk beside you through whatever comes, to build and rebuild with you as many times as we need to. My soul knows yours, has always known yours—I think even before we met."

The Nashai's hands glow brighter, and from them emerges a thread of shimmering golden light—like liquid sunshine. It floats between us, undulating gently in the air.

"With this tether, Solis binds what was always meant to be joined," she intones. "As this light enters your hearts, so shall your souls be forever woven together."

The golden thread separates into two strands that move with purpose toward each of our chests. I gasp as the light touches me—it's warm, like stepping into sunlight after too long in shadow. It sinks through my dress, through my skin, and I feel it settling somewhere deep inside me, a gentle pulsing warmth that matches the rhythm of my heartbeat.

Across from me, Adellum's eyes widen as his strand of light disappears into his chest. For a moment, the glow illuminates him from within, shining through his skin like he's made of glass. Then it fades, leaving only a soft luminescence around the edges of his form.

"It's done," the Nashai says simply. "Your souls are bonded. What Solis has joined cannot be severed."

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