Page 173 of Enchanted Heir
“So I had Owen lie to you, or maybe rather just withhold information on what he was up to and why, in order to do some research for me,” I continued.
“You what?” His voice was so breathy, it tore at me.
“Hatcher found for me another Iron Will and Enchanted pairing. And not only that, but he brought me a blood sample. Of someone with Iron Willandmagic.”
I took another step forward. “I can take your magic, Krew. It should work. And I put the blood sample in the forest myself.”
“And?” he whispered, watching my every movement.
“And it worked.” I shrugged. “I don’t have to choose between you and the forest, Krew. I can do both. It shouldn’t change the chemical makeup of my blood. No bonding ever does it seems.”
He slumped down onto the bench at the end of the bed. Our bed.
“I kept all of this from you because I knew if I even hinted that I wanted to become bonded to you, you’d move heaven and hell to make it happen.” I wiped at my eyes. “I know you wanted me protected. I just wanted to decide for myself, all on my own, once I knew it was an option.” Finally next to him, I reached a hand out and touched his cheek for only a moment. “So all of that to say, rather than sending me home to keep me safe, would you consider becoming bonded to me instead?”
“I—” he shook his head. “You want to become bonded to me? You said you didn’t want magic.”
I nodded. “I did say that. I said that because I feared what the power of magic would turn me into. I still fear that, honestly. But Owen reminded me that magic is an extension of yourself. I don’t wish to conquer the world and have everyone bow down to me, I only wish to stand beside the man I love and walk into wherever life leads us.”
Magic again flared along his jaw, so I put my hand back on his cheek. “I’d like to protect us, Krew. Both of us. I never want to feel helpless or in the way if we are cornered again. I don’t want other people throwing magic around and testing the limits of my Iron Will. If the bonding was designed to protect a pairing, then of course I want that for us. Does the magic scare me? Yes. A thousand times yes. But what scares me more is being in a situation like the attack and not being able to help you, or in the very least, not hinder you.”
“And you’ve thought this through?” he asked. “Really thought this through?”
I nodded. “For weeks. Quite honestly, I think I knew I needed to do it weeks ago, I just waited until I knew it was what Iwantedto do before I did anything about it.” I paused, still scared to death he was going to send me back to Nerede. “So. Are you kicking me out of the Assemblages? Or would you like to become heart bonded to me instead?”
He closed his eyes and wrapped his arm around my waist, bringing me in closer and resting his head against my stomach with the difference between where he sat and I stood.
“I have a stipulation,” he offered.
I put my hands on either side of his neck. “I’m listening.”
He leaned back to look up into my eyes. “Marry me.”
I gasped and gave my head a shake. “We don’t have to do both. I know that’s the tradition, but that’s not what I was asking, Krew. We can do the bonding without the other.”
“Both are a lifelong commitment,” he pointed out. “So why wouldn’t we do both? I love you, Jorah. I want you to have my magic if it can help protect you. And you already have my heart. I want you to take it and keep it with you somewhere warm and full of light.”
He stood so abruptly, I had to take a step back.
But then he was kneeling, right there on the floor. “Jorah Demir, will you marry me? Please marry me. Be my wife. Bond with me and love me for as little or long as we have left.”
I was stunned into silence. I couldn’t believe it. “I—” I gave my head a shake. “I have a counter stipulation.”
Half of his mouth pulled up into a smile, but he didn’t move. “Why am I not surprised?”
“If you are marrying me, and becoming heart bonded with me, there is no way we are not having a real marriage, Krew. In every sense of the word. So none of this not touching me in every way that a man can because you fear you’re leaving me.”
He slammed his eyes shut. “Stop talking.”
“But that’s my stipulation,” I added seriously. “If we are going to be married and bonded, I would like to be tied to you and close to you in as many ways possible. No more fake anything. I want a real marriage.”
Krew was grinning when he opened his eyes to look at me again. “Add it to the list.”
My eyebrows went up. “Touching me? You’d like me to addthatto our list?”
He nodded slowly. “Lots of it, actually.”
I laughed, wiping at my eyes. “So you agree to the terms of our agreement? I’d like to marry you and become bonded with you, if you’ll have me.”
