Page 159 of Enchanted Shadows
I chuckled. “Yes, you did, Molls.”
Sam turned to me. “See you in a few weeks?”
I had extended our training break for our bonding. Given the circumstances and trip to Agria in there, no one had complained even a little, though I had encouraged them to keep running together over the break. “See you in a few weeks.”
As they all finished leaving, I looked to Kessara. Kessara in a blood red gown this time, not white. She looked breathtaking.
“Hi,” she greeted.
“Hi.”
I held up the little jar in my hand. “We have a business matter to attend to before maiming our palms in the name of love.”
She choked on a laugh. “Your way with words, husband of mine.”
“And yet you somehow still fell for me.”
“It was the muscles. They make me forget a lot of things.”
I laughed but moved forward. I opened the jar and placed the lid on the bed. “Come here.”
She walked over. “My neck is already healing nicely.”
“Not fast enough.” I gently tilted her face up and to the side so that I could place the healing ointment on her neck. It occurred to me as I did that this was a vulnerable position to put oneself in. Revealing your jugular to someone in this manner.
And yet, I found even her neck wildly attractive. Particularly since her new necklace was around it, the gem and small charms tucked down into her dress. In a terrain that was entirely too enticing to explore.
“Focus,” she scolded. “We have a ceremony to attend, and since they are waiting on us, we really cannot miss it.”
I gently rubbed the ointment on her neck, sending a strand of my magic along with it to warm the ointment instead of leavingher neck cold. And because I couldn’t not take advantage of my current predicament, I leaned down and placed a gentle kiss to the skin next to the spot. “I love you.”
“I love you. Want to go do this? Then we can get back to more ofthis?”
If things went well, one or both of us might pass out shortly after. When it came to soul bondings, I knew Keir hadn’t allowed himself to wonder, meanwhile Krew had suspected, but been afraid to voice it. Rather than being too scared to consider it, I felt oddly hopeful. My magic had woken me the night before I found Kessara because she needed me.
She was my soulmate. Whether or not the bonds confirmed it. Either way, I refused to be angry or butt hurt about it, because she was here. She was home. And we were free to forge our future together.
“Five minutes?” I whispered. “Just give me five minutes first.”
And because this wife of mine could never turn down a challenge she grabbed my watch to look at it and simply said, “Time starts now.”
River was waitingfor us in the same place John married us last time, John long since returning to Dra Skor with Keir and Esta. We all wore our jackets as the cold tonight was downright brutal to our faces and hands, everywhere skin showed.
“It’s a cold one,” River stated the obvious.
“That it is.” I sent my magic out to warm Kessara, knowing that she hated to be cold, and she would only get colder since we stopped moving.
She let out a sigh of thanks.
“I understand the two of you would like a moment to renewyour wedding vows to one another, and then we will do the bonding,” River said.
“Yes, thank you,” I told him.
“Since you are already married in the eyes of myself and the law, I am just going to step away a moment and leave you to it. Gesture for me when you’re ready for the bonding. Which, I might add, other than standing as a witness for, to prevent young lovers to recklessly bond to one another, I am merely here, but rather useless.”
Kessara laughed. “Thank you for being here regardless.”
We let him walk away and I turned to my wife. There was so much I wanted to say to her. “You stun me constantly. I’m in awe of your strength, your wit. You’ve never been a damsel in distress to me, merely a lone warrior in need of a team. You are also the most beautiful liar I have ever seen, though hopefully we are done with the lying part.” I paused while we both laughed. “You have embedded yourself into me, without even trying, and now I don’t want to live this life without you next to me.”
