Page 83 of The Demon's Discovery
“They will!” the stone kin woman cheered. “The clan accepts your answers and will record your bonds into our history for all to see, from now until eternity. My beloved brothers and sisters, let us welcome them all properly into our clan!”
The stone kin around us all raised their voices in what sounded much like a hymn. It felt like a fever dream in a way. The singing was much more than just song with the way the sun dipped below the horizon and left us in the glow of the flames and the lanterns, highlighted by the sliver of new moon peeking out among the clouds.
“May you always be the victor of your battles, and may your lives be long,” The woman shouted over the last notes of the ethereal song. “May you bask in the love of your mate until the fates see fit to part you. Blessings to you all.”
I closed my eyes and put everything I had into a kiss while Greta’s hand knotted in the back of my shirt as applause and whoops of celebration rose up all around us.
The stone kin woman said something that made the crowd split off in a burst of raucous energy, but I was too lost inGreta to pay attention. I stared into her eyes, taking every ounce of adoration and love she offered in that moment, holding her against me as the chill of the evening breeze lifted my hair.
I held both sides of her face with my hands, kissed her forehead, and then pulled her against me, looking over her head toward my brother and his wife, then beyond them to Magnus and Grace. They were all doing the same, holding on to the moment like we were.
I didn’t know much about stone kin traditions or how anything worked among them as a people, but I was fairly certain we’d just been married, or something very much like it.
And I wasn’t upset about it in the slightest.
Chapter 33
Greta
“Ihave something for you,” Vassago said, steering me away from the crowd toward a quiet spot in the trees.
“Oh?” My fingers went nervously to my hair, testing to be sure all the little flowers and ribbons that had been woven in were still in place. I regretted not seeing how the ornate braid the aunts had given me for the event had been accomplished. Perhaps Vassago could puzzle it out for me to attempt to replicate later if he helped me take it down before I went to sleep. While beautiful, it would likely knot terribly overnight with all the little bits and bobs.
“Yes,” he said. He pulled a ring off his pinkie, hands abnormally unsteady as he presented it to me. “For you.” He held the ring up between his thumb and forefinger.
My gut twisted. “Oh. You don’t have to just because?—”
“Of course I don’t, Dragonfly. This was going to be yours even before… all that. Which for the record, was a surprise to us all.” He swallowed, something like worry crossing his face. “I would like for you to have this, but I only want you to accept it if you want it. It will keep us connected if we are ever separated.”
I looked at the small round opal stone atop the simple band. It was beautiful. “Won’t the bites also do that? And my crystal?”
“Yes, for a time. But these have been spelled. Rylan performed the magic. They will be more permanent—assuming you wear it, of course—and work both ways. You’ll be able to find me if you need to.”
“It matches yours,” I pointed out, gesturing at his hand.
“Yes.”
“Won’t people think… I mean, it will look like…”
A slow smile spread across his mouth. “Have I given you the impression I’m letting you go, Dragonfly?” He emphasized his words by pulling me even more snugly against him. “That I’m anything but honored to be seen at your side, whether here or at d’Arcan or anywhere else? Unless you want me to, of course, in which case…” He dropped one arm to his side, a neutral expression on his face. The shift from his adoring gaze to this distant, unfeeling one was like a thousand little knives piercing my skin. “I’ll honor your wishes, first and always,” he said quietly.
“No, no! It’s not that, it’s…” I tried to find the right words. None of how I’d gotten to this moment made any sense if I was honest, but that didn’t mean it wasn’t right. “I would be honored to wear your ring, Vassago. For people to assume that I’m your— That we’re—” The word didn’t want to come, no matter how loudly it might have been rolling around in my brain. “I just… I don’t know how to see myself in this extraordinary life. One that you’ve been instrumental in giving me. It still feels like it fits oddly at moments, no matter that it’s everything I’ve ever dreamed of. It’s still new. All of this. You.”
The smile spread across his mouth again, slow and gentle. Feral. My heart rate immediately spiked seeing it, the points of his fangs pressing into his bottom lip, the tip of his tongue resting in the corner of his mouth.
“I understand. I do, Greta. But know that it is truly my honor. Mate bond aside, as far as I’m concerned, you’re mine and I’m yours unless or until you decide that’s not what you want.” The thought of refusing him after having experienced what we had made my chest feel like it was collapsing, and I was sure that my horror at the suggestion showed clearly on my face. “It won’t bother me at all if people assume you’re my wife. In fact, I’d prefer it.”
My eyes widened as he said the words, but I loved the way they sounded.
He took my reaction as permission and slid the ring onto my finger. I held my breath, feeling as though this simple action was as profound as the entire ceremony we’d been through, even if that had been altogether unexpected.
“I need blood to seal it,” he said softly. “Yours and mine.” He lifted my hand once I nodded my agreement, the sharp tip of his fang bringing a drop to the surface. He repeated the gesture on himself, pressing our fingertips together before guiding my finger to his ring and placing his on mine. They flared bright white at the contact, but no remnant of blood remained on the stones when we pulled away.
“It’s beautiful.” I breathed the words, turning my finger side to side to see the array of colors within the gem. There were slashes of red and green, a bright teal blue and a sunny yellow.
I wanted nothing more than to tear Feiser’s unwanted ring from my flesh, but short of cutting the whole digit off, I was sure it was impossible. I’d held out some hope that removing the binding would undo whatever kept it attached to me, but that had not proven out. In fact, it had dug itself deeper once the binding was removed.
Seeing my frown, he pulled me close again and swallowed all my worries back up with a kiss, causing my whole body to flush hot. Vassago took my hand, pulling me toward the revelry.
