Seventy-Two Dianna

Reggie met me at my door, my nerves making me feel sick. I took his arm, and we headed downstairs. The castle was quiet, but as we drew near the main floor, the smell of mint and something floral filled my nose. My gasp was audible when I saw how the lower level had been changed. Everything was sparkling clean, and flowers in every shade clung to the walls as if they were growing from the stone. Long vines draped the banisters and doorways, delicate white blossoms scenting the air. A long, plush, cream runner led me to the main foyer, to him.

“He used his powers, didn’t he?” I whispered to Reggie.

Reggie nodded. “He deemed it only appropriate, given the occasion.”

My lips curved in a small smile. I knew it would have taken so much out of him with the still-healing wound on his side and him not sleeping for three days, but this meant so much. I just hoped he wasn’t too tired.

Soft music and warm light flooded through the large double doors. The wooden flooring was gone, replaced with shining stone trimmed with gold lines tracing the walls. I kept my eyes down, letting Reggie lead me to the doors. I heard the music change, somehow becoming more intentional to herald my arrival.

My grip on Reggie’s arm tightened, and I forced myself to look up as he paused at the threshold. My breath caught, unable to process what I was seeing. This wasn’t the room we had passed through earlier. He had completely transformed it. The ceilings rose to dizzying heights, seeming to go on forever. Massive chandeliers hovered above, spilling warm light into the room and overflowing with flowers so beautiful they made me want to weep.

This was similar to something from Samkiel’s old world, containing bits of the beauty I had seen in the blooddreams. These rooms were sacred and meant to celebrate gods and goddesses. This was what he wanted for me? My pulse quickened. Did he truly consider me worthy of all of this?

Reggie continued to guide me forward, and I finally gathered the courage to look toward the front of the room. My breath hitched. There, atop a raised dais, he waited.

Samkiel was breathtaking. Outside of the blooddreams and his council garbs, I had never seen him in a uniform, but he wore one today. The white brocade jacket was obviously custom-made, fitting his large frame perfectly, the gold buttons drawing the eye. His matching white pants fit snugly to his powerful thighs and were tucked into tall boots. A cape draped his left arm, leaving his right free to grab a weapon. The heavy material was embroidered with intricate gold designs and held in place by a thick dark leather strap that crossed his wide chest. It spilled off his powerful shoulders, the hem just sweeping the floor at his feet. Samkiel was royalty, and today, he displayed that fact. He was a king awaiting his intended queen.

My nerves melted away the moment our eyes locked. A smile that made my cheeks hurt spread across my face. He looked at me as if I were the most beautiful thing in the world. I hoped he saw the same adoration in my gaze. I didn’t know how I’d ever looked at or touched another before him.

This was it. He was it. He was my everything.

My heart swelled as we walked toward him, and if Reggie wasn’t holding my arm, I was sure my legs would have given out. The music slowly quieted as I reached the steps. The gold and white stone seemed to glow beneath my feet. We reached the top, and Reggie let go of my arm and stepped back, but I had no idea where he went. All I saw was Samkiel.

Everrine coughed discreetly, and we both jerked and turned toward her. We stood side by side as we had been since our first meeting. I tried and failed to hide the smile that refused to leave my face as Everrine began speaking. She held a bejeweled chalice in one hand. With the other, she drew a rune in the air before us and said something in a language I didn’t know. The rune glowed for a moment before dissipating. She spoke another word and drew a different rune. It flared to life before fading.

Everrine placed the chalice down and held her hands out toward us, nodding. I glanced up at Samkiel and followed his lead as he offered her his hand, palm up. She clasped his first, drawing a blade with her free hand.

The growl that escaped my throat had her taking a step back, her eyes wide. I hadn’t even realized I had moved, but I had stepped in front of Samkiel.

“It’s okay.” Samkiel smiled brightly. “It’s a part of the ritual.”

“You didn’t tell her?” Everrine squeaked. “Oh, praise the old gods.”

Ritual?

“Blood of my blood,” I said, remembering what Reggie had told me in that tunnel.

“Exactly,” he said, pulling me back to his side and nodding toward Everrine. “Continue, please.”

I steadied my nerves. Apparently, I was more on edge than I’d thought.

Everrine kept an eye on me as she stepped back into place and tentatively reached for Samkiel’s hand. I watched as she drew the blade across his palm, silver blood rising to meet the air. The Ig’Morruthen in me thrashed and ripped at me, wanting to burn her to ash for the slight alone. But I swallowed and fisted my hands, forcing myself to remain in place. He was fine. He was not in danger. He was alive. I repeated it like a mantra, even if my body didn’t believe me. I wondered if my anxieties would ever calm when it came to threats to the ones I loved after watching both him and Gabby die. Or was this an overprotective side effect to our marks being gone?

She turned to me, asking for mine next. I held out my hand, palm up. My lip twitched as she dragged the blade across it, and I felt power encircle me like a vise. My eyes lifted, and I caught Samkiel watching me intently. I wondered if it was a struggle for him to see me bleed as well.

Everrine brought our hands together, and I eagerly pressed my palm to his.

“Blood to seal,” Everrine said, picking up a silky length of ribbon the color of sunlight.

“A cloth of Dhihsin to symbolize two souls merging into one,” she said, tying the ribbon around our hands.

“The Dhihsin?” I whispered to Samkiel.

Samkiel smirked and lifted a shoulder in a half-shrug. “Not really, but we had to improvise. Short notice and all.”

Everrine glared at us, shushing us with a look that only made us smile harder.

She stepped back and raised her hand as if to give a grand speech, but my eyes were glued to Samkiel. He looked so good. I loved how his jacket and cape curved and draped over his broad shoulders and muscled arms. Those powerful arms had carried me despite every cruel or harsh thing I had done. He lifted me when all I wanted to do was fall.

Samkiel smiled at me as if he could read my mind. This was love. This was what it felt like. What it was supposed to feel like. I finally understood why others would go to war for it and clash or rage at its demise. I knew if I lost him and his love, the universe would quake at the mention of my name.

“. . . now all who witness thee shall know the union is not to be forsaken.”

She spoke to the room, but only the three of them stood near us.

“Now,” she clasped her hands, “repeat after me.”

“By my blood, I am made. In sickness and in health, I am by your side. Sworn to you and no others, I am forever yours. My heart remains yours for eternity and after. Forever awaits, and from today onward, you and I will be one in heart, body, and mind. These words, this oath, are engraved on my soul.”

LAUGHTER FLOODED THE LARGE ROOM AS MISKA WAS SPUN FROM Reggie to Orym and back. Her smile almost touched her ears as she twirled, and I was sure mine matched. I grasped Reggie’s hands as Samkiel spun me toward him, Miska taking my spot. Another twirl, and we switched once more. I heard her say something about using the bathroom as the other two talked about food. I leaned in, back in my husband’s arms once more.

“What’s that face?” Samkiel asked, his finger flicking under my chin.

“This?” I scrunched my nose. “This is my happy face.”

“Ah. Do you wish to know a secret?”

I nodded.

He leaned down and whispered, “I’d sell the world to see it every day.”

I pulled back with a fake gasp. “The entire world?”

He nodded. “The entire thing.”

“That’s not very heroic of you.”

He shrugged with a smirk as he spun me. “I have my moments.”

A small laugh left my lips as I turned back to him, clasping his hand and leaning forward, fitting my body to his. I rested my head on his chest, one arm outstretched, my hand cradled in his as we danced to a slow piano melody. A light mist swirled around our feet. I wasn’t sure where it had come from, and I didn’t care.

“It was almost perfect,” I whispered. “I wish everyone else was here.”

I felt him stiffen as if he had been thinking the same. “Me as well.”

“Cameron would have already done something absolutely mischievous, Xavier at his side. I’m sure Logan and Neverra would have asked us to dance several times, Imogen would have several guards falling at her feet, and I’d make sure she didn’t go home alone.”

He rested his cheek on the top of my head as we continued our slow dance. “You know them so well.”

“I want another big ceremony when we’re all together again,” I asked, leaning back.

His eyes searched mine, but his smile didn’t reach them as he said, “Me too.”

“I won’t lie to you,” I said, my throat bobbing. “Never again, but at first, I truly believed there was no hope for them.”

“I know,” he whispered. “I could always see the deflection in your eyes when I spoke of them. I also know that you’d never say it out loud because of how much I love them.”

“I was wrong.”

His head reared back. “What?”

“Back at the prison when we found Logan. He didn’t respond when he saw me, so I brought you up top to see him. At first, I hated it because there was no reaction to you either, and I didn’t want to disappoint you. But when you turned to leave, and I swear on Gabby’s life, I swear I saw him blink. Just once.”

Samkiel didn’t say anything, but he slowed our dance.

“You did?” he asked. “Why didn’t you say anything?”

“You were so sad the next morning. I just didn’t want to give you false hope, but I did see it. We will get them back, Sami.” My hand tightened on his arm. “I swear it.”

“We will.” His lips brushed my forehead as he spun me around. “Just dance with me tonight. We can talk about battle plans and schemes tomorrow.”

“Okay.” I grinned, and to chase away the dark clouds that had formed in his eyes, I said, “So, how do you feel about being called my husband?”

His face lit up. “So much better. I never have to hear you call me your friend again.”

I threw my head back and laughed. When I looked at him, he was just staring at me, dumbstruck.

“What?” I asked.

“Nothing,” he whispered roughly. “I just love you.”

My smile slowly faded. He gave me those words so freely, and I knew he wanted nothing in return. There was no mission I had to complete. No artifact I had to return. No person I had to kill or maim. I didn’t have to jump through hoops for affection from him or beg for attention. I never thought I would receive those words, so instead, I shut my heart down, grew claws and fangs, and loved myself. Samkiel gave them freely and wholeheartedly.

“I love you, Samkiel, and I don’t need a soul to feel that.”

His hand was a heavy weight on my lower back as we swayed, his fingers caressing the sensitive skin. It was every godsdamn magical moment I could only dream of, except this was real. I squeezed his shoulder and rested my head against his chest. One beat, then two, and even with the dazzling music, his heartbeat was my favorite song.