26. Camille

TWENTY-SIX

"Camille, there's something I need you to understand," Mazituz says solemnly the next morning. I swear that for a moment, my heart stops beating in my chest. Is he about to change his mind about taking me as his mate? Is he going to make an excuse to send me away again?

"What is it?" I can hear the tremor in my voice, even as I try to sound calm.

"I didn't fully explain the process of taking you as my mate. Obviously, you'll need to understand better what happens now. First, we'll need to go see the elder."

"The elder?" I echo.

"Yes. The Narovu tend to be solitary and stick to themselves, but there's an elder called Scrion. He has a few advisors he depends on, but in the end, he takes responsibility for all decisions that will affect the Narovu community."

I nod, thinking this over. "Okay? I mean, that makes sense, I guess…"

"He performs the mating ceremony that binds mates together. We'll have to get his blessing first because, otherwise, there will be no ceremony. And that means that we'll never be recognized as mates by the others."

"Oh…" I whisper, suddenly nervous again. What are the odds the other Narovu are going to agree to this after the way that they've already acted? Do we have any shot at all of convincing them? It seems unlikely.

So if this Scrion says no, what happens then?

Mazituz doesn't bother to elaborate on that possible outcome, and I'm too scared to ask. Instead, I just rise from my seat on our mossy bed. "Well, how do we find this Scrion then?"

The sooner we get this over with, the better. My heart is already in my throat. I don't want to worry about all the ways this is inevitably going to go very, very badly.

Mazituz practically beams at me, or at least as much as a creature like him can. "See, Camille? I told you that you should be proud of your bravery, and it's true. You're so willing to work for us to have a future together, no matter what it takes. That alone, I think, will be enough to convince Scrion," he tries to assure me. "Come, follow me."

I trail behind Mazituz as he winds his way through the cavernous passageways. Step by step, it feels like the bravery Mazituz just praised seeps from my very pores. By the time we arrive and Mazituz waves toward a rough-hewn doorway in a rock face, my legs are shaking.

He steps inside the chamber. I hover in the doorway, listening as he speaks to another Narovu about wanting an audience with the elder. Clearly, this person is not Scrion but an assistant of some kind. Maybe one of the advisors Mazituz mentioned?

The Narovu gestures to a wide, flat rock, shaped much like a bench covered in soft moss for comfort. He tells us to have a seat and then shuffles off into another adjoining room.

My heart is beating so fast, I think it might explode. Mazituz and I sit in silence. My throat is too dry to even consider trying to form words, though the awkward tension in the room does nothing to relieve my worries.

Luckily, before I can die of a literal heart attack, a handful of Narovu shuffle out of the other room. I can immediately tell which one must be Scrion, the elder, as his clothes are distinctive green robes and he wears a luxurious-looking amulet around his neck made from so many pearls that it's nearly blinding.

Mazituz stands and bows. I try to mimic his actions, not wanting to be unintentionally disrespectful. I think I do a fair job, though I can't make my tentacles hang submissively the way he does, for obvious reasons.

"I come to you today to ask for your blessing in taking a mate," Mazituz begins.

One of the Narovu by Scrion's side scoffs. "You should have come with your intended mate."

"I did."

The reaction is instant. Though Scrion is still silent, the rest immediately look at me with disdain, dissenting and muttering amongst themselves. The chatter is so continuous and overlapping that I can only make out the occasional disjointed word, but it's clear they do not approve.

Finally, one speaks up rather hostile. "Humans are not suitable mates for our kind. It's never been done, and for good reason. How is a human to live down here? You can't follow your human to the surface, and she can't stay down here. How will that work?"

I open my mouth, about to argue that I've been living down here for some time even if they haven't noticed. But their piercing, skeptical eyes make me close my lips before I can even utter a sound.

The barbed whispers and judgmental looks continue for some time while Scrion remains impassive and silent. When he finally speaks, a hush immediately falls over the rest as they quiet down to listen to his sacred words.

"Mating with a human is an unlikely prospect. It will be a challenging undertaking, and you must be fully committed to such a decision. You will spend the rest of your life constantly questioning the wisdom of such a choice, battling day after day to survive the difficulties. As such, before I will approve this, you must prove to me that you are ready for the battle. You will fight Izor and prove your desire for this partnership is invincible and unwavering."

One of the Narovu steps forward, claws already raised menacingly. I glance at Mazituz, uncertain this is a good idea. The creature is huge; his body is built like the imposing rock walls of the cavern. Mazituz could just as soon challenge a boulder to a duel, probably with the same outcome.

Mazituz doesn't blink. He just steps forward, toe to toe with Izor. The rest of the Narovu fall back, hanging by the wall to watch the coming fight. I mimic their action, moving to stand along the opposite cavern wall where I will be out of the fray.

This is crazy. What weird kind of brutal mating ritual is this? Then I pause, considering it. They're monsters, after all. I'm not sure what I expected.

Mazituz and Izor circle each other, their muscles tense and ready. My heart lodges in my throat, seeing the Narovu spectators watching eagerly, their teeth barred as they wait for blood.

Mazituz springs forward first, and the two clash violently. Izor blocks him by raising his meaty arms. When Mazituz steps back to try another tactic. Izor tackles low. His massive bulk hits Mazituz's knees, taking them both to the floor.

I scream as cruel claws go straight for Mazituz's flesh. He lies helpless on the floor pinned under the behemoth that is Izor. Am I about to watch my beloved be murdered before my very eyes on what was supposed to be my wedding day?

Then, miraculously, Izor is heaved violently off as Mazituz unleashes his full might. He stands tall as Izor skids across the floor, a little bloody and torn but still intact. The cheers and jeers of the other Narovu fall suddenly silent, and for a moment, I don't think any of us are even breathing.

Izor scrambles to his feet and bellows defiantly. "You think you can take me? That was a lucky break that won't happen a second time. Quit while you still can," he warns.

Mazituz shakes his head. "I'd rather die now than live the rest of my life told I can't have my mate. We'll resolve this, one way or another, now."

Izor laughs. "Well, that's certainly a choice, isn't it? A stupid one, perhaps, but it's still your right to make it."

He rushes Mazituz again, but this time, Mazituz anticipates the crude maneuver and spins lithely out of the way. Izor reacts quickly, though, and raises one clawed hand just as he steps past Mazituz, striking him so loudly on the back of the head with the heavy claw that the sound resonates through the air.

The ring of monsters roars, approving the underhanded attack. My stomach churns as I watch Mazituz stagger and drop to his knees. But somehow, he shrugs off the blow that would have left a human man concussed. Instead, he growls furiously, still on his knees, and lunges for Izor's midsection.

The two wrestle, clawing and stabbing at each other as both draw blood and the rest of the Narovu cheer. It begins to look like this may end in a bloodbath, and I wonder if anyone is ever intended to come out of this alive.

I stare anxiously at Scrion, stunned. His face remains impassive and unyielding, even as the other monsters around him cheer. What is the point of a battle to the death? What does this even prove? Will they kill Mazituz and then kill me next?

With horror, I begin to fear that perhaps that was the intention all along. They were never going to let us mate.

But then Scrion holds up one clawed hand. He bangs it on the rock behind him, hitting a resonant ore that chimes like a bell. Both Mazituz and Izor freeze at the sound, lifting their heads mid-scuffle to listen to their elder.

"Enough," Scrion intones. "I have seen enough. Mazituz, you have proven your willingness to suffer for your mate. Unfortunately, I do not think this will be the only time you are asked to prove such a thing, but as Izor said – this is your choice to make. I will grant your request. The ceremony will be in three days' time."

With that, he shuffles back into the other chamber, his advisors following silently behind him. Even Izor simply stands, wipes a trail of blood from the corner of his mouth, and obediently joins the end of the line.

The next thing I know, we are alone in the space. Mazituz, still lying on the floor, meets my eyes and we stare at each other dumbfounded.

"We did it!" I squeal after a pregnant silence, racing across the blood-stained floor to my beloved.

My beloved, who in three days' time, will be my mate.