Page 156 of Enchanted Shadows
“We both have bruises from that day, seen and otherwise.”
She looked to my cast, trailing her fingers up to my neck. “I’m still sorry for the hell I put you through.”
“It was a personal hell for sure. I felt so... worthless.” I filled her in on how we pulled the guards back, trying to give her space to play whatever game she needed to with Calix, but that it went against my instincts.
“Never again,” I told her at a whisper, my head bent to her temple. “Never again do I want to feel that level of terror. The hollow void of not knowing if you lived or breathed.”
“Agreed.” She chewed a small bite of the roll Jorah had personally baked her.
“So you’ll bond with me, then?”
She startled, sitting up straight and looking me in the eyes. “Do you want that?”
“Kessara,” I snapped. “I would bond with you this instant if I thought your Enchantments could take it.”
“But—” she swallowed and as she did, it brought attention to that nick on her throat that made me see red every time I looked at it. “But I thought Jorah said?—”
“Youare my soulmate,” I told her, no doubts in my mind. “If we aren’t soul bonded, I don’t care. We can be heart bound instead.”
“But you only have one strong bond left.”
“Woman, you already have me. Heart. Mind. Body. We aremarried. The bond at this point is merely ceremonial. A few words and a little blood. And if these bonds are really about how fiercely we choose one another, then thatisus. I choose you, Princess Kessara Astra Zavatari. Take however much of me you want. I’m yours to wield.”
She sniffed, her eyes brimming with moisture. “I don’t need a third Enchantment.”
I chuckled. “I’m not sure love counts as an Enchantment.”
“Doesn’t it? Did it not save us both? It might be the greatest Enchantment of all.”
I moved to wipe at her tears, but my cast was in the way. “Kessara,” I snapped. “You know how I feel about tears. Just tell me yes. You’ll marry me, for real this time, and bond with me.”
Her head snapped back. “You want to marry me again?”
“Yes. I want to say the words again, but this time add that I love you. That every day we spent married without realizing the depth of our feelings for one another was a waste. You are a part of me now. And I never want to know another day without you.” I sent my magic to fetch my gift for her from the small pile of them by the fireplace. “Which reminds me. Here.”
She looked at the small box, red wrapping tied with a gold bow. She handed me over the water and dinner roll.
“Open it.” I’d asked for this to be made before I left to return Artem to Agria. In the middle of avoiding my wife, I’d still asked for it.
She slipped the bow off gently, opening it to find a long necklace, not unlike the one she wore when she first came to Wylan. At the end of it was a red gem, a small bear charm, and a lynx charm. It was us.
“Owen,” she gasped.
“I rather liked your old one,” I admitted. “I like how it tucked in next to your heart. So I wanted to get you another one. This onenot to change your appearance or a damn thing about you, but to remind you that you no longer have to hide from me. Youneverhave to hide from me.”
“Owen.”
“Kessara.”
“But if we do this, if we bond, you might get shadow magic.”
I moved to kiss her lips, gently. “Then I suppose I’ll have the best teacher.”
Her eyes went wide. “The pupil turned teacher?”
“I thought we went over this. Your assertiveness doesn’t scare me.”
“Owen,” she warned.
