Page 90 of Crossing Between
Elias stepped forward first, his blue robe rippling like water with his movement. His eyes, those deep pools that had captivated me from the start, held mine with unwavering intensity. He took a small ceremonial knife and made a small cut on his palm.
"Zoey," his voice was steady but thick with emotion. "Before you, I was adrift, caught between two worlds but belonging to neither. In you, I found a shore. A place to rest." He swallowed hard, his vulnerability raw and beautiful. "I offer you my protection, my foresight, my healing. I offer you the depths of my being as both the man and the kraken. I choose you because your soul calls to mine. With you, I am whole."
Tears sprang to my eyes as I felt something shift inside me, a thread of connection forming between us. I reached for his hands, taking them in mine, feeling the warmth of his blood against my skin.
"Elias," my voice trembled slightly. "In you, I found strength when I most needed it. Your calm in my storm, your wisdom in my doubt. I accept your protection, your foresight, your healing. I accept all that you are as man and kraken, guardian and lover. I choose you because with you, I too amwhole."
As I spoke, I felt it. A pulse, a vibration that wasn't physical but somehow deeper. His heartbeat synchronized with mine, and suddenly I could feel his emotions like they were my own. His devotion, his fierce protectiveness, and his love.
Varon stepped forward next, his crimson robe catching the first glimpses of starlight. His normally guarded expression was open now, vulnerable in a way I rarely saw. He cut his palm, never flinching.
"Zoey," his voice was rough with emotion. "For centuries, I walked this earth alone, convinced that solitude was my strength. You proved me wrong." His eyes burned with intensity. "I offer you my experience, my loyalty, my endurance. I offer you the fire that has kept me alive through countless winters. I choose you because you awakened something in me I thought long dead. Hope. With you, I can imagine a future worth fighting for."
His words struck me to my core. I reached for his hands, blood meeting blood.
"Varon," I felt that same strange resonance begin. "In you, I found passion and purpose. Your conviction became my anchor when everything else seemed uncertain. I accept your experience, your loyalty, and your endurance. I accept your fire that burns away pretense and illuminates truth. I choose you because your soul challenges mine to grow beyond what I thought possible. With you, I find the courage to face whatever comes."
His heartbeat fell into rhythm with mine and Elias's, a third note in our growing harmony. I could feel his emotions, too, now. His fierce dedication, his carefully guarded tenderness, and the depth of feeling he so rarely showed the world.
Finally, Kenji stepped forward, his orange robe glowing in the twilight. His usual playfulness was replaced by asolemn intensity I'd glimpsed only in rare moments. He made his cut, his blood gleaming dark against his skin.
"Zoey," his voice carried the rumble of thunder. "Before you, I hid behind masks, afraid to show my true self to the world. You saw through every single one." His blue eyes shimmered. "I offer you my strength, my joy, and my protection. I offer you the heritage of my ancestors and the promise of my future. I choose you because your soul dances with mine in perfect harmony. With you, I am free to be exactly who I am."
My heart felt so full it might burst. I took his hands, completing our circle.
"Kenji," I spoke through the lump in my throat. "In you, I found freedom and undeniable love. Your laughter became my light in darkness, your honesty my guide when lost. I accept your strength, your joy, and your protection. I choose you because your soul brings out the best in mine, challenging me to embrace every part of myself. With you, I too am free."
His heartbeat joined ours, the fourth note completing our chord. His emotions flowed into me. His exuberance, his fierce loyalty, and his deep capacity for love beneath his playful exterior.
"Now," Quilith's voice seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere at once, "each of you will offer your essence to the bond."
Elias went first, holding his bleeding palm over the basin. "With my blood, I commit myself to this bond." A single drop fell, hitting the copper with a sizzle. It ignited into a deep indigo flame that swirled like a miniature whirlpool, pulsing with the rhythm of the sea.
Varon followed, extending his hand. "With my blood, I commit myself to this bond." His drop burst into crimson fire that crackled and danced, sending sparks upward like dying embers carried on a breeze.
Kenji stepped forward next. "With my blood, I commit myself to this bond." His drop exploded into silver-orange flames that reached upward like living tendrils.
Finally, it was my turn. I held my hand over the basin, feeling the combined heat of their essences warming my skin. "With my blood, thrice given, I commit myself to this bond." I cut my palm as I let three drops fall. One for each of them. As they touched the swirling energies, an explosion of light erupted from the basin, white-gold and blinding.
The combined energies rose in a spiral, weaving together their colors. Indigo, crimson, and silver-orange, with my white-gold essence. The magical smoke twisted around us, caressing our skin with ethereal touches before settling on our bodies. I felt a warm tingle on my wrist and watched in awe as glowing marks appeared, temporary soulmarks, Quilith had called them.
But something unexpected happened. My magic surged within me, responding to their essences, and I gasped as I felt it manifest beyond my control. The glowing mist condensed and shot toward each of our chests, directly over our hearts. I felt a burning sensation, not painful but intense, and when I looked down, I saw an intricate glyph glowing through the thin fabric of my robe. Looking up, I saw matching expressions of surprise as identical marks formed on each of my partners.
"Interesting," Quilith murmured. "Your magic is already strengthening the bond."
"What now?" My voice sounded strange to my ears, like it carried echoes of the others within it.
"Now comes the shared channeling," Quilith explained. "The most powerful and dangerous part of the ritual. Each must channel their essence into Zoey, and she must return it transformed."
Elias approached me first, his eyes now glowingwith the deep blue light of his kraken nature. He placed his hands on either side of my face, his touch gentle. I felt his magic flow into me, it was cool and deep and ancient, carrying the memory of endless oceans. I let my power rise to meet it, wrapping around his essence before sending it back.
His eyes widened, and I knew he was seeing something, a vision that Kenji mentioned could happen. "I see you," he whispered. "Standing on a shore, calling to me across oceans. I've always been swimming toward you, even before I knew you existed."
Next came Varon, his eyes gleaming with crimson light. He pressed his palm against my collarbone, his touch leaving trails of heat on my skin. His magic felt different. Hot and sharp and powerful, tempered by centuries of existence. Again, I let my power rise and intermingle before returning it.
"I see us. In another time. I found you centuries ago, in another life. We've always been searching for each other." Varon kissed my forehead.
Finally, Kenji approached, his eyes now illuminated by golden fire. He placed his hand over my heart, his touch sending sparks through my veins. His magic was vibrant and wild, ancient in a different way, carrying the weight of generations. I embraced it with my own before sending it back.
