Page 219 of Golden Queen
"Good news," Io said with a smile. "Atlas' spell worked after all. It just took it a few minutes to kick in."
I knew by the look on Cassius' face he didn't believe a single word Io was saying, but he made no remark in the middle of all those people.
He turned to the crowd. "Out!" the master roared, waving his hands. "Out! All of you, get back to your studies. Go!"
They reluctantly fled.
Cassius turned to Io. "Amon, what did you do?" He picked up Io’s hands and turned them over, looking at them carefully.
"I'm fine, Cassius," Io said, pulling away.
"How did you..." the master asked in a reverent whisper.
"I didn't," Io said, sternly. "I told you Atlas did it. Now, can you confirm our mating bond so that I can tell my brother the good news?"
Io held me close to his side, reaching down to take my hand each time I began to feel that vibration of magic in my body, that ache of needing release.
I let it bleed away harmlessly into him as we followed the master to his chambers.
I could feel the magic, like a well-worn part of me had grown and stretched until it took up more space inside me than it should have. My skin felt tight, my bones crowded.
We had to be mates, I decided. For us to both have this gold power and share it between us as we did—never burning each other. We had to have fates-forged souls to have come together as we had.
For whatever reason, I just couldn't feel it yet. It would come. I was suddenly sure of it.
I walked into the master's chamber with renewed hope, smiling at Io as we took a seat at a wooden table covered in nicks and scars and burns. It looked like it had seen its fair share of some sort of labor.
Aben followed us into the chamber. He stood leaning against the wall watching the master warily as he fumbled around on the shelves.
I heard the clatter of a large metal basin hit the floor and a shower of bottles cascading across the stone tiles with it. "Oh, bother," The master muttered.
Aben bent to help him collect his things.
I realized the old man was shaking as he took the basin from Aben's hands. I wondered if it was the events of the day, the fact that his lord had picked up the Dagda's sword, or just his age that had him trembling like a leaf.
"So, how does this work?" I asked.
"It’s very simple, really," Master Cassius put in, noisily setting the bowl on the table.
He reached for my hand with one of his and Io's hand with the other. "We just need a bit of blood and a bit of ash."
He laid our hands across the basin, palms up. Grasping a small, sharp-looking silver knife in his shaking hands, he approached my wrist.
"I will do it," Io said, taking the knife from the master’s trembling fingers.
He looked at me with that familiar, mischievous look on his face. "Unless you want to do it. I know how you enjoy a bit of cutting."
I tossed him a dirty look and offered him my wrist.
His knee connected with mine below the table reassuringly as he put the blade to my skin.
He slid it neatly across one of the spidery blue veins just below the surface.
Blood welled up along with fiery pain, but it was replaced by a faint, cold ache that quickly faded away. He was using his magic to lessen the pain.
I angled my wrist over the basin to let a thin stream of blood pour out.
I pointedly looked away as Io cut his own wrist, but then I noticed a great deal more blood streaming down to meet mine in the bowl.
