Page 24 of Fractured Souls
“Nah, better this way,” Adriel whispered back. “Plus, I told you that I would be marking you…I just didn’t include the crown part.”
No. No, he freakin’ hadn’t included the crown part.
“King Adriel and Lady Lorcan, if you will?” Bararond, not privy to our conversation, called us forward. Adriel turned towards me, his full attention making my cheeks stupidly flush.
“Before we merge your magic,” the advisor continued, “we will swear in Lady Lorcan.”
Oh my Maker.
“Lorcan, do you promise to lead side by side with King Adriel, guiding the citizens of the Kingdom of Night according to our laws and customs?”
“Yes.” The word left my lips before I could stop them. Adriel’s smile grew, catching on that this was coming easier than I thought it would. In fact, my voice came off a hell of a lot stronger than I would have guessed in general.
“And will you, to the best of your ability, aid in the execution of justice and mercy alongside His Majesty?”
“I will.”
“And will you honor and maintain the desires of the Maker and our kingdom?”
“I will.”
Adriel’s power lit up and wrapped around me tightly, and I felt my breath stutter. Bararond’s words were distant as he finally said, “This union of magic is blessed by the Maker himself and will strengthen this kingdom. Citizens of the Kingdom of Night—your new Queen, Lorcan.”
With those words, it felt like everything snapped into place. Applause broke out, the excitement of such an intense moment causing me to feel like I was moving a million miles an hour, but it was nothing compared to the sensation of Adriel sealing his lips to mine and completing the second part of the ceremony, the one that didn’t require spoken vows and instead just an intense exchange of magic. He deepened the kiss, and when a small moan left my throat and my magic exploded out…everything ruptured.
Our magics collided and the building shook. Roaring winds rushed through the halls and surprised gasps filled the space. The scent of the sea and the song of the stars filled my senses, and through all of it, Adriel’s lips kept me grounded. His kiss was deep and intense, our magic tying itself up in an unbreakable bond—one that was forged in so much love it was insane to think it could exist contained within a corporeal form.
Then Adriel pulled back, his breathing rough as he slid a hand against my jaw to cup it and whispered, “I love you, princess.”
“I love you too,” I murmured, closing my eyes and savoring the moment—silence existing between us despite the celebratory exclamations around us. When my eyes finally opened and Adriel pulled back, a weight settled on my head.
His eyes filled with a possessive edge and mine widened as I reached my hand up to see what he was looking at…
A crown.I had a crown on my head.
Holy shit.
CHAPTER9
Lorcan
Despite the oddityof this situation, namely the idea of me wearing a crown in the first place, the celebration was far more normal and comfortable than I could have hoped for. Sure, I wasn’t completely used to the ‘medieval’ feast vibes that seemed more common than not at these events, but the unity and the corresponding energy that floated throughout the room was distracting enough that I barely noticed it. Never before had I felt such a strong allegiance to a kingdom and way of living than I did here with Adriel’s people.
I had to assume it was the freedom from the Kingdom of Day.
The citizens present were extraordinarily friendly, and while Adriel had introduced me to a fair amount of them including Bararond and the other advisors, most of them were leaving us to celebrate our special moment and the union of our magic. Otherwise known as our wedding.
Wait, did I need a ring or something?I supposed that I sort of had one already.
The union had transformed the matching gold bands on our skin—the one around my right bicep and the one on Adri’s wrist that marked him as one of my guardians. They were now wreathed in silver, almost like a vine wrapped around them. I knew the change was because of Adriel’s magic, his essence and energy combining with my own.
I couldn’t help but run my fingers over his mark again and again, letting out a happy hum from my throat as I sat on his lap, not even caring if it made me look like a total softy.
It helped, of course, that my other men had surrounded me in a way that had me barely noticing the room half the time, their animated conversation and light tone putting me at ease. When was the last time we’d been able to relax to this extent? Maybe in Desmond’s kingdom? But even then it was the Demonic realm, so that had been essentially impossible.
Each of my men seemed to be handling being here very differently. Zander had stuck close to me but stayed right out of reach—frustratingly so—his expression filled with a tension that he tried to hide from me. I’m sure it was the stress of being back in the Elven realm. I couldn’t imagine how hard it would be constantly living in fear of your identity being recognized while living in a realm with individuals old enough to do exactly that. Sure, Cormac and I had dealt with that to an extent, but on Earth there weren’t nearly as many individuals who could even guess what we were and of course we hadn’t been alive nearly as long as Zander…
Then there was Rhett, who was sharing a beer with Draven, the angel seeming to find this place fascinating. It made me wonder when he had been here last. Or maybe at all? I knew if I asked he would tell me.
