He takes the cord from Percival and ties our hands together.
“Up until this moment, you have been separate in thought, word, and action. As this cord binds your hands together, so shall your lives be bonded as one.” The rope begins to burn. I gasp in shock. It’s a cold burn, unsettling, but not quite painful. Swirls of green energy wind around our hands.
“Frumoasa,” the officiate whispers.
“What is this? Some trick?” Etta’s voice is like nails on a chalkboard.
“Our powers are saying hello,” I say softly, knowing all of them can hear us. My energy rises to answer his. The blue and green tendrils dart after each other like playful pups. They move through our bodies, wrestling with one another until they find a happy compromise. The discomfort stops, and the colors mingle to make a greenish blue before they settle back into our bodies.
I exhale.
“Wow,” I whisper shakily.
I hear the members of my court chuckle.
“Bring forth the chalice.”
Renee and Miles walk up. Everyone played a part in our day. I wink at Renee who grins even harder. Renee kneels beside me, and Miles mirrors him next to Cristobal.
“Today your blood will mingle and become one.”
Larkin steps forward with a sharp blade. “Let this blood oath taken in front of all be an outward sign of your promises here today.”
Larkin makes a cut on Cristobal’s palm. Miles catches the droplets in the silver chalice. Larkin repeats the process, and Renee grabs mine.
“When you accept this blood into your body, you bind yourself to the contract agreed upon.” When Cristobal’s wound seals shut, he leans forward to lick mine. The anticoagulant goes to work and my skin mends. Renee and Miles hand over the chalices. We link arms and drink. His blood is a fire ringing its way through my body. Like a shot of espresso, it reinvigorates me. His eyes go heavy-lidded. I look away, pleased. Let them smell how we make each other feel. Etta has a front row seat. I wish I could turn around and see her face without being a basic bitch.
I unbind our wrists with magic. Cristobal places the cord in his pocket and rises, offering up his hand to help me stand. We turn, and he addresses the crowd.
“Meet the Lord and Lady of Cortez Court, Cristobal Cortez and Louella Esçhete.” The vampires clap politely.
“We thank you for being here to celebrate this momentous occasion with us. I think we all dream of one day finding our bond mate. We have entertainment, food, and wine prepared for you at our home. We hope you’ll join us, so we can thank each one of you in person,” Cristobal says with a small smile.
“Come with me to the office, and we’ll sign the paperwork?” The officiate leads us in the opposite direction away from the crowd to the side of the building where the office rests. “Do vampires file paperwork?”
Cristobal nods. The members of our court follow us, forming a wall of protection. I notice the officiant has his own people as well. Once the door closes, Cristobal turns to me. Who is this man?
“Can you perform a silencing spell, dove?”
Closing my eyes, I weave a quick muting ward. “Done.”
“I’m sure by now you are wondering who I am. I will see if you can guess.”
The last thing I want to do is offend him by guessing horribly wrong.
“Who did I tell you would survive long after a nuclear war broke out?”
No.
&
nbsp; My eyes widen. I glance from Cristobal to the man.
“I … V-Vlad?” I choke.
He bows. “At your services.”
My jaw drops, and he laughs heartily.