“I feel it too. There is a Rift between us,” the Emperor agreed.
I frowned as I watched them—they were like two pieces of the same puzzle thatalmostfit together, but not quite.
“I think that’s your cue, baby,” I heard one of Rylee’s husbands murmur to her.
“Right.” Rylee bustled forward, through the throne room, and came to a stop on the seventh step of the crystal dais. Looking up, she said, “Your Majesties, may I offer you my services? I am a La-ti-zal and a Binder.”
“Oh, yes—a Binder! That is what we need!” the Rainbow Empress exclaimed.
“Yes, do come up, Binder,” the Emperor said, nodding in agreement.
“Thank you.” Rylee gracefully ascended the stairs and came to the top of the crystal dais. Standing before the Emperor and Empress, she reached up and placed her much smaller hands over theirs, which were still clasped together. “By the power of the Goddess Empress and the Goddess of Mercy, who inhabits and indwells her, I now pronounce the two of you Joined,” she said loudly and clearly. “Long may your love reign as your people reunite!”
At first nothing happened. Then a low gasp ran through the room. After a moment, I saw why.
Both the Emperor and the Empress werechanging.
I don’t mean their faces were melting or anything like that—I’m talking about the colors of their hair, skin, and eyes.
Emperor Shadout, as I have said before, had dark purple skin that looked like it had been swirled with black. Now, as we all watched, the midnight stain was washed away, leaving a pure, royal purple in its place.
At the same time, the Empress’s skin darkened to the same hue and her hair, which had been a rainbow of pastels, began to darken until it was more jewel tones—rich scarlet, deep emerald, intense cerulean, and vibrant umber replaced the baby-pink, powder blue, pale green, and peach that had been there a moment ago.
The Emperor’s hair and brows and lashes stayed black, but suddenly his eyes began to glow and a moment later I could see that they had changed from pure black to the same rainbow of swirling colors that the Empress had in her own eyes.
A collective, “Ohhhhh…” went up from the assembled crowd of guards and handmaidens and other servants and courtiers who were watching the transformation take place.
“I feel…different,” the Empress whispered. She was still staring into the Emperor’s face. “And youlookdifferent,” she added, speaking to him.
“So do you, my love. You are more beautiful than ever,” he rumbled, smiling at her. “And now that I hold your hands in mine and we are truly Joined, I feel myself whole for the first time.”
“I feel it too!” the Rainbow Empress breathed. “For now we are neither of us the Twenty-second andone halfrulers of our world anymore.”
“Let us call ourselves. Shalaya and Shadout the Twenty-third—rulers ofallTangella Alpha-Prime together,” the Emperor suggested.
“Oh yes, my love!” the Empress exclaimed. And then she put her arms around him and dragged him down for a kiss.
Shadout didn’t seem to know what to do at first, but he figured it out pretty quickly. Taking the Empress in his arms, he kissed her back thoroughly and then, after a minute, when both of them started running their hands over each other’s bodies, it became clear that they were going to consummate their Joining right there.
Thallia, the Empress’s handmaiden, seemed to realize this pretty quickly.
“I must beg you all to clear the throne room and give their Majesties some privacy,” she said, shooing everyone out. “I am certain they wish to be alone for now.”
“I’m pretty fucking certain she’s right,” Vik’tor rumbled in my ear as he put an arm around me and we filed out of the throne room.
“The Empress is probably eager to put some of what we taught her into practice,” I murmured back and we both grinned at each other.
But inside, I was all tied in knots again. I had promised myself I would tell Vik’tor how I felt about him if I ever got to see him again. But I still wasn’t quite sure if he felt the same way about me. I mean, yes, he had said that he loved me, but maybe that was just for the Emperor’s benefit. Maybe he had just been acting. I just couldn’t be sure.
So I just smiled back at him and kept my mouth shut as I tried to think what to do and what to say.
FIFTY-FOUR
VIK’TOR
“Well, that was delicious,” Rylee remarked, pushing her plate away. “It’s been a while since I had Earth food.”
“I like this ‘peeza’,” Drace remarked, nodding in approval. “Your food repilcator is top-notch, Baron. Not even the one in our Imperial shuttle is as good.”