CHAPTER TWELVE #3
Setting her hands on Ilain’s arms, Evylin leaned close. “Ethenn loves you, Ilain. Nothing will change that.”
“How can you be sure?”
“Because he’s a good man. And you make him feel alive, in a way nothing else in this world can.
” Evylin smiled brightly at her. “Trust me. As a Warrior, I know what it’s like to love a Mage.
It’s not something you simply change your mind about.
We feel it, here—” She set a hand on her stomach.
“The magic draws us. It calls us to you. We couldn’t ignore it if we tried. ”
Uncertain, Ilain nodded. Then she let out a low huff. “Enough,” she said, drawing back. “This night is about you, not me.”
“It is your wedding night,” Evylin teased.
Ilain winked. “Oh, I won’t forget that. But it’s your Bonding night,” she said. “And we have to get you ready.”
Ilain helped Evylin into her dress, a complex piece of layers and buttons.
First came an elegant black silk slip dress (in place of a chemise) with a matching silk scarf draped over her neck to hang until it brushed the ground.
After that came a thick wool coat that buttoned over the scarf with black metal clasps.
While the sleeves and bodice hugged her torso, the skirts flowed like ripples on a pond.
Finally, Ilain attached a draping silk cape to the epaulets on the shoulders to trail out behind Evylin.
Clothed in such finery for the second time in a week, Evylin paused in front of the looking glass, curious at the transformation.
This gown was far more modest than the one Renaul had forced her to wear, but it still spoke of a military precision and regality that seemed befitting of a Warrior.
Though she would never prefer to fight in such a piece, she thought she could, if needed, in the adequately roomy skirts.
She suddenly thought she understood how Ilain managed to run around in her own elegant dresses, fighting Shades with obvious ease.
It was evident that the dress had been made for her.
Ilain helped her into a pair of shiny leather boots, and Evylin habitually slipped her small dagger into the ankle. Then she returned the favor, assisting Ilain as she dressed. The Mage’s outfit wasn’t nearly as complex, only a simple white silk sheath that shimmered like a star.
“Is there a reason you’re in white, and I’m in black?” Evylin asked as she slid the fabric buttons through their loops along the back of Ilain’s dress.
Holding her fire-bright hair out of the way, Ilain’s voice belied her smile. “There’s a reason for everything tonight, Evylin.”
“I see.” Evylin glanced at her in the mirror. The white silk made the Waulden woman’s pale skin seem pink in contrast. “And what is the reason for these colors?”
“It’s tradition,” Ilain said, “though a forgotten one. We’re working to resurrect it.”
Evylin fastened the last button and stepped back.
Ilain’s dress was more demure than the scarlet gown she’d worn the previous night, though the neckline still displayed her decolletage with impunity.
Small freckles dotted her skin like jewels, her only embellishment aside from the rings on her fingers.
“Bonding is about balance, remember?” Ilain said. “Mages wear white. Warriors wear black. Any non-magical members in attendance wear gray, though that will only be Thom and the archminister.”
“Why only the two of them?” Evylin asked.
“Because Thom is part of the ceremony, and the archminister will be a witness.”
Evylin nodded in understanding, their reflections catching her attention. They were in high contrast: her ensemble dark and mysterious, Ilain’s bright and captivating—near opposites in every way.
“So,” Evylin said, continuing to study their reflections, “Jonn will be in white too?”
“He and all the other Mages in attendance.” Ilain tugged on her slippers, then straightened. “Come on then,” she said with a glance out the window at the dark sky. “It’s time for the ceremony.”
The mention of leaving sent a jolt of anxiety through Evylin.
She knew this was what she wanted. She loved Deckard, and Bonding with him, uniting their souls and hearts, was something she greatly desired.
But there was still so much unknown. With Deckard now revealed as a Space Mage, their overall ignorance of all manner of things magical, and the uncertainty of the Alliance’s plans, it felt as though they were binding themselves to a future they weren’t sure they wanted.
The whole ceremony to come was a mystery as well. The book Ilain had given her was full of laborious rhetoric. How was Evylin supposed to feel confident about pursuing this course? Too many questions remained to commit to this fate.
But as Ilain led her into the hall and down the stairs, Evylin drew in a steadying breath.
This wasn’t a foolhardy decision. It was a choice to Bond with the man she loved.
Besides, the last hasty choice she’d made wound up granting her a husband more wonderful than she ever could have fathomed.
This would turn out no differently . . . she hoped.