Chapter 8 Rivern
eight
Rivern
Iwatch her. The slow, even breaths she takes. Her eyelashes flutter in sleep. The sconces are enough to linger over her body, highlighting her beauty, her reverence— my angel.
The scars on her neck stand out in contrast to the rest of her skin. They only endear her to me more, her past a testament to the woman she has become. A woman I will lay my life down for.
She found her way back to me. I don’t know if I will ever forgive myself for leaving without her. Dove has forgiven me. I could feel it in her heart when we joined. She holds no animosity towards our separation, only unconditional love—for me.
Love. Even that doesn’t feel like the right word for it. Our souls are connected like our threads have been woven together by the Goddess herself, never to part, even beyond the veil.
Soon, I will find a way to draw matching lines over her skin.
It is an ancient custom the newer fae have forgotten.
I choose to keep with tradition, branding the markings of my soul on my skin.
Once you find your bonded pair, it is customary to weave their soul markings through yours.
I can already see how we will come together on my skin and hers.
Pulling her body impossibly closer to mine, I place my lips on Dove’s forehead, breathing her sweet vanilla scent. I will give everything up for her—my kingdom and my people.
Maybe it was the sex, the silvers’ potion or the bond talking, but I don’t think it was any of those things.
It is her.
Everything up until this point has led me to her.
It was my need to explore, my sense of something bigger than myself. I was always searching for Dove. I just didn’t know it until I laid eyes on her.
And now there’s a God. How is that even possible? Of all the creatures I could have claimed as my own, I found the one who has awakened a God. I don’t doubt it. I can’t. Not after we connected, and I could sense him down the line of our bond.
His power.
I couldn’t access it. She could.
Sensing him was one thing, but hearing him was something else entirely. Another bond sits beside mine in her heart—a stark reminder I can’t be the person who can fulfil all her needs.
I will make sure I fulfil all the ones that count, even if I have to share her.
Now that we are bonded, her knowledge is my knowledge. All I have to do is ask the question, and the answer finds its way to me. Dove is completely open to me—to him as well.
She made a deal with him. He kissed her.
An image of them together crosses my mind—his grey, ominous form hanging over her light.
If he hurts her, I will find a way to gut him.