Chapter 10 #2
King Malachi doesn’t pay her any attention as he continues to lead me through the room until he stops us at a large staff that is levitating at the center.
It slowly spins where it floats, showing off the runes carved into the wood.
They glow with the strangest shade of red.
As if there is iridescent blood pumping between the splinters.
“What is this?” My fingers twitch to reach for the staff, but I know better.
“The Staff of Sarrow. It is the key to the final step in the Rite—the tool that binds our souls.” The king reaches for a goblet on a table beside the staff.
“The Rite of Blood consists of three phases. The promise, the blessing, and the bind. First, we must drink from the Chalice of Voilene to set our intentions for entering the Rite.”
Voilene.
The goddess of creation, illumination.
Curiosity.
There are four primary gods that oversee our constellation of realms, but the stories of Voilene are the most interesting. Lore states that she is the god who gifted the drop of magic that blessed the Fae with their powers. But they also say the unspeakable gods made sure she paid greatly for it.
The king lifts the goblet, showing off the moon carved into the side.
“After the promise, we will continue to Tempest for the blessing. Only the priestesses can determine if our souls are prepared to bind with one another. After that, we will complete the Rite beneath the full moon, bound by the Staff of Sarrow.”
He waves a hand to the staff. Its essence vibrates before us.
“This staff was carved from the tree that sits at the heart of Sarrow, hence its name,” the king says.
“I always thought Sarrow was an Archway to the After, not an actual realm with trees or creatures. But that painting… and this staff. What is Sarrow?”
“Sarrow is an in between. An ever-dying star. While there are other paths to the After, Sarrow is the most notable in our constellation, as it offers us a doorway to ensure our souls are not lost on their way.”
“Lost?”
“Eternally.” He nods. “Which is why so many were troubled when the Arch to Sarrow closed after the Collision.”
“It’s closed?”
“It has not stirred in over a century.”
My stomach churns with unease. “If the Arch is closed for us, does that mean Sarrow has shut out souls as well?”
“There is only one way to get the answer to that question.” The king offers a chilling smile.
Death.
I shudder at the thought. While I understood the importance of blessing the dead, I never considered the full extent of what might happen to them if we didn’t.
“So Sarrow is a realm.” I glance at the staff.
“Sarrow is many things. Most of which exist only in the fates.”
The Fae and their riddles.
My lips roll together as I consider everything I’ve learned—everything this Rite will do. “What exactly is a soul bind?”
He mentioned it when I first agreed to the ritual, but as the moment nears, I feel the need to know exactly what I’m agreeing to.
“Magic is a piece of our being—our very essence. The bond between magic and self is unbreakable. To lose one is to lose the other. As such, in order to bind your magic to another, you must bind your souls.”
“Does that mean you die if they die?”
“No, that would be a tie between lives. A binding of souls is greater than breath or blood. It is a promise of the eternal life and your existence within the fates.”
I’ll be forever bound to the king.
This isn’t as simple as saving a kingdom; I’m tethering myself to him eternally.
“It’s less complicated than it seems. I promise all will be well with me at your side.” His fingers caress the bottom of my chin, and I shiver.
Something warm swells up through my belly. Filling my chest as my heart starts to race. His heated gaze drinks me down. I can barely breathe or move. All I can do is continue to stare as if his gaze is a prison, and I’m trapped.
“We will be one soon, Elorie Vale.” King Malachi sweeps his thumb over my chin before releasing me. “Now let us make our promise.”
The moment the king steps back, my head rushes like I’m snapping out of a trance. As if the king had me in his hold, and now, I’m free-falling.
King Malachi raises the chalice to the room. At some point, everyone stopped dancing and turned to face us. But I didn’t notice them doing it. Even Callum is beside me, watching.
“To a vibrant, thriving kingdom.” Malachi brings the chalice to his lips and drinks as the room cheers.
He hands the chalice to me next. The liquid inside is the consistency of blood, but black. I can only imagine how it tastes.
I glance over at Callum and find him already watching me. He gives a single nod, and even though I’m angry with him, he’s the only one in this room I know.
Trust only him.
My father’s words whisper in my ear as I lift the chalice. The rim of the silver goblet is cool against my mouth. I’m about to tip it when the doors at the other end of the room swing open. They shake on their hinges as the liquid brushes my lips.
Something sweeps the air, making me pause.
It crackles like embers in a blossoming fire.
It has every hair standing on end. My skin is suddenly impossibly tight. The slightest shift of my dress makes me shiver.
I can taste the change in the air on my tongue.
Lightning.
Iron.
A spark.
The crowd parts, and I feel him before I see him.
Every bone in my body aches with this familiar tug. One that drew me through the darkness of death. Through nothingness.
Through the labyrinth of Alyssium’s prison until I found him and somehow saved us both.
A tall figure wearing all black pauses ahead of me, but all I see are those golden eyes.
“Miss me, Starfire?”