5. Julian #4
The master of ceremonies, who’s been standing at the base of the stage while Tommy crowned Isidoro, joins us. With a big smile on his face and as staff scurries to fill the space with tall vases of hydrangea, lilies and irises, he addresses the public.
“I am pleased to inform you that there is another occasion for celebration today.” Spreading his arms wide, he turns to me. “Our new King is getting married!”
Chatter and gasps spread through the audience as Niko gets into position. He holds a book in one hand, so I guess he’ll be the one to wed me and Isidoro. Soft music starts playing in the background, and soon the guests stop whispering. All eyes are on us.
Niko’s deep voice cuts through the hush, steady and solemn as he lifts the book slightly, his eyes meeting mine. “Have you come here freely to bind yourselves in eternal union? Will you honor and cherish each other through blood and shadow, all the days of your lives?”
Isidoro affirms first, his low rumble of assent sending a shiver down my spine.
I go second, keeping my voice as steady as I can even as nerves clamp down on my stomach.
This is all for show, a transaction between the two of us, but still, I can’t believe I’m snatching this piece of ass for myself.
If the circumstances were different, this would be the biggest win of my life, not the biggest loss.
Niko nods once, his hand tracing a subtle blessing over the crown between us.
With a ceremonial dagger that Samuel brings over, he cuts the side of Isidoro’s neck deep enough so it bleeds and doesn’t heal immediately.
Then he repeats the same for me. That part, the blood drawing, is usually reserved for family, but since neither of us has any alive, I guess Samuel is the next best thing.
It also confirms he and Isidoro go beyond a master and his assistant.
In a golden chalice, this time supplied by Isidoro’s other two assistants, Niko collects blood from both of us. Once he’s mixed it well, he holds the chalice up, just above our heads.
This is it. There’s no turning back now. Once I drink Isidoro’s blood and he drinks mine, the blood oath will be completed.
“Drink,” Niko commands, tilting the chalice slightly.
Isidoro and I step close enough so we can both drink at the same time. Our shoulders brush. His eyes cut to me, gleaming a little. Is he excited? Nervous? He’s fought for so long to get here, yet his crowning moment will be forever tainted by my genius move.
I smirk, not hiding the triumph from my expression. I’ve won. I outplayed him.
A line appears across Isidoro’s forehead. His gaze hardens. I think he can feel something’s off. But it’s too late. I got you already.
Guided by Niko, we sip from our mixed blood. It’s hot and rich on the way down, and it lights me on fire like nothing before. Isidoro’s eyes glow, the color changing and turning a little darker before they return to their wine-touched hue.
My chest constricts, my incisors extending for a heartbeat as the blood from the chalice settles inside me.
I lick my lips, glance at his. He leans in slowly.
Fuck, he’s so close. And he smells so damn good.
His eyes narrow, dark and impossibly tempting, and his fingers come under my chin, tipping it up to accommodate for his slight edge when it comes to height.
I should pull away. We don’t have to do this. But my body won’t move, braced in anticipation as he just watches my face. Heat climbs to my cheeks, my breathing skewing as his presence engulfs me like a protective cocoon.
Suddenly, we are the only two people in the cathedral, the world around me phased out. He leans in further, eyes not leaving me. Everything comes to an excruciating standstill. I tip my head up ever so slightly, my body moving without brain input. Do I want this? No way, I don’t. But…
A flicker of something flashes in his eyes, and then his lips slot against mine.
They are soft, tentative for a second before they grow bolder.
My brain short-circuits, a surge of pleasure zapping my spine.
His tongue flicks against the seam of my pressed lips, that hint of his taste pulling a stifled moan out of me.
I open my mouth and seek him out, and for a moment he allows it, frying all of my brain cells.
Holy fucking shit. What the hell am I doing? I’ve gone insane.
As quickly as it started, the kiss ends, leaving me stunned and dizzy. His mouth moves to my forehead, and he kisses the space between my eyebrows as he places a smaller crown on my head.
When did he…? Where did it come from? I didn’t see him carry it… My attention zeroes in on his sexy mouth, a hint of wetness clinging to his lips. Oh my god, did we actually kiss? And why won’t my heart calm down? Why do I feel hot all over?
“By this covenant, I declare you wed, King and Consort, bound for eternity,” Niko says. The words land like a seal, the air thick with their weight as the guests erupt in cheers and applause.
I did it. Holy shit. I actually did it.
I successfully married my enemy, and now he can’t kill me.