Chapter 18
A Threshold Crossed
Harlot
“Are you sure this was the best option, Harlot? What if that witch hurts him?” My mother says.
I huff. “Honestly, Mother, if she does, I can’t even blame her, the way he has behaved toward her, it’s vile.”
“Harlot! You know that wasn’t Fynn’s fault, none of this was… All of this is due to me; it is I who is to blame, not your brother… He was corrupted, slowly consumed by that awful curse.”
I watch as new tears begin to form in my mother’s eyes, yet no feeling reaches me, as if I’m untethered from myself.
Too much has happened between Fynn and me, the fractures in our sibling bond too far into ruin.
Even the thought of his death does not stir any emotions within me; my senses lie dormant, sealed away in silence.
My mother can’t comprehend any of it; how I am so unmoved, while her maternal instinct overrides everything with my brother.
The uncertainty whether the witches will truly save him drives her to a brink I’m not sure she’s able to come down from.
The hollow ache she suffers from after killing Jodelle is something she chooses to ignore willingly.
I don’t know how she will face Fynn after what she did, or how he will respond to her.
Betrayal was etched into his features the moment he witnessed my mother slicing Jodelle’s throat.
His lingering cry echoed against the sky as he cradled her deceased body.
The scene was one of heartbreak, but even then, it all felt distant, out of reach.
All I wanted was to get away. To leave him behind with his ruined mind and the destruction that would soon set in.
If it weren’t for Caria asking me how I survived my ordeal, and her willingness to take him with her, to be by his side, and give him a chance to live, I would have let him rot.
Thinking that my mother would be unprotected, Emrys brought her to his fortress at my request. It also meant he and I had to confide in her about our bonding, although we suspected she already knew.
My mother was anything but pleased with my decision, and it caused an irreparable rift between us.
I feel it grow with each passing day, with each new whine about Fynn, and her sneering at Emrys.
When the pieces of Aurum presented themselves, I felt relief, as it meant my mother could leave us and be on her own, but she stayed. Each day grows longer as she complains and asks about my despicable brother.
“I don’t wish to entertain this conversation any longer, Mother. I’ll leave you to yourself.”
“Going to that monstrosity of yours?”
I bite on my tongue to keep the lashing that wants to evaporate from my lips inside. I don’t turn around, refusing to even glance in her direction. I stay silent and continue to stride out of the room, leaving her behind. I hear her yell, but the words are a blur, a false symphony I am deaf to.
Outside the room, Emrys’s fingers wrap around my upper arm, and he pulls me into his chest. He always waits for me in the shadows to comfort and soothe me.
“Tempest,” he whispers in my hair.
“I despise her, Emrys,” I murmur.
He kisses the top of my head.
“I know, Lucem Mei, it won’t be long; more than two weeks have passed. If the youngling witch put on her best performance, your brother should be filled with joy and air in his lungs.”
“I hope so. And I hope he’ll forgive Mother; perhaps they can travel together, far away from here. Settle in one of the human towns, share their Aurum.”
“I promise you they won’t stay here. I can feel how the trees and even plants are antsy. They don’t like it that she’s here, and neither do I.”
I glance up and stare into his tumultuous eyes, our souls combined. His patience is running thin, and so is mine.
“I don’t want to wait any longer, Emrys. She’ll never approve, and I don’t care about how she’ll take it anymore.”
Emrys pushes a loose strand of my raven-colored hair behind my ear. His gaze meets mine, my rock, the one who never wavers when it comes to me and my well-being.
“Are you certain, my love? I need to be if we are going to do this.”
“Oh, Emrys. My soul has never held a certainty as stark and undeniable as this. It has rooted itself in me like an ancient oath. It’s a truth that has burned itself into my flesh,” I tell him.
The words almost sound like a desperate plea, and in a way, they are.
The shadowy markings have spread since our altercation with Fynn, and a humming ache has pulsed through my body ever since.
I think my human body isn't strong enough to contain the power that's embedded within me.
I feel it echoing through every part of me.
It hums, but it wants to sing, to consume me and let me intertwine with Emrys—a symbiosis of flesh and power.
“Please.” I glance up at him.
He kisses my forehead. “Let’s complete the union of our souls and flesh tonight, my tempest.”
My heart flutters in my chest. I long to be whole, for our blood to be one, a woven togetherness.
“Tonight,” I whisper.
I avoid my mother the rest of the day by staying in Emrys’s presence, and for the first time since she arrived here, I do not seek her out in the evening.
Nor do I share dinner with her. I know she’ll disapprove of my choice, she has already made that evident.
Tonight, my focus will be on our sacred binding, the joining of flesh and fate.
I’m wearing one of the most beautiful gowns Emrys has gotten me.
The fabric is pure black silk, embroidered with roses and thorns.
The corset for my torso is a rich, black velvet.
The sleeves are sheer black lace. The moment I put the dress on, everywhere the different fabrics touch my skin, it’s a soft caress. It wears and fits like a dream.
My hair cascades down my shoulders, and I pull the sides into a small bun. I paint my lips a deep red and slip my feet into thigh-high stockings combined with heels.
When I enter our bedroom, every ridge and windowsill is covered in lit cream-colored candles, soft drops of melted wax forming their own sculpture.
The soft orange glow casts a haunting play of shadows across the room, and I feel my markings sizzle.
Emrys follows my every move, as if he sees me for the first time.
“Lucem mei, you steal the breath from my lungs,” he growls softly, and I bite on my lower lip.
Emrys opens his mouth, and I know what he’s going to say, or instead ask me.
Don’t Emrys, I am as certain of my choice as the trees need water and oxygen to survive.
A smirk tugs at his lips, and he holds up his hands defensively. Without another word, he walks to the bed and pats it. I watch as he sits down, the bed slightly dips under his weight, and I stride toward him, never breaking our eye contact.
I position myself on his lap, my head resting on his shoulder, then I stretch my neck, giving him access. All restraint has bled from me, and I crave this, want this now.
I feel his sharp canines graze my skin, and a delicious shudder crawls across my body.
None of this is new, yet it is. As his teeth puncture my flesh, Emrys pushes forward all the love he feels for me, overwhelming my senses.
The bite isn’t painful; instead, it’s strangely soothing.
His venom leaks into my veins, and I sense it traveling throughout my body, while my mind is in a dream-like state. It’s sensational.
My heart begins to beat faster, pumping the venom through my bloodstream, thumping loudly against my ribcage .
My skin prickles up, and my pupils constrict, then dilate.
The air is heavy, and I can feel the heat from the tiny army of flames that surrounds us.
Colors are brighter, and the glow of the flickering candles makes me squint my eyes.
It’s too bright. Desire claws through the marrow of my soul, and I burn for Emrys, a soul-deep yearning—a hunger beneath my ribs.
I reach for him, and when my fingers brush against his cheek, I yelp at the jolt that surges through me.
All of my senses are heightened, but before worry can consume my mind, he presses his lips against mine.
My spine tingles from the intensity, as I rake my fingers wildly through his night-black hair.
I ache with need. I’m drawn to him as if his very breath is a summons.
Our tongues meet, tasting each other as if it’s the very first time.
Emrys bites on my lower lip, and I softly moan.
I turn, so I straddle him, as my body sinks against his, and I let his closeness unravel me.
Emrys splays his palm between my breasts, and suddenly, I find the heavy fabric that’s wrapped around my frame suffocating.
All I need is his skin meeting mine. With impatience, I start to loosen my corset, and I feel Emrys smirk against my lips.
“I need you, Emrys, I need us to consummate this union,” I whisper against his mouth.
He kisses me deeper, while I tug at his blouse instead. Again, that grin. Frustrated, I pull back.
“Don’t you want this? Me? Please, I don’t think I’m able to contain myself,” I whimper, confusion written all over my face.
“That is pretty obvious, Tempest,” he laughs.
I lean back a little, then blink at the piece of blouse in my hand. I look at him and notice the small bits of clothing still clinging to his sculpted body. Smoldering wisps of smoke surround him.
“W-What happened?” I stutter.
“I think part of your witch side has awoken.”
“And the first thing I did was burn your clothes off?” I ask in disbelief.
“There’s nothing wrong with using your powers for what you desire.” He gives me a sly half-smile.