Chapter Eight #2
She speaks in the same old fae language that the ceremony was in, reciting whatever incantation is in the book she holds.
Her words wash over me and I feel a sensation crawl up from the floor around me, slithering to my heart and then somehow going into me, but also beyond me as it searches for my bond.
I imagine some sort of spiritual snake made of ether traveling along my bond, searching for the perfect place to tug.
It doesn’t take long for the snake to find it.
I breathe in harshly, gulping down air as it feels like my breath has been snatched away from me completely. I don’t feel pain, but I feel where the snake has pierced its fangs into my bond, slithering with all its might backwards towards me.
But instead of the bond coming flying backwards as if it’s not attached to anything at all, the snake’s fangs are ripped out almost immediately, the bond completely taut, absolutely no give in it whatsoever.
I can hear Tessa draw in a sharp inhale.
I open my eyes as soon as I feel the snake hastily slither back from wherever it was called from.
“What just happened?” I glance from Liz to Tessa to the vampire, who looks on at us stoically.
“The bond—it was as if it was made of concrete, immovable,” Tessa says, her confusion making me apprehensive.
“And that’s a good thing, right?” Liz asks. “That means it’s attached to something.”
Tessa doesn’t answer her right away, looking between us.
“Do I have a bondmate or not?” My voice comes out harsher than I intend it.
Tessa takes a deep breath, and I feel bad, realizing that spell must have used up a significant amount of her power.
“I’m sorry, but the spell is inconclusive. I’ve never felt a bond like that.”
Tears threaten to spill down my cheeks, but I clamp down on the despair that’s trying to spread through my body. I can cry when I’m home, alone in my bed. I just need to make it there first.
“Thank you for trying,” I manage to get out. I run from the room, the tears forcing their way out despite my best efforts.
I hear Liz running behind me, calling my name.
Somehow, despite my blurred vision, I make it to the wide front steps of the fae council building. Hurrying off to the side so at least I’m less noticeable to anyone coming and going, I let the tears stream steadily down my face, no sign of letting up anytime soon.
Liz holds me as I cry.
“It’s so stupid,” I finally say, not sure I’m even talking to Liz, or if I’m addressing the stars that are hiding behind the bright blue afternoon sky like the cowards they are.
“Before the activation ceremony I didn’t want to meet my mate.
I was worried he wouldn’t like me. And now, I don’t even know if I have one.
What if because I didn’t want to meet him, the stars took my bond away?
” I sob harder as that idea takes root in my mind.
What if this isn’t something that was done to me, but something I did?
“Bliss,” Liz says softly. “You don’t know any of that is true. Just because Tessa Bridgely hasn’t seen a bond like yours doesn’t make it a bad thing. Maybe yours is just special and unique.”
A half-laugh, half-sob escapes me. “How can you be so optimistic?”
She squeezes me tight and smooths a hand down my hair, careful not to mess up my ribbon that’s pulling the top half of my hair out of my face. She gives it a gentle little tug, though.
“Your mother started putting ribbons in your hair the day you were born, did you know that?”
I wipe the tears from my cheeks, though new ones are still forming rapidly to take their place. I look up at my aunt. “Really?”
She nods, a smile lighting up her face. “You were born with a full head of hair. And your mother couldn’t help but play with it.
Amelia and your dad had gone out to get your mother a gift.
She’d been in labor for hours and hours and they wanted to get her something nice.
And there was a beautiful pink ribbon on the gift wrapping.
Before Charlotte finished opening her gift, she took the ribbon and tied your hair up in it.
We still have the pictures somewhere. I’ll find them for you when we get home, okay? ”
I nod, a smile tugging at my lips. I don’t remember my mother well—or my father. They died when I was five. And Liz—at only eighteen—has raised Amelia and I since. But one of the few memories I do have of my mom is her putting ribbons in my hair each day.
When I started high school, I was made fun of a lot. Not for any specific reason, just that kids were mean. I started wearing ribbons again to remind myself that I had been loved, that I had been cherished, even if most days it didn’t feel that way.
Sure, it gave the other kids another thing to tease me about, but it also gave me the strength to endure it better.
Liz runs her fingers over the end of my ribbon and looks up at the sky. “This is how I can be so optimistic. Because I know your mother is up there with the stars, and she’d be giving them hell if they ever dared mess with you like that.”
My smile widens at the thought. I breathe out a sigh, the tears finally coming to an end. “So what now? I’m just supposed to wait around?” I ask after a few moments of us sitting there, Liz’s arms still locked around me in a tight hug.
“No,” Liz says, her eyes going a bit misty.
I squeeze her back, knowing her thoughts are going to when she met her mate.
They were perfect together. One of those love stories I always heard about growing up, where two fae who were already dating get their bonds activated only to find out they’re mates, like the stars just couldn’t wait any longer to push them together.
I grew up hoping to find what they had. “You don’t wait around, Bliss.
You live. You follow your joy and that joy is what leads you to him and he to you. It’s like a beacon.”
“I don’t know what my joy is, though, which I suppose is ironic,” I say, laughing a bit. There’s also a twinge of guilt. My uncle died only a year after they bonded. Liz has way more reason to curse the stars than I do, and yet here she is, one of the most positive and happiest people in my life.
“Bliss, your name is perfect for you. Just let it be a reminder, okay?”
I can only nod, and we sit there as finally my tears dry up. My mate is out there, supposedly, and all I have to do is be happy.
Why does that sound so hard?
I duck into the restroom just inside the lobby of the council building to freshen up and try to make it look like I haven’t just been bawling my eyes out.
My red and puffy face looks back at me in the mirror and I sigh. There’s not much I can do about that, but at least Liz and I are going to head straight home. I roll my shoulders and with one last look at myself, I head out, finding Liz in conversation about hexes with a middle-aged fae.
“I’ve never seen anything like it. The materials aren’t typical and the magical signature isn’t something we’ve encountered before.”
The man bears a quizzical expression that’s almost comical. Liz reaches out and pats his arm, giving me an apologetic look. “I suppose I can take a quick look.” She turns to me. “Bliss, this is Randy Urvine, my old boss. There’s something he’d like my opinion on.”
Randy turns his pleading eyes to me. “You wouldn’t mind, would you? It’ll be quick.”
I smile at him. “Sure, no problem.”
“Wonderful, that’s wonderful!” he says, brightening up significantly.
“If you head down that hallway, it connects to the Lyra Estate. The portal is open and there’s a party for recently activated fae just like yourself.
They’re having food and drinks. You are most welcome to wait there for your aunt. ”
I nod at his rambling. Liz promises she won’t be long and she’ll come find me.
I head down the hall, seeing the familiar purple glow of a portal at the end.
Through the portal I can see bits of another hallway that almost seem identical to this one.
I step through, mindful of a rather large piece of azkanite jutting out from the right angle of the door, purple particles evaporating off it.
On the other side, I find myself in much the same style of building, though the decor here is more ornate.
Ostentatious, really.
Classical music wafts its way to my ears and I follow it and the scent of warm, freshly cooked food. As I pass through another of the many hallways, I try to note certain things about it so I can find my way back to the portal if need be. In case Liz gets too caught up in her old work.
I pass an opening that leads down another shorter hallway and take a quick peek. I realize I should definitely keep going straight. Three males are all standing around a fae who’s propped up against the wall. Probably had too much to drink.
Fae make their drinks strong.
I continue straight, the hallway opening up to a large banquet room.
The tables set up are fancier than necessary.
Gold-lined china plates and crystal stemware decorate the tables, and each centerpiece is a flower arrangement bigger than my head with lots of lavender and purple flowers of all kinds.
The buffet table is equally as fancy, with golden serving tongs and the most exquisite smelling food.
My stomach growls as I approach it, picking up one of the nice plates and reminding myself over and over again not to even think about dropping one of these plates.
It probably costs more than a week’s pay at my job.
Not that money is too much of an issue for me. But I still wouldn’t want to destroy such a nice thing.
I pick a few things off the buffet table, placing them gently on the plate, and turn around to scan for a place to sit quietly and eat.
“I’d steer clear of that mini quiche, if I were you,” someone to my right says. I look up and see a tall, dark-haired fae with an almost eerie set of blue eyes, with a hint of violet.
Runeless eyes.
Again.
“You’ve got your bond activated, then?” the stranger asks.
“What?”