by Bea Paige
“Yes, that’s right. Did you know him too?”
“Solomon was a friend to many. He had this talent way before the curse was cast,” Devin says, holding my gaze steady.
“He did?”
“Yes.” He pauses, searching my face. I can feel his apprehension inside my head.
What is it, Devin, I ask, testing the connection between us. It is still there, just.
“I’ve wanted to show this to you for a little while now,” he says as he undoes the buttons of his shirt and slowly pulls it off. I am left staring at his fine, sculptured chest and abs. A little thrill streaks through me and Devin raises an eyebrow. “There’s no time for that, Red. Besides when we finally do get to be alone together, I will need more than just a few minutes with you.”
I laugh. “Is that so?”
“That’s a promise, Red.”
“So, what am I looking at?” I ask, confused now as to why he is standing half-naked in front of me.
He swivels on his feet and I am surprised to see an identical rose tattoo drawn across his back. The only difference is that his one appears to be losing its petals. Or at least the tattoo has been drawn that way. Two of them have fallen free and are resting just above his hip bone. I take a step closer to him and trace a finger over the outline of the tattoo. “When was this done?”
“Solomon carved it into my skin a few years before the curse was cast.”
“How strange that we should have the same tattoo. Why a rose?”
Devin turns back around. “I wanted a skull, he gave me a rose.”
“A skull?”
“Yes, I was always a bit of a rebel. I wanted to shock.”
“Well, I bet it was a bit of a shock when you saw the rose.” I almost laugh, but then I see his look of concern and stop myself.
“I was pretty upset for a long time, but Solomon just laughed at my anger. He said that one day I would understand the true significance of the rose. Then the curse was cast and I forgot my anger, forgot about the rose for the most part. Then…”
“Then?”
“You came into my life smelling of roses, Red…”
“I do?”
“You do to me,” Devin says, leaning close, breathing me in. His lips trail over the soft spot just below my ear. A low growl bubbles up his throat. Devin grabs my upper arms and slides his tongue over the curve of my neck. It is both thrilling, and oddly frightening at the same time.
“Devin?” I whisper.
He releases his grip, stepping back. I catch a fleeting darkness in his eyes, but it is gone before I am certain it was even there in the first place.
He steps back, checking himself, and a worried look crosses his face.
“There’s more, isn’t there?” I ask.
He nods his head. “Until recently the rose was exactly like yours. Then it started losing petals a few days after we returned from the Forbidden forest.” Devin pulls his black shirt on, re-fastening the buttons.
“What do you think it means?” I frown.
“Honestly, Red, I have no idea.”
“Should I be worried?”
“I’m going to speak with Nostra once the ceremony has completed. Perhaps he will know what it is. Don’t worry, Red, all will be well.”
“Well, I am worried. What if it has something to do with the curse. What if something’s wrong?”
“Hush, Red,” Devin says, pulling me back into his arms. “I only thought that I should tell you now before the ceremony, as it will be a few days before we will see each other again.”
“A few days?” I say, leaning back slightly.
“Yes, it is custom after the Joining ceremony for the couple to spend time alone together,” Devin says softly. His eyes drop to my lips.
“Oh,” I say. The temperature in the room has suddenly gone up a notch as a strange kind of heat ripples over my skin. What is happening between us today?
“May I kiss you, Red?” Devin asks, his chocolate eyes liquid in the firelight. I think he is as surprised by his question as I am.
“I thought you said it wasn’t the right time?”
Devin chuckles. “I did, didn’t I? It appears you have me tied up in knots, Red.”
“But you can,” I say. A niggling feeling in the pit of my stomach has begun to bloom. It feels important, somehow, that we share this kiss.
“Can what?” Devin asks, stepping towards me. He places a hand on my lower back, stepping closer.
“Kiss me.”
“I thought you’d never ask.”
Devin wraps his other hand behind my head and pulls me towards him. The kiss isn’t soft, it isn’t gentle. It is urgent, filled with passion and something else, something stronger. The kiss is filled with a promise of more to come. We wrap around each other, holding each other close and it’s as though the sun is emerging from heavy clouds. As we kiss, I can feel the feather soft touch of his soul against my own as they entwine and dance just like our tongues do. The murkiness begins to fall away. He is part of me, as I am of him.
“Red,” he murmurs against my lips.
“Devin,” I whisper back.
“It is time. Ezra will be waiting.”
I draw in a deep, calming breath. “I’m ready,” I say.
Devin escorts me under the cover of darkness to Ezra’s home. I am surprised to find that this is the place he has chosen for the Joining to take place. I don’t want him to taint the memory of his wife in the home that he had loved her in, but according to Devin he had insisted, and so here we are.
The horse stops just outside the boundary of Ezra’s land. Nostra has cast a spell over the property, much like the one that covers the hamlet. I can see Ezra’s house, but from this side of the magic it looks empty, uninhabited. I know this is because of Nostra’s spell. If anyone were to pass by it would look completely abandoned.
Devin lifts me off Phantom and pulls me into his arms, holding me close for a few seconds. Then he lets go, stepping aside as Rhain appears from behind the wall of magic. He looks handsome, incredibly so, and the familiar pool of desire rushes through me at the sight of him. He is wearing a simple pair of black trousers and matching shirt. The top couple of buttons are undone and I can see a smattering of dark hair there. I almost reach out to touch it.
“Cia, you are… exquisite,” he says, his eyes roving over me. The want in his eyes is undeniable. “By all that is Light…” he murmurs, capturing a strand of my hair between his fingers. He is holding back, I can tell. It reminds me of the first time he appeared in my bedroom. It feels so long ago now. More than anything I want him to pull me into his arms. Right now, I need his touch, his reassurance. Just like I had wanted Devin’s a few minutes ago.
“You have a few minutes, brother. I suggest you use them wisely,” Devin says, patting Rhain on the back. He presses a soft kiss against my cheek then disappears with Phantom through Nostra’s magic.
“Cia, I’ve missed you, my love.” Rhain steps so close I can feel the heat of his body across my skin.
“And I you…” I say, meaning every word. I look up into his beautiful indigo eyes, eyes that have seen me completely naked and undone, and pull his head towards mine.
Rhain’s lips hover just over mine, the length of his hair tickling across my forehead. “Ezra is a good man, Cia. He will love you fiercely.”
“And you?”
“I already love you fiercely,” Rhain says, grabbing my free hand and pressing it just over his heart. Then he lowers his lips to mine and snatches my breath away with the power of his kiss.
After a while we pull apart. I know my cheeks are flushed and I press the cool tips of my fingers against them. Rhain captures my fingers and presses his kiss upon them before walking with me through Nostra’s magic.
Chapter Twenty-Three
My mouth pops open as I walk through the magic wall. In front of me is a large white marquee covered in thousands of tiny fairy lights twinkling in the moonlight. Some of the material is pulled ba
ck over the entrance, and inside I can see Nostra standing at an altar covered by an arch of red roses. Rhain remains by my side and Devin steps up to the other. They both hold out their arms for me to take. We do not say a word to each other, but it is enough to have them by my side as I slide my arms through theirs. Together we walk into the marquee and as we do the material closes behind us. Floating in the air are smaller versions of the lanterns that light the hamlet. Inside them, blood red flames are lit, casting a soft red glow about the space. Red dress, red roses, red light, all of it adding to the sensual atmosphere. And it is sensual, incredibly so. As we approach the altar there is the sound of a guitar strumming too, a soft melody that vibrates over my skin, though I see no musician or musical instrument. We take slow steps towards the altar and as we move a warm breeze washes over me, causing the skirt of my dress to flutter over my legs. I catch the sweet scent of the roses. Devin smiles inside my head and I know that they are here upon his request.
From the corner of my eye I see Ezra moving towards the altar, where Nostra is waiting for us both. My steps falter at the sight of him. Rhain leans his head down.
“He will love you fiercely, Cia.” It is enough to keep me moving forward.
Ezra stops in front of Nostra, but his eyes are fixed firmly on mine. He too is wearing the same outfit as Rhain and Devin, but his shirt is completely undone. My eyes flick to his broad shoulders, down his firm chest that is free from hair, and to the hardened muscles of his stomach. A small smile lifts the corner of his lips, and I find myself smiling in return. We reach the altar and Nostra looks down upon us all. His purple eyes are alight with happiness.
“Rhain, Devin, my friends. Thank you for accompanying Accacia. Would you take your place next to your brother?” Nostra asks.
Devin and Rhain gently pull away from me and stand either side of Ezra.
“Ezra, Accacia, you are both here today to join formally as is custom for the people of Clan Lux. Today you will exchange vows and you will exchange blood to seal those vows formally.” Nostra looks at Ezra, who nods. He moves towards me and holds his hand out. I take it.
“In the presence of your brothers,” Nostra says to Ezra, “and in the presence of these men you have chosen to let into your heart,” he says turning to me, a knowing look in his eyes. “Do you both willingly, and without coercion, wish to come together in such a manner?”
Ezra’s reaction is immediate. “Without any doubt.” I can feel the heat of his gaze, hear the surety of his words. My skin prickles under his certainty.
Nostra grins at that. He turns to face me. “Accacia?”
I turn to look at Ezra, at his soulful grey eyes, at the strength of his jaw, the sensual shape of his lips, the graze of stubble across his skin. I remember the fierceness of his love for Thalia, his determination to save his brothers, and his desire to make me his wife. Behind him Rhain and Devin are grinning widely, there is nothing but warmth, joy and love coming from them. These vampires, my men.
“I do,” I say simply.
Ezra beams and it’s as though the sun has broken through a cloudy sky. I can’t help but smile too. Out of the corner of my eye I see Nostra’s hand wave in the air and out of nowhere two empty glasses appear. Rhain steps forward and produces a gilt-edged knife.
“Thank you, brother,” Ezra says, taking it from him. He slices the tip of the knife across his palm, then holds his clenched fist over one of the hovering wine glasses. I watch as the blood slides from his hand, filling it half-way. Then he hands the knife to me and I take it from him, following suit. I ignore the sting of pain and pour my own blood into the empty glass. Devin steps forward and takes the knife from me, bowing slightly as he moves away.
Even your blood smells of roses, Red, he says silently. I catch Devin’s eye, and a flash of darkness flits across his gaze once again. I frown, he just smiles. A warm smile that eases my worry immediately.
The two glasses swap places, so the one filled with Ezra’s blood floats towards me, and the glass filled with mine hovers in front of Ezra. We both reach out and take a glass each.
Nostra steps off the altar. “Raise the glass to your mouth and take a sip of blood,” he says, squeezing my shoulder beneath his fingers. I feel a tingling across my skin at his touch. I feel the magic coming from him. I feel it in the air about us, between Ezra and I. My gaze moves from Nostra to Ezra. He raises the glass to his mouth, just as I do. The taste of Ezra’s blood is as I remember it. Like smooth, dark, chocolate. Over the rim, I see Ezra’s eyes widen as my blood passes his lips. Both times previously when he had taken my blood, Ezra was completely out of it in pain. This time he is fully aware, and I am blown away by the look of want, of need in his eyes. I’m pretty certain I am looking at him in the same way. He lowers the glass, the points of his teeth dropping, pressing into his bottom lip. As Ezra’s blood flows over my lips I can think of only one thing, his teeth buried deep into my neck. Behind Ezra, Devin chuckles.
Nostra lowers his head and begins to recount the words of the Joining. As he speaks, the lanterns around us move with purpose, no longer floating but forming a vortex of light, so bright it is as though day shines once again.
Red-blood,
life-blood that thrums through your veins,
that flows through your heart
that gives life
Now, as it passes over your lips,
this blood, your blood,
fills another
and with it a promise to belong.
From this day forth,
you are joined for eternity
And with those words it is done. I am Ezra’s wife.
The lanterns float upwards as Ezra steps forward, handing his glass to Nostra. I do the same. “It is custom for husband and wife to kiss after the Joining,” he says gently, taking another step towards me. He is so tall I have to arch my head to look up at him.
“Perhaps our customs aren’t so different after all,” I whisper.
Ezra raises his hands, cupping the back of my head. A nervous feeling flutters inside my chest. When we kissed before the circumstances had been different, we were fleeing the fae in the Forbidden forest. It had been quick, heated, but it hadn’t been long enough for me to show him just how much he meant to me. Now, in this room filled with dancing flames and blooming roses, I kiss Ezra with everything I have. I pour all my feelings into the kiss, my frustration that it took him almost dying to realise how much he meant to me and my unyielding desire that had always been there, bubbling beneath the surface. I wrap my arms around Ezra and pull him closer, hoping I am enough to fill the hole Thalia left behind. Hoping I am enough for this man; this strong, defiant, loyal man I have come to love. Love. Just as I love Rhain and Devin. The truth of it lifts my heart.
We kiss for a long time. Ezra only pulls away when he senses our kiss developing into something more, something that should only be explored in private. He pulls away, breathing heavily. “Lights be blind, Accacia. What are you doing to me?”
I smile. “I could say the same to you.”
Ezra presses a quick kiss on my lips, then spins us both around. Devin and Rhain move forward slapping Ezra on the back before pulling him in for a hug. I stand back watching them, their happiness for their brother, for each other. Nostra turns to me.
“You have made my friends very happy, Accacia. For that I am grateful. Are you happy, content?” he asks, searching my face. I look at the men clapping each other on their backs, laughing and joking, and that same swell of love expands in my chest.
“I am…” I start, then falter.
“There is something you wish to say to them?”
“Yes, there is something I wish to say.”
Nostra whistles loudly. It certainly has the desired effect. Rhain, Ezra and Devin turn to face us both.
“Accacia has something she wishes to say.” Nostra stands back, sensing the importance of the moment.
“Thank you, Nostra,” I say, smiling at him. Then I turn to face my
men, my vampires. The men I have come to love.
“For the longest time I have been alone. I had my mother, yes. I even had friends.” I think of Clover, and tears well in my eyes, but this isn’t the time to think about her, so I push my worry aside and pull in a breath to calm the churning feeling inside my chest at her silence. “But I was always alone. No one understood what it was like to live in darkness and then you three walked into my life, and the light I had longed for begun to shine in a different way. Each of you have touched me.” I turn to Rhain first, and place my fingertips against his lips. “You ignited passion within me, Rhain. Lit something I didn’t even know existed. I love you.” I kiss him gently on the mouth then step back and move towards Devin, standing in front of him.
You, who lives within me still, I say, trailing my fingertips from his temple along his face. He leans into my hand and closes his eyes. I smile gently.
Red, he says.
“You have been a constant comfort here,” I say, touching my own temple. “You have crept beneath my skin and have settled within my soul. I cannot be without you. I love you, Devin.” Leaning forward I press a feather light kiss across his mouth. Our time will come soon, I say. Devin holds my gaze, the flickering of the lanterns lighting his chocolate brown eyes. He nods, stepping back.
Finally, I stand in front of Ezra, my husband. The man I am joined to for eternity. He is quiet, still, strong, just like the old oak tree that I used to play under as a child in the moonlit nights of my childhood. “You have been insufferable, confusing, frustrating, stubborn. But you, Ezra, you have shown me what it is to love fiercely, to love without limits. All of my doubts disappeared the moment you asked me to be your wife. Ezra, I will love you for as long as my heart beats inside my chest.” I stand on my tiptoes and press a kiss against his mouth. He wraps his arms around me and this time nothing and no one is able to stop the kiss from developing into something pure and beautiful.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Ezra scoops me up in his arms and walks with purpose from the marquee. Behind him Rhain, Devin and Nostra leave and head back home to the hidden hamlet.