And as we filed into our seats with the others following, a tempest of fury roared in her stare.
Erista and Jezebel sent quick Mystique ink notes to the other clan leaders currently in Xenovia, notifying them of Ezalia’s arrival and the meeting about to be held.
“While we wait…” Cypherion cleared his throat when Vale arrived. “We have something we need to share.”
All eyes swiveled their way. They exchanged a look, seeming to communicate silently.
The Starsearcher nodded, folding herself into Cyph’s side. Her hair slipped behind her shoulder, and I swore the angle made her tattoo appear larger.
Cypherion continued, “While we were in Valyn, we became Fatesworn.”
The following silence echoed so loud, you’d hear the beat of a pegasus’s wings leagues off.
Then, Tolek slammed his hand down on the table and blurted, “On Damien’s fucking grave!”
“I told you he’d take it well,” Jezebel muttered to Cypherion.
“By the Spirits,” Cyph grumbled.
“Take it well?” Tolek snapped. “One of my best friends became promised to the woman he loves in an unbreakable bond, and Imissed it?”
“It wasn’t a large ceremony, and we’re going to receive the Bind anyway,” Cypherion explained. Vale only snickered and tried to cover her smile with her hand.
“Large ceremony or not, I should have been included!” Tolek demanded.
“I’m your cousin! I should have been a witness,” Malakai added, stifling his amusement as he joined Tolek’s argument, clearly more to rile him up than anything.
“You, too?” Cypherion dragged a hand down his face.
“Did you say the vows? The tattoos?” Tolek insisted. How he knew so much about the Fatesworn ceremony, I didn’t know, but he was a romantic at heart.
“Yes,” Cypherion gritted out.
“You got a tattoo without telling us?” Malakai pushed.
At his grin Cyph threw out a hand. “It just appeared! Not like I had a say over it.” Vale scoffed, mockingly offended, and Cyph ducked his head. “Of course, I would have chosen it if I did.” Then, he looked back at Malakai. “You don’t even care! You’re only trying to encourage him.”
“I care very much!” Malakai insisted. Mila elbowed him, but she was laughing, too. And Spirits, it was such a relief to see everyone joking in this odd moment hovering between godly threats; for a moment, I reveled in it.
Tolek fell into a seat at the table taking up the majority of the room beneath the bronze chandelier. I stepped beside him, rubbing a hand across the back of his neck and shoulders, his winged tattoo peeking over the collar of his tunic.
“We’re all thrilled for you,” I said to Cypherion and Vale. “Both of you. Vale, I always suspected you’d fit in with our family. I’m pleased you made it official.”
“Thank you, Revered.” Vale leaned further into Cypherion, and the full expanse of her new tattoo caught the mystlight. A veritable galaxy was inked in silver upon her skin, absorbing the old binding mark Titus had placed on her. Together, it was like she and Cypherion had remapped the stars.
Tol’s fingers wrapped around mine on his shoulder, but when I looked down, his eyes were on my Bind. And instead of a promise, the North Star was a brand. As long as I had it, there’d be no receiving a second. No way for Tolek and me to link our souls as mine and Malakai’s should have been.
Clearing my throat, I straightened and pressed a kiss to Tol’s temple. He tilted his head, catching my eyes, and he understoodthe reassurance I was offering. We may not have a soul bond, but we had this instinctual connection we’d nurtured unknowingly for years. One no god or Angel could steal from us or weaponize.
Finally, the remaining council members filed into the room, and I redirected the conversation. “Now, lifelong bonds aside, we need to make a plan for Echnid. The cannons could be helpful with the god based on how he caused Moirenna to…”
“Implode?” Cypherion offered dryly.
A shiver went out across the table. It certainly did look like that when the goddess faded from existence, but there had been a grace about it, too. Based on what Vale said about communicating with her in a recent session, I wondered if the gods had spirits that could continue to live elsewhere.
With that troubling thought in mind, I said, “We need to make sure whatever we do to him, it’s final. Not even a hint of him can remain. Not like Moirenna.”
“The goddess insisted it can be done,” Vale said, her voice taking on a power I’d never heard from her before. “Valyrie said she’s read that it’s with you, Ophelia. Finality in the Balance.”
