Azrael dips his chin in the slightest of nods.
“Good. Come to my office shortly, and we’ll get the contract all drawn up. I take it you need a few minutes to discuss. Don’t keep me waiting—it won’t take long for Malicor to assemble the bone quill.” He waves his hand over us, then turns on his heels and leaves.
The girl scurries out after him, clearly avoiding Azrael’s wrath for her failure to keep watch. The silence stretches between us, uncomfortable and heavy. My thoughts reel; my entire world has flipped upside down. I don’t know what to say.
Azrael reaches for me, clearing his throat, but I pull my hands back. “I know you have questions, but I need you to trust me,” he pauses, never breaking eye contact. “Please. I promise I’ll explain what I can. You don’t understand. Once he’s made up his mind, there’s no changing it.”
I bite my lip and shake my head. “You’ll never understand. You’ll never be able to make this right. I’m losing everything—my family, my identity, my life. What about my happiness?” I choke back a sob.
“Mercy.” He tries to soothe me, taking a step toward me, but I retreat.
I don’t want his comfort or pity. All I’ve ever wanted is to be freedom—the chance to make my own choices. And now, the one person I trusted has handed me a life sentence. It doesn’t matter that I’d considered joining the circus. Or that I might have begged Azrael to let me do it. What matters is it would have been my choice.
“No. I thought you were different. But you’re just like everyone else. I’m not something to own, Azrael. Yet that’s how you discussed me with him.”
This time, when he reaches to embrace me, he moves so fast I blink and find myself pinned against the barn wall, his body caging me in place. Azrael strokes my cheek gently. Pain glimmers in his eyes, something I hadn’t seen before.
“Mercy, I don’t want to own you. But you’re mine. What I said about the Fates is true. You’re my soulmate. To protect your soul, it has to belong to me—not him. I would never force you to do anything against your will. The choice has to be your own. I… ” He stops himself.
“My soul?” I squeak, panic drowning my thoughts.
“Yes. I told you I’m a monster,” he sighs, the weight of his words heavy. “You’ll bind your soul to me in a contract sealed by blood magic and fate. Together, we’ll be free. One day, I’ll break the curse, but I need your help. If your soul stays unclaimed, he’ll chain it to this circus forever. If it’s mine, no one else can touch you.”
His voice like velvet caressing my ears. Magical rules. Curses. I don’t want to sell my soul. “What if I say no?”
Azrael hangs his head in defeat. “Then I’ll help you escape. You have to be willing. But the Ringmaster is a collector. He’ll hunt you down and take what he wants. He’ll own you one way or the other, even if you evade him tonight.”
A giant lump forms in my throat as I swallow. I’m trying so hard to process everything he’s telling me. I take a deep breath. “Do I even have a soul? If I’m half–”
“Seraphim.” Azrael interrupts gently. “I don’t know. The worst that can happen is the contract doesn’t bind you. The blood ritual fails.”
Blood ritual. My heartbeat quickens. He never mentioned blood. But I want to be strong—for me. Not because it’s what Azrael wants, but because I owe it to myself to face my so-called destiny. I hold my head high, letting the weight of my decision settle. “Alright, Azrael. Bind me to you. But on one condition.”
Azrael beams. “You’re making the right choice. What’s your condition?” he asks curiously.
“I want to bring my mother with me. I can’t leave her behind.” My voice is calm and clear. It doesn’t waver.
“Of course. I’ll do everything I can to make you happy and comfortable here.” His words are a promise.
“Azrael,” I add, tilting my chin just slightly, “one more thing.”
“Go on,” he replies.
“What were you going to say before, when you saidI?”
He swallows hard, then kisses me softly. “I care for you, Mercy, because you’re mine. You’re perfect just the way you are—because you were made for me.”
I try to hide my disappointment, choosing instead to focus on the task ahead. “I’m scared, Azrael. Will it hurt?”
He winces, eyes flicking away, his gaze dropping to the ground. But only for a moment. Then he looks back at me, still hovering over the spot where he has me pinned against the wall. “I don’t know,” he breathes, and I can sense the honesty in his answer.
“Why not?”
“Because I’ve never cared enough to notice if it hurts.” His confession lands hard, echoing what he said before about being a monster.
My chest aches. “Will you be there with me when it happens?”
He cups my face gently. “I will always be with you—this time and forever, once I’ve bound you to me.”
