We entered a circular chamber where twelve robed figures stood in a half-circle. Behind them, shadows seemed to move and breathe along the wall.
And then I saw him.
At first, I thought he was a trick of the light, a shadow cast by nothing. But as my eyes adjusted, I realized the darkness had form, had substance. Had eyes.
They glowed like embers in a face of living darkness. He was massive, easily a foot taller than me, broad-shouldered and imposing. Not exactly a man, but man-shaped, if men were made of the space between stars.
I couldn't breathe. Couldn't move. Fear locked my joints in place.
"Approach, Aya Fletcher," one of the robed figures intoned.
I forced my trembling legs forward, feeling like a moth drawn to a flame that would consume me. As I got closer, I could make out more details of him, this Varkolak I would bind myself to. His darkness wasn't complete as there were currents within it,like smoke or ink in water. And those eyes, they weren't just glowing. They were watching. Assessing.
When I stood before him, he inclined his head slightly. A greeting? A resignation? I couldn't tell.
"We begin the Binding," announced the central figure. "Join hands."
I raised my hand, surprised to find it steady despite my racing heart. Varkolak reached out with what appeared to be a hand of solid shadow. When our skin touched, I gasped. It wasn't cold as I'd expected, but warm, warmer than human skin, and somehow both solid and not.
The ceremony passed in a blur. Someone spoke words I didn't understand over us. A cord of silver light encircled our joined hands. I repeated vows when prompted, barely hearing myself speak.
"It is done," the robed figure finally said. "You are bound, soul to shadow, until the fading of this world."
That was it? I blinked, feeling oddly cheated. No celebration. No explanation. Just bound. Forever.
Varkolak's hand released mine, the warmth lingering like a phantom touch. Two attendants approached with a small chest.
"Your belongings have been loaded onto the transport," one told me. "The journey to the Eastern Mountains will take most of the day."
And just like that, they ushered us out, newly bound and complete strangers.
Outside the Sacrarium, a sleek black vehicle waited. Its design was unlike anything in the colony, with all smooth lines and gleaming surfaces. Varkolak moved toward it, his form seeming to glide rather than step. He opened the door and waited, those burning eyes fixed on me.
I climbed in, clutching my small bag of personal items, a faded photo of parents I didn't remember, a tattered book ofocean myths, a shell necklace I'd made years ago. The only pieces of my old life I could bring.
Varkolak settled beside me, his large form making the spacious interior suddenly feel cramped. The vehicle started moving without any visible driver, humming softly as it navigated away from the Sacrarium and toward the distant mountains that loomed on the horizon.
The silence between us stretched uncomfortably.
Say something, I commanded myself. This is your husband. Forever.
"Do you..." I began, then faltered. "Do you have a name beyond Varkolak? Is that your species or your...?"
"Both," he answered, his voice deep and resonant, with a strange echo quality. "I am Varkolak of the Navi shadows."
"Oh." I twisted the simple band they'd given me during the ceremony. "I'm Aya. But you probably know that already."
His head turned toward me, those ember eyes unblinking. "I know what they told me. A human female. Compatible energy signature. Colony-born."
"That's all?" I couldn't hide my surprise. "They didn't tell you anything else about me?"
"Should they have?"
I frowned. "Well, I'm a person, not just acompatible energy signature. Don't you want to know who you've just been bound to for life?"
The shadows of his face shifted, almost like an expression. "You are right. Tell me who Aya Fletcher is."
Put on the spot, I struggled to define myself. "I'm... I'm an orphan. My parents died when I was a baby. I grew up in the colony by the great sea. I helped with the crustation harvests." I sounded so boring, even to myself. "I like to read. And I'm good at fixing things."
