Roman laughs. “I’m not going to slice an artery open, Mal. Just a nice cut on the tips of our fingers, and a few drops from each of us, then it’s mixed with herbs and hibiscus. The hibiscus I will stew beforehand so the water is a deep red, and that will make the blood go farther. Liquorice root is for binding. We each pour some of our blood into a cup. We mix it with the herbs, and then we paint it on our bodies.”
My eyes widen. I’ve studied rituals, too, ever since meeting Roman and getting into this as well. “Binding is baneful magic, right? It’s destructive, not good?”
“We aren’t binding ourselves to one another in that sense. No one will be giving up control of free will, but we are binding ourlove, strengthening it, and banishing the negative thoughts and energy.” He chews his lip for a moment. “We need mug wort and camomile, perhaps lavender, too. The most important part though is we paint our bodies with each other’s blood, and then … well, we consummate the magic, the same we would a marriage.”
“Except there’s three of us. Do we have to fuck one another, us men, I mean?” The idea isn’t exactly gross to me, but I’m quiteopen with my sexuality. I can’t see Cain being onboard. Roman clearly isn’t either, because he shakes his head, brow furrowed. “No, we don’t. We all must be in Ophelia at the same time. That’s enough to join us.”
“In her pussy? Three of us?” Christ, we’ll break her apart.
“No, just… inside her. We all have to come in her, and she must climax or it won’t work, and we must be covered in the blood. While we carry out the ritual, we’ll be within a binding circle. I could make a ring for us, too. From wood.”
“Like a wedding ring?”
He snorts. “Deeper than that. This is fucking powerful shit, Mal. I’d hesitate normally, but I think you’re right, and if we don’t do something, we risk the four of us falling apart. I won’t have that.”
The finality of his words sends chills running down my spine, but I nod because I don’t want it, either.
Are we about to mess about with things we don’t truly understand?
CHAPTER 25
Ophelia
Yawning,I shuffle down the stairs. My body aches and my head hurts. I’ve cried so much, I’m probably dehydrated. I woke up twice in the night from crying in my sleep. Who does that? Me, apparently.
My stomach churns at the thought of facing Cain. We haven’t talked about what was revealed yesterday. He shot a man in the face for hurting me, but now he’s got to deal with his own father, a man who has seriously hurt me.
Cain’s father ruined my life. He wrecked it. Wreckedme. I could have been normal, but instead, here I am. Haunted. Scarred.
In some ways, though, despite how horrific it all was, I’m not sure I’d change it because changing it would mean I’d have never met my men.
“Morning, beautiful.” Mal smiles at me as I walk to the couch.
Roman gets up. “What do you want to eat?”
I shake my head. “You’re the one who is hurt. Let me fix you something.”
He pulls me into his arms and kisses the top of my head. “No, Ophelia. You’ve been through so much the past few days, and I’m feeling stronger today. What do you want to eat?”
I can’t say the truth—that I don’t want to eat anything—because he’ll worry, and I do need to keep my strength up, so I’ll force something down. “Just toast, if that’s okay? With peanut butter, please.”
When he putters into the kitchen to begin putting breakfast together, Mal pulls me onto his lap, making me squeak.
“Hey, gorgeous.” He nuzzles his face in my neck and inhales. “Are you okay?” He pulls back to look at me.
“I’m okay.” Again, I keep my truth to myself, and don’t tell him how broken I feel inside. “Where’s Cain?”
“Gone for a run. He wants to clear his head before he confronts his father.”
I glance at the time on my phone, which I’m still clutching. The thing has become like a new limb, always with me.
“What time do I need to be ready?”
He clears his throat. “You’re not coming, baby.”
My brow furrows. “Oh, yes, I am. He can’t go alone.”
“It’s not safe, Ophelia. You know that.”
