I sat forward, ready to face whoever had joined me. “I just need a minute alone. Do you mind?” I snapped. It wasn’t like me, but for fuck’s sake, was it too much to ask?
“Sorry, but no.”
I whipped around, rising to my feet at the deep voice. “Valik,” I said as his silhouette closed in on me. “What are you doing here?”
“Trust me, I don’t want to be here,” Valik retorted, “but there’s something we gotta do now that Chrome has completely fucked the plan.”
I frowned, trying to see through the shadows covering him. “And what’s that?”
Valik sighed. “Remember what I told you?”
I nodded. “How could I forget?”
“Have you told anyone?” he asked.
I snorted. “Are you insane? Of course, I haven’t. That would be fucking suicide.”
“Good.” Valik walked forward until he stood inches away. “This is our last-ditch effort to save everything. And in a surprising turn of events, that hangs on you.”
“How?” I couldn’t hide the skepticism oozing from my voice.
Valik paused, assessing me with his chin raised. “Are you willing to do anything to protect the princess and Chrome?”
I answered without hesitation. “Absolutely.”
“That’s what I thought.” Valik’s voice held no humor, no bravado. If anything, he sounded tired. “I’ll train you in your new manifesting abilities. Because they’re about to come through even more…”
“Why?” I fisted my palms, attempting to suppress my anxiety.
“Because you’re about to take a Soul Oath of Fealty. Once you do that, your powers are going to start blasting through like never before. Even if you’re not full-blooded, the fraction of magic you possess is more powerful than you can imagine. You’ll need help learning to control and master it.”
I clenched my jaw, nodding in concession. “Thanks for the heads-up. I’ve just now managed to control the glamour.”Holding my palms up, I released the glamour masking the steel glow emanating from my hands as the buzzing sensation ebbed and flowed at the nape of my neck.
“That’s a start, but it’s going to require much more than a simple glamour to keep this hidden from everyone. Especially the king,” Valik explained. “Now, kneel.”
I inhaled one last deep breath, wondering if I was making a huge mistake. Doubt seeped in at whether I was even strong enough to keep this power concealed when there were eyes everywhere. Was I even worthy of this?
My stomach knotted at the risk factor. “You sure I can’t think on this for a few days and get back to you? I don’t want to make this decision impulsively.”
Valik shook his head. “I wish we had that kind of time, but we don’t. You either want to protect them or not. If not, I’m afraid we don’t stand much more of a chance to succeed.”
Blowing out a harsh breath, I lowered myself to my knees, setting my forgotten drink off to the side. “Fine.”
Valik’s hands began to glow a pure white-blinding light. “Hold out your right arm,” he instructed as he offered his left.
I did as he asked as his glowing hand clasped firmly around my forearm. Returning the hold, I felt my newfound magic begin to stir, the silver glow intermingling with his.
Valik’s voice took on a multi-range vibrato, as if multiple voices spoke through him at once. “Do you, Slate Helair, descendent of Archangel Gabriel, pledge your soulful allegiance to protect the True Queen of Arcadia at all costs?”
“I do,” I answered, feeling sure in my statement. Valik’s grip tightened. It felt like threads within me began to wiggle, weaving through my essence.
“Do you understand that by activating the awakened Guardian Bond that exists between your souls, you are now her humble warrior for protection?”
“I do.” The threads began to stitch themselves into a pattern in my soul.
“Do you understand that by bonding your soul to protect the True Queen of Arcadia, you are to protect the True King, as well? If one perishes, the other shall fall into a pit of madness as their souls are eternally intertwined.”
The Twin Soul Bond. Valik had explained that to me, too, the night I faced the Elementals. “I do.”
