I leaped forward and hugged Neti tight. “I have no idea what you just did, but thank you. Thank you so much.”
Neti bumped me out of the way and returned to her calf without any fanfare.
The craving wouldn’t affect me now, and so there went Carmine’s grand plan to go through an intention ritual with a panting Syera.
That gave me a fighting chance after this difficult, bloodspilling day.
That was all I needed to keep going.
31
Tewewh twitched the skirt of my white gown, and stood back to stoically say, “You look magnificent, Mate-Intended.”
I smirked.
Yiti grimaced. “You look as you intended.”
Nowtherewas a real compliment. “Thank you.”
Shaving my head had felt symbolic of the step I was taking—one, this intention ritual, and two, my separation from Adeuto. If it helped to cool any of Carmine’s lust, then I’d count that as the biggest victory of all.
He wouldn’t be able to get within four feet of me on either side, and if he did, then the hour taken to getintothis dress did reassure me some. As did the fortress underwear I’d buckled on before dressing. In saying that, I hadn’t entirely escaped all traditions of what I was about to do. The gown was white, which reflected both human and magus tradition. And the veil—even if I’d included it to piss off Carmine and the guests—was part of human and magus tradition too.
If my mate was one I could stand by and love, and if my family were alive and here, then my grandmother would have gifted me a prized gem. My mother would have made my gownand walked me down the aisle. And Tempest would have been the one and only member in my bridal sisterhood.
None of them were here, and so it felt right to treat this ritual and ceremony as the joke it was. Even if the gown had remained white.
Knock, knock.
A yellow poked her head in—males weren’t allowed near me until after the ritual. I knew that because I’d dreamed so vividly and in such detail of this day since sixteen after reading everything I could on the topic.
“Mate-Intended, the guests are seated.”
I sighed happily. “I’m ready.”
As ready as I can be.
The yellow subtly inspected me from head to toe before withdrawing.
I set off down the hall in a swish and puff, then drew up short. “Where is this thing?”
Glancing back for the answer from the yellow, I had the absolute delight of glimpsing her true feelings about my outfit.
She erased the disgust from her expression and blurted, “Front stairs, Mate-Intended. So the realm might see from below.”
Ah, Pride Rock. Or so I called the jutting peninsula of stone.
I pivoted to swish and puff in the other direction. All the way to the entrance of the fortress. Gratia was waiting there. When she saw me, her face screwed up.
“What is that on your body?” She sucked in a horrified breath. “Will you set it on fire to reveal your actual gown?”
I pouted. “You don’t like it?”
She stared from my head to my toes. “Is it normal for humans?”
“Sure.”
“Did you shave your hair?”
