Brax rubs his thumb over my hand and grins. Then he wiggles his eyebrows.
I can do this.
I rise taller and state, "Brax O'Malley, from this moment forward, I commit my heart, my loyalty, my blood, and my devotion to you. I stand with you, not only as your wife but as the woman who will protect our union, honor the path we walk, and submit myself to the duties required by the Underworld."
"And?" Kirill asks.
My chest tightens, but I push the vow out with absolute clarity. "I vow to obey when obedience is commanded, to support when strength is demanded, and to stand by your side through every shadow, every fire, every threat that rises against us."
A wave of whispers cuts through the crowd.
"Quiet!" Kirill shouts.
The arena obeys.
The king turns to Brax and arches his eyebrows.
Brax studies me with a growing intensity, like each word threads itself inside him. The hunger in his gaze sharpens, but behind it lies something more dangerous, almost reverent.
He shifts closer, his voice dropping into a dark, resonant rumble that curls under my skin. "Valentina Abruzzo, from this moment on, you are mine to protect, mine to defend, and mine to destroy anyone who attempts to harm." His eyes narrow around the arena, and he goes off script, adding, "And God help any of you who try. I will slit you to pieces before you know it's happening."
Gasps fill the crowd.
My heart warms into something I've never felt before.
"Silence!" Kirill demands.
Brax's eyes turn back on me. He asserts, "I vow to stand between you and any threat, whether it's seen or unseen. I vow to kill for you without hesitation, to guard your body, your honor, and your bloodline. No blade, no enemy, no man will ever reach you while breath remains in me."
The words cleave through the arena, more violent than anything I vowed, yet more intimate than if he'd whispered love into my ear.
He lifts my hand and presses his mouth to my knuckles, not tenderly but with a possessive certainty that sends a deep rush through my chest. He finishes, "I will command beside you. I will conquer beside you. And I will die before I ever allow harm to stain you."
A hushed inhale of breath falls across the arena. The torches crackle, and a cloud moves. The moon shines brighter.
Kirill's voice booms, "The vows have been spoken. The bloodlines bind." He holds out his hands toward us, palms up. "The Underworld bears witness. Your vows hold power, and power must be cleansed."
There's no,you may kiss the bride. I've studied cleansing rituals. I knew it would be like this, but the anticipation climbs through me, tightening,building, lifting the edges of the moment until something trembles inside my every cell.
Kirill's voice slices across the arena, sharp and electric. "Let the cleansing ritual begin!"
The crowd erupts. Torches blaze upward as though fed oxygen from the command. The chanting returns full force, and vibrations surge up the soles of my shoes and spread through my body, expanding until my lungs quiver with the sound.
Brax's head turns as the white lotuses go up in flames, turning to ash.
Two women step in front of me.
"Get away from her," he snarls, pushing me behind him.
"It's okay. They aren't going to hurt me," I assure him.
He keeps his scowl on them.
I tug on his arm.
He glances at me.
"It's okay," I repeat and offer a smile.
