“Where did you get these?” I ask pointing at their clothes confused.
“The sisters made them up for everyone in the house. They weren’t sure who you’d want in your reading, so they made sure everyone was prepared," Valen explains. “If you don’t want us there, we completely understand and support that, but we wanted to be ready, just in case.”
“Of course, I want you there."
I look at each of them and try to silently convey how much it means to me that they want to be there for me, for no other reason than to offer their support.
Knox steps forward and takes the glass bottle from my grasp. He pulls out the stopper and tilts the contents into his hand. I turn around and pull all my hair to the side. He rubs the potion into my bare back and sides with his strong hands.
I tilt my head back and do everything I can to stop myself from leaning into his touch. Knox finishes and places a kiss where my neck meets my shoulder, right over the runes there. His lips coax out the faintest moan, and when I turn around to thank him for his help, he smiles wolfishly at me. I look over at Sabin and fix him with a glare.
“You told them about the magic tornado that happens when my runes are touched, didn’t you?”
“Uh, was that supposed to be a secret?” he asks innocently.
“Not cool Captain, not cool at all," I admonish him trying to look serious and not at all amused.
“You look incredible," he tells me, and all of the guys voice their approval and agreement.
I give them a big smile, and then I take a deep breath, steeling myself for whatever’s about to go down.
“Alright, let’s do this,” I announce, and we all make our way downstairs.
Lachlan and his coven congregate in the living room, and my guys gather around me like they’re guarding me against anything that might come our way. I’ve strapped back on all the armor I had been shedding since I moved here, and my demeanor is hard and unyielding.
I observe several looks of surprise from Lachlan’s coven when they take inthe boysall dressed in white as they surround me the way that they are, but no one says anything.
Lachlan moves toward me and starts to say something, but he’s interrupted when a man I have never seen before walks into the living room from the kitchen.
“Reader Tearson is ready; please follow me.”
He takes all of us to a closed door that doesn’t lead to a linen closet like I thought it did.
“The casters who will serve as witnesses will enter first. Once they are arranged, the door will open again, and that is when you will enter.” The stranger looks to me, and I nod in understanding.
The door opens on its own and reveals a dimly lit hallway. Lachlan steps toward the new opening, but my voice stops him.
“I don’t want them there," I announce, and the robed assistant turns to me, a questioning look on his face. “I don’t trust them, and I don’t want them in the reading.”
Lachlan opens his mouth to say something I’m sure is going to piss me off, but the robed caster holds up a hand and stops him.
“Vinna, as he is your blood, it is customary for him and his coven to be present for your reading. However, I will not dismiss your feelings. I will ask that Reader Tearson place a binding upon the ceremony so that nothing can be discussed without your permission or presence, once the reading is complete.”
He looks at me silently for a moment, and I nod my head in agreement with his compromise. Aydin’s gaze is burning a hole in me, but I refuse to look at him or any of the others.
The robed caster leads the paladin into the hallway, and my guys all hug me before walking in after them. The door closes behind Ryker as he gives me a reassuring smile, and I suddenly find myself alone. I feel apprehensive and restless, as I wait--what feels like forever--for the door to open again. In reality, it’s probably only five minutes before it cracks open on its own and I step through.
The hallway and floor are comprised of gray stone, and the coldness of it seeps into me through my bare feet. Soft gas-lit lanterns guide my way, and they create an old and eerie feel to the space surrounding me. The hallway opens up into a large dimly lit stone room. Traces of residual magic surround me, and I get the feeling that the stones comprising this room are old and have witnessed more than I could ever know.
The paladin and the guys all stand around the edges of the room, still and staring straight ahead. There’s a marble table with two chairs in the center, and on the far side of the table stands an elderly caster dressed in a red ceremonial robe. Reader Tearson’s kind eyes are taking in every move that I make towards him, and I find it interesting and unsettling all at the same time.
He reaches out to me, and I automatically offer my hand in greeting. Instead of shaking it, like I thought he was going to do, he bends and brings his forehead down to the knuckles of my hand and then places a kiss on them.
Taken aback, and not sure what the hell to do now, I just stand there.
“Sentinel,Your Greatness, I can’t begin to describe how elated I am to meet you.”
36
