“I’m not a mortal at all anymore,” she whispered, eyes sparking with challenge. “Am I?”
That was all it took.
Kael pressed her back against the stone wall, his mouth devouring hers in a kiss laced with hunger and reverence. His hands gripped her thighs, lifting her with ease. She wrapped around him instinctively, legs, arms, breath all of her burning for him.
They tangled like wildfire, the room growing hotter with every breathless sound between them. Her magic crackled across his skin. His power licked like smoke at hers.
-Kael-
The council chamber buzzed with tension. He sat at the head of the long table, shadow magic flickering faintly around his hands as his generals Corin and Riven, Valea, Lord Draeven, and Aldwyn debated with fervor.
“She’s not fully mortal anymore,” Lord Draeven said, his voice calm but sharp. “She may be the most powerful thing we’ve seen in a generation— the most dangerous.”
“And the Veilbreaker prophecy?” Aldwyn interjected, folding his hands. “It's true. The dream, the transformation, the god’s kiss these are not accidents.”
“She’s tied to Kael,” Valea said, watching the King closely. “Her power answers his. That is not to be ignored.”
Silence followed. Then Corin spoke.
“Marry her.”
Kael stiffened.
Corin continued, undeterred. “A royal bond. A permanent claim. It will silence critics, deter Calanthe, and keep her power tied to Nythra.”
“I will not force her,” Kael said darkly. “She is not a weapon to chain.”
“No,” Valea agreed, “but she is a goddess-touched creature of ancient myth. Who fortunately shares your bed and walks your halls. The court already sees her as yours. You might consider to make it law.”
In the eve, the court held a celebration in the ballroom.
The palace shimmered with dark grandeur. Shadow-lit chandeliers glistened above, musicians plucked haunting melodies from enchanted instruments, and nobles adorned in midnight silks whispered behind lace fans.
But all turned when Maris entered.
She wore a gown of deep red, near translucent in places, hugging her body like armor. Tiny crystals glimmered along the hem, catching every flicker of magic in the room. Her dark hair was pinned up, save for one loose curl that kissed her collarbone.
She was no longer a girl from Eryndor. She was something far more terrifying and beautiful.
Kael stood at the far end of the room. When their eyes met — the world silenced. He moved through the crowd with predatory grace, stopping only when he reached her. Music slowed. The court watched.
When he reached her, he let one knee hit the black marble floor with a sound that echoed through the room. His shadowed coiled at his back. His heart thundered within his chest.His silver gaze locked on hers, and in it was only raw devotion and terrible promise of what he was willing to become for her.
His hand opened, tremors shaking him slightly despite his best efforts. A ring sat in his palm. Forged from moonstone and white gold, etched with runes of protection and devotion. A symbol of power and promise.
“Maris,” he said, voice a low murmur meant only for her, “will you bind your fate to mine?”
The court held its breath.
Chapter twenty-eight
The Offer
-Maris-
The world had gone still.
Maris stood at the center of Calyrix’s grand hall, the hush of the court pressing down like a held breath. Kael’s voice still echoed in her ears, smooth and sharp.
