I shrugged. To me, the onlyballsypart was insisting Caius deliver the news about the oath to everyone; because, honestly, I was done with explaining my reasons. They could do the oath and witness my memory, or they could piss off. It wasn’t me that wanted to share it, after all.
“Why did you want to stay here anyway?” my shadow asked.
I couldn’t help but breathe in the intoxicating aroma of the endless pink flowers, their canopy so thick that only tiny specks of sunlight snuck through, giving it a glitter effect.
“It’s peaceful here,” I offered. The truth was, I didn’t want to go back to the Summer Court knowing that I was about to share the nightmare I wished they could just steal instead. “I wish there was an unara that could pluck out a memory one no longer wishes to suffer and offer it up to whatever god would delight in such things,” I mused.
“Yeah, but we are the sum of our memories, even the bad ones.”
I chewed on his words, knowing they were true for him. And stars, had I been raised in a loving and supportive family like he was, knowing I had the love of my life waiting at home for me, I’d probably feel the same way. I mean, any deviation from his life—even just a memory—could alter what it currently looked like, and who would want to risk that? It was comforting to know that some lived beautiful lives, and I was genuinely happy for Kaelun that he was one of them, but on this point, we would never agree; because sign me up to wipe the damn board clean. I didn’t even have to ask Kaelun if he was afraid of death; I already knew the answer. He just had too much life to live and so many to live for.
As directed by Caius, Kaelun valenned us back to the Summer Palace a little over an hour later. What I hadn’t expected was the familiar hallway from the summer solstice. The second he took a step, I knew exactly where we were headed—the massive ballroom.
My heart kicked up a beat as we rounded the corner, the opulent marble staircase coming into view. How different it was now in the light of day; no fancy dress, no arm to thread mine through, no towering commanders at our backs, no music, and no crowd. My focus darted to where Amos had left me. Where Endymion had stood the first time I’d set eyes on him. Where Caius had toasted our arrival.
It was fitting to do it here, I supposed. In a way, this was where it all began. At least for me.
“Nyleeria!” Fiora’s silken voice was all but swallowed by the massive open-aired pace, her joy at seeing me evident; and stars, it was exactly what I needed.
A genuine smile graced my features as Kaelun and I descended the staircase, making our way to the middle of what had been the dance floor. In an instant, Fiora scooped me into a hug, then held me at arm’s length. “I’m so happy you’ve decided to do this, sweetheart, and I pray to the Mother and the gods of old that we’ll discover a way to protect you and your magic.”
Smile fading, I swallowed hard. The gravity of what we were about to do weighed upon me as if Lumnara herself were resting on my shoulders.
“You all came?” I said, genuinely surprised as I took in the semi-circle that had formed around me with Caius, Myron, Artton, Sidrick, Kaelun, and Fiora.
“Of course, my dear,” Myron said, stepping forward.
“And you’ve all taken the oath?”
“Not yet,” Myron answered in that soft way of his. “We thoughtit important that you witness it for yourself to know that you are safe with us.”
A confusing flood of emotions poured through me, filling me with warmth. “Thank you,” I said, though it was barely above a whisper.
Fiora took my hands in hers. “Are you ready to get started?”
I nodded, not entirely sure what I was agreeing to. “You’re going to do great,” she said with a wink, then stepped away to join Myron, leaving me in the center of the circle they’d formed around me.
“Okay, Nyleeria.” Caius’ deep voice was void of its usual rumble as he pulled my attention in his direction. “You’re going to say the words we agreed upon. Each court will say their vows in turn, as one, and seal it with the Mother in the manner of their court’s custom. Do you understand?”
I nodded again, still not entirely certain.
“All right then. Go ahead,” Caius prompted.
I took them all in, one by one. Nothing but kindness reflected back at me, and that warm feeling flooded me again, as if my powers were drawn forth by theirs.
Breathing in deep, I let out a long breath, retrieved the parchment from a pocket, and steadied myself for what came next.
Then, I began to read the rite.
“As the Mother is our witness, we, of our own free will, hereby vow to protect the sanctity and secrecy of any and all shared visions we shall be graced with by Sister Nyleeria, who shall also remain protected from and by us—regardless of what knowledge is obtained. Should these vows be broken, the Mother may claim a befitting toll, including the forfeiture of our powers. This oath shall remain intact in full until Sister Nyleeria releases us as a group, as individuals, until death, or until the Mother herself has deemed our release necessary.”
The moment the last word rolled off my tongue, the tiny hairs on my arms and the nape of my neck stood at attention, and a chill ran through my body.
In unison, the summer fae placed two fingers to their lips, then pressed them above their chest before saying, “As the Mother is our witness.”
Another chill racked my body before I shifted my attention to Fiora and Myron. With pointed toes, they swept their right legs in a wide arch above their heads in an elegant left to right motion like nimble dancers. Foot back on solid ground, they each took their left hand, palm up, and made the same sweeping motion as their feet, but going from right to left this time.
My breath hitched as two perfect arcs of flowers bloomed from the invisible lines they’d created drawn. Myron reached out and plucked a delicate, three-petaled violet from the array. Fiora followed, pulling the matching flower from her arch. They exchanged flowers only to place the others in the spot they had plucked theirs from. I couldn’t look away as the two floral semi-circles shifted to encircle them. Gently, Fiora placed her delicate hands atop Myron’s waiting hands. Now touching, they looked into each other’s eyes, then said, “As the Mother is our witness.”
