How any couple could resist the physical want created by the joining is beyond me. Every cell in my body thrums to throw Feylin on the grass and rip off his clothes.
I bite it down and nod to Zandra as he excuses us from her presence.
Not wanting the physical temptation to cloud my mind, I pull my hand from his and twine it around his bicep. As he leads me around the garden, we nod to fae who bow in return.
“How’ve you been?” he asks nonchalantly, keeping his gaze trained straight ahead.
“Fine. Good. Thank you for moving my room.”
“I take it you’re using the bed.”
“Yes.”
“You could’ve told me why you were sleeping on dresses,” he murmurs, which sounds more like a purr.
“You were so demanding that it ticked me off.”
His jaw jumps. “So you didn’t tell me to get back at me.”
I stop and we face one another. “I’m not proud of it.”
We pause before each of us breaks into a smile. Our gazes collide, and all it takes is one look at him and my heartbeat is thrumming like a traitor in my neck. I rip my gaze away first and clear my throat. “So…are you ready for this?”
“The question is, are you?”
To be honest—no. In this ceremony our magic’s supposed to conjure four water horses from a fountain. The horses symbolize the steadfastness of our love.
Or something stupid like that.
“I’m as ready as I’ll ever be.”
For the past few days I’ve worked on standing motionless in front of the fountain. According to Ophelia, you can’t practice any of the ceremonies ahead of time, which is annoying.
We wait a little while longer for people to enter the garden. It seems forever before I spot my family and wave.
They wave back, and that’s when Feylin says, “It’s now or never.”
I exhale a deep breath. “Okay.”
“Just focus,” he explains.
I can do this, I tell myself. Easy peasy. We step before the fountain and everyone, friends and family alike, surround us.
The fountain’s the centerpiece of the back garden. Normally water shoots straight from the center, shifting into the colors of the rainbow as it splashes onto the pool underneath. But today the water’s been turned off, and sunlight shimmers like diamonds atop the filled pool.
He cups my hand, and I drop my hold on his bicep so that we can entwine our fingers.
“Focus. Concentrate,” he tells me.
I stare at the water as Feylin squeezes my hand tight. Magic unfurls from us. Well,him. My whole goal is to remain as motionless and empty as possible.
A golden ribbon of power flows into the fountain, and the water begins to bubble. It churns and swirls like my stomach’s currently doing.
A form slowly rises from the surface—pointed ears, a muzzle, and a strong, muscled body. Four horses constructed of glistening water surface, each with front hooves lifted and teeth bared.
The crowd explodes into applause, and my heart, so heavy with worry, lightens.I’ve done it!
The motionless horses begin to paw the air as if they’re restless. My stomach knots.
