I sense a shift in his body. It’s like we exist on the same frequency, humming in sync. I feel everything going on with him. I can touch his power just as easily as I can touch mine.
Eryx starts to tug the shadows, and I join, allowing my magic to lift up his instead of trying to lead the way.
“Good girl,” he murmurs.
Our combined magic, this swirling marble of light and shadow, pulls the darkness in. For the first time in ten tries, the magic doesn't snap back. It holds.
Air locks in my chest. We're doing it. We're actually?—
"Don't lose focus," Eryx warns.
The room pales, the absence of shadows affecting not only the color but the energy.
We pull the shadows in, and then Eryx says, voice tight, “Let them go back.”
Pressure builds in my hands, and my shadow claws form. I shoot a look over at Eryx, and his wings are there, but different.
Everything inside me stills.
They’re outlined in gold—like my magic has soaked into him.
And when I look again at my claws, I see bits of gold in them, too—my magic and his.
There isn’t time to process, because?—
We toss the shadows out, and they slap against the floor and the walls so hard the manor shakes.
But the coolest part is the shadows aren’t black anymore. They’re iridescent.
I feel Eryx loosen his hold on his power, and I do the same. The claws disappear, but I’m not concerned with them. I’m obsessed with the shadows.
“Eryx.”
I reach for him, and he takes my hand, pulling me in for an embrace. He kisses my forehead. “You did it, little monster.”
My chest lifts with pride. Two weeks ago I was afraid of losing myself in marriage. Now I'm standing here with shadow claws, bonded to nightmare magic, having just created something impossible.
And I've never felt more like myself.
“Wedid it. Look.” I lead him to the corner, where the shadow of a table leans against the wall. “The colors.”
"Ours," he finishes, kissing my palm. "Not mine. Not yours.Ours."
I stare at the iridescent shadow. It shifts—black to gold to something in between. Like it can't decide what it is. Because it's both of us. Fused.
"What can it do?" I whisper.
His eyes meet mine. "I think we just created something that's never existed before. You and me. Even though it’s hard knowing I can’t work my magic without you, I have to say the side effect is worth it.”
“We created it.”
Heat fills his eyes as he gently presses me against the wall. “We can create a lot more than that.”
“But what does it mean?” I ask as he presses his lips to my throat, against my collarbone.
He lifts his head. “It means we were never meant to do this alone.”
His father worked alone. Died alone. But Eryx has me—and I have him. Maybe that's what the bond really means. Not weakness. Strength.
