Chapter 36

This wasn’t quite how she envisioned her ceremony day.

Willow paced back and forth in her room, ignoring the way the seamstresses chased after her train as they tried to put the finishing touches on her dress. The beautiful black and gold gown was meant to impress the audience, to remind everyone who she was and who she chose as her mate. The gown certainly did the trick.

The front of the black dress cut low—showing more skin than she was comfortable with—and it was embroidered with glimmering gold. The gown pooled gracefully at her feet while the lacy gold and black train started at the back of the dress near her shoulders and webbed outward. Her red hair curled lightly to one side, the soft curls brushing her collarbone which pulled the entire look together and made her appear poised and elegant.

She felt beautiful, and she hoped Adam would be at a loss for words when he saw her. Actually, he was at a loss for words most of the time. But that made her smile. He had many endearing qualities. It made her love him all the more.

She bit her lip, the aching feeling returning to her gut. Something big was going to happen. Could anyone else feel it? Something to do with the blood hunters, she was sure of it.

Knowing Dalcher had placed a bounty on Adam’s head terrified her. Two blood hunters had already come after him. One of them had been his friend. The other one nearly killed Zachariah. Seeking refuge in Ichor Knell kept him safe for now. But they couldn’t hide here forever. Not when the crusade continued to spread across the kingdom.

Her heart fell as her thoughts turned to the crusade. Dedric… She had to speak to him. Perhaps she could get him to see the voice of reason. Maybe she could make the chaos stop. But first, she had to keep vampires from attacking humans, which would result in making the problem worse.

She took in a deep breath and let it out slowly, trying to calm her nerves. She ceased pacing, and the seamstresses finally caught the train and continued their work.

She would be all right. Adam would be all right.

She had given him one piece of advice before they were separated. She had told him that no matter what, he couldn't flinch when he drank the blood. The human blood. It would create a rift between him and the other vampires, and the ceremony would be all for naught. Was she putting too much faith in him?

“By the nine,” she muttered to herself, whining nervously, which went ignored by the seamstresses, “It’s my ceremony day.”

Saying she felt nervous was an understatement. Of course, she was over the moon with joy to be bonded to Adam forever. But she was also anxious. A human had never been on the ceremonial altar. Ever. Vampires who chose human mates often bit their mates before the ceremony happened.

The door opened suddenly, making her jump. There were few vampires she couldn’t hear coming, and her father was one of them. He strode into the room and dismissed the seamstresses, but upon seeing her, suspicious moisture appeared in his eyes.

“Your mother wore the same gown on our ceremony day,” he said wistfully.

She smiled and reached for her father’s hand. He was harmless. Mostly. Not really. But she knew a side of him most people didn’t. Her father had a kind, gentle heart where it counted. He was a ferocious leader, but he was a good one. And she loved him dearly.

Her father frowned, his dark eyes flashing dangerously. “I wish you would cancel the ceremony. You don’t understand what you are doing. A human, cel mic!” He began pacing the length of the room, his long legs making quick work of the distance. “At least bite him, and we can meet halfway.”

“No,” she said, shaking her head. She couldn’t help the wistful aching that rose within her. Although she loved Adam dearly and she would cherish every moment they had together, someday he would die of injury or old age, and she would be left alone. She couldn’t bear the thought, but she would never want to push him into transitioning. “He wouldn’t want that. He doesn’t want to be a vampire.”

“Bah!” he cried and stopped pacing, standing over her as if trying to intimidate her. She was not intimidated. “Why couldn’t you have chosen a Covaci and united our two lines? Call this off. There will be no ceremony today. Not ever. Not with that…human.” He spat out the last word, though she knew what really plagued him—Adam’s past as a blood hunter.

“Papa,” she sighed. “I love him. I know I will be happy with him. He will love me as you loved Mother.”

Her father didn’t answer immediately. Instead, he turned to stare out the window. This room had a great view of the courtyard, and he could no doubt see the many refugees seeking shelter within these walls. She knew he cared for all of them. He had such a big heart he often chose to hide.

Finally, her father sighed and made for the door. “I had hoped for better for you, cel mic.”

He disappeared, and her heart panged at his departure. Her father wasn’t happy now. But she hoped things would improve.

The cathedral was an enormous, beautiful structure near the castle, and she approached the building alone. Stained glass windows lined the front of the cathedral, an array of blues, purples, reds, and yellows in the glass. Other than the castle garden, the cathedral had been her mother’s favorite place in Ichor Knell, a place that had always brought her comfort.

She neared the cathedral on lithe feet, her audience growing with each step. Those who couldn’t fit inside the cathedral clustered outside. First, they gawked, and then they scrambled to bow. She wasn’t sure if they came to witness a ceremony between a vampire and a human, or if they came to witness a ceremony of their rani. The reason could very well be either.

She smiled at her fellow vampires, though she wanted to crane her neck to get a glance at Adam. How was he faring as the only human in a city full of vampires? And by the nine, he better not be dead. A little part of her was terrified of the possibility.

An immediate hush draped across the cathedral as she entered, not a single movement or breath disturbing the stillness. Each vampire in attendance held a candle, lighting her way down the pathway leading to the altar, her enormously long train following after her. And to her delight, Adam waited for her, kneeling to one side. Although his body language appeared tense, his expression looked relaxed. He wasn’t dead.

He offered her the barest hint of a smile, and she returned it wholeheartedly.

The entire cathedral remained crisply still, all eyes watching her. She made her way closer to the front and saw those older and more distinguished vampires were in attendance, including the Covaci coven. She spotted Oriel among them, but once she made eye contact with him, he quickly looked away and frowned. He didn’t appear enthused about the ceremony, but she added him to the seemingly long list.

Both Zachariah and her father stood at the front of the room, beside the Diviner, her father’s expression void of all emotion. More than anything, she wished to see a smile. But she was fortunate to at least have him here.

At long last, she reached the altar and knelt on the opposite side of Adam, the Diviner approaching. The holy vampire was nearly as old as her father. He had no hair and wore long robes, a necklace made of the fangs of previous shahs, each having died from uprisings or at war. Each tooth was a remnant of their history, of how they came to be the great city of Ichor Knell they now were. In a ceremony, the teeth symbolized unity. Two vampires were united in a bond stronger than steel. Or in this case, a vampire and a human.

“Clasp arms,” the Diviner instructed in a neutral tone that didn’t give away his thoughts about the ceremony taking place. However, his eyes told a different story. He looked terrified, and she had no doubt his terror stemmed from her father. After all, he was the one uniting a vampire with a human. With a man who used to kill their kind.

She clasped Adam’s forearm and felt just how fast his pulse thrummed. He was nervous. But she couldn’t blame him. She was too, though for an entirely different reason. If she had been in a room full of a couple hundred werewolves, she might faint. He held up well despite.

She gazed back into his deep brown eyes and saw a brief flicker of anxiety. She squeezed his arm reassuringly, and he relaxed slightly, though it certainly didn’t seem to take away all his nerves. If only she could tell him everything would be all right.

The Diviner said beautiful flowing words about the importance of mates, and she forced herself to listen when she missed half of what he said.

“—look after one another, love one another, forfeit your lives for one another.”

Adam tensed, and she had to stop herself from grimacing. As a human, he didn’t understand. Mates would gladly give their lives for the other if the situation demanded it. It was a part of the bond. But he wouldn’t be able to feel the bond.

That brought a world of ache to her heart.

The Diviner continued with a few more words before lifting a golden goblet full of thick red liquid. No reaction from Adam. He stared at a spot on her dress and didn’t look her in the eye. His face was an emotionless mask.

It was customary for the male to drink first, but because he wasn’t a vampire, the Diviner gave the goblet to her first. She took a small sip and would have appreciated the delicious warm blood if she wasn’t terrified of Adam’s reaction. She could almost hear everyone in the room holding their breath as the Diviner handed the goblet to him next. They were watching. They were waiting for his reaction. But he didn’t drop his mask. He lifted the goblet to his lips. And he swallowed.

Still no reaction.

No grimace. No look of disgust. Nothing at all.

The Diviner continued, finishing the ceremony by dipping his finger in the goblet of blood and touching his finger to Willow’s forehead first, and then Adam’s.

She desperately wanted to know Adam’s thoughts. There was no emotion showing on his face, his eyes hard as stone.

“Vii si prospera,” the Diviner said, and everyone in the cathedral followed suit, bowing heads and repeated the words, a reverent echo reverberating across the walls.

With grasped forearms, she leaned in and rubbed her nose against his. Despite his relaxed facade, his movements were stiff. It made her worry. Was he regretting this? Was he disgusted with her kind? With her? Did he even want this? Uncertainty consumed her to the point where she almost couldn’t take it anymore.

As if to try and calm her fears, he squeezed her hand and smiled with his eyes. His touch brought comfort to her in ways he couldn’t understand.

At long last, the Diviner beckoned the two of them to their feet, and her father stepped forward. He didn’t snarl. He didn’t shout in disappointment. His expression was as unexpressive as Adam’s, at least until he cupped her face in his hands and kissed her forehead endearingly. Finally, her father offered the smallest of smiles. “You are beautiful, cel mic. In all the ways I know. Don’t forget your people.”

“I won’t, Papa,” she whispered, dangerously close to tears. She wasn’t going anywhere. But her father sounded so grave that he almost convinced her otherwise.

His expression turned impassive again as he took her hand and gave her to Adam, stepping back quickly after he released her. Hand in hand, they descended the several steps to the ground floor and followed the path that led to the doors. Many vampires bowed their heads as they passed, some didn’t have the decency to bow but rather stared. Others looked disgusted while some hissed at their passing. She held her head high as she ignored the contempt. This was what she had to do. It was what she wanted to do. And despite the adverse reactions, she was happy. Extremely happy.

She didn’t release her breath until they were out of sight. That had to have been the most stressful, yet joyous, endeavor she had ever experienced.

Finally, they stopped outside a pair of doors, one leading to her room and one leading to his, though they were adjoined on the inside. For some reason, she was nervous. She glanced at him and concern immediately replaced her nervousness. His face was slick with perspiration, and he looked pale.

“Adam,” she gasped as she reached out, but he took a step away.

“I’m tired,” he said suddenly, extracting his hand from hers. “Where can I sleep that I can feel safe enough to not have to keep one eye open?” There was a teasing tone in his voice, but it didn’t quite reach his eyes. She didn’t know what to say. For once, she was the one at a loss for words.

She swallowed her conflicting emotions, reaching past him to open the door leading to his room.

“Don’t give permission for anyone to enter and you’ll be safe. Goodnight,” she said, but he had already rushed past her and closed the door behind him. Suddenly, her worry flared to life. What was wrong?