“Uh—”
She doesn’t say a word, doesn’t break our gaze, as she moves off her chair and steps in front of me. Leaning forward, her long black hair cascades over my chest. Haal, I want to tangle my hand through her hair and pull her to my lips. I blink the thought away.
Viola brings her forearm next to mine, her cuff clasped in her other hand as it holds on to the arm of the chair for balance. Her face is only inches away from me; if I wanted to, I could reach for her and kiss her into oblivion. But I don’t. Instead, my eyes trail over her knitted eyebrows while she murmurs something to Scar.
“Why do you want to bond?” The words catch in my throat.
“A bond is the only way Scar won’t have to choose a new Aspieri when I…” She purses her lips, her eyes watering. “I read that not all aspiers choose new Aspieri; some choose death. I don’t want that for her. And so my ghost won’t become a wandering ghost. She told me…”
Haal, she’s so selfless. She cares more about the fate of an aspier who refuses to accept her cuff and a ghost who anchored to her. She’s given up so much of herself for all of us. She brought my brother back without asking for anything in return, and still, no matter how much I tried to push her away, she held her ground.
“Are they the only reasons?” I don’t know why I ask. Mage bonds are sacred. Firstline mages bond strategically, in order to benefit from magic different from theirs, but most mages bond to honor it, to place the life of the other mage above theirs. They’re more than a promise; they’re a lifelong commitment, one that doesn’t break until both mages die.
The Gods must be laughing, because only three weeks ago, the prospect of bonding with her was my worst nightmare, and now… I would carve her name into my rib cage.
“No.” She gulps, lifting her eyes to me. “Not the only reasons.”
“Viola… you’re asking me to bond the Imortalis, a healing aspier, and a killing aspier,” I say softly. “Bonds are a commitment that you’ll always value the mage’s life over yours.”
She lets out an abrupt exhale, her eyes not leaving mine. “I was thrown into your life, and you’ve never once wavered. You fight harder for my choices than your own. You gave me a home when mine was shattered. You are my voice when I’m afraid to speak. You saved me in more ways than one. I look for you in the dark, and you find me with your eyes closed. Gods, I’ve only known you for a few weeks, but… you’re etched in me, Sylas, woven into the fabric of my soul. I don’t have many years left in this life… and I want them to be yours.”
“Are you saying wh-what I think you’re saying?” I stumble on my words.
“Yes.”
Mom, forgive me, I am in love with a Mortemagi.
My heart thumps at the admission. It’s useless fighting my feelings for her; I love her above my name, above my House, above my aspiers, above my life, and above my God.
“Because I don’t want just this life… I want all of them,” I admit, nudging Raiku awake. He sleepily uncoils himself halfway, wrapping his other half around Viola’s wrist. His fangs hover over her vein.
“You can have this life…” Viola replies, “and the next.” Scar half coils herself around my wrist, her golden eyes drilling into me.A Mortemagi, you, too?She seems to judge me.
“And as many as you want after that,” she adds so quietly. Then, she clips her cuff to the same arm Scar is on. Her aspier’s eyes snap to the cuff, but Raiku hisses at her once, and she turns her head toward him again.
“Are you sure?” I search her eyes for a sliver of hesitation, but she doesn’t waver. Her beautiful mouth moves. “Yes, of course, yes. Sorry, I never asked if you wanted to…” she says. “I don’t know what death magic you’ll inherit. Areyousure?”
Our eyes lock. I lick my lips. I’ve seen mages bond before, and it was nothing like this. Between the stolen glances and the promises, this feels intimate.Yes, I am sure. As sure as I am that my heart is no longer mine.
Raiku bites her, and her eyes flare.
“Does this answer you?” I ask.
Her lips part in a gasp, and Scar bites my wrist. I’m overcome by warmth that I realize is coming from her cuff, followed by liquid ice seeping into my veins, taking over my heart. Is this it? Death’s embrace?
After a few seconds, our aspiers return to us, and Viola unclasps her cuff again and sets it on the table behind her.
“I should… I should probably sleep.” Her whisper drags me back to the reality of us. Her face inches away from mine, her warm breath on my cheeks. I’ve bonded with a half Mortemagi, giving her the reins of the founder’s aspier, without knowing what kind of death magic will bleed into my veins. More importantly, I’ve bonded with a woman I am so hopelessly in love with, and the tragedy of it all is that she doesn’t have many tomorrows left, while I have all of them. Maybe I should get up, walk away, live my life and let her live hers, save us the heartbreak. But there is no me without her.
Her fingers brush against my arm as she turns away. Against my resolve, I grab her wrist.
Aspieri-Mortemagi double bonding is one of the most dangerous bonds.
Mortemagi are fed so much magic; they often use too much, in turn depleting their lifeblood.
Aspieri break their sacred bond with Haal, the God of War, placing them at the mercy of the God of Death. When they cross into the Underworld, they will never be at rest with their kin.
YSENIA FARO,ON BONDS AND INTERCLASS MAGIC, CHAPTER 27