Luna’s eyes swept over me for a moment longer. “All right,” she said. “Do… it. Whatever it is.”
Stepping closer to her, I inhaled her sweet, feminine scent as I bent and gently picked up her wounded arm. Avoiding the spot where the dagger had punctured her smooth skin, I stared at the small trail of blood running down her arm.
My fangs ached, but I remembered my promise. No biting.
Instead, I ran my tongue over her soft flesh. Goosebumps pebbled her flesh, and she shivered as I licked the cut. As soon as I tasted her blood, my knees buckled as an overwhelming flavor burst into my mouth. It took everything I had in me to remain upright.
Luna was unlike anything I had ever tasted. Her blood was like sunshine and golden wheat, mixed together. It took every ounce of self-control I had built up over the past three centuries not to break my promise and enjoy the feast waiting for me beneath her skin.
Lapping at the cut with my tongue, I let the magic in my blood heal her. It slipped from me, and her skin knit itself back together beneath my touch. I could feel the weight of her eyes on me as I worked, licking until there wasn’t a single drop of blood flowing from the wound.
When I lifted my head, my lips tilted up into a small smile. “There. No bandage needed.”
Lifting her arm, Luna studied her skin before raising her brown eyes to mine. “You healed me. I didn’t know that you… thank you.”
The air thickened between us, but before I could do anything, Ciro cleared his throat.
“The sun will soon rise, Prince.”
The warning in his words was all the reminder I needed.
For the second time that night, Luna and I kneeled in front of the priest. My knees dug into the carpet, and I reached out, taking the chalice in my hands. The goblet was full, the mixture of our blood smelling like a bouquet of sweet flowers.
Ciro spread his hands at his sides, speaking in a lilting tongue that I recognized as the language of Isvana.
“What is he saying?” Luna asked after a moment, inching closer to me as the priest chanted loudly.
I whispered, “He’s asking Isvana to bless our blood and our Binding.”
She nodded. “And this is… normal? For vampires?”
Pausing, I weighed my words. “Bindings are… not exactly normal. But they’re not unheard of.”
“I see.”
Ciro’s voice grew louder, and I continued to translate as the priest implored the goddess to be with us. Near the end, he switched into a tongue that even I didn’t understand. Waving his hands in the air, he spoke with increasing enthusiasm until he was shouting.
Just as I was about to be concerned, the priest stopped speaking. Absolute silence fell upon us, and beside me, Luna inhaled sharply.
The elf turned to me, dipping his head. Speaking in the Common Tongue once more, he said, “It is time.”
My heart pounded in my chest. For all my knowledge of the Binding Ceremony, I still didn’t feel ready.
But there were no choices.
There were never any choices.
“I think I can guess what’s going to happen next.” Luna shuddered, eyeing the chalice as she pulled her bottom lip through her teeth. “He’s going to make us drink that?”
Her voice rippled with revulsion.
“It’s the only way to complete the Binding,” I confirmed.
“Then let’s get this over with.” Shaking her head, Luna reached out and took the chalice from me. “It’s been a long day and I’m exhausted.”
Her hands wrapped around the stem, and she brought the goblet to her lips. I thought she might pause, but she took a big gulp. She gagged and her eyes widened at the taste, but to her credit, she swallowed it. I wasn’t sure that I would have done the same if our positions had been flipped.
“Here.” Luna thrust the chalice in my direction, the goblet shaking slightly as she moved it toward me.