“Open up,” he murmured.
She parted her lips instinctively, keeping her eyes locked on his as he tipped the cup.
The moment the crimson liquid hit her tongue, Vivienne barely bit back a groan. She’d tasted Marius’s blood before, but that had nothing on this. His blood tasted of maple and amber, just like his scent, but it wasmore. Deeper. And now it was mingling with hers, creating a distinct flavor that she never could’ve imagined, even in her wildest dreams.
She drank and drank.
The fire went from a dull roar to a quiet hum; her darkness sang, and every single part of her felt like it was floating.
When the chalice was half-empty, Marius pulled it from her lips. His gaze never left hers, even as he lifted the cup and drank without hesitation. His throat bobbed as he swallowed their blood, drinking until every last drop was gone.
The tang of magic filled the air as Sebastian began to pray again.
Vivienne could feel her body healing, pulling strength from her new Bound Partner. Wounds stitched themselves together, skin formed where it had been torn, her pulse slowed and returned to normal, and the fire that had been threatening to consume her vanished.
And when black bands appeared on their wrists, intricate swirling bracelets that indicated their bonding to everyone, Vivienne smiled.
She’d never seen this coming, but now that it was here, she couldn’t imagine her life any other way.
Two had become one.
Bound together through eternity.
Never to come undone.
And her heart soared as a deep sense happiness unlike anything she’d ever felt, filled her body, mind, and soul.
Nothing Short of a Miracle
The silver planes were bright, and every path shimmered as though it was imbued with moonlight.
The air was light as Marius bent and picked up a path. His mouth, which seemed to have been stuck in a permanent smile in the week and a half that had passed since he Bound himself to his vampire, stretched into a grin at the sight of the black markings wrapped around his wrist.
He’d never get enough of seeing those intricate swirls stretched across his flesh. A reminder of the incredible vampire he’d Bound his life to, he would forever wear his Markings with pride.
He and Vivienne had fallen into a deep sleep after the Binding Ceremony. Their bodies had needed time to heal, both from the battle with the First, and the strain of tying themselves together.
Three days after the Binding, he’d woken up fully clothed on his bed beside Vivienne. Luna and Sebastian had been keeping vigil next to him, and the royals sighed in relief as he stirred.
Marius had been relieved to be awake, but it quickly turned to worry when Vivienne continued to sleep. Two entire days passed, where Luna had to force Marius to eat and shower, before Vivienne’s hand twitched in his.
When her stunning obsidian eyes blinked open, relief so potent he’d barely been able to breathe had swept through him.
Marius had gripped Vivienne’s hand tightly, leaned over, and kissed her. He couldn’t help it.
She was alive and awake and the Binding hadworked.
Everyone agreed that it was nothing short of a miracle. The First was dead. The other tombs were still sealed, and Sebastian had sent a group of witches to cast new spells on the stones, ensuring they would never open. The Forsaken Blade was safely stored at Lightriver Abbey. The country was at peace.
It felt like a dream, which was why Marius had elected to walk the silver planes. He wanted to make sure nothing was hiding from them.
Running his fingers down the first path, he cataloged the visions of the future as they flashed before his eyes. He Saw Castle Sanguis. His sister. A mountain he didn’t recognize. The Black Sea, shimmering in the distance. Vivienne, standing in front of it, smiling.
Pulling his hand away, Marius reverently placed the path on the ground.
That was a good future.
He picked up the next one, and it was similar. No darkness. Nothing to fear. No hint of the First or any of her dark creatures.