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Damiano extended his arm, inviting me to link mine through his.
“It’s time to go, my love.”
Wherever we were heading, a mix of excitement and nerves fluttered in my stomach.
We had been driving for a while, and since I wasn’t familiar with Italy, I couldn’t even guess where we were going.
Soon, we came to a stop, elevated and overlooking the ocean with a mountain curving around. The sunset glistening on the water made the view even more magical.
“This way.” Damiano guided me down a stone staircase adorned with lights on either side.
As we descended, the illumination increased. Suddenly, loud and jubilant noises erupted, making a small gasp escape from me.
“What’s this?” I asked once we reached the bottom. The place was beautifully decorated, and so many people were present; it was almost intimidating.
Another gasp of surprise escaped me when I spotted familiar faces; Cara, Arianna, Lorenzo, Cecilia, Ava, and others from back home. They all wore big smiles, and Cara waved ecstatically.
I looked at Damiano, my heart racing with a growing realization of what this was.
“A ceremony for you. It’s time to take the oath, my love.” Damiano smiled, and I mirrored his expression.
It’s happening.
My heart was thumping faster, and my nerves were all over the place, but a soft smile from Damiano made me calm down and take a deep breath.
“Come.” He spoke softly to me and led me to a stage that had been set up.
We stopped in front of a podium where a goblet, knife, gun, and card were present. My nerves spiked once again. I had only heard about an oath one had to take, but I had no idea how it was administered.
To distract myself, I scanned the vast crowd and spotted Nonna and his parents, offering warm smiles. My jaw wanted to drop as realization struck me; all these people present worked for Damiano. What struck me even more is that these were not all of them, but those who mainly resided in Italy.
I know Damiano was powerful and had many people working for him, but witnessing a glimpse of it now was truly incredible.
“La Famiglia Bellavia!” Damiano’s voice boomed out, silencing everyone and giving us their full attention. It took everything in me not to shuffle my feet, seeing so many pairs of eyes on me.
“I have gathered you all here tonight to witness a new member join our family. My wife, Althaia Bellavia!” Damiano’s beautiful smile accompanied his announcement, triggering a round of applause, shouting, and various noises from the assembled crowd. Excitement, nervousness, and a myriad of emotions coursed through me as I waited in anticipation of the next step.
Damiano looked at me.
“Are you ready?”
“Yes.” I nodded, shoving my nervousness away, and focused on him.
“Althaia Bellavia, do you swear to be loyal to me as your leader and husband? Do you swear to be loyal to our family, to protect our brothers and sisters, and to honor our code of silence?” Damiano’s golden-brown eyes bore into me with intense focus as he spoke loudly, clearly, and firmly, emphasizing the significance of the moment.
And I was ready for it.
“I swear.” I responded, which earned a slight smirk from him.
He grabbed the knife from the podium and took my hand in his. I made a small grimace, knowing blood had to be shed since it was a blood oath. I just hoped it wouldn’t be painful.
Damiano held my index finger, pinched it, and poked a small hole with the knife. I almost wanted to laugh at how dramatic I had made it up to be in my mind.
He then grabbed the card, and my brows went up when I recognized the image on it. It was the very same one he had tattooed on his chest; the hooded skull, the crown, and the massive Angel wings. It was my favorite tattoo of his; one I had memorized and recreated many times in my sketchbook.
“This drop of blood symbolizes your birth into our family. We are one until death.” Damiano said and pinched my finger until blood dropped onto the card.
He flipped the card, showing a saint’s picture, and repeated the process. The next thing he did was to take out a lighter and lit up the inside of the goblet. He put the card over the flames to burn.
