AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Isa stomped a foot and cut him a cool look. “We haven’t forgotten, demon.”
“Who will lead the ceremony?” I asked.
Isa bowed her head low, her nostrils flaring as her gaze centered on me. The siphoning of spirits requires powerful white magic.
I tensed, giving my mates looks. “So me, then. What do I do?”
Esther cleared her throat. “First, you will extract blood from all those taking the oath. You will recite the oaths, and they will recite them back to you.” She motioned to the mist behind her. “Then you will cast their blood into the mist while reading the spell.”
I gasped when one of the priestesses pulled back her hood, revealing eyes that shone like moonlight, an effect, I suspected, of living with the mists. She drew a curved blade out of her robe and pressed it into my hands.
I gave Esther a look. “I’m just supposed to stab everyone?”
One corner of her mouth hitched up in a subtle smile. “Or prick their fingertips.”
I craned my neck to look up at Isa. “And how do I get blood from you?”
She flashed her fangs. I’ll help you.
I gave my mates wary looks. “Okay.” I don’t want to cut you, I projected to my mates through thought.
We’ll help you, too, Blaze projected back.
Another priestess with blazing white eyes approached me and held out a goblet with swirling amber liquid. “Place the blood in the goblet,” she whispered to me.
I nodded. Then Blaze took the blade from me and cut his finger, drawing enough blood to coat the tip. I dipped the tip of the blade into the goblet and let Drae repeat the process. Drae took the blade from me, and I winced when he pricked my thumb. I transferred my blood into the goblet and then let Drae prick Helian’s thumb for me, careful not to approach him lest his demon try to bite me. Isa hovered over me and bit her lip, causing a rivulet of blood to drip down her chin. I caught a drop with the blade and put it in the goblet.
When all blood was collected, Esther took the goblet from me. She motioned toward the mists. “After you read from the scroll, you will dump the contents of the goblet into the mist.”
“The scroll?” I asked.
The third priestess, whose eyes also glowed white, handed me a scroll.
“Read the words,” she whispered.
I unrolled the scroll, squinting in the darkness. I smiled my thanks at my mates as they held flames over me so I could read the fresh ink.
“Isa Fireborn,” I said aloud, “you hereby vow never to try to harm the demon known to us as Nox, either through flame, tooth, claw, or any other means, unless it is to defend you and your family from him. You also agree to protect him from other dragons and wyverns. Draevyn and Blaze Inferni and Helian Celsus, you vow not to harm Nox by flame, sword, or magic lest it is for self-protection or protection of your family.” I swallowed back my apprehension when I got to my name. “And I, Shirina Avias, do hereby agree not to let anyone see Nox’s real name via the book of spells. I will destroy the page containing his name, I will keep his name secret, and I will not use my siren voice or any other magic to harm him.” Well, damn. “Unless it is to protect myself and others from him,” I added, which made me feel better. “Demon known by the unfamiliar name of Nox,” I said to Helian, “you hereby agree never to possess another Fae soul again or to infect a Fae with another demon. By inhabiting Enso’s body, you will not use him to attack our allies or harm either white witch or their families and friends. By stating we all agree, the bond will be sealed. Those who break the bond will die an agonizing death as the elements turn your blood to fire. All say ‘aye’ if you agree.”
I swallowed again, looking to my mates as we all said, “Aye.”
I carefully watched Helian as he said ‘aye’ twice, once when he had red eyes and again when his eyes were a silvery blue.
I recalled those demons in Delfi whom I’d compelled to tell me about their mistress, and I realized a similar blood oath had caused them to explode in flesh and blood. So if my mates and I tried to kill Nox, we would die a gruesome death. That didn’t mean Tari couldn’t kill him, though I knew she wouldn’t harm the wyvern Enso. Nox knew it, too, so now the wyvern was stuck with this demon in his body forever. My sister would never forgive us.
I swallowed when Esther took the blade from me and handed me the goblet with our blood. No turning back now. “Say, ‘I sacrifice our blood to the elements,’” she whispered.
“I sacrifice our blood to the elements.” I tossed the contents of the goblet into the mists.
The pool bubbled and boiled, steaming water shooting from it like a geyser before a deep rumble shook the ground beneath us.
“Watch out!” Blaze shielded me with his wing when the geyser shot into the air.
Isa let out a roar, falling over Enso as she stumbled toward the exit, blocking the way out.
A massive explosion shook the room, and I screamed, fearing we’d all turn to ash, but as I peered through Blaze’s feathers, I was shocked to see we were surrounded by a smoky gray membrane. A curse chamber! And Drae was holding it up!
“Drae,” I blurted, stunned to see his chamber encompassed not just the three of us, but the satyrs and Helian as well. “I didn’t know you could make curse chambers.”
