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“When my ancestors came here, they built this shrine for Fraysa and Grandyr. There were no legends about our gods for this planet like they are for the other planets. Oceanus had been deemed inhospitable for so long that even the gods hadn’t wanted to create anything special here.”
His words saddened my heart.
“They built this shrine to our gods to change this, to have them come and welcome Oceanus like they did the others.” He took a deep breath, and looked so troubled, my heart went out to him. “Unfortunately, it has never been used. No seffy has ever stayed long enough on Oceanus to complete the binding of the souls ceremony here.”
His eyes sought mine. “We will be the first.”
My heartbeat picked up a notch. The first! Him and me! I liked that idea.
“If you want to renew our soulbond that is.” At that, a small hint of insecurity rushed over his hard warrior face, and nearly melted me. I shouldn’t have known this, but deep in my heart I did. The soulbond was when a couple gave each other over to one another for eternity. It was the promise that we would seek and find each other again in our next lives, like we had done so many times before.
“Always.” My voice was barely a whisper. “I’m yours.”
“And I am yours.” He stepped forward, folded me into his arms and kissed me so deeply, my knees weakened.
From the pack he had been carrying, he pulled out a candle. “Usually, it’s lit by both of us by one that is already burning,” he explained. “But since ours will be the first…” He broke off as both he and I stared at a multitude of tiny, flickering lights that had appeared out of nowhere.
Neither one of us moved or dared to breathe, as the lights—so fragile and blinding—danced through the air, settling on a spot where the statues of Fraysa and Grandyr were holding their hands up, their palms tipped upward. Fraysa’s was laid in Grandyr’s, creating a perfect spot to place and light a candle.
The lights flickered over the bowl created by the palms, settled in, and a small fire began to burn.
“Fraysa,” Myles whispered mesmerized.
“The eternal flame,” I said, but it wasn’t me. It felt as if someone else was speaking through me. “As long as love will exist on Oceanus, this flame will burn for couples to bind each other for eternity.”
Myles stared at me with large eyes. “Niara?”
I shook my head, as if waking from a trance. I smiled at him and held out my hand for the candle he was still holding.
Our hands linked, Myles and I held up the candle with the wick toward the flames, igniting it instantly.
“From here to eternity,” I solemnly vowed.
“From here to eternity,” Myles repeated, gazing into my eyes lovingly.
Together, we placed the lit candle at the gods’ feet.
“Mine,” Myles’s hand reached for my waist.
“Yours,” I swore, allowing myself to be pulled against him.
From his pack, he brought out a thick blanket and arranged it on the ground. With trembling fingers, I opened the buttons of my dress, snaked my arms from the sleeves, and let it fall to the ground.
When Myles turned, I stood waiting for him, naked from head to toe. His eyes darkened as he drank me in.
“Niara,” he rasped.
He held out his hand and I followed him to the blanket, laying down on it, staring up at him. “I’m yours.”
He sank to his knees. Buried one hand into my hair and placed the other against the small of my back to support me.
“I love you,” he said before his lips found mine.
I love you too, my mind cried. Unable to speak, I put all my feelings for this man into his devouring kiss.
His fingers at the small of my back moved backward and forward, creating goosebumps and heating my core.
My hands moved around his thick neck to press myself even closer against him.
