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I clutched the lapels of his jacket as I tried to ground myself against the overwhelming urges coming down our bond. The tide of Ruslan’s emotion shattered the loose mental shield I maintained to block out the emotions of those around me.
“Don’t you dare ruin this before the world gets to see me in it,” I admonished him, throat thickening from the all-consuming happiness pooling between us.
“Why not? Then they’ll know just howmineyou already are.” He flattened a palm against my lower back while another dipped between my breasts.
“Because I am a powerful Félvér and I want everyone to see that. They will fear me, they will respect me, and everyone will speak of how the Angelic empress will destroy all who dare challenge her.” I flattened my hands against his chest and gave him a playful shove.
“Mmm, when you talk like that, it only makes me want you more,” he groaned, but he relented and stepped back. His smoky eyes swirled with desire, and he didn’t remove them from me for a moment as Liliana and I combined our magic to gather my skirts and make our way to the lift that would carry us down the mountain.
“You look even better from behind.”
I shot a heated look over my shoulder at Ruslan, and Liliana rolled her eyes, obviously catching on to our internal conversation. “I wonder if we’ll even get through the ceremonies with the way you two are eye fucking each other.”
Several carriages awaited us when we finally emerged from Roc Palace, and with the utmost care, Liliana helped me into the first one. The journey to the temple on the outskirts of Radence would be a long one, especially as the streets would be lined with Fae and Félvér eager to glimpse their emperor and future empress. The High Priestess would marry us before the Goddess, and afterward, Ruslan would crown me as his empress.
The midday sun cast much needed warmth over us as the black horses trotted forward, leading the procession through the capital of the Iron Realm. In the carriages behind us, Drazen and Endre rode with Liliana, Anton, and Slavian. Beyond them, line after line of Iron Realm nobility brought up the rear of the procession. Ruslan grasped my hand, linking his fingers with mine, and brought it to his lips.
The kiss he planted there was hungry, sensual, and reverent. “You are stunning, mate.”
A chill swept through me at his tone, painting goosebumps on my skin.
Ruslan examined the rings adorning my hand, the large rectangular ruby surrounded by a pointed diamond standing out among the bands of silver and black that circled the rest of my knuckles. “A ruby so dark it reminds me of blood, and you, Izidora, have spilled enough blood for a lifetime. We will know peace for the remainder of our lives.”
The promise in his words poured into my muscles, relaxing them as I took the opportunity to remind myself that I was safe. No one would hurt me ever again.
“Never,”he emphasized, and I lost myself in the severity of his smoky gray eyes.
He released my hand from his purview to rest on the seat between us. The throng of people thickened around us as we entered the busiest part of Radence, and I beamed at my people, waving to them and sharing my joy. Even Ruslan cracked a smile, breaking the ruthless facade he carefully cultivated to hide his hurt from the world. I was lucky enough to be one of the people who saw the true ends he would go to to protect those he loved, and to be privy to the darkest thoughts and desires he had. He was my mate, lost in the darkness until my light shone a way forward, and together, we had proven how unstoppable we were.
The glass temple came into view as we rounded a corner, the clopping of the horses’ hooves against the stone streets indistinguishable over the roar of the onlookers who managed to squeeze themselves along the best street to view the wedding and coronation. Flowers that had to have been cut that morning rained down on us as Fae tossed them along with their well-wishes.
“Are you ready?” Ruslan asked me, giving my hand a squeeze.
“Absolutely,” I grinned back, excitement bubbling in my chest – almost painfully – as I tried to remain still instead of bouncing in my seat.
Our carriage rolled to a stop in front of the stoic temple. The entire building was glass, save for the metal frame holding the wide panes together. Through the windows, rows and rows of seats, mostly filled with attendees already, waited, while white flowers cascaded over every available surface. Mixed in among them were glittering black gemstones, creating balance in the way that Ruslan and I did for each other.
He stepped from the carriage, holding out his hand to assist me in my descent. Calling on my magic to help me, I lifted the long train of my dress, hovering it above the earth so it would not get dirty before entering the temple. Liliana trotted over from her carriage to help me, shooing Drazen and Endre away as she assisted me in entering the building. Through a side door, the nobles who accompanied us on our parade through Radence took their seats, the air buzzing with anticipation. Those who remained after the conclave clustered in row after row together, and joy filled my heart as I counted each and every one of them.
The glass doors closed behind us, and with one last flourish, Liliana settled the long, white, wispy strands of my skirt and flashed me a teary smile before hurrying to her seat at the front. The High Priestess stood at the center of the temple, black robes floating around her as she waited for our arrival. I slipped my hand into the crook of Ruslan’s arm, my own eyes pricking with hot tears as the hour we would be wed was finally upon us. Drums beat a steady, slow rhythm as we approached the dais in the center of the room.
The platform was high above the seating, and with a forceful step, I managed to rise to it gracefully. Liliana darted forward to arrange my skirts, and then Ruslan faced me, shooting me a devastating smirk that had my core heating in the best way.
A hush fell over the room as every important Fae, Félvér, and Telivér in all of Északi waited for the rites to begin. The drums softened until they were barely audible, but the beating of my heart in my chest drowned them out regardless.
Taking my hands in his, Ruslan nodded to the High Priestess, and she tipped her head back to look at the brilliant, cloudless blue sky. With a flick of her wrists, fire burst into existence on the edges of the temple. Raising her arms overhead, the ground beneath our feet shook as she called on her power.
“Goddess, we beckon you to join us during this time of celebration.” Her voice was fierce and heavy as she began chanting, joined by her acolytes scattered throughout the temple.
“Goddess, you have offered your children the ultimate gift – a mating bond.” The drums beat louder as the acolytes’ chants quickened. Goosebumps broke out across my flesh as magic seemed to rise from all around us, and I was grateful for the sleeves that covered my arms, preventing me from shivering.
“Join us now as we unite them in marriage and crown,” the High Priestess shouted toward the sky, her fires flaring brighter as she summoned the mother of all nature.
The chants and beats reached a crescendo, then fell silent all at once, like an otherworldly force had sucked the sound from the room. My heart lurched as power settled across my shoulders. Silence reigned, so quiet that the silk cloth the High Priestess pulled from her robes was audible as she began looping it over mine and Ruslan’s joined hands.
“My blood is your blood. My body is your body. My life is your life,” Ruslan began, reciting the lines we’d memorized for this moment.
“My blood is your blood. My body is your body. My life is your life,” I repeated, my voice unwavering as I locked eyes with my mate.
