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But before we really have time to take it all in, Fitz and I are swept off to a building. From the architecture of it, I can't tell if it’s a government building or a church or something else entirely.

And then we’re standing in front of a very tall person, who’s bald, blue, and has several eyes like a spider and tentacles that seem to come out of his back. When he speaks, his voice is low, deep.

“It’s nice to meet both of you,” he says, looking from Fitz to me.

“Oh, he doesn't speak English,” I tell him.

“Oh, of course.” He clears his throat and turns to Fitz, saying something quietly in Fitz's language.

“I’ve met many humans in my time,” the man says to me, “and I know that weddings are something very formal, but I'll admit that we don't have very many of these kinds of rituals here in the sanctuary.” His many eyes settle on me. “Mostly because there are not many humans here, and for the most part, the rest of us mate for life.”

My breath rushes out of me. Mate for life.

Does that mean Fitz has mated with me officially? Our guide said Fitz’s people don’t have any kind of formal mating ceremony, but I think of that night in the cave, when he asked me in his language if we could mate. Is that what he meant? Did he know then that the two of us were going to be together forever?

I turn my face toward him, and he looks down at me, eyes glowing yellow.

How did he know, after so short a time? Of course, I guess I could ask myself the same thing. I am here, right now, tying myself to him, forever.

“That being said,” our officiant continues, “we'll keep things very simple. I would like to ask you, Grace, do you wish to tie yourself to Fitz for as long as you shall walk this earth?”

“Yes.” I'm surprised by how unafraid I am of this whole thing, how easy it feels to say yes to him.

And when I do say yes, a smile spreads across Fitz's face.

The officiant turns to Fitz and asks him the same question in his language.

Fitz's eyes meet mine, and he nods. “Yes.” The word is clear. Confident.

“All right,” the officiant says, and then he reaches into his robe and pulls out a knife.

“Holy shit,” I say, jumping backwards.

The creature chuckles. “No need for concern. Just a blood pact.”

“A blood pact? I thought you said you didn't really have rituals here.”

“I said that most of us don't have rituals, but we do still require some things from humans before they can join us, and this is one of them.”

He holds out a hand for mine, and I realize his fingertips have suckers on them, like tentacles.

Fitz grunts. He reaches over and shoves his hand into the man's, clearly insisting he be cut first.

“Very well,” the officiant says. Cradling Fitz's palm, he slices the knife across it. And I'm not all that surprised to find that his blood runs black. All the blood I found in the woods and on his hurt wing was black, but I just assumed it was because it was old, dried. But here it is, flowing freely the color of ink.

The officiant reaches for me then, and I give him my hand, feeling more confident now that Fitz has volunteered first. The cut isn't deep, something that I'm sure will heal quickly and leave a scar. It's comforting, the idea of having a scar to always remember this day. To remember the choice I’ve made here.

The officiant takes both of our hands and puts them together. “It's very important,” he says to me, “that you belong here, that you cut ties with the people who cannot be trusted and become one of us.” He pulls our hands apart, and there on our palms, Fitz's blood interacts and mixes with mine, red and black. “You are now one of the Teufel, as you have their blood in you.”

“Do we really have to keep calling him that?”

He shrugs. “If it’s any consolation, I think they like it. Makes them sound scary. As I’m sure you know, they can be fierce when they need to be but are otherwise quite harmless.”

I look down at my bleeding palm.

The man hands Fitz a cloth, and Fitz takes it quickly, wrapping it around my palm and knotting it. I gasp when he bends forward and kisses it gently.

Oh shit, I think I'm in love with him. This is sort of an odd time to realize it, seeing as how I just married him without a second thought. I knew I liked him and that the thought of leaving him gutted me, but I didn’t know I was in love with him.