Page 85 of House Ignis

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"A blood oath?" Ember shrieked so loudly the windows rattled.

I launched myself face-first into my pillow. "Yes. A blood oath. The shadow-cursed menace volunteered himself like he was presenting a heroic offering at a feast."

Ember slowly grinned. "Well, congratulations, Princess. You've officially secured the most lethal male at the Academy as your personal property."

Sera just smiled, looking like she was enjoying every second of my misery. "That ritual isn't just romantic," she said quietly. "Once it's sealed, he's yours. Body. Magic. Soul."

I groaned into the pillow again. Outside on the balcony, the boundlings were in a tense, growling circle. Aether's dark form paced, Zya lounged like a queen of chaos, and the others watched with varying degrees of irritation and fascination. Aether's agitation pulsed through our bond like static.

"He says this is not amusing," I muttered, sitting up. "Apparently, among boundlings, blood-binding is sacred. He's in a tailspin."

"He's not the only one," Maddy said, her face tight. "What about Jeremy?"

I accepted the champagne Ember shoved into my hand. "I don't know. I love him, but I haven't spoken to him since he nearly split the courtyard in half."

Ember's eyes glittered. "But Asher makes you feel things Jeremy never has."

The champagne fizzed against my tongue as I closed my eyes. "That doesn't matter," I whispered. "I'm betrothed to Jeremy. And now I'm blood-bound to a cocky, infuriating—"

"—Daddy Darkness," Ember finished sweetly. The girls burst into laughter, champagne nearly fizzing out their noses.

Jules, who had been suspiciously quiet, leaned forward with unsettling calm. "Do you even know how the ritual actually works? It hasn't been done in centuries. They don't tell you what it entails until you're in the temple, seconds away from full-blown binding."

She pointed a chip at me like a wand of doom. "Because you're the heir, it's even more complicated. You'll choose two female witnesses and a human seer. Asher will choose two male witnesses. That's the tradition for a future queen."

"What are we doing?" I muttered, my palms suddenly clammy.

"It's… intimate," Jules said, visibly uncomfortable. "You and Asher will be in ceremonial underthings. You'll wear a Veyshari veil—a sheer golden skirt woven with runes and a matching veil draped across your shoulders. It's the same attire worn in mate-bonding rituals."

"No," I gasped, clutching a pillow to my chest. "You mean I'm going to be standing in front of the Temple of the Infernal Flame with Asher half-naked?!"

"Every inch of you is pretty much on display," Jules said. "The gods see everything. It's sacred. And symbolic. And horrifying."

"And then?" Darcy asked, smoke trailing from her vape.

"Then," Jules said, leaning in like she was recounting a ghost story, "you two are entwined. Limb to limb. You share breath. Pulse. Magic. You'll both offer blood first—a cut across the palm—and then you will be marked on your skin in gold ink with your new sigil. It burns into your collarbone and glows when you're near each other."

"Godsdammit," I whispered, slumping back.

"It's rumored to feel like falling into someone's soul," Jules added carefully.

Ember whistled low. "There's also that old story—a queen who had multiple bonds. Powerful ones. It caused a literal war." She popped another cherry into her mouth and shrugged. "That's fucking amazing. Imagine having multiple bonds."

"That's fucking terrifying," I groaned.

Before anyone could reply, the door burst open.

Jeremy stormed in, fury radiating off him in waves. The pillow Ember had been about to throw slipped from her hand, hitting the floor with a dull, final thud.

Well. Shit.

His eyes were blazing, emerald fire cutting through the room. I shot upright so fast I nearly tripped over the mess of cushions at my feet. His gaze swept the room, taking in every stunned face. We all looked guilty. Like conspirators caught in a plot.

"Can I speak to Ava?" he asked, his voice pulled so tight it sounded like a snapping wire. "Alone. Please." The please barely survived the journey out of his mouth.

"Uh—yeah. Of course," Ember said quickly, her usual bravado vanishing. "Girls. My room. Now."