Immortal Rider_ Lords of Deliverance Series_ - Larissa Ione [106]
“This is very rare mead,” he said. “Made by ex-monks who used their mead-making knowledge and blended it with supernatural magic.”
“And you’re telling me this… why?”
“It’s Thanatos’s favorite.”
She eyed him suspiciously. “And?”
“It’s a gift,” th a It’s Thae vampire said. “A thank you for improving Thanatos’s mood.”
She was pretty sure her eyes bugged out. “He’s been in a better mood since I arrived?” Jesus, what was he like when she wasn’t around?
“His mood swings have been greater,” the vampire admitted wryly, “but he’s smiled more lately than he has since he lost Reseph.”
“Huh. Okay, I guess.”
The guy grinned like she’d opened a vein for him. “I’ll put the wine in your bedroom. I would suggest, however, that you take no more than a couple of sips. It’s too strong for humans.”
“Thanks for the tip.” She wasn’t planning to drink any. He’d said the stuff was mixed with magic, and that could only be bad. But hey, if Thanatos liked it, he was welcome to it.
The vampire strode away, leaving her alone once again. Alone was something she was used to. Alone she liked.
Across the room, Thanatos turned, and his gaze drilled into her. All around them, people were laughing, hugging, holding hands. But not Thanatos. And not Regan.
In a room full of people, they were alone.
Good thing, she supposed, that she liked it.
The wedding was everything Limos had dreamed of. The funny thing was, as she stood before Arik in a room full of people and food and beautiful decorations, she didn’t notice any of it. Arik was her entire focus, her entire world. She’d repeated the words Idess had prompted her to say, and so had Arik, but the words that filled her with gooey warmth were the ones Arik tacked on to Idess’s mandatory, “I shall keep you as my wife, my mate, my desire.”
Arik had lowered his voice at the end and added, “My only desire.”
Idess reached for the athame and chalice on the altar next to her. With the ceremonial dagger, she sliced her thumb and caught the blood in the chalice.
“Hold out your hands.” Gently, she repeated the ritual with Arik and Limos, then swiped each of their cuts with some sort of herbal leaf. She held up the chalice. “Your blood will bind you, and by the blood of an angel no more, you will be married. Wet your lips, and then speak true.”
“Speak true?” Arik asked.
Idess inclined her head. “You must enter this union on a platform of truth. You will each reveal a secret of importance while your mate’s blood is on your lips. The bigger the secret, the stronger the marriage bond. A lie will burn, but a truth will… you’ll see. You may ask each other to divulge a specific truth, or you may choose to let the other decide for themselves what they want to reveal.”
Oh… God. Anxiety shot through Limos, tendrils of stinging panic that disoriented her and nearly had her armoring up and drawing a sword to comb swt they wanat whatever invisible enemy was attacking her body like this. How could this be part of a wedding ceremony?
Arik took the cup and, without hesitation, put it to his lips, his eyes intense, smoky, like a burning forest. When he brought the chalice away from his mouth, his lips glistened crimson.
“A truth,” he mused. “Is there anything you want to know?”
“The women,” she blurted. “You haven’t told me about them.”
“That’s because there are more than I’m proud of. And some… I don’t even remember.” An ache throbbed through her at Arik’s words, adding another layer of misery to her anxiety. She shouldn’t have asked. “Twenty, for sure, probably more. But I swear to you, there will never be another, and not one of those women could compare to you.” His voice went husky with emotion. “So that answers your question, but there’s something I want to tell you. I would let you take all those women from my memory if you wanted to. And that’s the most honest thing I’ve ever said.”
She nearly stopped breathing.