Soul of Flame (Imdalind Series #4)(79)

Before I was ready, he replaced the brush in the box, his long fingers digging through the contents to produce a long, white ribbon, the fibers old and worn enough that I was sure it had been a different color at one point.

“For this ribbon, I give you my heart, for every beat is yours,” he whispered, his voice shaking as his fingers began moving deftly through my hair, his touch gentle as he weaved the ribbon through the strands, his movements quick and practiced before he reached down, grabbing another ribbon, this one just as light and almost appearing longer than the first.

“For this ribbon, I give you my soul, the other half to your perfect match.” My breath caught as he spoke, the vow almost seeming too perfect given the way our souls had fused together.

Ilyan had barely gotten the words out before he went back to work, his fingers careful and slow as they moved through my hair. Even though I knew this braid to be intricate, I never felt a pull, he never moved my head. His touch was soft, the pressure of his fingers against my head bringing small pulses of magic into me.

I held still as he pulled another ribbon from the box, this one shorter and a darker color than the other two.

“For this ribbon, I proclaim my love, my dedication, and my passion for you.”

Ilyan’s fingertips brushed over my hairline as he pulled more hair into the intricate braid, the touch soft against my neck. Each press of his fingers against my skin set my heart on fire, my chest burning as I tried to regulate my breathing.

He reached over to the box, grabbing another ribbon and pulling it out until all that was left in the box was the hairbrush, a small vial of oil, and a silky, golden ribbon longer than my arm.

“For this ribbon, I give you all that I possess, for in this moment, my life becomes yours.”

My life becomes yours.

I couldn’t stop the words from repeating themselves, the true meaning rumbling through me until my eyes began to burn.

My hair moved as his fingers pulled through it; all the hair was off my neck now as he continued to work. Part of me wanted to see, to close my eyes and sneak a peek, but I couldn’t ignore the way my heart beat, the way that Ilyan’s magic moved deeper into me with each movement. It wasn’t my place to see, not yet.

The movement in my hair paused as Ilyan leaned over, his fingers pulling the last ribbon out of the box; the long, silky snake of gold flowing over the palm of Ilyan’s hand as he, too, treasured it. His emotions flared with memories as he treasured the ribbon. His thoughts of the way his mother had worn this very ribbon in her hair until the day she died flooded me.

My heart seized at the realization, my heart breaking for Ilyan as he paused, his hand hovering over me, letting the golden ribbon fall in front of me, the silken thread soft against my face.

“For this ribbon,” he began, his accent thick as his emotion broke through, “I crown you my queen, and the Queen of my people.”

I gasped at the words, the realization of all that this meant slamming into me until it was hard to breathe. His emotion washed over me as he spoke, his joy rumbling through me as I felt his happiness at no longer being alone, that he didn’t have to be.

I stared straight into the storm that raged around us as his fingers moved, my heart rumbling as the thunder did. I didn’t dare look anywhere else. I watched the storm as I focused on my breathing and began to accept the reality of his last few words.

I felt his touch slow, the ribbon winding around the end as he finished, his hands gentle as he placed the long braid against my back. I was frozen in place as the weight dropped against me, my body still trying to remember how to breathe as his fingers trailed over the braid, the touch extending down my back until it vanished. His hand moved to grab the small, clear vial that was now the only thing beside the brush that sat in the box.

My heart rate increased as Ilyan’s did until I felt his chest against my back, the pulse of his heart thundering against my skin as mine matched the beat, the pulses beating against our skin as he placed his heart over mine.

His palms pressed against my skin as his hands ran down my arms, his touch soft as he brought my hands together, forming a small bowl in my lap. His fingertips caressed my skin as his hands moved away, leaving me still as my heart pulsed, as my magic surged.

I stared into my hands, watching as Ilyan poured the oil into them, his hands coming to cup my own as he rested his chin against my shoulder. I couldn't take my eyes off the oil as his breath moved over my skin while his cheek pressed against mine, the wetness of his tears cold against my face. I inhaled at the touch, my breath shaky through my own tears, through my nerves that still raged.

“M?j majetek se proto roz?í?ila tento den dní, moje srdce roste v zemi a zp?sobu. Pozemky jsem chodil, se nav?dy vázané na m?j kamarád p?ede mnou.” He whispered the words as he began to massage the oil into my hands, his magic seeping into me with the touch. The strength of his magic shocked me, the headiness I had never felt rocking into me as the oil magnified it.

His hands stopped moving as he pressed my hands together before he cupped his hands in my lap, his motions making it clear what I was supposed to do.

I reached toward the box, my hands shaking as I grabbed the small vial, pouring what was left into Ilyan's hands, my nerves so strong that I was sure I wouldn't be able to rub the oil into his hands as well.

“My property has hence expanded this day of days, my heart increasing in ground and way. The lands I walk shall forever be bound to my mate in front of me,” I repeated the words as he had guided me. My tongue stumbled over words I hadn’t said since I first learned to talk.