Taken by Magic (The Baine Chronicles #8)(56)

The wedding party was waiting ahead, directly in front of Resinah’s statue—Fenris stood proudly at Iannis’s side, and Annia was waiting for me near the priest’s elbow, looking gorgeous in the deep green sheath gown I’d commissioned for her. Iannis was dashingly handsome in his ivory wedding robes, his long hair falling loose around his shoulders. His eyes shone with loving pride as our gazes met across the aisle.

My own heart was in my throat as I finally reached the appointed space and Rylan handed me off to Iannis. I gripped his hand tightly as we turned to face the priest, and Iannis gave me a reassuring squeeze.

“You look good enough to eat,” he said in mindspeak. “I hope you’ve come prepared for a feast after this.”

I choked back a laugh at the blatant innuendo in his tone, and my nerves immediately evaporated. “Maybe I’ll eat you first,” I suggested, resisting the urge to stick my tongue out at him.

“I wouldn’t object to that in the slightest.”

“Family and friends of the bride and groom,” the priest intoned, his voice echoing through the dome as he addressed the crowd. “Welcome to Solantha Temple, where we have gathered today to witness the joining of these two souls in holy and eternal matrimony. In this sacred place, before the Creator and the First Mage, we are privileged to share this unique moment in the lives of Iannis and Sunaya, where the two finally become one.”

“Though you may not have known each other your entire lives,” he said, turning to address us next, “you have nevertheless been gravitating toward this day since you were born, and your union will last as long as you both shall live. As is our ancient custom, you pledge yourselves to each other and move forward into the future as one. Before you declare your vows, I want to hear you confirm that it is indeed your intention to marry today.”

“Sunaya, do you come here today, freely and of your own will, to give yourself to Iannis in marriage?”

“I do,” I managed to say over the swell of emotion in my throat. By Magorah, this was really happening. We were finally here together, beneath the eyes of the Creator and Resinah and whoever else was looking down at us. I wondered if my mother could see me now, and I blinked back tears at the thought of her. I hoped she would be proud of me today.

“Very good. And Iannis, do you too come here today, freely and of your own will, to give yourself to Sunaya in marriage?”

“I do,” Iannis said solemnly.

“Very good.” The priest smiled at us. “Iannis and Sunaya, now that you have declared your intentions to marry, please face each other and hold hands so that you may declare your marriage vows.”

Iannis and I turned toward each other, and my heart flipped over in my chest as he smiled broadly at me. “I, Iannis,” he said, reciting the vows we’d spent weeks agonizing over, “bind myself to you forevermore as your loving husband. I promise to spend each day working to become the truest version of myself, for you, for us, and for our family. I vow to stand by your side throughout the rest of our long lives—to warm you on cold winter mornings, to watch our love grow during the soft days of spring, to work and play hard together in the light of the summer sun, and to hold you close in the days of autumn, when the leaves fall and we begin to look toward yet another year together. I will love you for all of our days together, and cherish you above all others in my life.”

“Dammit,” I sniffled, swiping at the tears running down my face. I’d told myself I wasn’t going to cry, but my vision blurred, and my heart swelled so big in my chest that I thought I was going to burst. Thankfully, I wasn’t the only one—I could hear other people sniffling too.

The priest conjured a handkerchief, and I carefully dabbed at my eyes. Somehow, I managed to get the words of my own vow out without my voice breaking, gripping Iannis’s hands tightly the entire time.

“I, Sunaya,” I said in a clear voice that only trembled a little, “promise to live with you for the rest of our lives, as your loving wife. I shall strive to honor our union with steadfastness, truth, and courage. I look forward to spending the seasons of life at your side, as your equal, best friend, and, I hope, the mother of our future children, in good times or bad, wealth or adversity. I will love you for all of our days together, and cherish you above all others in my life.”

His steady gaze kept me grounded, and by the time I got out the last of it, I was calm again. I hadn’t expected this occasion to be quite this emotional, but I’d gotten through it. I’d committed, and to my surprise, all I felt was relief and happiness. This was a responsibility I accepted with no reservations, no second-guessing.

“Now that the two of you have exchanged your vows, it is time to seal this pact with the marriage spell,” the priest announced when I was done. “Best man, bridesmaid, do you have the rings?”

“Yes,” Annia and Fenris said, coming forward. They handed us the white gold bands, which we carefully slipped onto each other’s ring fingers before turning to face the priest again. He took our joined hands gently in his, then began to chant the Loranian marriage spell that would bind us forever. His sonorous voice echoed through the chamber, and my skin began to tingle as the air around us buzzed with power. I’d seen Fenris and Mina go through the same thing just a few days ago at their own wedding, but I had no idea it was so powerful—it felt like a live electric current was running through me. Did this happen at all mage weddings?