A Kingdom of Flesh and Fire (Blood and Ash 2)

“Planning to stab him during the ceremony?” Vonetta asked.

“Why does everyone act like I’m seconds away from stabbing Casteel?” I demanded.

“Apparently, you have a habit of it.”

“I only stabbed him…a few times.” I turned, fixing the skirt of the gown. “The dagger was given to me by someone I care about. He was like a father to me, and in a way, he’ll be with me when I do something he never thought I’d be able to do.”

Something I knew Vikter would’ve been happy to see, even though I was marrying the Prince of Atlantia. In my heart of hearts, I knew that all that would have mattered to Vikter was that I wanted this and that I was cherished.

And I knew both were true. They had been true for longer than I realized.

Chapter 37

The sun was high above our heads, the breeze pleasant, and the sandy dirt and grass warm under my bare feet as I walked willingly toward him.

Hawke.

The Dark One.

Prince Casteel Da’Neer.

Other people waited outside in the courtyard. Jasper was there. Naill and Delano stood behind Casteel, to his left. Guardians were on the Rise, keeping watch, and Vonetta was behind me. But all I saw was Casteel.

He cut a striking figure in all black, possessing the wild and primal beauty that always reminded me of the cave cat I’d once seen. He stood barefoot in the soil reclaimed by Atlantia. And I didn’t think he saw anyone else as I walked forward. He stared at me with eyes luminous even in the sunlight, and an almost startled look etched upon his features as if he were utterly caught off guard. I’d seen that look before, especially when I smiled or laughed. He too seemed unaware of anyone else, even as Vonetta walked ahead and spoke to him. He stared, even as he reached into his pocket and handed her something. And when I let my senses reach him, I felt what I always did from him, except the tartness of conflict was gone, and the chocolate and berries taste was far stronger.

I couldn’t take my eyes off him, not until Vonetta returned to my side and pressed something warm and metallic against my palm.

“The ring. For Casteel,” she whispered. “He had the blacksmith make them.”

I looked down at the gleaming, golden band. There was some sort of inscription on the inside, but I couldn’t make out what it was.

Curling my fingers around the band, I didn’t remember how I got there, but suddenly, I was standing in front of Casteel. He stared at me like I imagined one would if they saw a god standing before them.

“You look…” Casteel cleared his throat as the shadows of clouds drifted over the courtyard. “You look beautiful, Poppy. Absolutely…” His gaze roamed over me, from the braids in my hair, to the diamonds at my neck and then down the fitted bodice to the sheer layers of the skirt that rippled in the wind. A slow grin spread across his lips. The dimple in his right cheek appeared, and then the left. He dipped his head, his lips brushing against the shell of my ear as he spoke. “Am I seeing things, or is that your dagger strapped to your thigh?”

I grinned. “You’re not seeing things.”

“You’re an absolutely stunning, murderous little creature,” he murmured.

“There’ll be time for all the sweet whispers later,” Jasper said, and when Casteel pulled back, there was a fire in his eyes. “You do look quite lovely, Penellaphe.”

“Thank you,” I said.

“What about me?” Casteel asked, and behind him, Naill sighed.

“You look passable.”

“That was rude,” he replied.

“Would you like to go sit in the shade and nurse your wounded feelings? Like you did when you were young and inevitably injured yourself doing something incredibly stupid?”

Casteel’s brows lowered as he looked over at Jasper. “This marriage ceremony is starting off in a really weird way.”

“True.” The wolven chuckled. “Let’s get this started, because I’m sure you’re more eager to finish the ceremony than you are to start it.”

Casteel shot the wolven a dark look, and I wondered exactly what that meant.

“I need both of you to face me,” Jasper instructed, and then he waited until we did just that. He smiled at me, and my emotions were too scattered to read his, but there was fondness in his gaze. “I don’t know how much you know about Atlantian marriages or how they differ from what is done is Solis, but I’ll walk you through it, okay?”

“Okay,” I whispered.

“Good. It’s pretty simple. There are no vows. None that are spoken, anyway,” he continued as the clouds overhead cast us in shadows. He briefly glanced up at the sky, raising a brow. “Each of you holds your rings in your left hands and joins your right together.”

Casteel held his right hand palm up as I looked over at him. There was no smile on his face then. Just a certain intent to the set of his lips and in his gaze. Pulse pounding, I placed my right hand in his. The jolt traveled up my arm, and based on the slight widening of his eyes, I knew he felt it, too.

“Lower to your knees. Casteel first,” Jasper said, and he did just that. “Now you, Penellaphe.”

Casteel’s hand tightened on mine as I moved to my knees, our gazes remaining locked.

“Place your rings in the soil between you so that they overlap,” Jasper said, and Casteel placed a golden band, one smaller than the one I held, on the sandy soil. I placed the larger one on top so the openings overlapped.

Casteel knew the next steps. He didn’t look away from me as he picked up the dirt and sprinkled it over the rings. He nodded, and I did the same, feeling the grainy dirt sift between my fingers as I repeated his actions.

Thick clouds gathered above us as Casteel whispered, “This next part may hurt, but only for a few moments.”

Trusting him, I nodded.

“Lift your left hands, palms up.” Jasper knelt before us, and with a brief glance, I saw that he held a dagger—one I’d never seen before. Like the swords the Guardians carried, the blade was gold. “I will make a cut in each of your palms. It will hurt for a moment, and you will do with your blood what you did with the soil. The wound will heal at once, but you both will carry the mark until the union is ended by death or decree.”

I wasn’t sure how a wound of mine would heal immediately. “And that is all?”

“Usually, these proceedings are a bit more drawn-out, but this will be it. At least for the parts I’m involved in.” A teasing glint filled Jasper’s pale eyes. “Casteel will have to fill you in on the rest.”

“I will.” Casteel gave me a quick grin. “Gladly.”

A shiver broke out over my skin as I lifted my left hand, palm up. Casteel did the same as he leaned over, crossing the distance between us. His lips brushed mine as he said, “Just a moment of pain.”

“I know,” I whispered. “I trust you.”

I heard the breath Casteel took, and I knew what that meant for me to say that, for him to hear it.

“Unworthy,” he whispered, and then he kissed me at the exact moment I felt the sharp sting of Jasper’s dagger against my palm. The kiss was as brief as the pain, but so much sweeter.

Casteel withdrew, pressing our hands together, palm to palm. He threaded his fingers through mine as he guided our joined hands to the rings. Air hitched in my throat as I watched my blood—our blood—slide down our palms, to our wrists. A drop and then two fell, splashing the rings.

Jasper was quiet as Casteel eased his hand from mine. He picked up the smaller ring, his right hand still clasping mine. “I’ll put the ring on you, and then you’ll put the other ring on me.”

I nodded.

“Turn your palm up to the sky,” he said quietly. When I turned my hand over, my eyes widened.

The cut had closed, but across the center of my palm was a thin swirl of vibrant gold that shimmered even with the sunlight obscured by clouds. “How…?”

Casteel grinned at me. “Magic.”

It had to be that.

My hand was surprisingly steady as he slipped the dirt-and blood-streaked ring over my pointer finger. It was a little loose, but I didn’t believe it would slip off.

“Your turn.”

I picked up his and held my breath as I fitted it over his finger.

And then I watched in stunned silence as the dirt and blood seeped into the rings. The bands flared an intense gold and then faded, their surfaces now pristine.

“It is done,” Jasper said, rising. “You are husband and wife.”

The day turned to night.

My lips parted as I looked up. The gathering clouds had turned the sky the black of midnight, from the east to the west, to the south and north. Not a single trace of sunlight could be seen, even though it couldn’t be more than an hour or two past noon.

“My gods,” Vonetta whispered.

Casteel rose swiftly, bringing me with him. He pulled me to his side as he stared up at the black sky.

“Is this an omen?” I asked.

“It is,” Jasper confirmed, his voice rough. “I haven’t seen anything like this since…Gods, since your mother and father married. And even then, Casteel, it wasn’t like this.”

Casteel lowered his gaze to the wolven.

“This is an omen. A powerful one.” Jasper shook his head in wonder. “A good one from the King of Gods.” The unnatural clouds started to scatter, and sunlight broke through as Jasper smiled. “Nyktos, even asleep, approves of this union.”

The gold band glimmered in the sunlight cascading through the windows of our bedchamber. Slowly, I turned my hand over. The swirl of shimmering gold followed the line closest to my fingers. I dragged my thumb over the curling line. The heavy dusting of gold didn’t disappear, and I…I couldn’t believe I was married. That I’d gone from being Penellaphe Balfour, to the Maiden, and now, Penellaphe Da’Neer.

“I hope you’re not already having second thoughts. But if so, it’s not going to rub off.”