“Good answer.” He stood. “Wait to get dressed until we get to Lycia. I’ve already called Simon and he and Lark will be there waiting. I figure you’d want to have your mom and sister help you get ready.”
He drove them to the spot he said they’d use to go to Lycia. “The Fae can travel a lot easier. They sort of fold space and move through it. Like in Harry Potter. But we use thin spots. One is just here. We can hold a corridor open and go through that way.”
“Can anyone do it? Is it magick? Is it guarded on the other side? What if humans came through with an army?”
He kissed the top of her head and led her to the clearing. They were about forty-five minutes east of the house.
“I’ve been to this park before. There are ley lines here.”
“Maybe that’s why we can cross in this spot. It is magick in its own way, yes. Yes, it’s guarded on the other side. Though there are many spots here on this side of the Veil, they all open to the same place in Lycia. And no, humans can’t cross it. Only those carrying Lycian blood can do it.”
“Oh. Well that’s good. Safer.”
He saw her disappointment and grinned. “You’ll be able to do it once we’re bound. Lycia will recognize you as her own.”
She perked up. “Cool!”
She wasn’t sure what she was expecting, but he drew a hand through the air in front of them and they kept walking, and then they were standing in a field with a whole different sky.
The magick at her feet surged to greet her, rushing through her veins. “Holy cow. That’s good.”
He turned. “What?”
“The magick here. It just filled me up. The earth recognized me immediately.”
He smiled. “Really? I like that.”
Someone hailed them and he waved, speaking another language briefly.
“My brothers are here. Come on then. Welcome to Lycia.”
She wished so much that they could stay for longer than just a few hours. It was beautiful there. The stars burned bright overhead as they headed toward a grouping of buildings ahead.
“This is Leviathan ground. All the eye can see belongs to us. The biggest building over there is a meeting hall. We’ll have the binding there. That’s my parents’ home just ahead.”
He was unbearably pleased with how much joy she wore on her features. He’d seen her in a pretty wide array of situations and moods, but this Helena was so full of wonder and happiness that he found himself unable to stop smiling. He held her close, an arm around her shoulders, and she slid hers around his waist as she peppered him with questions.
Up ahead, his parents came out of the house and waved, both wearing smiles. Lark and Simon, along with Helena’s parents, approached from the gate as well. This was a good thing.
And with so many bad things occurring with alarming regularity, good things were to be treasured.
His mother approached and simply pulled Helena into a hug. “Welcome to you, daughter.”
“
And then his woman got to one knee and touched her forehead. “It is my honor to become a member of your Pack and to be the key to your son. I will guard your lands with my body and your honor with my heart and fists.”
He was the one honored. He had no idea she knew to do that. But it was exactly the right thing and he could see the approval rolling from his father and the rest of his family gathered there.
Cross stood forward and touched Helena’s forehead. “It is Leviathan’s honor to add you to the rolls. Stand and take your place, daughter.”
Faine helped her stand.
“Come on then.” Tila clapped. “Helena, Lark and Rain, follow me. We’ve got some rooms prepared for Helena so that she can prepare for the binding.”
Helena turned to Faine and he hugged her. “You do me such an honor tonight. I love you.”
“I love you too. I’ll see you in a bit. Don’t go sniffing around any other ladies here or I’ll be forced to maim you.”
He laughed and hugged her again. “All right, I promise.”
She was quickly swallowed up by females and swept off toward the meeting house.
His father slapped him on the back. “It’s too bad there are only two of these sisters. You and Seymeon have clearly met your match. You will make fine babies to fill my home with laughter. Your mother and I are pleased with your choice.”
They headed to the main house where drinks were poured and the stories began as his brother Pere performed the ritual cleanse and blessing for the binding rites.
He loved Helena Jaansen with all his being. She was his key. The one person in all the worlds who he would love forever. Vexing. Beautiful. Intelligent. Canny. Powerful. She was so much more than what she appeared at first glance. She was a worthy partner in life and they would have such a future.
This was good. And right.
“I felt the exact same when I did this with Lark.” Simon stepped back after he’d finished the warrior braids at each of Faine’s temples. In Lycian culture, it was the males who tended to the dressing of a warrior’s hair for any important ceremony. In fact, Pere had gone to Helena just a few minutes before, to tend to her hair.
“Am I so obvious then?”
Their father raised his glass in Faine’s direction. “If you are not, it’s not meant to be. Doubts have no place in such a ceremony. We may take a few centuries to do it, or we may never make such a choice. But a binding is only for the certain. The magick you and Helena will create as a unit will make you both stronger and wiser. It will make Leviathan stronger and wiser. Sisters binding with brothers has its own sort of energy. It’s rare and these two sisters are exceptional. Strong and gifted.” He turned to David. “Your daughters are welcome here, as are you and Rain. We honor those who raise such powerful beings.”
“It’s all Rain. Except for the weapons work.” He grinned. “That’s me. And they’re both pretty good at it if I do say so myself.”
He had no doubts as they left the main house. A line of lit torches led the way to the meeting house. Ceremonial herbs burned in the large, open space and flowers and tributes began to fill the room.
And there she was. At the head of the room with Pere on one side and her sister on the other. Warrior braids at each temple. And yet, she still looked delicate and beautiful in the dress he’d chosen for her. She’d understood that it was more than just a gift he’d given her. The dress, the ring, the house here and the one in the enclave that he’d furnish to her liking, these things were his way of fulfilling his pledge to her.
He approached her and went to his knees. He spoke to her in their ancient tongue, pledging his fidelity, his loyalty and his honor to their union. But she had no need for an interpreter.
Getting to her knees, she handed him a bundle of flowers woven together with herbs and tied with ribbons the color of their Pack.
She spoke back in the same language. Accepting his pledge and giving one of her own. Tila and Rain came forward then and bound their hands together at the wrist. Wreaths were placed on each one of their heads and ceremonial smoke was blown over them as the oldest of them, his great, great uncle, came forward.
As the elder, he was the repository of their history. Of the Pack’s magick and lore. He performed all important rites and ceremonies. One hand on each of their heads, he began to speak low, his beast very close to the skin.
Faine felt his own stir in response and scented Helena’s magick as it rose and filled the air.
Pere hit the earth beneath them hard with his staff and the rush of Helena’s magick filled him to bursting. His skin was tight and super-heated. She gazed at him, calm as beast rushed through him and into her. Then her head fell back as she said
Her magick was cool and confident as it took up space in his gut. Where his beast usually curled up.
The elder sliced each of their hands with a ceremonial blade and their blood mixed and dripped over the cords binding their wrists and then the earth at their knees.
Her magick burst from him then, mingling with his beast as it rushed back into his belly and filled him once
