Page 59 of A Kiss From Death (Oath of Vengeance #1)

Mama’s prayers worked! I found my Eternal.

Mama said I’m special—most people don’t find theirs this young, or even at all.

She said our bond is so strong, the stars rearranged so we had a direct path to collide.

The look of pride on her face made my tummy warm with love.

Mama’s words didn’t make sense to me until my eyes landed on him .

My whole existence rewired from my very core.

A piece of me has always resided with him, and now, it’s come home and clicked into place, making me whole.

The bond does not feel like love; it’s deeper than that.

It feels like a lifeline, a fire burning beneath my skin to protect him, and he, me, from anything that could ever keep us apart.

It’s devotion in its rawest form. I do not remember my life before him, only the life that lies ahead.

He arrived from another land to personally invite us to his coming of age celebration for his sixteenth birthday.

As soon as our eyes locked, my back lit with flames, searing my skin for eternity.

What rose from its ashes was an intricate black swirl marking wrapped around a ball of fire in the center of my back, between my shoulder blades.

A matching twin marking appeared on his back at the same time.

He dropped to his knees in front of me, unable to breathe.

He gifted me his personal sword to protect me in his absence—it was beautifully crafted, all black, with two owl eyes etched into the blade, just above the handle.

He said it was imbued with his magic so only he can wield it, and since I was his Eternal, it would recognize me as part of him.

Mama forgot to mention all the other things that come with being Eternals.

Connected by our souls and fused as one, any emotions I felt, he would feel as well.

The same with communication. We can tap into our bond and talk to each other over long distances.

He had to return to his kingdom, but in his absence, we’ve used the bond like a lifeline to get to know each other.

It feels like I’ve known him my whole life, and a piece of me feels hollow in his absence.

Every time I close my eyes, I see his two midnight black ones watching me like a god above.

I found my Eternal, and now, life as I know it will never be the same.