Page 38 of Awakened Destiny (The Dark Ascendant #3)

Brigid

I ’ m nervous as I step into Tiernan's sacred grove the next day, my heart pounding a wild rhythm that echoes the primal magic of the place. I sense them before I see them, my mates, standing like gods summoned to this moment.

I ’ m ready for this. I want this. I want them.

Lochan moves first, his approach silent but for the whisper of leaves beneath his boots. His towering figure cuts through the dusk light filtering through the canopy, and those hazel eyes lock onto mine. They burn with something fierce and demanding.

"Brigid," he breathes out my name, and the sound of it makes my pussy clench. He takes my hand, and his grip is firm. "I vow to stand by you. Where you walk, I'll follow. You are mine. And I am yours."

I swallow hard. It's more than devotion; it's a pledge that reaches deep into the marrow of my bones. I know what loyalty costs him. His family's murder is still a scar on his soul, and yet he stands here offering it to me.

How do I hold all this? The power, the fear, the love?

His thumb brushes over my knuckles, and I cling to that simple touch. In his gaze, I find the strength that has always eluded me, the assurance that maybe, just maybe, I can rise above the shadows that have chased me my whole life.

"Thank you," I tell him, voice barely a whisper, but he hears it. All of it. The gratitude, the blossoming trust, the plea for him to be my shield against a world that's never wanted me.

Lochan nods once, the movement grave as if sealing our fates together. My heart skips and then steadies; with Lochan, the man who feared my shadow magic yet now looks at me like I'm the sun, I find a piece of the home I've been searching for.

And the grove watches, the trees our silent witnesses, as one by one, they will come forward, pledging themselves to me, weaving our destinies tighter than any spell cast.

This ritual was not my idea, but as soon as Tiernan told me of it, I knew it was what we had to do. Instead of six individual pieces, we will become one whole. They are the spokes and I am the center of the wheel. They will be a part of me, and I will be a part of them.

They already have my heart. This ritual will just confirm it. When I woke up this morning, I knew I would choose to wear white. It only seemed fitting.

After Marius and I returned to the academy last night, we told the others of meeting the rebels. We talked for hours about what it might mean, what will happen now that Callen is king, and I am, apparently, a queen.

And we all knew this was the next step. Each of my mates will dedicate themselves to me, and I to them.

I barely catch my breath when Tiernan steps forward. With each stride, he exudes a calm peace, like he's walked this earth for eons and knows every secret it whispers. His hand, warm and firm, settles on my shoulder, centering me in the now.

"Brigid," he says, "I pledge my spirit to yours." The grove shimmers with his magic, as though every leaf glows with approval. I feel his promise, solid and sure, not just words but power, binding us.

"Tiernan." I exhale his name, feeling it settle in my chest, a vow of its own. "Thank you." And I mean it, for his calm, for his strength, for the way he accepts all parts of me.

The moment lingers, an unspoken understanding that we are both protectors and protected, and then it shifts, gentle and seamless, as Rory takes his place before me.

"Brigid, love," Rory starts, his voice a warm caress against my cheek. He's all bright energy, a stark contrast to Tiernan's stillness. A playful grin dances on his lips, and his eyes sparkle. He pulls me into an embrace, enveloping me in a bubble of light-heartedness.

"Expect joy," he murmurs, pressing a kiss to my forehead, "and laughter. That's my promise to you." Rory's arms are a fortress, promising an escape from the darkness that too often envelops my thoughts. Even the grove seems to sway, as if the trees themselves share in his humor.

"Rory," I say, feeling a smile tug at the corners of my mouth, "You bring light to my shadows." His laughter rings out, pure and infectious, and for a heartbeat, I'm swept up in the sheer joy of this connection.

"Always, mo chroí," he swears.

As Rory steps back, my skin still warm from his embrace, the grove falls silent. The atmosphere shifts, grows heavier with anticipation. My heart thuds against my ribs as Marius steps forward, his movements deliberate.

His dark eyes never leave mine as he approaches, a living shadow among the dappled light of the grove.

When he reaches me, Marius doesn't speak immediately. Instead, he sinks to one knee before me, a gesture that feels both formal and deeply personal. His head bows slightly, exposing the nape of his neck—a show of vulnerability from a man who rarely allows himself to be vulnerable.

Something about seeing Marius like this, on his knees before me, sends heat spiraling through my core.

He looks up, the corner of his mouth lifting in a dangerous half-smile. "The Morrigan's blood runs through you, just as the Raven King's runs through me. Our powers are bound together, Brigid. Our fates are intertwined."

I reach out, touching his cheek with my fingertips.

"What are you promising me, Marius?" I ask, needing to hear it from his lips.

He catches my hand in his, turning it to press a kiss against my palm. "I vow to stand between you and anything that threatens you. I will walk willingly into the darkness to keep you safe." His eyes glitter with dangerous promise. "Those that would harm you will learn to fear me first."

My chest tightens at his words. I know what Marius is capable of; I've seen the ruthlessness that lives inside him. For him to offer that power, that protection, in service to me feels overwhelming.

"And if I ask you to show mercy? To temper that darkness?" I challenge him, needing to know the limits of his pledge.

He rises in one fluid motion, bringing his face close to mine. "Then I will try. For you, I will try." The admission costs him, I can tell, but it's honest.

I nod, accepting his pledge, letting my fingers trail along his arm as he steps back. The contact between us lingers like electricity on my skin.

Before I can fully process Marius's vow, Callen strides forward, his movements liquid grace, like a cat. Callen exudes regal confidence, every inch the fae king he was born to be.

"Saving the best for last?" His eyes dance with mischief as he takes my hand, brushing his lips across my knuckles.

"You wish," I retort, but I can't help smiling.

Callen's charm is a different kind of power, seductive, beguiling. He stands before me, neither kneeling nor bowing, but meeting me as an equal. His thumb traces circles on the inside of my wrist, sending shivers up my arm.

"My Queen," he says, and though his tone is light, his eyes are serious. "I offer you my kingdom, my crown, my life."

"Callen—"

He places a finger against my lips. "Let me finish. I've spent my life opposing authority, fighting against my father's cruel reign. I never wanted the throne." His hand cups my cheek. "But for you, I'll be king. I'll build a court worthy of your power, challenge those who would deny your right to rule, and stand beside you as you remake our world."

I swallow hard, struck by the weight of what he's offering. "That's... a lot of responsibility."

"We'll bear it together." A wicked smile curves across his lips. "Besides, I'm quite looking forward to challenging the old order. Especially the parts about what a queen can do in her bed."

Heat rushes to my face. "Always pushing boundaries."

"Always." His fingers trail along my jaw. "That's my pledge to you, Brigid. I will challenge everything, tradition, power, even you when necessary, to ensure you reach your full potential. No one will cage you, not while I draw breath."

Something wild and hungry uncurls inside me at his words.

"I accept," I whisper, and I feel the words settle into place.

A spark ignites between us as I accept Callen's vow, and I feel it, a surge of power rushing through my veins like lightning. Five bonds, five pledges, now complete.

"It's done," Tiernan murmurs, his eyes wide with wonder. "The ritual binding is complete."

I stand in the center of their circle, overwhelmed by the sensation. Each connection feels distinct. Lochan's fierce and protective, Tiernan's calm and nurturing, Rory's warm and bright, Marius's intense and dangerous, Callen's challenging and passionate. The power builds within me, amplifying my own magic until I feel I might burst from containing it.

"I can feel all of you," I whisper, pressing a hand to my chest. "It's... incredible."

"We feel you too," Marius says.

Rory grins, stepping closer. "Like a piece of myself I never knew was missing, just clicked into place."

"Is this normal?" I ask Tiernan, our resident expert on ancient magic.

He shakes his head. "Nothing about this is normal, Brigid. Five consorts bound to a queen with the power of the Morrigan flowing through her veins? This has never happened."

"It was foretold," Lochan says quietly. "The murals in the ritual chamber—they weren't just decorations. They were prophecy."

My mind flashes to those explicit images painted on ancient stone—a woman who looked disturbingly like me, surrounded by five men, their bodies naked, in acts of worship and desire. I'd blushed and looked away when we'd discovered them months ago. Now I understand their significance.

The air shifts around us. The magic that bound our vows still lingers, but transforms into something more primal, more hungry. The sacred grove seems to pulse with it, the leaves rustling without wind.