Page 20
CHAPTER 20
T he mansion's garden bloomed with magic and moonlight as Amelia prepared for a ceremony that would bond her to her archangel. Her hands trembled slightly as she smoothed the silk of her dress. It was a stunning creation in white that seemed to capture and hold the celestial light filling the space. Ramiel’s mate had helped Amelia arrange for it. Her hand went to the Key at her throat. The relic that had changed her entire life pulsed as if it approved of the union about to take place.
The aftermath of their battle with Jeremiel still scarred parts of the French Quarter. But in the mansion they’d created a sanctuary where peace reigned. At least for now. The Rowan sisters had outdone themselves in transforming the garden into something out of a fairy tale. Floating orbs of witch-light danced between roses that shouldn't bloom in this season. They’d also used sacred herbs and crystals to form a protective dome over them.
"You look perfect," Pema said as she made final adjustments to Amelia's hair. The oldest Rowan sister's hands moved with practiced grace as she wove protection spells into each twist. "Though I still think we should have postponed until after we send Lucifer home."
"No, Camael was right." Amelia's voice carried steel as she met her friend's eyes in the mirror. "He's already taken too much. We can't let him steal this too."
"Besides," Isis added from where she was putting the final touches on her makeup, "what better way to face that bastard than with a mating bond strengthening their powers?"
Suvi's laugh carried through the open window. "It also gives Lucifer the celestial middle finger in the process. Nothing says we aren’t afraid of you more than such an important celebration. It’s priceless."
The banter helped calm Amelia's nerves. Unfortunately, she couldn't completely ignore how Lucifer’s power pulsed at the edges of her magical awareness. Lucifer's corruption was still spreading through the city's spiritual foundation like cancer. Even now, it felt as if something vast and ancient pressed against the barriers between worlds.
A knock at the door interrupted her dark thoughts. Jo's wings filled the frame as the female warrior entered. "The perimeter is secure," she reported. "The Dark Warriors have eyes on every approach. The triplets are maintaining an aerial patrol. Nothing is getting within a mile of this place without us knowing."
"How's Camael holding up?" Amelia couldn't help asking.
Jo's smile was pure mischief. "Like a warrior facing his toughest battle. Rami's keeping him from wearing a trench in the marble floors. You'd think facing down Lucifer was easier than waiting to claim his mate."
The word sent shivers down Amelia's spine. Mate. The bond they were about to forge went deeper than any human marriage. It would tie their very essences together. It would create something both beautiful and lethal. It was the perfect weapon against whatever horrors were stirring from their ancient sleep.
"It's time," Pema announced as moonlight flooded the room. The full moon had reached its apex and was bathing the garden in a silver radiance that made the protective wards shimmer like starlight.
Amelia took a deep breath and stood. Her dress moved like liquid moonlight. Its simple lines emphasized her best assets. Gathering her train with practiced elegance, she moved through the preparation room. The wooden floor whispered beneath her steps. She concentrated on each step. Her walk was a choreography of anticipation. The soft rustle of her gown broke the silence as she approached the back door.
Her hand hovered for a moment over the carved handle. Her breath caught when she opened it. Angels lined the path to her archangel. Their wings created a corridor of divine protection. The Rowan sisters went first and took their positions at cardinal points. Their power helped anchor the wards that would shield this ceremony from darker forces.
Camael's massive frame radiated barely contained energy as his ice-blue eyes locked onto her. His wings spread wide. His white feathers caught moonlight like captured stars. The sight made her heart swell. This warrior of Heaven had chosen her. He had insisted on this moment despite the chaos threatening their world.
Everything else faded when their eyes met across the space. The worry about Lucifer. The fear of what was stirring beyond the veil. None of it mattered. This was their moment. Ancient powers be damned. She moved swiftly to Camael’s side.
Michael himself stood ready to perform the ceremony. The archangel's presence was both an honor and protection. Heaven's greatest warrior was also lending his power to shield this union. His wings blazed with holy fire as he raised his hands.
"We gather under full moon and starlight," he intoned, his voice carrying divine authority, "to witness the joining of warrior and witch, of light and shadow, of two beings meant to dance as one."
Amelia barely registered the words as she reached for Camael. His hand engulfed hers. His touch sent electricity through her system that had nothing to do with magic. His wings curled forward and created a shelter of white feathers that shut out everything but them.
"You're sure about this?" he murmured, quiet enough that only she could hear. "Once we start, there's no going back."
"I've never been more sure of anything." Her smile carried equal parts love and determination. "You're stuck with me, Archangel. Deal with it."
His answering laugh was music to her ears. This male was hers, and she was his. Whatever came next, they'd face it together. The ceremony itself was beautiful and different than she was used to. Things were done differently in the Tehrex Realm, but they were having an angelic ceremony today. The witches would do one for her when everything settled down. The roots of the divine bonding stretched back to the beginning of time. Camael dropped his wings and Amelia’s cheeks heated at the catcalls from their friends.
Michael's voice carried divine authority as he began the ancient rites. His wings spread wide to channel Heaven's power. "Kneel," he instructed. She and Camael dropped to their knees before the archangel. Sacred fire erupted from his hands and created a circle of pure energy around them.
"In the beginning," Michael intoned in Enochian. The language of angels flowed like liquid light. "There was neither light nor shadow but perfect harmony. Tonight, we restore that balance through the union of these two souls. "
The Key at Amelia's throat pulsed in time with the ritual words as Michael drew sigils of power in the air between them. Each symbol blazed with divine fire before sinking into their joined hands. It marked them as each other's in ways that transcended physical bonds.
"Repeat after me," Michael instructed Camael first. His voice carried harmonics that made the air vibrate. "I bind myself to you, body and grace, from this moment until the last star burns out."
Camael's ice-blue eyes locked onto Amelia's as he spoke the vows in perfect Enochian. "I bind myself to you, body and grace, from this moment until the last star burns out. My strength is yours. My power is yours to wield. Where you go, I follow. What you face, I face beside you."
Divine fire wrapped around his wings as he spoke. Each feather lit up with a different sigil. The sight made Amelia's heart skip a beat. This archangel was really binding himself to her. Death wouldn't break their bond.
When it was her turn, Michael guided her through the vows. She instinctively said the vows in the tongue of the First Weavers. The Key responded to each word. Its power merged with her hybrid magic to create something beautiful and lethal.
"I bind myself to you," she repeated, her voice steady despite the power coursing through her, "body and soul, from this moment until the last star burns out. My magic is yours. My heart is yours to protect. Where you fight, I fight. What you defend, I defend with all that I am."
Light and shadow wove together as she spoke. It created patterns around them and enveloped them in a cocoon. Her power reached for Camael's divine grace like missing pieces finding each other after eternities apart.
"With blood and breath, with grace and power," Michael's voice carried through the garden, "I call upon the first light to witness this union."
Divine fire erupted from his hands and wrapped around their joined ones in chains of pure energy. Amelia gasped as Camael's grace merged with her hybrid magic. Before she knew what he intended, Camael grabbed her and dipped her back, then claimed her lips.
The kiss that sealed their union was the stuff of romance novels. Power exploded outward as their essences joined fully. It painted the night in colors that looked like fireworks. Every angel present mantled their wings in response while everyone clapped and cheered.
Their moment of perfect joy was shattered by a pulse of energy that hit Amelia's magical senses like a battering ram. The Key at her throat screamed a warning at the same moment. Lucifer was up to something.
"He's making his move," she gasped at her expanded awareness. She couldn’t see exactly what the Prince of Lies was doing, but she felt something that made her blood run cold. "The barriers. They're starting to crack!"
Camael's wings spread wide as he pulled her closer, their newly forged bond humming with shared power. "Then we stop him. Together."
She met his eyes, seeing her own determination reflected there. They had fought too hard, come too far to let Lucifer win now. "Together," she agreed as she gathered her magic.
The full moon painted New Orleans in shades of silver and shadow as they prepared for war. Whatever horrors stirred in the spaces between worlds would face a united front. Heaven's deadliest warrior and his witch, bound by love and power older than time itself. Let Lucifer try his worst. They were ready.