Page 33 of Grounded (Convergence #1)

Hours later, as Thax and Liria lay in bed, all snuggled up after the best sex of his life, he angled his head to look at her and asked, “How did you know what to say?”

“What?” Liria brushed the hair back from his face.

“Tonight, when I offered you those trophies, you said ancient words to me. Aethari words.”

The memory of Liri accepting his offering and delivering that sacred speech still shook him.

It raised hairs on his arms. He shouldn't have been shocked, not after Source had come unto him and he had spoken.

But he was. His Liri had said the right words.

The words even he hadn't remembered until then. Had Source filled her as well?

“What do you mean?” she asked.

“Liri.” Thaxvarien pushed up, bringing her with him so that they were propped against the wall.

This was not a conversation to have lying down.

“The words you said to me tonight haven't been spoken in centuries. Once, when a woman was sought after by more than one man, her family could demand a rite of combat. The winning man would offer a feather from the wing of the fallen one to his intended. If she accepted him, she would take the feather and say those words. Those exact words, Liri.”

“Holy shit,” Liria whispered. “They just came to me.” Then she leaned back, her eyes going wide. “And you. You summoned magic, Thax! Fuck, how did I forget that? And how did you do that?”

Thaxvarien looked away. What would she think if he told her the truth?

He needed to tell her what they were to each other, certainly.

But what would she think of him after she knew that Source had come to him, spoken through him, and then guided him throughout that fight?

Fuck, he didn't even know what to make of it.

Was she right? Had he summoned magic? No, that wasn't possible.

Aethari couldn't summon magic. The closest they got was speaking when the Source of Magic filled them. But that wasn't a summoning.

According to Aethari belief, the Speaker didn't control his speech when Source filled him.

Thaxvarien knew he had spoken, and yet, he had remained in control of what he said.

Maybe there were times when a speaker could remain in control.

Thaxvarien hadn't been trained to speak, and his father had never confided in him.

So, he had no idea what to expect. Was the guidance and power Thax felt a benefit of speaking?

Had Source defended its chosen one? Yes, that must be it.

Thaxvarien had spoken, but it had been an unusual speaking because of the situation.

That was all. He had not summoned magic.

Before he could explain this to Liria, she went on, “Thax, your skin was glowing. Your eyes too. And your voice was like . . .” She trailed off and then said, “Oh, fuck. That was your inheritance, wasn't it? That was proof that you're the next Speaker.”

“Yes. A Speaker is filled with magic when they speak. Source shines through them. That is what you saw and heard. But don't worry. They won't say anything.” Thaxvarien looked back at her. “I'll make sure of it.”

“What do you mean? Why don't you want anyone to know?”

“Liria, the Source of Magic has chosen me to succeed my father. If this gets out, my fate is sealed. I have to accept my position as his heir.”

“Do you?” Liria leaned back. “Because the man I saw tonight was fighting for love. It wasn't about becoming a leader.” Liria took his hand. “And according to your traditions, I accepted you as my groom. Isn't that just as binding as whatever you did?”

Thax blinked. “Well, fuck.”

As Liria chuckled, Thax's mind spun through the implications.

She was his destra. He knew it for a fact.

Liria had claimed him publicly, and then accepted his tribute after he had proved his worth to her.

Shit, now that he thought about it, the claiming tradition had stemmed from that ancient rite of combat.

It was a modern version of it. Regardless, it was an Aethari tradition, and yet, Liri had recited those ancient words as if they were her own.

Most Aethari women wouldn't have been able to do that, but Liri, a Medean, had done it.

Thaxvarien should have spoken the claiming words to her in return.

But he'd been so overwhelmed and overjoyed that he couldn't speak.

He did the only thing he could at the time—he took his destra into the sky in triumph.

“I have to tell you something,” Thaxvarien whispered.

“Is it how you summoned magic?”

“I didn't summon magic, Liri. I spoke.”

“It sure seemed as if you were doing more than speaking to me.” She gave him a look that made him laugh.

“Liri, you know as well as I do that summoning magic is a step of converging, and Aethari can't converge. It's impossible.”

“Aren't we already doing the impossible?”

Thax's chest shivered, and a fresh wave of love washed through him. She was his. And he wasn't giving her up. Not unless she forced him to. Fuck, even then, he wouldn't give up easily.

“I love you.” He bent his head to kiss her.

She put a finger on his lips. “I love you too, but you need to tell me what happened tonight. Why would you suddenly speak?”

Thaxvarien sighed and tried to think through it.

“I was terrified for you. And then, it just happened.

I felt Source come through me. It was . .

. there was this knowing. I didn't hear a voice or anything like that. I just knew what I had to do. My words were full of power, and my body was suddenly stronger. I could feel Source in my bones—feel it down to the tips of my feathers.” Thax shook his head.

“Like sunshine. Or maybe starlight. Something bright and warm but also shimmering. I saw so clearly, everything bright, even though it was night. I felt the path of my body—the way it needed to move. Where it had to be. Every strike was guided, Liri. Guided by Source.”

“Holy shit.” She cupped his cheek. “Thax, you're a miracle.”

“Miracles don't usually involve bloodshed.”

“They do when they need to.” Liria brushed her lips over his. “The Source of Magic helped you defend me, didn't it?”

“I believe it did. But again, it wasn't a summoning. It came to me. It guided. I didn't control it or converge it.”

“Baby, that's the miracle. If the Source thought I was worth defending, this has to be right. You and me. They can't keep us apart after Source itself defended me, can they?”

“It wouldn't matter if they tried, Liri. I won't let them.” Thaxvarien gave in to his need to kiss her at last. But he didn't dive into it. There was still so much more to say. So, when she started to ease onto his lap, he set her back and ended the kiss. “I have more to tell you.”

Liria's face fell into serious lines. He knew she was preparing herself for something terrible.

“Liri, this isn't bad. At least, I hope you won't see it as such.”

She nodded. “Go on. Tell me.”

“Among my people, there are elite unions.

Some people are drawn together by the Source of Magic.

Now, this doesn't make them immune to argument or anything else that might separate them, but it does offer them guidance from Source and an intimate connection to each other. Once such a bond is acknowledged and accepted by the couple, they can publicly declare it.”

“Like how we claimed each other in the dining hall?”

“Yes, but on a much greater scale. Claiming as we did in the dining hall is the first step in a committed Aethari relationship. Well, privately claiming, as I offered you in Celestine and you refused, is the first step. Public claiming is the second.”

Liria made a face. “You're not going to let that go, are you?”

“Not ever. It will haunt me.” He held a hand to his chest.

“All right, you're haunted.” She rolled her eyes. “So, the first step is a private claim, and the next is a public?”

“Yes. That's when a couple wants everyone to know that they're serious about each other. But a destiny bond is from Source. It's not part of the claiming, although it's usually felt prior to a claiming.”

“All we have to do is feel it for it to bond us?”

“No, we don't have to do anything for the bond to draw us together and guide us. It's a gift. It's there until we reject it. Or . . .”

“Or what?”

“I'm getting ahead of myself.” Thax held up a hand. “Let's go in order: private claim, public claim, and then marriage. That's how it goes for normal Aethari couples.”

“But you're not normal.” She nudged him.

“Neither are you, Liri. Far from it.” He kissed her cheek.

“Thax, why are you so nervous?”

“This is important, Liri.” He took her hand. “A destiny bond is sacred. It's more important than any other bond in my culture. It even frees you from previous commitments. If, say, you were betrothed to someone else.”

Her eyes lit with understanding. “You mean if we claim each other through this destined bond thing, you don't have to marry that other woman?”

“I didn't lie to you before when I said I could refuse to marry her. I could have ended the betrothal myself. But yes, if I were to declare a destiny bond, I wouldn't have to justify ending the betrothal. It would simply be voided. No explanation needed.”

“Declare, not claim?”

“Yes, the claiming was already done. So, back to the procedure. Because we have been blessed by Source, there are a few extra steps for us. We privately claimed each other, publicly claimed, acknowledged the destiny bond, and now, if you wish to, we can publicly declare that we're bonded.”

“What would that entail?”

“We stand before witnesses and state that we are destru and destra. It's even simpler than public claiming. No posturing or motions to go through. We just speak the truth and are heard. The most important witness is Source itself.”

“Destra,” she whispered. “I heard you use that word tonight. It scared that woman.”