Page 4 of Stars in Umbra (The Sable Riders #8)
They were almost too celestial to be real, tall and luminous, their silver skin dusted with opalescent light, their robes billowing around them like mist.
Their harps were crafted from crystal vines and cosmic strings, and their first notes fell like moonlight on water, a sound that made every heart in the vicinity ache.
The crowd stirred as the groom appeared, drawing an audible breath of admiration and a few whistles from the Riders.
Ki’Remi strode down the aisle with the gravitas of a war general and the lithe grace of a bladed warrior.
Power rippled underneath the black ceremonial robe that hung from his shoulders, fastened with metallic clasps shaped like twin lions.
His collarbones were etched with glowing meta-sigils symbolizing his upcoming union.
A wreath of midnight laurels crowned his locks that fell in a wave over his upper arms, flickering with kinetic energy.
He stopped before Kainan, who was officiating the first part of the ceremony.
With a jerk of his chin at his boss khan , he took his place beneath a ring of suspended lanterns that hovered in a halo of gold.
‘May we be upstanding for the bride?’ Mirage intoned, and all guests, mortal and meta alike, rose.
The music shifted into a lilting wedding march, as the floating chandeliers above them shimmered.
Issa glimmered into view at the start of the aisle, and the crowd gasped.
Rina craned her head to get a look at the bride and forgot to breathe.
As did her groom, for when Rina swiveled her head to glance at him, Ki’Remi was blinking hard to fight back tears.
The stunning woman moved forward like starlight incarnate, her silver-threaded gown clinging to her curves, the gossamer trains behind her drifting like spun cloud.
The fabric caught every flicker of the lanterns above, scattering sparkles of illumination with each step.
Her golden hair cascaded down her back in soft, brushed waves, crowned with a diamond tiara shaped like a crescent moon rising over a forest canopy.
She was barefoot, grounding her ethereal beauty with the touch of the earth.
In her hands, she carried a bouquet of rare Eden II blossoms, glowing gold and white, their petals glimmering.
When she reached Ki’Remi’s side, he turned, jaw tight with emotion, his meta eyes still misting over.
With a possessive growl, he drew her into him with a sinewed arm around her waist.
The pair radiated an incandescent love, so profound and visible that it cloaked the space encircling them.
Their guests released a soft, unified sigh.
A knot formed in Rina’s throat, envy curling hot for a fraction of a second before she tamped it down and let herself smile.
She was truly happy for them.
Kainan raised a hand, and the congregation sat.
Ki’Remi and Issa turned to each other and began to speak their vows.
First in Kwavi, led by the Rider’s Khan .
Once done, he stepped back, and a hush fell again as a Sacran priestess, the Matriarch of Eryaleth, floated forward.
Her skin was silver-gold, lit with tiny points of light of crushed diamonds embedded across her cheeks and shoulders.
Her eyes were twin opals, ancient and knowing.
She lifted her hands and recited the Bonding Benediction of the Ancients, a blessing older than the moons, meant for warriors and lovers destined to face eternity together.
The couple intoned the melodic words, laced with emotional and deep feeling.
‘I give you my fire, that it may warm you, not burn you.
I give you my storm, that it may shield you, not break you.
I give you my name, not as a chain, but as a promise.’
Issa responded, voice steady, eyes lit like twin suns.
‘I give you my light, that it may guide you, not blind you.
I give you my wind, that it may carry you, not scatter you.
I give you my love, that it may free you, not bind you.’
They exchanged rings, their promises ringing loud and true. The air between them hummed with a sacred energy that vibrated in the chests of all who witnessed it.
Then, in a moment that would be seared into every memory present, Ki’Remi dipped his bride into his arms. One arm banded around her waist while his other hand, the one with his new wedding band, gently braced over her heart.
As he kissed her, it wasn’t just a seal of marriage but a vow of devotion that thundered in each witness’s chest. Their kiss wasn’t a spectacle; it was a reckoning, a warrior’s promise, and an immortal claim of each other.
The crowd erupted into jubilant cheers.
Lanterns flared into firework bursts of light above, and the harpists shifted into a triumphant tempo.
In the midst of all of it, Rina sat in her seat, fighting back tears, soul aching both in happiness and in longing.
This joy and exuberant love were what she longed for and was uncompromising in her pursuit of them.
A bloom of light exploded overhead, and thousands of white and gilded petals cascaded down like whispers from the gods.
They were joined by a thousand strands of bioluminescent confetti, shimmering in shades of pearl, sapphire, and molten gold.
The eco-crafted filaments caught the light, refracting it into tiny rainbows as they spiraled through the air.
Rina lifted her face to the beauty, as if a hallowed rainfall had come from the heavens.
The couple walked down the aisle to the cheers of their guests, hand in hand and radiant. Issa’s gown moved like liquid radiance, her luminous skin shimmering beneath the falling glow.
Ki’Remi strode beside her, his handsome face lit with a broad, devastating smile.
They descended the petal-strewn walkway to the sound of Kwavi drums, strings, and a sky-borne chorus belting out an old Sacran hymn.
As they passed, guests reached out, and according to Sacran tradition, attached petite tokens of diamonds and braided jewels onto their clothes while whispering blessings.
‘It’s so poignant,’ Sheba whispered to Rina.
‘So freakin’ romantic,’ Rina agreed.
Moments later, she, too, stretched over to whisper her blessing and pin a small emerald in a pouch onto Issa’s veil.
‘Congratulations on a stunning ceremony. I shed a tear.’
Issa gave both her and Sheba a smile and a wink.
‘ Sante for joining us . You two are radiant today. You’re beautiful enough to enamor all the single men in this place. I predict that we’ll soon have another coupling as divine as mine.’
The way she said it, her eyes flaring with sacred demi-goddess energy, was sufficient to imbue Rina with hope that she, too, would one day enjoy such celestial love.