Page 107 of The Masked Fae (Royal Fae of Rose Briar Woods 1)

The entire process takes him less than five minutes. When he’s satisfied, he turns, looking somewhat unsure of himself. He studies the ring, rolling it between his fingers.

I wait, and my stomach grows anxious as the seconds stretch between us.

“Is it for…?” I ask.

He traces the metal band with his fingertip. “If you’d like it.”

My pulse quickens. “It’s beautiful.”

“Rings have fallen out of tradition with the Fae,” he says, still looking at the piece of jewelry he created so quickly. “Hundreds of years ago, they were used in marital binding ceremonies before we adopted the human tradition of weddings. A vow is sufficient now, without the added binding magic, especially amongst the people of West Faerie. Rings have lost their meaning, and some snub them altogether because of what they represented in the past.”

“Because of what they represented?”

“The traditional binding ceremony is considered archaic. When you enter into it, the magic literally binds your existence to your partner’s. You can’t stray far without enduring physical pain, and when one dies, the other perishes as well. A ring seals the vow.”

I nod, unsure what to say.

“But when you speak of your grandmother’s ring, you make it sound as if it’s a symbol of love. Of devotion and honor.” He looks up, and his dark eyes meet mine. “Because of the illanté tether, we’re bound for life, Alice. Perhaps there is a way to break the oath, but the truth is, I don’t want to let you go.”

My breath quickens, and I wait for him to continue.

“You and I will never be allowed to marry in Faerie. Even if we put aside the tether, it’s forbidden for a Faerie to marry a human.”

“Why?” I whisper.

“Because my people believe it dilutes our magic. Eventually, if we intermarried with humans, there would be no Fae left. We, as a people, and our magic, would cease to exist.”

“But you said Fae men have human mistresses. Aren’t children inevitable?”

He shakes his head solemnly. “There are charms and spells to prevent it.”

“Oh,” I say softly.

“If we’re together, then I want our union to be legal, lawful, and right. I want a family, and eventually children…and you.”

I swallow as my heart begins to race. “If we’re together? But you just said…”

“Marry me, Alice,” Brahm says softly. “Let’s go into Valsta and elope. No one will marry us here, but that doesn’t mean we cannot be married in human territory.”

“You want to marry me?” I whisper, sure I must have misunderstood.

Brahm takes my hand. “We’ll live in Faerie for a time, until we decide to begin a family, and then we’ll leave. We’ll go somewhere no one knows us. I’ll live like a human, disguising myself.”

“And what about your sister and brother?”

Pain crosses Brahm’s face, and he looks down.

“You can’t leave them,” I say softly. “You would regret it your entire life—it would haunt you.”

“This wasn’t my choice, Alice. I tried to let you go. You know I did. But now that we’ve been tethered, I know my limits. I cannot stay away from you, not when I’ve come to love you like I do.”

My fingers tighten around his. “Say it again.”

Brahm brings a hand to my face, gently brushing his thumb over my cheek. “I love you, Alice.”

I close my eyes, savoring the confession. When I open them, I find him watching me, waiting for my answer.

“I will marry you, Brahm. But we will remain here, keeping our vows secret so that you may remain close to your brother and sister.” I look down. “Let people believe I’m your mistress—I don’t care. We’ll know the truth, and that’s enough.”