Page 128 of Castle of the Cursed
It takes him so long to answer that I almost get upset, until I realize he’s nervous. I’ve yet to see the shadow beast like this.
“Among my kind, there is no stronger bond than the one forged in blood,” he says, his voice taut. “The blood-bond is an eternal vow that means you are mine, and I am yours.”
I catch a barely detectable quiver in his voice.
“You said it’s for procreation,” I say, halfway between statement and question.
“Not exclusively,” he says. “It is also used when two Bleeders want to bind themselves to each other forever.”
My heart seems to triple in size, threatening to crack its cage.
“If you were my blood-bound,” he goes on, his voice as deep as a velvet night, “your blood would imprint on mine, and mine would imprint on yours. Bleeder blood will give you a boost of power for facing your sister, and our bond will hopefully keep me with you even if the spell breaks.”
My chest feels too full to speak. Is Sebastián proposing?
He takes my hand, but my whole body has gone numb, and I can barely feel his grip. “With your Brálaga blood in my system,” he says, “I could perform the chanting required for the Book’s containment spell. I would also have access to Brálaga-only spaces. Though I do not have a twin, my power more than equals that of two humans.”
He’s proposing to protect me. “Are you serious?” is all I can think to say.
“Must I repeat it a third time?” he whispers, pressing a kiss to my hand. “I choose you over everything.”
“But what if—”
“If your life were not in peril?” he injects. “Yes, I would still want you to be my blood-bound.”
“Thank you,” I say with a small grin. “But I was going to ask, what if I become one of you?”
His smile is like two stars colliding, and I feel blessed by the sight. “That will not happen. As I explained, Bleeders are born, not made. Once your sister believes I am gone and leaves her body to attempt entering yours, I can return and begin chanting.”
“Unless the bond doesn’t keep you here,” I can’t keep from saying. “Depends on if our love is stronger than her magic.”
“I believe it is.” His eyes are still giving off light. “After reading an entire bookshelf of romance novels, I gather this is how your kind does it.”
Sebastián drops down on one knee, and I think I’m going to faint.
“Estela Amador Brálaga, will you be my blood-bound?”
The smile on my face is so monstrous that I can barely form the word. “Yes.”
His mouth meets mine.
I savor different flavors in his kiss tonight, many of which I’ve never tasted, and when I open my eyes again, we’re standing in the lunar temple, surrounded by the words No hay luz en Oscuro. The day’s dying light shines through the stained glass windows, illuminating all eight stages of the moon.
He brings my hand to his face. “With this drink,” he says, “I seal my vow to honor and protect you.”
I wince as his fangs break my skin and sink into my wrist. After he drinks my blood, he brings his own wrist to his mouth and bites.
“Your turn,” he says, blood dripping down his chin.
I repeat what I heard him say: “With this drink—”
“Start with my name.”
“Sorry, right. Um, Prince Bastian, also known as Sebastián.”
He arches a brow as he offers me his wrist.
“With this drink,” I say, “I seal my vow to honor and protect you.” Then I press my mouth to the puncture wounds on his skin and suck.
