Page 129 of Inked in Bloom
In a blink, Dani shifts and vanishes into the soil. At least our magic still works here, even if I don’t fully understand this place that Time has carved to defy the laws of nature I’ve grown up abiding by.
“Skylar. Torynn.” I step forward despite the apprehension the bolts cause. There are a dozen Storms and one of me, and I’m not deluded enough to think I can take them. One strike and I’ll be out, will miss my window back once again. “I know what it’s like to feel abandoned by your mate. Unwanted.”
“She may have ignored the bond, but Monroe never abandoned me.”
Doubt creeps across my mind. It’s been weeks since I’ve seen her. What if this time apart strengthens her resolve about not wanting a mate?
My stomach churns.
“Maybe not,” Skylar says. “But what happens years from now when she doesn’t accept the bond? Maybe you’ve been able to counteract the effects so far, but eventually it will be too hard to be around her. The continual rejection. Having to repress your symptoms each solstice no matter how much you’d rather give in to your instincts. I didn’t become immortal to endure an eternity of suffering.” Her eyessoften. “Don’t you see, Briar? You should be happy for me. Now I can be with someone who wants me too.”
“You deserve all that and more, Skylar. But the bond isn’t meant to be broken. There must be some catch.”
“I didn’t believe it at first either.” Kara steps out from the row and raises her arm to her fellow Storms. Their bolts fizzle out, and they catch the clouds in their palms before they vanish. “Fate claims there isn’t a way, and we’ve been conditioned to believe her as the most powerful of us all. That’s simply not true.Timehas a way.”
“We all deserve to be loved,” Skylar says. “Don’t you want to be with someone who feels the same way about you?”
I do. Of course, I do. How many days and nights had I dreamed of my mate until my mark arrived? How often did I wish Monroe would be as certain of us as I am?
“I appreciate the offer, but I think I’ll hang on to my bond. It may hurt, but it’smine, and as long as I have this”—I press my hand over my shirt where the mate mark lingers beneath—“I have hope.”
“For your sake, I hope she changes her mind.” Skylar strides toward me and hugs me close, whispering in my ear, her voice laced with pity. “I appreciate you coming here and making sure I’m okay. But you should go back. Tell anyone who asks not to worry about me.”
Guiding our hands over my chest, I press my forehead against hers.
“You can tell them yourself,” I whisper, praying I’m doing the right thing.
My nose twitches.
Her eyes widen.
A bolt of white-hot rage spears my side.
The world tips and everything spins into darkness.
51
MONROE
Fairy lights twinkle, floating midair above beds of fresh soil andflowers transplanted to The Nestling Fields from The Greenhouse. Oversized bunny ear sculptures—some pricked, others flopped—are peppered throughout the grass, creations that took Briar and I weeks to configure. Once I’d modeled them from clay, he’d figured out the best way to use our magic and make them life size, adding leather-covered cushioned shells for use during the bacchanal.
Each couple participating in the ceremony had a reserved flower bed with a raised dais for them to take their rites at the center. Canvas stretched over the wooden platform, and in the corner of each flower bed sat a metal bucket holding tubes of paint, lube, and various sex toys—compliments of the Solstice Center. Lining three of the hedge walls, harbingers scoped out the sheer tents with blankets and lush pillows tucked within, a place of semi-privacy for anyone who wanted it. On the final wall, a row of tables boasted trays of macarons, scones, fresh breads, and decadent truffles, and in each corner were water stations to keep the participants and fellow revelers hydrated.
Watching every Bloom’s jaw drop upon entering The Nestling Fields made all the effort leading up to today’sevent worth it. All that was left was facilitating the rites and once things evolved from there, I’d become a mere spectator.
But then Cherri arrives. Alone.
My face falls and I hurry over to her. “What’s wrong?”
“They’re not here?” Her eyes dart around the space, clearly disappointed.
“I figured Dani was with you.”
“They should have been, but they never showed, and I can’t reach them.” She rubs her chest and frowns. “Our bond—it’s silent.”
A heavy stone drops into my gut, nausea rocking me from the inside. I quiet my mind of all the chatter and excitement buzzing around us…
Nothing.
