I sent a crow to Papi and explained my situation to him, the reason I wanted to marry Blake in secret. I loved him more than life itself and they ordered me to sit this one out. We have to make it official forever.
I waited a day for a crow back and Blake laid on my bed as the bird nipped my finger.
I brought it to my lips and Blake shooed the bird away, not deserving a treat.
He took my finger and kissed it softly. The pulsing got replaced by buzzing and when he pulled it back from his lips, the slight wound was closed.
“I thought this one was messed up?”
“I learned after Lucian’s incident. It used to hurt the crap out of others. It wasn’t as gentle as Constance’s healing and got better with her help.”
I opened the letter and there were only two words written on it. Where and When.
I smiled and showed Blake the letter. He raised his left eyebrow. “He sure is a romantic.”
“He is. I think we remind him a lot about his dent. They did the same. Back then, they only had the Vastech ceremony. There weren’t churches and priests to marry a dragon and human pair.”
“I know he isn’t royalty.”
My abdomen pulsed with a hint of laughter as Blake still tried to guess what his ordeal was with the women of this family and the ancient. “No.”
“Your dad knew?”
“You would ask anything to find out who he is.”
“My dad told me he made yours crazy with how obsessive he was over your mom. It worried him and he investigated. After a while, yours stopped.”
“He told you why?”
“Your dad didn’t share that part with mine. So he doesn’t know. He just said that he wasn’t a threat.”
“He isn’t.”
“Your dad knew.”
“He found out for himself. My mom didn’t tell him.”
“So your mom knew?”
“Of course she knew. I promised him. Don’t make me break my promise, please?”
“Fine.”
I looked at the letter again. He didn’t ask for witnesses, and I guessed he would look after that part.
“Tomorrow night,” Blake said.
My left eyebrow lifted. “That fast?”
“We go in on Sunday. I would like to spend some time with my wife.” He kissed my shoulder and the reality of saying I do to him and what usually happens on the honeymoon hit me like a tidal wave. Crap.
I shook it off fast. I only cared about him. Whatever happened, happened. I wrote tomorrow. “What time?”
“Seven.”
I wrote the time.
“I know the perfect place, too. It’s close by, secretive.”
“Which is?”
“The View Top Mountain.”
“Your mountain?”
“Yeah, I promised to take you there once we get the flying thing down. He has many ways to get there.”
“Okay.” I wrote the place down and handed it to Blake.
He squinted as he took the note from my hands. “Are you sure you want to do this?”
“I asked you. That should be my question.”
“Don’t dodge the question.”
“Always.”
He kissed me on the tip of my nose and rolled up the note before squawking like a crow.
The crow came and landed on Blake’s hand. He bent down closer to the crow and stared it in the eyes. “No biting.”
The crow’s eyes turned green.
“Blake?”
“I told you it comes in handy. He’ll be okay.”
He opened the tube that was on the grow’s leg, and then dunk the note in there, closing the lid. The crow flew away, and I looked at it disappearing on the horizon.
“How do they do that?”
“Disappearing into thin air?”
I nodded.
“Crows are different here. They are born with magic, as they were messengers a long time ago.”
Blake turned around and pulled me closer to him. “One more day. I have to go, arrange a couple of things.” He kissed me on top of my head and left. “See you later.” He closed the door behind him. I was grateful for my roommates to give us time alone. I had a feeling that Becky was still not used to him.
I met them at the cafeteria for dinner. They visited one of Vicky’s friends that she shared a room with during orientation week.
Blake was nowhere to be seen during dinner, and I wondered what he was planning.
I blushed as some sort of break alone with him popped up in my head. Crap, I didn’t think about that. I just wanted to have him forever linked to me if something might happen.
My throat dried, and I swallowed hard.
It’s Blake, Elena, not some stranger. Was it too fast, no? We would’ve ended in front of an altar saying our I dos.
My stomach eased up as a warmth spread through my core. It was going to be an easy promise to forever.
I smelled Blake on my pillow the next morning. Tonight was going to be the night we were going to promise each other forever. I didn’t have to worry about vows, as the Vastech came with traditional vows. What I learned through mysteries, Vastechs were special and meant to last forever. I didn’t care if my father could annul it. Maybe that was why my grandfather changed his mind. Because the promises they made during the Vastech were sacred and magical.
It was one reason I loved the tradition so much and to have Papi performed it was an honor. He was blood.
I hated my father wouldn’t be there, but he wouldn’t understand. He would say I was too young to make this sort of promise. He would say I wasn’t ready for the responsibility, as the commitment would always be there.
Still, I was nervous about tonight, after the wedding. I learned in school what happens, but I never had friends that went through it.
“Hey, you okay?” Becky asked as Sammy and Vicky left.
I shook my head.
“Anything I can help with?”
“I don’t know.” Heat warmed my cheeks.
“Oh-oh, you took a step further with Blake?”
“No.” I closed my eyes.
“You want to?”
I nodded, not being able to look at her. I wasn’t going into the Vastech thing with her.
“My first time sucked, but it’s different for you. He is your dragon, your dent. Dents are so romantic. You don’t have to be insecure about your feelings, as you know it will last forever. I always had this dream of being a dent. I had an imaginary dragon when I was little. The other piece of my soul.”
I chuckled.
“What do you want to know?”
“Does it really hurt?”
“It does, but it’s not that painful. It only hurts for like a few minutes and I’m sure if they know what they are doing, like I can imagine dragons do, they would make it special for the other one.”
I nodded.
“It’s about what he is going to do on Sunday. Are you scared?”
“A little, but it’s not the reason. It’s forever, even longer. I can’t explain this feeling I have inside. I want it to be forever.”
She smiled. “I understand. Go for it. Blake is the right one for you. He will never leave you, he will always protect you, he will die for you. He had proven it when Tabitha froze you. Everyone was terrified, and all I thought about was how deep his love was. I envy you, Elena.”
“Please don’t. You will meet someone that will love you too, Becky.”
“Not like that. There is only one dent in an era, two in this one. What are the chances of a third one?”
I got what she was saying.
“You want to go for breakfast, or do you have more questions?”
“No, I’m good. Let’s go.”
We left and didn’t speak another word of it. Becky was great at secrets.
