Charlotte Boyett-Compo- WIND VERSE- Hunger's Harmattan, Unknown [best ebook for manga TXT] 📗

happiness ever and her heart swelled with pride as shebeheld the man with whom she would share the rest of her days.

The high priest spoke as Shanee came tostand in front of Ailyn.

“Who comes to seek the blessing of Alel onthis ritual?” the high priest asked.

“I, Lord Ailyn LeVey Harmattan, Duke ofKentsington of Riezell, have come to seek the Great God’s blessing.”

“And I, Princess Shanee Lykopis of theRoyal House of Iphito of Amazeen, have come to seek the Great God’s blessing.”

Ailyn blinked. “Lykopis?” he whispered.

“She-wolf,” his soon-to-be wife whisperedin reply.

“And who has come to seek a mate for theJoining?” the high priest queried.

“I, Ailyn, have come to seek a mate for theJoining.”

“And I, Shanee, have come to seek a matefor the Joining.”

“Who vouches for this man? What say you ofhim?”

“I, Tariq, Prime Reaper of Theristes. He isa good and worthy man.”

“And who vouches for this woman? What sayyou of her?”

“I, Bahiya, mate of the Prime Reaper ofTheristes. She is a good and worthy woman.”

“Is there one among you who has reason tobelieve this Joining should not take place or that it would be invalid?” Thehigh priest looked about him.

No one spoke.

“Since I have tested this man and found himworthy of Joining, and since he is free to take unto himself a bride, since Ihave tested this woman and found her worthy of Joining, and since she is freeto take unto herself a groom, and since there is no one who believes thisJoining should not take place or would be invalid, I declare this Joining canbe made!” the high priest proclaimed.

The ceremony was a blur for Ailyn. Hemouthed the appropriate responses but his mind was on the woman at his side.Her hand in his made his entire body burn with need. Her beauty was drawing himlike a moth to the flame. He had become lost in her eyes, reciting his words byrote though they came directly from his heart. As he listened to her repeat hervows to him, he felt moisture gathering in his eyes.

“Ailyn?”

He had to tear his gaze from Shanee to lookat Tariq.

“Your shirt,” Tariq repeated for his friendobviously had not heard him the first time.

“My shirt?” Ailyn repeated, completely at aloss.

“Unbutton your left sleeve and fold itback,” Tariq said, his lips twitching with his effort not to laugh.

Though he had no idea why he should, Ailyndid as Tariq ordered more because the Prime Reaper’s subliminally directedvoice bid him to do so without question. He unbuttoned his shirtsleeve andfolded the cuff back twice. He stared down at his bare wrist as Tariq steppedforward and slid a golden bracelet over his hand and onto his wrist.

“Where did you get these?” Ailyn asked.

“I made them for you,” Tariq said as Bahiyaslipped a similar band upon Shanee’s arm.

“The outward sign of your union, your linkto one another, your eternal reminder that you are now responsible to anotherfor your actions, is the Band of Devotion that will be placed on each of you byyour attendants. With this symbol, you will be joined for all time. Let all whowitness the placement of these bands know you are one to another, forever asone, never to be parted by anything or anyone under penalty of death.” The highpriest laid his hands on each of the bracelets they now wore. “As this woman isnow a part of you, Ailyn, and this man a part of you, Shanee, so shall thesebracelets be a part of you. As your wife and your husband may not be taken fromyou, so must these bracelets never be removed for they are the symbols ofeternal union sanctioned by the gods, endorsed by Reaper Law, witnessed bythose gathered and blessed by my own hands as a representative of Alel on thisworld.” He lifted Ailyn’s and Shanee’s arms above their heads. “Before gods and man, I declare this man andwoman husband and wife,” the high priest pronounced. “May nothing sever theirJoining!”

A loudresounding cheer rang out over those assembled.

It was a verysweet, chaste kiss that bound them together before the villagers. Their lipstouched briefly but their eyes were locked in a fiery dance of passion thatmade them both shiver.

“I love you,”Ailyn told his bride.

“As I loveyou,” she said.

“Feast!”someone called out, and before another word could be spoken by the couple,eager hands latched on to them and escorted them to the long plank tables wherethick cushions on the ground eagerly awaited the diners.

Long into theearly hours of the morning the villagers celebrated the Joining. The food thathad been prepared by the women was excellent and filling, the wine free-flowingand heady. Music added to the festive air and couples broke away from thetables to dance to the live jigs played with bodhráns, tin whistles,concertinas, fiddles and uilleann pipes. Children scampered about longpast their bedtimes on such a wondrous occasion as a wedding and played tagwith one another.

In the spreadingmango tree where Ailyn in his raven form had sat the day before, another mannow sat with his body close to the trunk. No one saw him there in the tree forhe had placed around him a cloak of mist so that should anyone look his way, hewould be well hidden from their view. He sat there watching the festivitiesuntil the Joining couple rose from the table and walked toward their hut. Hishungry gaze followed Shanee until the Reaper swept his bride up into his armsand carried her into the hut.

Fierce longingfor what he knew he could never have flooded the watcher and he sighed deeplybefore vanishing in a swirling mist of black vapor.

* * * * *

Ailyn set his lady gently on her feet andput his hands to her cheeks to pull her face slowly to his. The kiss he gaveher was no less chaste or soft than the one he’d given after the Joining. Itwas a reverent kiss that held passionate promise.

“What’s on your mind, ehemann?” sheasked as he stepped back and swept his gaze down her silver net gown.

“Ripping that beautiful thing from yourbody, but it is too stunning. Where did you come by it?”

Shanee smiled. “Would