A Song of Silence

Chapter 122: An Oath in the Dark

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"Azazel...why are we here to see a rock?" I ask quietly. He stays silent as I ramble on, "I mean, it is a very...mossy and...well guarded rock, but it still...well...you get my point, right?"

Azazel smiles at my failure to diplomatically ask what the hell we are doing coming to see a rock. "We are here, my beautiful wife, because this rock is special."

"Special how?" I ask skeptically.

"Ever heard of the story of the first mates?"

"You mean the old fable that everyone is told when they are little about two mates love story that eventually ended in tragedy?" I summarize quietly. In truth, it was a story about two people madly in love battling many enemies, conquering cities and eventually fighting the moon in an attempt to keep themselves from being separated. When they were finally killed by the moon, it turned them into stars and placed them on opposite sides of the galaxy so that they could never cause such tragedy with their love ever again. The moon felt their sorrow spanning across the night sky and created a mate bond to connect them despite the distance between them. They became the first mates and their story was told to all young fae children to let them hope to find a mate of their own. Few ever found their mates though despite the search.

"Yes, that story," Azazel says sardonically.

"Well," I prompt, "What about it?"

"Did you ever think that there was any truth to that story?" He asks carefully.

"No, not really. Mostly I thought it was a foolish story meant to give people hope when they had none."

"You thought?"Azazel repeats.

"Well obviously now I think differently, but I'm still failing to see the point of us being here."

"The point," Azazel says slowly, "Is to show you the truth of my devotion to you."

"And this rock will accomplish that?" I ask skeptically.

"This rock had been in my family for generations. We have been tasked with guarding it and keeping it safe."

"Why?" I ask quietly.

"Because this is the rock that the first two mates died upon when they fought the moon. The moon placed the magic of the mate bond into this stone so that everyone would be given the chance to have their kind of bond. That is why there are so many guards. They protect the stone with their lives for the sake of mate bonds in the past, present, and future. Of the stone is destroyed, then the same will happen to mate bonds."

"Okay, that's kinda cool, but I'm still confused as to why I am here."

"It is considered to be the greatest dedication of one's love to their mate if they were to shed their blood on this stone. It symbolizes their absolute devotion to each other."

"Azazel, that's awfully sweet of you to bring me here, but I already know that you care for me greatly. You don't need to shed your blood here to prove they to me. Also, I'm sending there is a catch if you shed your blood on the stone."

"How perceptive you are, my beautiful wife. Indeed, there is a catch for shedding your blood."

"Well, what is it?" I ask.

"You are to be forever tied together for the rest of your lives. No divorce or drunken mistakes with strangers. Death will take you both if you are separated."

"So, distance wise...would that be impacted too?"

"Luckily no. But it would mean that there would be no others for either of us, despite the centuries."

"I never intended for there to be another Azazel and I think it is the same with you."

"Indeed it is."

"So, you brought us here because you wanted to give us the option to shed our blood here?"

"Yes, but I hold no expectation for you to shed your blood. Many fae mates find themselves unable to make their relationship work despite their compatibility from the mate bond. If you chose to shed blood here, then these is no turning back."

"Do you intend to shed your blood?" I ask.

"Yes, I do."

"Then I will do it as well."

"Only if you are absolutely sure," Azazel says quietly.

Placing my hands on either side of his head, I say, "We are doing this together, you ass."

My words bring a smile to his face, "Very well, my love." Taking a dagger from his waist, Azazel slices a thin cut in the center of his palm. Blood wells from the cut and Azazel compresses his palm until the blood coats his fingers. He hands the knife to me. I wince as I slice my hand with the dagger as well. The blood wells up immediately and I look to Azazel for direction. "We both place our bloodied palms on the stone." I nod. "You know it's not to late to back out if you don't wish it," Azazel says hesitantly. I look to Azazel and meet his eyes as i slams my bloodied palm on the stone. Pride fills his eyes as magic fills the room and he too slams his hand down on the stone.

The smell and feel of magic thickens in the room as our blood mixes and drips off the side of the rock. An almost imperceptible change in the air occurs and then Azazel and I remove our hands from the stone. I look to Azazel confused. There is no change in the air, no invisible link or bond. The magic in the air disappears and Azazel and I are left staring at each other, blood from our hands slowly dripping on the floor. Azazel leads me outside to the horses where he grabs gauze out of his nap sack and bandages my hand and then his own. We don't speak. Not until a dark clothed figure approaches us from behind.

Turning, Azazel and I study her. She wears worn leather armor and seems to be well trained and muscled. Her head is bald and she carries a spear in her hand. She does not brandish her weapon, but her message is clear enough. She will kill us if necessary and feel no remorse for it. "Congratulations for your oaths Your Highnesses. It takes a great connection for two to swear an oath such as this. Your marriage is sure to be fraught with frustrations because of your positions, but this oath proves of your devotion to one another."

"Thank you for your praise, Great Protector, and thank you for allowing us to make such an oath." Azazel replies diplomatically.

"I am obligated to remind you that if your oath is broken, no matter the circumstances, my warriors and I will be obligated to hunt you down and kill you. And we never lose our prey," the Great Protector says, her face as immovable and cold as stone.

"We were aware of the risks, but thank you for your reminder. If it is permissible, my wife and I would like to be on our way." Azazel asks.

"Yes, Your Highness. It is permissible, but you must also remember to keep a secret of this place as you always have." She says.

"I will do so and my wife will do the same," Azazel replies. The cold gaze of the woman turns to me waiting for me to speak.

"I will keep this place a secret," I say. Nodding, the Great Protector turns and two other similar looking women with spears appear from the woods. They station themselves in front of the doors to the hut and say nothing more. With our wounds bandaged, Azazel and I mount the horses and make our way away from the house.

It is only when we are past the city that I finally speak, "Rather protective of that rock, aren't they?"

Azazel takes a moment before replying, "They have to be. Many seek to destroy it."

"Well I think it seems rather cool to be a protector of the rock. You get a spear and to shave your head."

"You have to abstain from marriage, sex, or anything that might make your thoughts waver from protecting the stone."

"Damn."

This makes him laugh. He then asks, "Would you like to see the three surprise I have in store for you?"

"There's more?" Azazel says nothing as he waits for my answer. "Alright let's go to your other surprise." Azazel only nods as he grabs my wrist and shadow ports us to our new location.