Her smile widened, a flash of her old confidence returning. "Good." She leaned in and kissed him again, this time slow and tender, a seal on a promise unspoken. When she pulled back, her expression grew more curious. "I felt something... when you came. A pull. Like a piece of my energy went with you. Is that... is that how it works?"
He nodded, deciding on the truth. It was a risk, but this was Ravena. "That's the bond," he admitted quietly. "It's how I get stronger. I absorb a part of your Vitae, and... your abilities."
She didn't look shocked or betrayed. Instead, her eyes glittered with a fierce, possessive pride. "So you have a piece of me inside you now?" she declared, her hand sliding from his chest down to his stomach. "Then you'll never be able to forget who you belong to."
Zaeryn chuckled, pulling her closer until she was tucked against his side, her head resting on his shoulder. "I don't think I could, even if I tried."
