Valkhara
It was surreal.
I was sitting at Nyra's rickety-ass table, sipping magical tea from a chipped cup with two blood-drunk, bond-crazed vampires on either side of me like we were at some dysfunctional family brunch.
Sevrin looked like he was one eye twitch away from burning the whole cottage down. Azric kept glancing at every herb jar like one of them was cursed, which, to be fair, they probably were.
Nyra? Unbothered. Cross-legged on the counter, barefoot, stirring her mug with a cinnamon stick like she wasn't hosting two immortal soulmates and a walking magical time bomb.
"So," she said, "how's everyone feeling now that we've acknowledged the forest wants to eat one or all of us?"
Sevrin scowled. "Do you always make jokes when talking about ancient powers that can flay us alive?"
"Only when I'm stuck in a room with two undead control freaks and a girl who accidentally started a forest soul tether."
Azric raised his cup and muttered, "To bad decisions."
"I heard that," I said.
He smirked into his tea.
Sevrin glanced down at his cup like it might bite him. "Do vampires even drink tea?"
"No," Azric said without looking up. "I just want to feel included."
Sevrin took a sip—and immediately choked.
Coughed. Gagged. Smacked his chest with his fist.
Nyra blinked. "What in the nine hells—"
He finally got his breath back and wheezed, "What's in this?"
"Bloodroot, herbs to keep your magic from flaring, and a little lemon zest," she said sweetly.
"You tried to kill me with citrus?"
I snorted into my cup. "You literally impaled a demon wolf with your bare hands and this is what takes you out?"
"I wasn't prepared!" he snapped.
Nyra leaned in, smile razor-sharp. "You'll live, Vampire Ken. Barely."
Azric shook his head. "This is the most chaotic court I've ever been part of."
"You're not in my court," I muttered.
He looked at me. "Aren't we?"
Nyra clapped her hands once. "Alright. Now that tea time has gone to hell, can we discuss the part where Valkhara accidentally blood-bound herself to me and probably triggered a forest-wide magical alert?"
Sevrin's head whipped toward me. "You what?"
I froze mid-sip.
Azric blinked once. "Come again?"
Nyra wiggled her fingers. "She made a blood oath. Cut her palm, spilled it on the dirt, and said she'd never hurt me. Apparently, that means something now."
Sevrin was very still. "You made a binding vow… while carrying two mating marks… on sacred forest ground?"
"I didn't know—!"
Azric groaned. "Of course she didn't."
I slammed my cup down. "I'm right here, you assholes."
Nyra leaned forward. "Look. It's done. And whether the forest accepted it or not, something shifted. I felt it. You both probably felt it. The ground moved. The roots bent toward her. That doesn't happen unless something deep recognizes you."
Azric looked at me, dead serious. "The forest doesn't just see power. It claims it."
"Great," I muttered. "Now I'm soul-bound to you two, tethered to a forest, and magically married to a tea witch."
Nyra raised her mug. "Cheers."
Sevrin stood abruptly. "We need to leave. Now."
"What?" I asked, startled.
He turned to me, eyes glowing faintly. "The Trials begin in less than twenty-four hours. If you're not in the Court by then, you forfeit your claim."
Azric nodded. "And if you forfeit, the other Houses will try to strip you of your bond rights. That means they'll hunt you down and try to sever the mateship."
Nyra blinked. "Wait. Is that even possible?"
Azric's voice was cold. "If the council thinks she's a threat to the bloodline balance? They'll try anything. Especially now."
I swallowed. "Because of the forest?"
"Because of you," Sevrin said.
Azric nodded. "Your marks are active. Your bond is unstable. And you've already triggered a magical surge in one of the oldest places in the realm. That's not subtle."
Nyra crossed her arms. "So what's the plan? She goes back to the castle and what? Pretends to be a good little bonded female while the council stares her down and waits to cut her throat?"
"No," I said. "I don't pretend."
Sevrin looked at me. "Then you had better be ready to fight."
I stood slowly. My power stirred like heat under my skin. "I've already killed for this place once. If they want to test me again… let them try."
Azric smiled faintly. "There she is."
Nyra groaned. "Ugh, I hate that I'm getting attached."
"You're not," I told her.
She tossed a cloak at me. "Get dressed. You're not walking into that castle looking like you just rolled out of bed with half the undead population."
Sevrin coughed again. "She literally did."
"Shut up," I and Azric said in unison.