~ HARTH ~
He knelt before her, still holding her hand to his chest and Harth swallowed the surge of emotion when his eyes caught her and light danced within him. "Don't let go," he whispered, releasing her wrist.
Harth nodded and left her hand pressed against his chest, feeling the thud of his heart under her palm.
When he spoke, his voice was rough with emotion, but strong.
"Harth, you are my True Heart's Call, the one the Creator chose for me," he said simply, pulling the cork on the waterskin in his hand, then turning it to splash over his own palm—first one, then the other. "We belong together, bonded by the One True God, who bonds us in water to cleanse. And by that bond, I vow to you that I will never see your sin. When your heart is dark, when life soils you, you need only come to me, and in my eyes you will always be clean."
Something in her heart burst to life then and Harth stared, breathless for a moment, as she felt something take hold and begin to thrum in her chest.
Tarkyn placed the waterskin aside, then picked up his blade. Harth's eyes widened.
"We belong together, bonded by blood," he said. Harth gasped, but he didn't even flinch as he folded his hand around it and slid the blade against his own palm, blood flowing immediately.
"Tarkyn!"
He shushed her, a small smile on his face. "We belong together, bonded by the One True God, who takes my heart and yours, and mingles them. And by that bond I vow to you that I will shed my blood for you to show my heart true. When danger shadows you, I will put myself, body and soul, in its path to protect you."
That curling hum in her heart throbbed, like a babe stretching in the womb, feeling its limits and resisting them. Harth's vision blurred with tears—how could he say that and smile?! But she blinked them away, unwilling to miss a second of him giving his heart.
Then to her relief, he put aside the blade—instead reaching for that long taper of wood, examining it, frowning and blowing on the end of it so that it glowed red and orange, before he lifted it to his palm, opening it to reveal the gash he'd left there.
Harth almost took her hand from his chest, the instinct to leap to help him was so strong, but before she could, he began to draw that blazing taper along the slice, cauterizing it.
His voice barely shook as he gave her the vow. "We belong together, bound by the One True God," he said, "Who gives us to each other, tested by fire, but tested to heal. I will walk through any fire He presents for you, Harth," he said, and for the first time his voice trembled, but with emotion, not the pain. "And by that bond I vow to you that I will endure any wound to hold you, and hold safe any wound you earn on my behalf. Where you are hurt, I will soothe. Where you break, I will be your strength. I will hold the fire to heal, or give myself to it to save you, until my last breath."
Harth gave a small cry as the coiled hum in her heart burst to life, cold, tingling flames exploding from her heart, racing through her bloodstream in rhythm with her pulse. The sensation was so overwhelming, so tangible, she rocked forward, grabbing his shoulder to keep herself on her feet.
Tarkyn, worried, grabbed for her, holding her, examining her face. "Harth, are you well?" he breathed.
"Yes!" she cried on a happy sob. "Yes, Tarkyn… show me. I… I can feel you. Feel your vow. Show me how… I want to give it back to you. Please!"
"No, love, it's the vow of a soldier—"
But she curled her lip back from her teeth and with her free hand, cupped the back of his neck, demanding that he see her. "Tarkyn, do you think I haven't fought to be here? Do you think I'm no warrior? My battle might be different to yours but… please… show me."
He sucked in a breath, then nodded, his forehead pinched into lines. "Okay, okay, you're right. Of course, you're right."
And so, Harth watched, her blood aflame, her heart tearing as he guided her to wash her hands in the water and give the vow.
"…I vow to you that I will never see your sin. When your heart is dark, when life soils you, you need only come to me, and in my eyes you will always be clean."
His eyes clouded, and he picked up the blade, but hesitated before he placed it against her palm. Harth took it from him and mimicked what he'd done, folding her hand around it then drawing it out. She gasped at the pain, but didn't flinch from the vow. "…I vow to you that I will shed my blood for you to show my heart true. When danger shadows you, I will put myself, body and soul, in its path to protect you."
Tarkyn made a noise as if the blade had been thrust into his chest. When he looked up at her, it was with awe, his jaw slack.
'It's true, Tarkyn' she murmured in his mind. 'Please, let me show you.'
When he didn't move immediately, she bit her lip and leaned down to grab the end of the taper that had landed outside the flames, then lifted it up and drew along the cut in her hand, her breath coming short and fast, as that fizzing in her veins seemed to grow and throb, until it pulsed even under her fingertips, trying to force itself from her skin.
He had to tell her the words, his voice little more than a rasp. But she repeated them through tears of joy. "…I vow to you that I will endure any wound to hold you, and hold safe any wound you earn on my behalf. Where you are hurt, I will soothe. Where you break, I will be your strength. I will hold the fire to heal, or give myself to it to save you, until my last breath."
They both sagged when she threw the taper aside, into the flames, but as he stared up at her, his expression washed in wonder and disbelief, she took his hand and held it up, placing her own against it—so much smaller that her fingers didn't even reach the top knuckle of his—then twined their fingers so that their palms aligned and their wounds lay against each other.
She sucked in a breath as everything under her skin that had been seeking to get out, rushed from that place where they joined and she was rocked to the soles of her feet by the sudden knowing of him. As if he'd already entered her. As if his heart pulsed in his veins and their bloodstreams mingled.
"Harth," he croaked, his hand trembling. "Do you feel that?"
"Yes!"
"Love… my love."
"I love you, Tarkyn."
"You own me to my soul," he said on a breathless rush, then stood and, without letting go of her hand, pulled her into a searing kiss.
*****
MASS RELEASE TODAY!
Warrior Beast is going premium! To celebrate, this is the first of FIVE CHAPTERS posting today! (The other four will post in about an hour) Keep an eye out for updates and read them ASAP because pretty soon the later chapters will begin to lock.
Thank you, thank you, thank you from the bottom of my heart. You've given this book such a great first month, I will be grateful forever... oh... and have you checked out that awesome event Webnovel are doing for Warrior Beast, and the whole BEAST series? There's some REALLY cool extras available on there--go take a look now! (You can find it in the Events tab of your profile inbox, or through the Halloween Event button in the library--just hit the "Warrior Beast" block at the bottom of the event!)