Broken

.4.

"Alright, I need your medallion." Ghilesh held out a wrinkled hand and I swallowed as I grasped it tightly in my hand. He narrowed his eyes at me slightly. "Girly, I need the pendant to do the bonding. I'll be taking Rhex's too." His voice was gruff but not angry and I quickly slipped the pendant over my head before I could think about it too much. I felt cold without it and I resisted the urge to shiver.

He took it carefully and turned to Rhex, who had already taken his own off. It was strange, we had exchanged medallions maybe fifteen minutes before but it felt like his medallion needed to be around my neck. It was if it belonged there and had always belonged there. I gave in and shivered at the chill I felt from the absence of the pendant. I rubbed at my arms trying to get rid of the goose bumps that had popped up. My shoulders and arm still ached slightly but the salve was doing its job in making them feel better.

I felt a large hand touch my lower back gently before it pressed more firmly. I looked at Rhex and he pressed his hand a little harder as if urging me to walk forward. I took several steps and he seemed to walk in tandem with me to stop in front of the table.

Ghilesh hastily wiped down the dusty surface. "I apologize for the mess. I do not get any bindings anymore." His voice seemed almost forlorn at the thought and I felt suddenly curious as to why. He looked at me with a rather amused expression on his face, his amber eyes twinkling. "That is a long story and I am far too old to tell it right now. I need to focus." His words trailed off into Orrian and I watched as he started pouring a shimmering almost opalescent liquid from the small cauldron into the two cups he had set on the table.

It didn't appear to have a scent or any colour but it shimmered with something I couldn't identify. Steam curled up and over the edges of the glasses and I watched it with rapt fascination. It was though the steam tendrils were alive as they moved, touching the sides of the glass before retreating back into it.

My focus went back to Ghilesh when the steam was no longer visible. He dangled the pendants, one over each glass before muttering some words in Orrian. I watched, awestruck, as the steam once again moved from the cups but instead of climbing over the rim, it twirled around itself reaching upwards to the pendants.

The display was beautiful and almost intimate in a way as the steam curled around each pendant with a bright glow. I stared at it, almost seeing pictures in the glow and wanting to see more. However it was too late to see anything as the glow subsided and the steam seemed to drop into the cup as if it had turned liquid. I glanced up at Rhex and his face was blank, there was nothing there to discern what he was feeling or thinking about the display.

"That was interesting." Ghilesh held out our pendants. I reached over and he handed me my old one. I took it with a small frown and Ghilesh's face broke out into an amused smile.

"You have to exchange your medallions in order to show your acceptance of the bond." He gestured to Rhex. "Your soulmate decided to forgo with tradition and switched them before coming to me. I don't blame him, it is natural to want to carry your mate close to your heart. Now you need to face Rhex and exchange your pendants." I turned to face Rhex and he reached over taking his pendant before turning towards me.

"Alright, Liviya. I now need you to repeat whatever I say in English. Okay?" At his words I nodded and he said something in Orrian which I believed to be a repetition of the words for Rhex. I watched as Rhex nodded as well before turning his gaze back to mine. "I accept you as my soulmate. I put my soul into your keeping."

"I accept you as my soulmate. I put my soul into your keeping." I held up the medallion and Rhex bent down slightly so I could slip the chain over his head. I followed the chain with my fingers, making sure it sat straight on his wide chest. I glanced up at him and realized the harsh edges of his face had once again softened. It almost made it hard to breathe with how he was looking at me.