Chapter 19: Chapter Seventeen

The tension in the room felt like it had its own pulse, thick and suffocating. I was still seething. Even though Beth had been escorted out, the betrayal lingered like a bad taste in my mouth, made worse by Erick's silence.

Erick stood near the back, his face drawn tight in contemplation. He swallowed hard, and then he spoke, his voice hoarse. "The geas... it's gone." His hand rose to his chest as though feeling for something that was no longer there. "I... I can't feel it anymore."

I glared at him, every fiber of my being humming with fury. He'd been bound to her all this time. He lied. And now—now he was bound to me, through these cursed roots that I never asked for. How was I supposed to deal with this?

Erick shifted uncomfortably under my gaze, as if feeling my anger radiating off me in waves.  I suspected that was the case, because I could definitely feel his shame through the roots.  If I could describe it, I'd say it felt like wet sponges slapping against me. It was disgusting.

He opened his mouth, probably to offer some weak excuse, but I held up my hand.

"Don't," I snapped. "Just... don't. I'm still trying to wrap my head around this, and I don't need you to make it worse."

His mouth closed, and he had the decency to look ashamed. Good. He should feel guilty for everything. I didn't care if the geas had been lifted or if some magical root had tied us together now. That didn't erase years of deceit.

Dominic was still cuddling me, offering quiet support. I leaned into him, grateful for the comfort that wasn't wrapped in lies.

Luis, standing by the window, crossed his arms, clearly still fuming. His gaze flickered between me, Dom, and Erick, and I could feel the possessive tension rolling off him in waves. I didn't need this right now.

Luke, who had been pacing, finally stopped and turned to face us all. His gaze was sharp, calculating. "We don't have time for all this," he said, his voice cutting through the fog of emotions. "There's something more important that you need to understand."

I suppose he was about to talk about the Becoming Ceremony.

Luke took a deep breath, gathering our attention with that regal, composed air he always carried. His eyes scanned the room, lingering briefly on each of us, before he fixed his gaze on me.

"The Becoming Ceremony," he growled. "Despite all my attempts to delay. It's happening."

Well,  I knew the ceremony was coming. What I didn't know was how it would actually work.

Luis was the first to speak up. "What's all this about, Matt?"

I cringed, knowing that Luis' and my relationship was... complicated. I didn't know how he felt completely, but I did know that he didn't like to share my attention.  "I--I'm sorry. I just learned today about all this after we got kidnapped."

"What exactly happens during the ceremony?" Dominic asked, his arms squeezing me in a gentle embrace as Luis glared.

Luke's gaze shifted to him. "As part of becoming the Principi and saving the world, Madeline must choose seven consorts to help her. Each of the men who become Madeline's consorts will be marked by the ceremony. A petal will appear on your forehead, a visible sign of your connection to her. And for Madeline, she will have a flower on her forehead, with petals corresponding to the number of consorts by her side."

I frowned, trying to process it. "So, each of them gets a petal on their forehead? And I get a whole flower?"

That sounded... a little silly on paper -- or voice rather.

Luke nodded. "Yes. And there's more. Each man, when they fall in love and kiss you, will produce a gemstone. These gemstones are crucial for the final trial, where you'll place them in a crown during the last ceremony of the trials. Without all the gemstones, you won't succeed."

Luis, who'd already grown tired of Dom hugging me and had pulled me out of his embrace, growled,  "And what happens if she doesn't have all the gemstones by the end of these trials?"

He didn't seem like he liked the idea of anyone kissing me.  Waves and waves of jealousy were filling me. It was surprising to me that he felt like that. Then suddenly it ceased, and I looked at him in surprise.

He'd been able to turn off this two-way radio of emotions.

Luke's expression darkened. "Then Madeline loses her claim to the throne. And, if the prophecy is correct, Aleria, and all realms connected to this one, perishes."

Since we'd been able to get here by a portal, that meant Earth as well?

A heavy silence filled the room. The weight of Luke's words settled over us like a thick fog. The stakes were higher than I'd realized.

"Wait," I said, raising my hand as if I were back in school. "So, if I don't get all the gemstones from these guys—" I gestured to the men around me, "—then I lose everything? My claim, the trials... everything?"

Luke nodded solemnly. "Yes. You need all the gemstones to complete the crown. That's the only way you can win."

"And you're telling me she's supposed to... marry all of us?" Luis asked, his voice rising in disbelief.

Luke's gaze didn't waver as he looked at Luis, his voice calm but unyielding. "Yes, Luis. The Becoming Ceremony is a marriage. Not just in name, but in essence. It's a bond that transcends the sacred. You will be her consorts—her husbands, tied to her through this mystical connection."

I felt my breath catch in my throat, the weight of those words pressing down on me. Husbands. Not just one—all of them.

Dominic cleared his throat. "Wait. So, if we do this, we're bound to her forever?"

Luke nodded, his expression serious. "Once the Becoming Ceremony is complete, the bond is eternal. You will all be bound to Madeline, as her consorts, for the rest of your lives. There is no undoing it."

I stared at him, my mind reeling. "So this is permanent. We can't, I don't know... annul it? I mean... I never asked for this, and neither did the guys. How are we supposed to deal with all of that?"

"You have a say in how the relationships develop," Luke replied. "But the ceremony is a necessity. These men have been chosen by your magic, by the roots that bind you to them.  To me, there is no greater proof that this was meant to be."

And, that he was included seemed to make him beyond delighted. I could feel the sense of a dance within me coming from him.

Luis was shaking his head, his jaw tight. "And what if one of us doesn't want to go through with this? What if we don't want to be part of this... ceremony?"

I felt my heart sink, and Luis gave me a sharp look. Of course, Luis would be the first to hate all of this. He'd never agree.

"You don't have to, Luis." I looked around the room. "None of you have to. I won't make you."

I glanced at Adrian who had sat down and looked pensive. "Especially you, Adrian. I mean, you're only seventeen, right? That's too young."

Adrian's eyes snapped up, his expression startled. "Younger?" He let out a dry laugh. "Matt, I'm not seventeen. I'm nineteen. I just... I let you believe I was younger because I liked how you looked after me when we were on the streets. You doted on me, and it felt... nice."

I blinked, the revelation hitting me like a ton of bricks. "You're nineteen?" I stared at him, my mind struggling to process the information.

Adrian nodded, his cheeks flushing slightly. "Yeah. I'm not some kid you have to protect."

"But still," I said softly, "you shouldn't have to do this. Any of you shouldn't, if you don't want to."

Luis was the first to speak up again.  "I've fought battles, bled, and made sacrifices for less than this," he said, his voice calm but intense. "If I have to fight by your side to save this world—and ours—then I'll do it." His eyes darkened as his jaw tightened. "But understand something—I don't share easily. I've held back for years, but if we're doing this, I'm not letting anyone push me aside."

I blinked, stunned. Luis? He'd been distant for so long, avoiding anything personal between us. And now—now he was talking like he'd always been waiting? The possessiveness in his tone floored me. Where had this been all these years when I'd tried to get his attention? I was completely thrown.

Adrian leaned back, arms crossed, his lips pressed into a tight line. "This is a lot to take in," he started, his voice more subdued than usual. "Being forced to choose something this big, right now, just because someone says I have to? It rubs me the wrong way." His eyes flicked over to me. "I care about you. I've always cared, but this... this isn't exactly how I imagined making choices that'll change my whole life."

Then he sighed, "Still... I'm in.  With everything going on and all the stakes, how could I say no?"

The fact that he still agreed, despite his reluctance, sent a jolt of gratitude through me. But it also made me feel guilty of what I was asking of them all—what this ceremony was really going to mean for each of us.

Dominic, always steady, stepped forward next. His expression was softer than the others, a warmth in his eyes that brought a small measure of comfort.

"You know I've been with you through everything, Matt," Dominic said, his voice a little gentler than the others. "Boy or girl, it doesn't matter. I've loved you for years, and I've never been afraid of what comes with that." He put his hands against his heart, his smile full of the affection that had always been there. "I'll stand by you, now and always. If this is what it takes, then count me in. It just means I get to be close to you—and there's nothing I'd want more."

The sincerity of his surprise confession wrapped around me like a warm blanket,,and I couldn't help the smile that tugged at my lips, even as the enormity of the situation settled in.

Then there was Luke, standing assured, as though he knew this would happen. "For me," he said, voice calm and measured, "this is about more than duty or affection. The Becoming Ceremony is a strategic necessity. If we're going to face what's coming, if we're going to win, we need unity. We need strength." His eyes locked on mine, the gravity of his words weighing heavy between us. "I've seen what happens if we fail. I won't let that happen. You need me by your side."

I swallowed. And as much as I hated how he seemed to view this as a chess game, there was no doubt that I needed him.

Finally, Erick stood, still the most distant of all. His arms were crossed, his eyes filled with sorrow. "I know I'm the last person you want bound to you," he said, his voice low and rough. "But that doesn't change what's happening now." He paused, his gaze flicking to the floor before meeting mine again. "I can't undo the past. I can't fix what I've done, but that doesn't mean I'll walk away from this. I'll fight for you, Madeline, for this—because I owe you that much. Even if you hate me for it."

The hurt was fresh, and no, I didn't want him to be part of this. But, my roots had chosen him and we were tied. But hearing him admit his faults, without excuses, was something I hadn't expected. It didn't make me forgive him—not yet—but it was a step toward something.

I let out a breath I hadn't realized I was holding, feeling the weight of all their agreements settle around me. Each of them, in their own way, had agreed to be part of this—some reluctantly, others with everything they had. And now, it was time to face the consequences of what that meant.

The Becoming Ceremony was no longer something distant in the future—it was happening that night!