"You want us to trust a stranger? The night before our wedding?"
Draven's shadows coiled defensively around him as he stared at Amariel. The priestess stood in the garden moonlight, serene and unbothered by his hostility.
"I don't expect trust," Amariel said calmly. "I expect desperation. Which is what I see in both of you."
Elaria studied the woman carefully. Through the bond, she felt Draven's suspicion, but also something else recognition. He'd seen someone like Amariel before.
"You're void-touched," Draven said suddenly. "Like me. I can feel it."
"Not like you. Different." Amariel pulled back her sleeve, revealing marks that were similar to Draven's but older, more intricate. They glowed faint silver in the darkness. "I was marked by a void entity twenty years ago. But unlike you,
