Page 98 of Semper
A murmur of approval rippled through the congregation. The words spoken between us weren’t just vows—they were a binding contract, a submission of wills, a promise that I would be his forever, in every sense of the word.
“Carnalis Dominus,” the congregation murmured in Latin, their words blending together in a haunting chant.
The words struck something deep within me. The weight of them hung in the air, sinking into my skin.
“We will tie them by blood and submission,” the Magistri intoned.
I felt Alexander’s grip on my hand tighten, a subtle reminder of what was expected of me tonight.
I swallowed, my heart pounding in my chest. The lead Magistri stepped forward, holding up a ceremonial dagger, its blade gleaming ominously in the candlelight. My pulse quickened as he approached us.
“Diabolus, will you offer your blood to bind this union?” he asked, the ritual words heavy with meaning.
“I will,” Alexander replied, his voice unyielding. He took the dagger, slicing it across his palm without hesitation. Blood pooled in his hand, dark and crimson before he held it out for me.
The congregation repeated the words,“Sanguis est vinculum,” the chant growing louder, more intense. Blood is the bond.
“And do you, Lolita, submit to him, to this binding, body and soul?”
My breath caught as I looked into Alexander’s eyes. He watched me with an intensity that burned, a fire that made my knees weak. I wanted this. I needed this.
“I do.”
The Magistri offered me the dagger, and I took it, my hands trembling slightly as I made the cut across my palm. The pain was sharp but quick, the warmth of the blood following almost immediately.
Alexander raised his hand to meet mine, our blood mixing, sealing the bond. “Sanguis est vinculum,” the congregation chanted once more, their voices rising in a wave of dark reverence.
The moment our blood touched, something inside me shifted. It felt like a chain locking into place, a connection so deep, so unbreakable, that it consumed me. It was as though the rest of the world had disappeared, and all that was left was him and me, bound together by blood and fate.
"Diabolus," the lead Magistri's voice echoed through the sacred space as if commanding my body to submit. I was told to kneel, to honor this moment of eternal submission. There was a fraction of hesitation, a heartbeat of resistance, before I felt Esther beside me, gently guiding me down. Alexander gripped my bloodied hand in his, his thumb brushing over my skin as he helped me settle in the heavy folds of my gown.
His eyes locked onto mine as he cupped my face, the same way the Devil statue watching over our union did to the woman at his feet. His touch was possessive, firm, an embodiment of the power he held over me. He whispered words in Latin, ancientand sacred, the weight of them making my heart race even though I couldn’t understand them.
"Ego sum tuus, et tu es mea. Vinculis sanguinis et fidei, te in aeternum mihi devincio. Nihil nos separabit, nec vita, nec mors. In meo imperio vivis, in mea voluntate morieris. Simul erimus, nunc et in aeternum."
The congregation echoed in response, their unified voices a haunting reminder of the faith by which we were bound. Their chant reverberated through my bones, sealing the ceremony in a way that felt both overwhelming and exhilarating.
"Vinculis aeternis iungimur, sub imperio Diaboli et Sponsa eius. Nihil nos separabit. Fidelitas, sanguis, et devotio, nunc et in perpetuum."
I was pulled from the cold stone floor, Esther immediately fixing the intricate layers of my gown. She leaned close as she did, slipping something into my palm—cold, metallic, heavy. A ring. I glanced at it, the dark gemstone catching the light, its wicked design unmistakable.
"Place it on him," the Magistri instructed.
My brows raised in surprise as I truly looked at the ring for the first time, hearing a few chuckles ripple through the crowd.
It was bold, fierce—fitting for a man like Alexander. The grin that spread across his face confirmed it. He held his hand out, steady and unwavering, waiting for me to seal the final part of our union. My heart thudded in my chest as I slid the ring onto his finger, the crowd watching intently, the weight of the ceremony palpable.
The Magistri spoke again, finalizing the last of the sacred words. But I didn’t hear them. My focus was entirely on Alexander as he cupped my face once more, his lips crashing down on mine in a deep, claiming kiss. The room erupted around us, cheers filling the air as the congregation burst into a chant, their voices echoing the union we had just forged.
Bound by blood.
Bound by fate.
The solemnity of the ceremony gave way to the grandeur of the celebration. Alexander led me into the larger room that had been transformed into a stunning venue—roses and dark lace draped across every surface, with crimson light bathing the entire space. The glow of candles flickered across the walls, their flames dancing in time with the soft music that filled the air.
He guided me to the center of the floor, his hand gripping mine, pulling me close to him as the music swelled around us. The song was haunting, a slow, dark melody that seemed to pulse with the same energy that thrummed between us.
Wicked Games.