Trusted Bond

face the kneeling men. ―Give us your news, your grace,‖ he
    prompted the priest as he reached for my shoulder and drew me in close to
    him.
    I wrapped my arms around his waist, holding tight as I too faced the
    priest.
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    253

    ―From this day forward,‖ he told Logan, ―you will no longer be
    semel-re, for I have confirmed Jin‘s existence as a nekhene cat with the
    council of the Ennead, and we are all in unanimous agreement. Your reah,
    who is your true-mate, is also one of the most powerful panthers we have
    ever seen, and so therefore you will be known from this day forward as
    semel-netjer. We will make the announcement together, all of us,
    tomorrow at—‖
    Logan interrupted. ―No, please, your grace,‖ he said, clutching me
    tight to him. ―If I may speak?‖
    ―Of course.‖
    ―I would prefer to remain as I am, semel-re, if it would please you,
    as I wish to be first identified as the semel who has found his reah.‖
    The priest regarded Logan. ―On your own land, semel-netjer, you
    may refer to yourself as you see fit, but here, as well as in all matters that
    concern your tribe‘s interaction with others, the title will be semel-netjer.
    Surely you understand, as a nekhene cat is much more rare than even a
    reah. This too answers the question for everyone as to why Jin is male and
    not female,‖ he said, smiling. ―Nekhene cats are only ever male, and so as
    he was born nekhene first, reah second, the more powerful trumps the
    weaker. A nekhene cat is far more precious, and—‖
    ―To you,‖ Logan assured him, ―but I can promise you that to me,
    after having to endure a forced separation, that I would only ever be
    semel-re, even though I am one of two, I understand.‖
    The priest looked confused. ―You are the only semel-re I know of,
    Logan Church.‖
    ―But I thought—the semel-aten told my mate that his wosret, Amirah
    Fehr, found her mate in—‖
    ―Oh.‖ His voice lowered. ―No.‖ He turned to look at all the kneeling
    men. ―You are all excused. Return to your suite or the heru-ur, you‘re
    dismissed.‖
    My father looked at me, the hatred there clear as day, and Crane‘s
    father was the same. Only Archer, their semel, looked like he wanted to
    speak to me.
    ―You‘re dismissed,‖ the priest repeated loudly.
    The men left under the watchful eye of Jamal Hassan. They moved
    quickly, no one wanting to tangle with the phocal of the Shu. Once they
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    Mary Calmes

    were gone, the priest turned to look at the room. Everyone had packed in
    close to listen.
    He cleared his throat. ―It seemed that Amirah Fehr wanted away
    from the semel-aten more than anything, and so when she saw Terrance
    McCord, she used all her power, her pheromones, her beauty to entice
    him. He thought she was his reah, she made him believe it, and so he
    claimed her as such.‖
    ―What happened?‖ Logan asked him.
    ―Six months ago, I received word that the semel had killed his reah
    and his sheseru as he had found them in his bed together.‖ The priest took
    a breath. ―The bond between the semel and his reah was a lie, but that
    between a sheseru and a reah never is.‖
    ―When he found them,‖ I sighed, ―he must have been devastated.‖
    ―Yes, reah, as he knew in that instant that the bond had never been
    real.‖
    ―How?‖ Delphine asked.
    ―A reah truly mated,‖ Logan told her, ―would never sleep with
    another; they only ever hunger for their mate.‖
    ―He killed them both?‖ Christophe asked.
    ―Yes.‖
    ―I thought no one was allowed to hurt a reah.‖
    ―Except their semel,‖ Logan told him. ―A reah can be put to death by
    their mate.‖
    Christophe shivered. ―I feel for Amirah and her sheseru, but I feel
    for her semel as well.‖ He looked at the priest. ―He killed himself too,
    didn‘t he?‖
    ―Yes, he did.‖
    ―Three lives destroyed by one act of infidelity,‖ Justin sighed. ―If the
    pull is really that strong, I don‘t know if I ever want to find my reah.‖
    ―You do,‖ Logan assured him, his fingers tangled in my hair.
    ―Believe me, you do.‖
    ―I‘ll take your word for it.‖
    ―Your grace,‖ I said quietly to the priest, ―would you bless our union
    now?‖
    The room went as silent as a tomb.
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    ―But my reah, you—‖
    ―Please,‖ I told him, ―right here, right now—all the people I care
    about except Logan‘s mother are here. We don‘t have rings, can‘t have
    them because of the