The next ten minutes were spent in explanation.
Nerith's mother had pulled Jax aside and walked him through the ritual. Every detail. Every sacred implication.
All his doubts were cleared by the end.
Whatever bullshit that priest had done. Whatever stupid oath Nerith had recited. None of it was mere formality.
It was real.
The soul binding had been invoked the moment Nerith called upon Lord Azoth. The kiss was meant to seal the bond completely.
But due to all the interruptions—the army, the fight, the near-murder things had stretched far beyond the normal ceremony.
And apparently, that had caught someone's attention.
Lord Azoth himself.
The demon god hadn't just watched passively. He had stayed. Observed the chaos. Found it... entertaining, perhaps.
And then he had blessed them.
Nerith's mother had gestured toward the statue of Lord Azoth.
The hand that had been resting at its side was now raised. Miraculously. As if bestowing divine approval upon the couple.
