The village elder stepped forward, holding a braided sea-grass cord. He looked at their hands and then at the marks on Ren's neck, nodding with approval.
"The Tide knows the heart," the elder announced. "Today, we bind the fallen stars so they may never wander alone again."
He wrapped the cord around their wrists, binding Ren's right hand to Cilian's left. The grass was rough and damp, pulling them skin-to-skin. Cilian didn't resist and instead used the opportunity to interlace his fingers with Ren's.
"Do you feel that, Ren?" Cilian whispered, leaning closer until his breath tickled Ren's ear. "The whole village is watching. They think we're in love."
Ren gritted his teeth, his heart doing that pathetic pitta-patta flip. "They're watching a lie, Cilian."
"Is it?" Cilian's eyes flickered to the marks on Ren's throat. "The bruises don't look like a lie. The way you're shaking doesn't feel like one either. Hehe, you're feeling it, aren't you?"
