“...and in so doing, I bind myself and bid myself bound thricely: in life, body, and beyond. I bind myself and bid myself bound to these before me, and to those they and I would bid myself bound, such that this continues.”

The words lingered in the air, an open parenthesis, waiting to be closed. There was tension in that, but the young man’s eyes betrayed none of it. He was collected if not calm, in stark contrast to the agitation displayed by the young women surrounding him. They shifted about as the shadows around them grew more defined--penumbras congealed to became as inky as the night between stars. True, at the beginning it could have been brushed off as some trick of the light, but by then even the light wasn’t pretending. It bent in, leaned in, drank in the words. It became full, bloated, lethargic, a mockery of true light. It painted the room like a skilled impressionist attempting photorealism. Try as it might to appear impartial, it betrayed a feeling, an opinion. The light was amused.

But the amusement wouldn’t hold forever. For a time, the man held the universe’s gaze, but it was time for other players to take the stage. There was power in the theater of it, and the rules of theatrics dictated every action without once taking away from the art. A choir of voices, twenty-seven in all, broke in. They wavered at first, but quickly strengthened.

“We accept your binding unto us and unto those who follow us, who are us, and in return offer you this: a share of our life, our power, and all of our warm desire, save a share we give to each other, as long as we make this our home. In doing so, we give you quarter, we shield you from death and age and bodily flaw, and we take from you all of your freedom, save your right to decide who may be us, and who may enter your demesne, which is this and us. That we sacrifice to you.”

The air was cut crystal, all edges and defined brilliance.

“I accept your sacrifice, and in saying, let it be done.” The final four words were spoken by all present, and the air was air once more.

a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a