10. Chapter 10
Chapter ten
Leena
I could barely feel my feet as Bratan led me deeper into the woods. A dark chill tumbled down my back at the disconcerting shift in the realm. With each turn, the trees grew more warped. Less natural. Something sinister out of a storybook. Branches reached out to me like claws. I swore they moved as if to rip me apart and taste the blood of their new queen.
“There he is,” Bratan grumbled, pulling me forward and sending me stumbling toward the shivering mole. I glared at him, to which he muttered, “My apologies.” I couldn’t tell if he was being sarcastic or not, but it didn’t really matter. His eyes fell to the creature behind me. “You fled before the most important part, mole.” The creature bowed, still shivering.
“I’m sorry, Your Majesty. It appeared you wanted a moment alone with your bride.”
Bride . My fists clenched at the word, but my stomach leapt. I grumbled at my body once again betraying me .
Bratan grabbed the mole by the shoulders. “Did I ask for a moment alone with my bride?”
The creature frantically shook its head.“No, Your Majesty.”
He tossed it back onto its feet. “Then finish what you started so we can be done with it.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.” Without skipping a beat, the mole cleared its throat and looked between us. “Step forward, My Lady.”
I did as I was told, trying my best to hide the wringing of my hands as I made my way to the creature. It then looked at the Leshy. “Now you, Your Majesty.”
Bratan stepped forward, his eyes still shooting daggers at the officiant. “Why are you not calling my bride by her proper title?”
The mole’s black eyes blinked. I was just as dumbfounded.
“Is she not ‘My Lady’?”
Bratan hovered over the creature. “She is your queen. You will address her as such.”
My heart flipped, and I had to look away to hide the color rising in my cheeks.
“Y-Your Majesty?” the mole asked, peering over at me; it was still peculiar to see it standing there, looking straight at me and speaking.
“That’s correct,” Bratan said, straightening. “Now proceed.”
The mole quickly continued. “Your Majesty, take your king’s hands. ”
I chewed on the inside of my cheek. He was not my king. Begrudgingly, I turned to face him, unimpressed and annoyed at the smirk plastered on his face. He extended his hands, and when my eyes flickered to them, I suddenly remembered the rush of blood at their touch just minutes ago. Why did I succumb to him so easily? What was wrong with me?
Something in the woods must be influencing me, making me act out of character because wanting a beast such as him was never something I’d want of my own volition. I slapped my hands in his, half-expecting his eyebrow to twitch, but he slowly closed his fingers around mine, warm and steady, and that blasted heat buzzed through me again.
I glared harder.
“Repeat these words,” the mole said, “and keep your eyes on each other.” Bratan’s face turned serious, which made me nervous. My heart raced as the mole rattled off a series of words. “I am now one with these hands.”
Silence.
The officiant cleared its throat and repeated, “I am now one with these hands.”
More silence.
“Leena,” Bratan grumbled. “Repeat the words.”
I narrowed my eyes at him and mumbled through gritted teeth. “I am now one with these hands.”
Bratan winked. I scoffed and looked away. “Return your eyes to your husband, Your Majesty,” the creature said. I rolled my eyes over to the Leshy, trying my best to ignore his smug expression. “To tend the trees.”
“To tend the trees,” I mumbled.
“And everything within them.”
Bratan’s eyes softened, which teased something in my senses. “And everything within him,” I repeated.
“ Them , Your Majesty. And everything within them .”
My face burned. “O-of course. And everything within them.” I hated that I had to keep my eyes on Bratan’s. What I would give to sink into the dirt right now.
“And he and I will be one.”
The warmth on my face spread down my neck. “And he and I will be one.”
Bratan’s expression was no longer smug. The intensity of his gaze peeled back the layers of a shield and made it impossible to stand without trembling. I was twenty-six years old; I knew myself, but something about this man made my body foreign to me. From the moment I saw him, every part of me had been at war with itself. Even now, my stomach was twisting, and my chest ached.
“Now you, Your Majesty.” The mole turned to Bratan. “She and I are one.”
His eyes stayed on mine. “She and I are one.” His deep voice rumbled in my ears, falling through them like silk.
“I will stand beside her.”
Bratan’s voice was soft as he repeated, “I will stand beside her. ”
“And protect her.”
The sounds of the forest faded away. All I could hear was the rich cadence of his voice. “And protect her.”
I swallowed, still unable to look away.
“No one will break this bond,” the mole recited.
Bratan’s head shook ever so slightly as he repeated the words, his soothing voice untangling the knots in my stomach. “No one will break this bond.” It was nearly a whisper, and as if he knew what the mole would say next, he finished his vows: “And I will bestow power upon her and connect us as one.”
Something buzzed in my hands, but my eyes stayed locked on his. Neither one of us looked away, even as the mole said, “This vow to be one is complete with a kiss.” The wind whipped around us, sending curls loose from the pins atop my head, and then Bratan took my face in his hands and kissed me. Gently. Carefully. Before pain rattled me to the core.
Flames tore through me. I screamed as it spread, shooting light from my fingers, the tips burning like I’d just touched a hot iron. I fell to my knees as the fire raged. It felt like the flesh was being shredded off my bones. Sweat ran down my face in sheets, mingling with the tears sliding around my still-screaming mouth.
I could barely make out Bratan’s muffled voice. “What’s happening?!”
The question was frantic, but the mole calmly replied, “She’s receiving her powers, Your Majesty. ”
Bratan asked something else, but I couldn’t hear it. My ears were filled with invisible cotton. My body fell hard to the ground. The burning sensation oozed from my fingertips and branched through my legs. I screamed until my voice was hoarse.
The pain only grew. I no longer had any control over my body; it writhed on the cold, hard forest floor in involuntary spasms. A final rush of incomprehensible pain shot through me. My back arched, my body convulsed, and the back of my head slammed into the earth.
Then silence took over.
And quiet darkness as cool as night.
***
The first thing I noticed when I finally came to was the splitting headache cracking my skull. My temple throbbed, and it took way too long for my hand to reach it. My arms were sorer than they’d been when Vasska started working me to the bone after my parents died. That week was brutal, as if losing my parents hadn’t been hard enough.
Dropping my arm, I looked around, blinking until my vision was clear enough to take in my surroundings. I didn’t recognize this place. Beneath me was a soft bed of curated grass, with violet and pearl flowers blooming all around it. The trees were close enough to offer shade but far enough away that I could see everything in the small clearing, including the dark-haired man lazily sitting with his back against a log, sharpening what looked like a scythe with a long, silver blade.
I winced as I rose to my elbows. The movement must have caught the Leshy’s attention because he was at my side before I could take another breath. “Are you all right?” He gently grabbed hold of my forearms and helped me into a sitting position. His fingers brushed the hair from my face. “Your head hurts.” It was a statement. Not a question.
“How did you know?” My voice was still hoarse, and I wondered how long I’d been screaming.
“I can feel it.”
I frowned, confused, and opened my mouth to ask about it, but he was already closing his eyes and placing his fingers on my head.
“What are you d—”
“Shh! I’m trying to concentrate.”
I looked at him flatly but resigned to whatever he was doing to me. I didn’t have the energy for banter right now. After only a matter of seconds, warmth pooled through my skull and healed my headache. I looked up at him, confused, but his eyes remained closed as he laid me back on the grass. His large hands swept down my limbs, skating down my arms and falling to my ankles. With each stroke, the pain lessened, except in my legs.
“Your dress is too thick,” he said, finally opening his eyes. He moved to hover over me, examining me and gently moving my face and neck to inspect every muscle. I was about to ask him another question when he slid to my feet. “I need to take off your dress.”
I bolted upright, my muscles surprisingly relaxed. “Absolutely not!”
There was no lust in his eyes. Just irritation. “Your legs will be useless for days if I don’t help you. Maybe longer.”
“If I have my own powers, why can’t I help myself?” I knew it was a stupid question, but I couldn’t let him take off my dress. The thought of him undressing me…
My body ached, and I had to shake my head to snap myself out of it—to continue to object. “You can’t—”
“We’re one now, remember? I have to help you.” He glared at me. “Stop being stubborn and let me do this.”
“What if I say no?”
He sat back and scoffed. “Then you can suit yourself and lie here useless until the pain wears off. But I won’t bring you any food or drink, so I don’t know how long you’ll last.”
I glowered at him before looking down at my wedding dress, following the vines of embroidery crawling down the skirt. “Fine. Good luck taking this thing off, though. It required more than one person to fit me into it. I don’t think you’ll be able to take it off on your own.”
“I assure you I won’t have any trouble.”
My eyes made the mistake of meeting his and seeing a glint in them that set fire to my blood. “Tch.” I crossed my arms and lay back. “Good luck,” I grumbled, and before I could prepare myself, he was hovering over me again.
“You want to be lying down for this?” he asked, an impish gleam in his eyes. I scowled at him and slid backward until I was sitting up again.
“No!”
He chuckled and moved behind me. “Wow, you weren’t kidding. It’s a maze back here.” His fingers found the lace of my outer corset. I had to force my eyes to stay open—to force defiance and resist these maddening urges that kept intruding on my good sense.
The lace whipped free of its first loop. Both the sound and feel of it made me jump. Something fluttered in my stomach. His breath was warm against my neck as he leaned in. “Are you okay, my queen?”
That familiar heat continued to spread, now rushing down my torso and filling my legs.
“Of course,” I whispered, immediately clearing my throat. He chuckled and leaned back, continuing to pull the lace free. I had to concede that I wanted him. I had to admit it so I could be strong against it.
I want him, but he won’t get me. I won’t let him.
I sat as still and platonic as I reasonably could while my corset loosened, doing everything I could not to let myself go and do whatever my body wanted to do with his. Then, at last, the corset cracked open from the back, and he whipped it off, which only made everything worse. He turned me around with no effort at all, and to my surprise, the slightest tinge of pink was dusted across his cheeks .
I wanted to tease him about it, but I didn’t dare to. Plus, all my energy was being spent keeping my own desires at bay. If I acknowledged his, and he decided to act, then what? I would be putty in his large, stupidly attractive hands.
Since when did I find hands attractive? I didn’t know if I wanted to scream in frustration or indulge in the desire to watch his fingers work as he pulled the string of my bodice free. They were so masculine. So much different than my dainty ones. His knuckles grazed the top of my breasts, and I shot back. “You don’t need to take off my top! Just focus on the bottom half. The outer corset is off, so you can…you can just lift my dress.” I couldn’t look at him. My whole body was aflame.
He sighed. “Pity. I was so looking forward to looking at your breasts.”
I gasped and burned at his statement. “What? I-I—How dare you!”
He chuckled softly and stroked a finger down the side of my face. “You’ll want me soon, little dove. You’re mine, remember?” He leaned forward, grasped my hips, and pulled me onto his lap. His face was so close our noses almost touched, and his breath brushed against my teeth. “We are one in soul and purpose now.” His voice was low, husky. “Aren’t you looking forward to being one physically as well?”
My heart pounded, and I knew he could feel it against his chest. I was pressed so tightly against him I yearned to follow his lead and go wherever his hands took me .
Instead, I managed to swallow and shake my head. “N-no, I’m not.”
His lips curled into a wicked smile. “You’re not curious?”
“No.” The word was an unconvincing whisper.
He leaned back, slowly pushing me onto the grass. “You’ll change your mind.” He winked, and I growled in irritation, which he ignored as he crawled down to my feet. “I want you to want me.”
My stomach flipped, but I stayed flat on the grass, waiting for him to heal my legs so we could move on, and I could be as far from him as possible. For as long as I could, anyway.
“Because when you finally admit it to yourself, and we become one, I know we’ll set this world on fire in a way nothing else has before.”
I couldn’t resist the small sound that escaped my lips. I finally let my eyes flutter closed for a moment before composing myself and getting up on my elbows. “We’ll see about that.” I forced a glare, which made him chuckle.
His hands fell to my ankles and started trailing up my legs. “Tell me when to stop.”