Chapter 26 Bylur
Walking away from Auria felt like ripping out the most vibrant pieces of my soul and trying to exist without them.
But I couldn’t stay with her. Daneira’s magic—my own power twisted back on me—was already pulling on me hard enough to rip me apart. The portal opened into her throne room, where she perched on a marble chair that sparkled like ice.
“Oh, Bylur,” she crooned. “I do hate seeing you in chains.”
“Then unlock them and send me home,” I bit out.
She laughed, an icy laugh that held no humor. “I don’t hate seeing you chained that much.” She leaned forward with a conspiratorial expression. “But I’ll tell you a secret. I’d rather marry you than keep you bound.”
I resisted the urge to roll my eyes and settled my face into a blank, stony expression. “Obviously. Since this all began with your refusal to leave my castle months ago.”
She tapped a finger on the arm of her throne. “Yes, well, it did take you longer to get here than I expected. I thought your ancient honor would keep you from sharing a bed with someone you hadn’t married.”
She waited for me to respond, but I kept my mouth closed. She wouldn’t get to know anything about Auria, and she could think whatever she wanted about me.
After an awkward moment, she said, “Now that that’s all behind us, are you ready to marry me? We will be the most powerful rulers the four realms have ever seen. Imagine Kalshana and Kerebos’s united power!”
She stared at me expectantly. Did she really think I would want to wed her after she tried to trap me in a marriage?
She kept waiting, leaning toward me as if I wanted to speak to her.
“No,” I finally said. “I have no intention of marrying you.”
Her eyes narrowed. “Perhaps I did not explain myself well enough. I intend to rule Kalshana. You can join me, or you can die. I’ll give you three days to think about it.”