Chapter 3
The thin white veil obscured her vision. She hated it, but she hated the man looking at her through it even more.
“You’ve grown to look like your mother,” the god king said dryly.
She lifted her gaze to his crackling amber eyes. “Does that bring back memories?”
Kronos’ jaw tightened, and he stood to his full height, looking down on her with a sneer. “I prefer my betrothed to not have an attitude.”
“Well, I prefer not to be here.”
His hand struck her cheek before she could even blink again, quick as a bolt of lightning. She bit off a cry as she stumbled back. Blood stained the veil as she ripped it from her face. Kronos looked at her blankly, his eyes flat and his face expressionless once more.
“You’re dismissed.”
She narrowed her eyes but did not give him the dignity of a reply or a bow, fleeing the throne room as quickly as her feet would carry her.
When she was finally free of the palace grounds, she broke into a run, heading for the barrier.
She didn’t stop when she reached it, leaping through the shimmering wall of magic and landing in a heap in mortal lands.
She wept in a farmer’s field until nearly sunset.
For nearly a full moon cycle, this repeated.
Kronos called on her, claiming he needed to ‘examine’ his promised bride.
Her mother, not wanting to incur the wrath of him or Sol, sent her.
Each time, she mouthed off to Kronos, and each time, he struck her.
She healed quickly, but the reminder of the power he held over her cut deep.
She didn’t understand why her mother bowed to such a king. Nyx was just as responsible for the entire realm’s existence as her brother.
Perhaps it was her father’s fault. It was laughable to think a power like Death would make one weak, though in the end, she knew it wasn’t power or life or death.
It was love.
Perhaps her marriage to Kronos was part-blessing, because she would never love her future husband.
As her tears dried, she vowed this would be the last time she wept in this field. It was childish and soft and—
“You’re not invisible in this field, you know.”
She startled, looking up. A man towered over her, his face partly obscured by the sun.
She scrambled to stand, but he crouched down to stop her, reaching out but not touching her.
The thoughtfulness in that simple lack of contact struck her to her core.
He could have assumed she wanted or needed to be touched by him, but instead, he thought to pause.
“Don’t. I shouldn’t have bothered you.”
Backlit, she still couldn’t quite see his face, but there was something off about his aura…
This man was no mere mortal. He couldn’t be. All magic had a presence, even amongst humankind, but he was not buzzing with it as most did, no.
He was aflame.