Chapter 26 - Chelsea
Chelsea
I'm staring at my closet, trying to figure out what one wears to a last-minute wedding celebration thrown by an overeager cook who apparently invited my entire family without warning.
Not that I'm complaining. The day has been…perfect.
The market, the gifts, Eryx carrying everything with that tiny smile he gets when he thinks I'm not looking. The way he almost kissed me in that crowd.
My face heats just thinking about it.
I press my hands to my cheeks to calm the heat when a knock comes from my door.
“Come in!”
Nancy enters, vacuum in hand, and immediately spots Echo curled up on my bed. She stops dead. “How in the world did a shadow get in here? Let me plug in the vacuum and suck it up.”
“No, no! Don’t suck it up!”
I motion for Echo to come to me and scoop the little shadow into my arms. Nancy stares at me in horror.
“It just showed up last night. Isn’t it the cutest? Its name is Echo. My new pet.”
Nancy stares at the shadow dog, at me and back to the shadow dog. “Maybe I was wrong about you. Maybe you do belong here.”
I frown. “You never said I don’t belong here.”
“I didn’t? Well, I thought it.” She eyes the shadow. “Your pet, huh? What made you decide to take a shadow as a pet?”
“Oh, well, yesterday there was an incident in Eryx’s dream room and this little guy or gal showed up. Eryx said I could keep it.”
“Keep a shadow? I’ve never heard of such a thing.”
I pat Echo’s head. “Isn’t it sweet?”
Nancy eyes it like it might attack. “One thing I’ve never thought about shadows is that they’re sweet. You’ll see what I mean if you ever encounter one with teeth.”
“Teeth?”
“You got it. Now…” Nancy walks over to my closet and throws the door open. “His majesty sent me up to see if you needed any help getting dressed. I told him you were a grown woman, but he insisted. So, do you need any help squeezing into one of these fancy gowns?”
Something warm blooms in my chest just thinking about Eryx sending her to help me.
It’s such a small thing, but it matters.
Outside the door, I hear the clink of silverware and the clatter of dishes being placed. The whole manor is getting ready for the party. Meanwhile, my stomach is doing jumping jacks. This is my first party as Eryx’s wife, and I’m nervous as hell.
What if I get it wrong? What if I accidentally insult someone? What if I embarrass him?
Nancy’s face is red and she’s limping a little more than yesterday. I don’t have the heart to make her work, so I say, “Maybe just help with my hair? Can you put it up for me?”
“I think so if you give me enough superglue and bobby pins.”
I laugh, but she doesn’t.
Um…wasn’t that a joke? But when she eases onto my bed without even a hint of a smile, I begin to think that maybe it’s not.
“You know what? I’ve got this. But I would like for you to come to the party.” She blanches and I add, “Or at least have some cake.”
“Cake I can do. Fancy parties, no thank you.”
At least I tried. “I understand. But yes, I can for sure dress myself. So what should I wear?”
“You gonna wear those sparkly sneakers?”
We both stare down at my feet. “‘Um’ is probably not the right answer?”
“You’re the mistress of this place. Hell, you can wear whatever you want. But the question is—do you want to fit into this world, or do you want to stand out?”
I nibble the inside of my cheek. What a good question. After today, when the townspeople greeted me with open arms, I should probably blend in rather than stick out like a sore thumb.
“How about a little of both?”
She nods. “Then I’ve got just the dress.” Nancy rises, cursing. “These old bones along with my arthritis make the going tough.”
“I’m sorry about that.”
She waves me off. “I just like to complain. Okay, what did I see in here that would be perfect? Oh, this!”
She riffles through the rack of clothes and pulls out a silky black dress that looks more like a slip than a gown.
My breath catches. It’s beautiful. Elegant. Sophisticated. And completely unlike anything I own.
“Oh,” I say, closing the distance between us and running my fingers down it. It’s soft and silky. The material ripples under my fingers, and the straps are spaghetti thin.
“I won’t be able to wear a bra with it, will I?”
“Nope. But if you want to look like someone who belongs here, this is the dress that will do that.”
“It’s beautiful.”
“Look! Stave even dropped off black sequined sneakers.”
A grin takes over my face. “I’ll wear it, but I don’t have superglue for my hair. Is that okay?”
Nancy smiles—actually smiles. Even though I’ve only known her for two days, it’s the first time I’ve seen her smile, and something about this moment feels rare, like I had to earn this.
“I think we can manage,” she says.
“Then let’s get started.”
An hour and a half later, another knock comes from my door.
“That’ll be Eryx,” Nancy announces, taking a step back from the vanity where I’ve been sitting as she does my hair. “What do you think?”
I exhale a shaky breath. Nancy didn’t just do my hair—she did my makeup as well, giving me smudgy eyeshadow and just enough blush to make my cheeks look seductively flushed.
And in my hair are black pearls that complement the dress.
“Is everything okay in there?” Eryx calls from the other side of the door.
“Yes. Sorry. I’m almost done.”
I rise and take a look at the dress. The dress is thinner than I thought, more revealing. I cross my arms over my chest, suddenly very aware that this is not a dress that allows for modesty.
There’s no time to change because guests will be arriving any moment.
“Nancy,” I whisper. “The dress—is it too…”
She waves her hand dismissively. “It’s perfect. His majesty won’t be able to take his eyes off you.”
That’s what I’m afraid of.
“And neither will the guests," Nancy adds, eyes sharp. "Half of them still don't know what to make of a Castleview queen. Show them you belong here.”
I lift my chin and feel a surge of confidence. “Okay. I’m ready.”
Nancy limps to the door and opens it. “I hope you like what I did to your bride. Don’t worry, she’s in one piece.”
Eryx stands in the doorway, towering over Nancy. He looks down at her, and a ghost of a smile graces his lips.
“Thank you, Nancy. Will you be joining us?”
“Hell, no. You know I hate parties.”
“You’ll at least have some cake.”
“Cook is supposed to save some slices.”
“Good.”
Nancy turns and flashes me a smile. “You two kids have fun. See you tomorrow.”
Then she exits my room, leaving me alone with Eryx. His gaze slowly lifts and lands on me, where I stand by the vanity.
He goes very still. His eyes darken—not with magic, but with something else entirely. Something that makes heat pool low in my stomach.
His Adam's apple bobs. Once. Twice. “You look…” He stops. Starts again. “Beautiful.”
“Thank you,” I whisper, because suddenly I can't find my voice either.
He’s wearing a black suit with a dark purple vest. His hair is combed and he’s freshly shaved. Even from where I’m standing, I catch a whiff of his scent—soap and musk, and something darker underneath, something uniquely him.
It’s divine.
“Are you ready?” he asks.
“Yes.”
I slowly walk over, hyperaware of how the silk feels against my skin, how his eyes track every step. His gaze never leaves mine as I cross my room. The heat of his stare makes a flush creep up my neck.
When I reach him, we’re so close I can feel his warmth.
“Are you nervous?” he asks.
“Yes.”
“Don’t be. I’ve invited friends and your family. Just remember to look Nightmare District people in the eye and be honest in all your answers. We like honesty here.”
“I’ll remember.”
We stare at each other for another beat, and then, as if he suddenly recalls what he’s supposed to do, Eryx offers his arm and I slowly link mine through it.
He pauses for a moment as if he’s gathering his thoughts.
I understand. There’s a heaviness to this moment.
Something about it makes this feel very real.
Like we’ve only been playing pretend married couple for the past day, but now it means something—and not only because we’re throwing our first party, but because after today with his people, something has shifted between us.
But I can’t put my finger on what.
All I know is when we walk down the stairs to greet our guests, we won’t be Eryx and Chelsea, pretending to be married.
I'll be the Nightmare Queen standing beside the Nightmare King.
Somewhere between the market and this moment, between almost-kisses and coffee poured carefully and a shadow puppy and Nancy's rare smile—this started to feel real.
And I can’t tell if I'm ready for what that means.