Chapter Five #4
Growls peeled from Foalan’s lips, standing my neck hairs on end. Suddenly I was back in the alley with the wolf.
“I humbly insist, my queen,” he said, his even tone at odds with his bared fangs, “that you do not speak of our lord in such a manner.”
Aeris screeched, shooting my heart in my throat. “How dare you, Foalan! Do not threaten our queen.”
That was a threat?!
“After these many long decades, Lord Lumenfell has finally chosen his mate, and he’s chosen her.” She took my shaking hand. “It truly is an honor. He must see something special in you.”
“Or.” Bradach’s voice grated on my ears. “He sees a special and honorable opportunity... to draw out your punishment. You thought yourself his assassin, now you find yourself his pet.”
Silence fell over the room, smothering me. What did it mean that no one was arguing with him? Not even Aeris.
I was quiet for a long time—long enough for the attendants to guide me to the vanity and begin braiding my hair while Aeris left and came back with a plate of food for me.
I barely glanced at the shaela bread, grapes, roasted chicken, or wine.
The food grown and bred from this cursed soil would turn me into one of them. Not a morsel of it would cross my lips.
I won’t be here long enough to need to. Eventually, all of these hovering servants will leave my side and I’ll have a chance to run. The question was when?
“What is about to take place?” I spoke up. “I’ve heard things. Legends. Stories. About the old ceremonies. The customs were done away with for more reasons than war wives. What does my dear husband believe he’s going to make me do?”
There. In the mirror. Bradach and Aeris exchanged a look.
Aeris cleared her throat, making the feathers on her neck puff up.
“It is very simple. You will both be painted with the traditional marriage runes, you will make your vows to one another, and in the morning, after consummation, the runes will take root in your skin and in your soul—binding you before Meya, in life and death.”
She stood me up and draped a black, sheer gown over my body—covering everything and concealing nothing.
“Will we be alone for the”—I forced the word out—“consummating.”
She blinked. “Of course, my queen. Why? Is it your preference to have an audience? My Lord Lumenfell doesn’t care for such, but if that will stoke the flames of your desire, I’m sure I can convince—”
“No,” I bleated, louder than necessary. “That is not how my desire flames are stoked. I merely asked because we’ve not had a true minute by ourselves since we married. I should like to finally be alone with my husband.” To get rid of him for good and make my escape.
“Why?” A hand snaked across my vision and helped itself to my grapes. “To try your hand at another assassination attempt?”
My face heated. The power of mind reading wasn’t possible through magic or curses, but right then I would’ve sworn the raven man did.
“That would be very stupid, keva.” He tossed a grape in the air and caught it between his teeth with a strange, rapid, head-jerking motion.
Rather like a pecking bird. “Do you see this palace with its high walls, barred windows, and battalion of guards? They all exist to protect them,” Bradach said, pointing to the attendants.
“Not Lord Lumenfell. He doesn’t need walls, weapons, or guards.
He is the Lumenfell Army. We are merely his toy soldiers, brought out to play when he’s bored. ”
His smile sent goose pimples down my spine. “Alone or before an entire wedding party—your sword will never strike true.”
I glared into those glittering orbs. “Has anyone told you, Bradach Arasu, that you are a tiresome man?”
He grinned, chuckling. “They never stop.”
The candles flickered—the one beside me whooshing out. I knew even before Bradach’s grin melted away and he shot up, straightening tall and proud before his king.
I turned to face him. Even then, I couldn’t help but be struck by his presence. His heavy black coat should’ve swallowed him, but he swallowed it. Alisdair filled that coat to bursting, stretching his seams, and its ability to conceal the naked form underneath.
I blushed for no good reason. I had already seen what was under there, although if I was honest, it would be a long time—possibly a century—before Alisdair Shadowsoul stopped being the man to which I compared all other men.
His sculpted form, muscled thighs, ridged abdomen, and obscenely large cock had no equal.
Foalan dropped at his feet. “My lord, forgive me. I don’t know what I’ve done to fall in your estimation, but I apologize utterly, and accept my punishment. Please, my lord, lift my shame and bestow the cleansing fire of pain—”
Shadowsoul kicked him in the teeth. My surprised scream echoed off the wall.
Burying his foot in his gut, Alisdair lifted the commander off his knees and kicked him across the room, smashing a dent in the marble wall, and his head. He broke no more a sweat than if he kicked a feather.
Foalan coughed and wheezed, spitting up blood. “Th-thank you, s-sir.”
No one went to him. Not even his supposed friend, Bradach. He didn’t so much as glance in his direction.
“Come,” Alisdair barked. “The ceremony begins.”
He turned his back on me, sweeping out.
I bristled. “Is that how you summon your wife to the ceremony that will make her your eternal mate? One would think you can do better than that.”
Alisdair halted in the entrance, his back to me. “One also would’ve thought this harem of clucking hens would’ve disabused you of the notion that it’s wise to speak to me this way.”
“Fuck you. I’ll speak to you any way I please.”
Aeris, Bradach, and the attendants were finally gaping at a wretched sight—me.
The washing girls backed away from me so fast, they were across the room before I could blink.
Slowly, he turned, and the smile on his lips... I nearly ran away too.
“The clucking hens have told you.” He laughed—a deep, flowing sound. “You know what awaits you at the end of this walk, and you believe a foul mouth will change my mind.” He tsked. “Think it through, little bird. What man in his right mind wouldn’t want your dirty mouth all the more?”
I flushed hot.
I knew what he was doing. I stepped on his overconfidence by using sex to toy with him. Shadowsoul was proving he could do the same to me, but better. Yes, I knew this tactic.
Didn’t mean it wasn’t working.
I stood as tall as my shaking, naked knees would let me. “You mistake me, husband. I’m not trying to get you to change your mind. What I want is for you to do what no one has done since this all began.
“Ask me,” I stated. “Ask me to take this walk with you. Ask me to become your eternal mate. Ask and I will. Ask... on your knees.”
All eyes shot from me to Shadowsoul, awaiting his answer. No one moved. No one breathed.
His eyes locked on mine—dragging me under the depths and drowning me. I almost didn’t notice when he took a step, closing the distance, bringing those impossibly bright pools closer.
Alisdair stopped before me, and knelt.
My eyes widened. He’s doing it? He’s truly doing it. What does this mean? Is this not a cruel, sick punishment to him? Does he truly want me to be his—?
Strong arms seized me, tossed me over his shoulder, and carried me off.
“Hey! Put me down!” I pummeled his back, hitting harder for every raucous laugh belted from Bradach’s throat. “Put me down this moment!”
Shadowsoul didn’t pay me a lick of attention. Carrying me through the shining, gilded halls, he ignored my ranting, kicking, raving, and my bluff.
Of course I wasn’t going to follow him to the ceremony if he proposed. I only wanted him to drop his head, so I could break the basin over it.
Mind reading did not exist, and still he remained twelve steps ahead of me.
“Put me down!”
Alisdair carried me through double doors and a blast of cold burrowed into my bones, banishing the lingering warmth of the steamy bath. The world spun and I was right way up, gazing at an impossible sight.
Roses, violas, poppies, and primrose. Bluebells, snapdragons, witch hazel, and hellebores. Flowers of every color and type surrounded me, fighting to spread their loveliness among blanketing, smothering white.
“A garden?”
A beautiful, snow-covered garden spreading as far as the towering woods would allow. It was amazing. Dare I say, even more amazing than the Lyrican palace gardens. That place was taken up by gaudy, large statues of past kings while here, there was nothing but the natural beauty of nature’s prize.
“What is this place?” A white-dusted path lay before me, leading to a silver cauldron nested among a frozen rose bush.
I went closer, gazing down into dark, inky liquid like the white stuff Aeris carried out behind us—followed by four other servants.
Two of them men, and one carrying a bowl identical to hers.
Bradach and a limping Foalan came outside behind them.
Somewhere amid the time I was being carried around like a child, Aeris, Bradach, Foalan, and the attendants dressed themselves in similar sheer black cloaks.
I scanned my mind for trace knowledge of ancient High Fae marriage customs, but returned nothing. Not only did I not know, but it seemed Emiana didn’t know what was about to happen here either.
“Not that it matters,” I said, stepping back and facing him.
“I had no wish to marry you in the first place.
I am hardly going to marry you more. You can force me into that cauldron.
You can make me repeat my vow to make your days a nightmare, your nights cold and barren, and your life short.
But what you will not do is make me your mate in any way that matters.
“The wife you never wanted is going,” I said, walking off. “This time, I leave you at the altar.”
“Another bold speech,” he replied to my back. “Do hang on to that bluster after you’ve fallen off the cliff you’re headed toward, and land in the nest of Taken living below.”