Chapter 1 #2
The color matches my mood. It’s a fitting scene for the death that awaits me beyond the doors.
The guards at the entrance follow us as Ludis walks me down an aisle between the guests. Everyone bows as I pass them, showing the reverence expected for the new empress. It makes me feel even more nauseated.
My slippers disrupt black rose petals scattered along a silver runner. Aside from my dress, it’s the only fabric that isn’t black in the whole room.
Caiden is dressed head to toe in black. He’s handsome. He’s always handsome. It makes me hate him more. Each step I take is a battle against my own instincts.
Darius, the emperor’s priest waits with Caiden atop a raised dais, ready to perform the ceremony. The closer I get, the more my skin crawls.
The prince—no, the emperor—smiles as if he’s a normal man awaiting the love of his life. He’s a better actor than I realized, which means everything he’s ever said or done is suspect. He’s a liar. But then again, so am I.
We stop in front of two steps that lead up to the dais, and Ludis bows before nudging me with his elbow. I fix a sardonic smile on my lips and curtsy without taking my eyes off Caiden’s. I want him to know how much I hate him.
When we rise, Ludis extends my hand toward the emperor. “Your Majesty, it is my great honor to offer my sister, Princess Sabina Volkov, as your wife, and in doing so, join our great nations in peace.”
Caiden extends his hand, and I take it, my body moving through the motions out of spite and the desire to protect my friends. Already, a million visions of how I could kill my new husband swirl in my mind, each more excruciating than the last. I smile at the thought.
I’m standing in front of him now, our hands clasped while Darius reads words about our union and the gods.
I retain none of it. Every syllable floats through my mind like water through a sieve.
All I can think about is how fucking grateful I am that Brevan isn’t here.
Anya isn’t here. My parents and my brothers don’t have to see what’s become of me.
I know it’s my only option—and I will find a way out of this—but to bind myself to him like this in front of the court, in front of the gods…
it breaks something inside me that I’d rather not admit to.
I tell myself I’m strong. That it means nothing.
But as the priest binds our wrists with black ribbons, my breathing grows rapid and my heart thunders.
This is real. This is happening. I’ll be married in the eyes of the gods.
I’ve never held much weight for them in the past, but their existence weighs heavy on me now. Maybe because the marks on my skin tell me the gods are real, and I probably shouldn’t cross them.
Darius chants something in a language I don’t know, and the audience chants back. My throat constricts as Caiden tightens his grip on me, his hands squeezing mine so hard, I have to bite down against the pain. His eyes dance with malice; his smile as cruel as his touch.
But I refuse to bend.
As the priest removes the ribbons, Caiden loosens his grip, then releases my hands. I hate that I let out a breath of relief.
“The rings?” Darius asks.
“Brevan?” Caiden calls.
My heart stops.
Brevan, dressed in his formal uniform, approaches the dais. He climbs the stairs, a small box in his large hands. His eyes don’t meet mine. I didn’t think I could feel anything worse than I already had, but as he hands my ring to Caiden, my insides feel like they’re crumpling in on themselves.
“Sabina, your hand,” Caiden says, his tone impatient.
My lower lip trembles as I lift my hand so he can slide the ring on my finger. It’s cold and impersonal. A black band without decoration.
“Now, you, Princess,” Darius says.
I look toward Brevan, and our eyes meet. Something shatters inside me. I want nothing more than to crawl into a dark hole and never return. Even the jaws of the dragon are preferable to standing here, stretching out my hand, so Brevan can place the wedding band into my waiting palm.
He’s careful not to touch me, dropping the ring before our hands could brush. I’m grateful for that small mercy.
As I slide the ring onto Caiden’s finger, my mind goes fuzzy.
It’s like everything is muted, and my vision blurs.
I’m only vaguely aware of the priest announcing the completion of the ceremony.
When Caiden leans to kiss me, he presses his lips to mine, but I don’t respond. He might as well be kissing a corpse.
The crowd rises when we turn to face them, cheering and applauding. Caiden guides me down the stairs and through the people to the hallway outside the ballroom.
An army of servants march toward the open doors carrying vases of flowers that I helped pick out for the Darkfall ball.
They’ll change everything quickly, turning the wedding into a night of dancing and drinking.
Soon, there will be more people present.
The wedding guests were only the closest and most important people.
In an hour, it will be overflowing with revelers.
Caiden leads me to the dragon skull and through the secret door. I tense as soon as we pass into the space. The carpet has been replaced along with the furniture. Evidence of the emperor’s death stripped from the room, but I swear I can feel his ghost hovering around us like a curse.
“That wasn’t so bad, was it?” Caiden asks.
I look into his eyes for the first time. “You know I didn’t want this. You forced me into it.”
He brushes his knuckles along my cheek and down my jaw. I close my eyes and turn away from him. “You’ll warm up to me in time.”
I step back. “No, I won’t.”
“You will because you have no other choice. I know what you’d do for your friend. Your rebel friend. The punishment for her crimes is death, though you know we torture first. Katherine was too quick. Usually, I let them linger for days. Weeks, even, if I get a decent healer to keep them alive.”
I bare my teeth at him. “You’re a monster.”
“Oh, my darling little raven, don’t say such things. We don’t yet know what the temple turned you into. It’s possible you’ll be my equal in all things. It’s also possible you’ll just be a pretty face that I keep by my side as long as you’re of use to me. That choice is yours.”
“I am not bedding you,” I hiss.
“I’m not asking you to. I’m patient. I’ll wait until you’re begging me.”
“That is never going to happen,” I assure him.
He smirks. “You’re still thinking about Brevan, aren’t you? About his hands on your skin, his lips on yours. But you don’t know him like I do. And soon you’ll see who he really is, and I can promise you, if you think I’m a monster, you’re going to see him as the terror that haunts nightmares.”