Chapter Thirty
Carys allowed Meical to lead her to Aidan. Claudia waited, her face anointed with blood.
Hopefully, only beast blood.
But she found the gruesome, traitorous countenance of her teacher more welcoming than the prince. When she sneaked a glance, his gentle face had a terrible blankness and his warm green eyes were now as hard as stone.
"I give my sister and strongest witch over to be united with the new brother to our cause," Meical said, his loud voice provoking Carys' agitated nerves. "Both parties have agreed to the Curse Ceremony. This is a union of choice. Neither is compelled to this ceremony."
Carys' stomach knotted. Aidan would never make this choice without coercion. But what was his price? Did Meical promise to spare his family? Bella?
No. That was wrong. Aidan still believed in healing the Curselands. He had the most irritating faith in his loved ones and never feared for them.
Meical stepped aside, leaving Carys and Aidan alone before Claudia. The witch stared at them, her black eyes underlined with bloody marks.
"This ceremony is eternal and nothing shall ever sunder it. You shall never be able to participate in another binding mystical ritual until one of you has departed. Do you agree to bind yourself evermore to the other?"
"Aye," Aidan said, showing no emotion.
Carys had expected more of a fight. The lack of resistance ignited her suspicions. He loved Bella. Why wasn't he objecting?
Why wasn't he fighting?
Claudia gave a soft cough, only loud enough to remind Carys of what was expected. "Aye," Carys said, her voice hollow.
"Hold out your hands," Claudia instructed.
They held their free hands over a chalice. Quicker than lightning, Claudia sliced their palms. Separate trickles of crimson dripped into the golden chalice. The vessel illuminated their magic, flickers of emerald merging with ebony woven into Carys' own blood.
Claudia swished the mixture around in the chalice and then offered them the chalice. "You will drink of each other to become one."
An emotion flickered on Aidan's face. Revulsion.
Disinterest swiftly replaced disgust. He took a sip of the foul concoction before offering it to Carys.
She hesitated before accepting it. The contents weren't much different from blood she consumed in other rituals except for a faint warmth that washed through her body.
Aidan's magic.
She tried to suppress her frantic breaths, desperate to run and remain free.
"Extinguish your candles and extinguish your flames to freedom."
Aidan had to hesitate. He loved someone else. This would be the greatest sacrifice.
His candle was blown out before she could blink. Horror burned her at the realization that only she could stop this twisted ceremony. She could save Aidan's happiness. Even if she couldn't win against Meical, she could still fight back.
That's what heroes did in the tales. That was what Aidan would do.
One look at the crowd killed her resolve. They would eat her alive if she was forced into the ceremony by her brother.
Carys sighed too forcefully, and the candle extinguished.
"Two are now one," a grim Claudia said. "Only death will part them."
Misery muddled Carys' senses. She watched in a haze as Meical embraced Aidan like a brother.
For they were now brothers.
Aidan was no longer her responsibility, no longer a reluctant ally. He was her brother's ally and Carys was the thing that brought them together.
Everything blurred. She barely remembered them going to the main hall.
Aidan was now seated next to Meical and Carys beside her husband.
There was a beautiful feast before them.
Tomatoes, carrots and a crispy green vegetable.
The name of the latter escaped her. Meat from Curse Creatures was in abundance, but covered with the best seasoning.
Wine, usually brewed from demon blood, overflowed.
Nobody knew what to make of Aidan. More spoke with him now, but there were those like Cal who watched him with suspicion.
Carys started drinking her wine when a fight broke out.
She couldn't even bring herself to look at Aidan when one warrior kept bashing another's head on the hard floor.
Part of her thought Aidan would intervene.
He did nothing.
Carys knew her wedding would end in blood. But numbness took hold of her as the body was dragged away, leaving a deep red stain on the stone floor. She excused herself from the rotten revelry. Like a coward, she hid in the privy, preferring its stench to her nightmarish life.
Meical wouldn't allow her absence for long, so she forced herself to leave. After turning down the corridor, she spotted Cal. Dark eyes looked up to meet her, his expression concealed by the shadows. A flash of frustration made her falter.
He leaned too close, his breath tickling her ear. "It needn't be this way forever."
She moved away and continued to the main hall. Her stomach clenched as Aidan approached. Meical must have sent him to fetch her. Without a word, Aidan offered his arm, as if she were a princess, and she recoiled.
"You may have clawed your way from servitude to the inner circle, but you don't matter. This is all to oblige Curselord Meical's plans."
Carys flinched at Cal's vicious volley, but Aidan maintained his eerie, expressionless face. "I know what Meical is about," he said flatly.
"Then you should also know that you aren't worthy of her.
" Cal nodded at Carys. "You are a convenience, nothing more.
Only ever worth anything because of your blood.
Do you think Meical will end up sparing the Starlands because of this agreement?
The blood of your kin will still be our reward.
And now that you've cast aside the supposed love of your life, others can seek her out. "
"Leave Bella be," Aidan said in a low voice.
Cal scoffed. "I could murder her or seduce her easily.
But do you know what I will do instead? I will tell her you forgot your love so you could grasp power.
If this day proves anything, it's that you are no better than the rest of us.
You surrendered your honor and love as soon as it was convenient. "
Carys' mouth dropped open as Cal's body was thrust into the air and thrown into the main hall.
All without Aidan's face showing an emotion.
Cal was a warrior, not a mage, and his reaction was far less controlled.
Knives came flying at Aidan. Carys summoned her magic, intending to stop the blades, but Aidan dodged, sending them right back at Cal, who ducked before he was skewered.
It was so fast Carys almost missed it, but Cal grasping his ear was a good indication that Aidan struck him.
His murderous expression was another good indication.
Cal unsheathed his dagger, no larger weapons were permitted during a feast, and focused his magic into it.
He cut his palm, feeding his blood to the blade before throwing it.
Aidan jumped to the side, the dagger barely missing his head.
The dagger halted in midair before looping around to race toward him.
It came within inches of his eyes, only to be redirected by the prince's own magic, plunging into a chunk of meat.
But he wobbled, the clash of magic and speed of summoning such sorcery sapping his energy.
Clearly expecting a weakened Aidan, Cal had another dagger ready to launch at him.
As it barreled toward Aidan, he only had time to throw up an arm in defense.
It sliced into him, coming too close to embedding into his flesh.
He let out a yowl of pain as blood drops spattered on the floor.
A savage smirk crossed Cal's face as raucous cheering followed his hit.
Carys remained frozen during the whole conflict. But the cheers woke her up, and she prepared to intervene. She summoned her own magic, determined to separate them.
She never had to unleash her power.
The blood coated stony surface burst. Carys frowned at the reaction caused by Aidan's power.
Star Magic was constructive, not destructive.
But he hadn't destroyed the floor. Instead, it expanded and warped.
Tendrils of rapidly growing stone headed for Cal like snakes, wrapping around his legs and knocking him down.
There were a few disappointed cries at the anticlimactic end, but Carys sighed in relief.
As Cal squirmed on the floor, Aidan stared at him.
Then he flung himself on top of Cal and started punching him.
Not just a few punches. Aidan pounded him on with ferocious urgency.
Silence fell upon the hall. The only sounds were his fists ramming down on Cal's face and the warrior's grunts.
A few reluctant cheers broke the silence, growing louder when it became obvious Aidan had no intention of letting up.
Carys watched in horror. This wasn't the gentle Aidan at all.
The only hint of his former self was his relentlessness.
She wanted to stop him, but apprehension held her back.
There was a time when she could tell Aidan to do something and only had to worry that he would defy her with his charming righteousness.
Now she feared what he would do.
His attack showed no sign of ending. Her stomach clenched, fearing he might actually kill Cal. Weddings in the Curselands often ended with a few deaths, but she never expected it would be at Aidan's hand.
She jolted as Meical made his way over, a lone shadow moving through the monstrous spectators. If only she knew what her brother would do. He despised weakness and might want Aidan to finish Cal off.
Meical grabbed Aidan just as he was about to throw another punch and pulled him off of Cal. "All right now," he said calmly. "Save some of that passion for the wedding night. I don't want my sister being disappointed."
Carys' cheeks burned at the crass comment, especially when laughter followed. The remark seemed to wake Aidan up. Some flicker of emotion passed over him, but it was so fast and foreign to Carys' understanding that it might as well have been nothing at all. His face was once again a blank tapestry.
Already rattled, she jumped when Nyx grasped her arm. "Come now," the warrior said. "Let's get to the wedding chamber before anyone tries to follow."
Some did attempt to follow, but Nyx frightened them away with a blistering look. Then, two women made their way up to Carys' room, each step feeling close to approaching her own execution.
"It's fine to be nervous," Nyx whispered.
"I'm not nervous!" Carys shook her head with such vehemence that some of the raven feathers scattered from her wreath. "I always figured the day would come when this... would have to happen. For a mystical ritual."
"Your first time shouldn't be for work." Nyx grimaced. "It certainly shouldn't be for this business."
Carys clenched her hand. "This is the Curselands. It's likely the best I could expect."
It still felt so sordid. So unclean. When she thought of Aidan, she thought of them lying on an emerald knoll, entwined underneath the golden sunlight.
Confusion rushed through her as she struggled to understand why that image came to mind.
She ignored the many times it drifted to her when she fought for sleep.
Nyx stopped. "I am loyal to Meical to the death. Even when I don't agree, I will always support his choices."
"I know."
Nyx raked her hand through her hair. "Your brother doesn't expect you to give anything more tonight."
Carys blinked. "I don't understand. Then what's the point of this mummery?"
"The most important thing is that people think the prince has willingly joined Meical." Nyx shrugged. "And, of course, that no one can ever trap you in a Curse Ceremony."
Relief, and a drop of unacknowledged disappointment, washed through Carys.
When they reached Carys' room, Nyx produced a bottle of wine. Carys set up chalices and filled them. Then she downed the goblet. The warm crimson liquid helped wash away any remaining edginess.
Uneasiness surfaced when loud cheering and laughter filled the hall. She couldn't stop herself from looking at Nyx in alarm.
"Meical won't let them in here," Nyx assured her.
"Won't they want proof of the consummation?" Carys asked, her stomach turning.
"Meical's word will be enough," Nyx said gruffly. "You needn't worry."
Carys still had the image of so many heartless warriors watching her undress. The tension didn't leave her body until Meical and Aidan entered her room.
Aidan wandered over to her tapestry of the Valiant Prince without one glance at her. That was a bad sign. Even Gil, who fancied men, would never willingly look at every girl's fantasy.
Carys sent a pointed glare at her tyrannical brother. He smiled. "So you want a boon, Nightshade? We'll make the oath right now."
It was simple. She pricked her finger, and he did the same. They let their blood drops hit the flame of a red candle. The candlelight turned black before changing back.
Meical cleared his throat. "I vow that my sister Carys may have a free boon from me, so long as it doesn't harm my cause."
"I vow to honor the condition," she whispered.
This flame wouldn't extinguish. It would burn until the oath was fulfilled. She set the candle carefully on a table in a prominent place.
Her only victory that day.
Meical clasped his hands together. "Right then," he said brusquely. "Both of you know what is to be expected. Or leastwise what others expect to hear."
"Should I make a formal announcement that the prince and I made the beast with two backs?" Carys taunted, furious he was putting them through the charade.
He narrowed his eyes. "Nothing will be said to the contrary or you'll both be consummating it before all of my warriors."
She shivered. He didn't make empty threats.
"Aye, that shan't seem staged at all," Nyx rolled her good eye. "Anyway, we'd best leave. No one shall buy that anything happened while the bride's brother is present."
The healthy side of Nyx's face gave Carys a look of sympathy, while the ruined half held a fierce determination. Without another word, the warrior pushed Meical out of the room.
And they were finally alone.
The hushed room was intolerable. Carys had grown accustomed to Aidan's bubbly chattering, and the quiet felt wrong.
She refilled her chalice to distract herself from the silence.
Just as she was about to sip from the chalice, the floor creaked as Aidan approached.
Her hand rattled, crimson liquid sloshing over the chalice's side.
His footsteps ceased, and the only noise remaining were wine drops trickling on the floor and soft breathing.
She wouldn't look at him, but she saw their shadows merged together on the wall.
"Your brother made it clear I'm to stay here for the night and to have no expectations," he said, his voice almost inaudible. "I've no expectations."
Her shoulders tensed. "Good. If you had any expectations, you could also surely expect a dagger to your privates."
She couldn't unfasten the back of her dress without help. Unwilling to ask Aidan, she summoned her magic to undo the ties, but the combination of nerves and Curse Magic tore the ribbons apart. It didn't matter. The ripped ribbons would serve as proof that Aidan had his way with her.
The dress slipped down, and she faced Aidan in only her flimsy tunic. Her hands clenched, but she wasn't a coward. This wasn't the first time he looked at her while barely dressed.
An unreadable expression shadowed his eyes. She turned from him and downed the rest of the wine. She usually hated wine. Gluttons were often their own undoing in the Curselands. Weakness of any kind was always an undoing.
Her faith in her brother was her undoing.
She heard Aidan make his way to their bed, her bed, and it creaked as he sat down. It still took her another minute to approach her bed. One more minute to climb upon the bed. Yet another minute to look into Aidan's empty face.
Her heart plummeted at the sight of her hidden forget-me-nots in his hand. "Those..." She stopped to take a breath. "Those are mine."
She snatched the faded flowers back, the fragile petals almost crumbling in her grip. Heat rose to her cheeks, and she lowered her head.
Aidan cleared his throat. "I'm sorry.
She bit her lip. "It matters not," she lied. "They are just flowers."
"No..." He reached out to touch her hand, sending a spark of warmth coursing through her. "I am sorry about everything. I didn't mean to cause you any discomfort."
"Of course not," she muttered. "That's what my dearest brother wanted."
He flinched at the mention of Meical. She raised her head to find his eyes went stony again. But he kept his hand on hers.
"I still shouldn't wish to cause you any discomfort," he said, disappearing behind the role of formal prince. "This is your room and your bed. I can sleep on the floor."
"For appearances, the bed would probably be more fitting," she said.
He nodded. She pushed the covers back, and they both laid down on the bed.
So close that his body warmth touched her.
So close that his beautiful eyes burned her.
She stiffened, overcome by the urge to turn, but she forced herself to remain on her side, facing him.
Inches away, but they might as well be realms apart.
His gaze focused on her, so intense that she couldn't enjoy the beauty of his eyes.
She wondered if he was thinking of his princess, and how he truly could never return to his home. Her mouth opened, ready to apologize.
But the words died. Any apology would be worthless from her.
"This wasn't what you intended when this all started, was it?" Aidan whispered.
She gave a little shake to her head.
His hand slowly moved in her direction. She relaxed and allowed his fingers to wrap around hers. The heat of the sun was in his touch, warming the coldness of her soul.
"I don't suppose I've been handling this situation well," he said.
She winced as he looked at his free hand, still stained with Cal's blood. Her stone heart cracked at the memory of the once sunny prince extinguishing and joining the rest of them in the darkness.
"I... I attacked Meical when he told me," she mumbled.
Aidan blinked and let out beautiful laughter, the sound of sunshine. "I should have liked to see it."
She gave a half shrug. "It didn't work."
He squeezed her hand. His touch carried gentle understanding and something she rarely experienced.
Comfort.
His sweet comfort washed away the pain of the day. The shame of everything. Aidan brought fragrant life to her hell.
As she drifted to sleep, the wilted flowers fell from her hand.