Chapter 3 #2
Kieran inclined his head. “Lady Sasha, it’s so nice to meet you. Your sister spoke of you often in her letters.”
Wait, what letters? I hadn’t written any letters to him.
Sasha’s eyebrows rose along with mine. “Letters?”
“In the correspondence regarding the marriage arrangements, she mentioned how much your opinion means to her, and how protective you are of your family.”
Oh. The formal, political letters that Grandmother had probably written in my name.
“I see.” Sasha’s tone and the way she glared suggested that she saw right through his diplomatic pleasantries. “Are you planning to honor the spirit of those arrangements, Your Majesty?”
The warning in her voice could’ve frozen fire. Kieran seemed to recognize it because he stiffened and met her gaze directly.
“Your sister’s well-being is now my responsibility,” he said. “I don’t take that lightly.”
“Good,” Sasha growled. “Because if you hurt her, arranged marriage or not, there will be consequences.”
“Sasha,” I hissed, my face blazing with heat. “You can’t threaten the vampire king.”
“I can, and I did,” she said without looking away from my new husband. “He understands, don’t you, Your Majesty?”
I wanted to tell her to stop, but part of me also wanted to take notes. My oldest sister specialized in battle and strategy magic. If anyone could defeat another with either their wits or in combat, it was my Sasha.
Kieran smiled. Actually smiled, and for a moment I caught a glimpse of the man I’d known six years ago. “I do indeed, and I respect you for it.”
Behind Sasha, I spied several of Kieran’s advisors watching with disapproval. The older vampires exchanged glances that didn’t bode well for our new alliance.
This wedding was meant to strengthen ties between our communities, to build the cooperation that Grandmother had told me was crucial. Now my family was threatening the vampire king within minutes of speaking our vows.
Quandary chose that moment to make his presence known again, chirping and stretching one tiny wing toward Kieran.
In all the years he’d been with me since bonding, my companion had never once shown the slightest interest in meeting new people.
Yet here he was, practically preening for my new husband’s attention.
“What is that about?” I asked, but Kieran was already extending one finger toward Quandary, letting the little drake sniff him.
“Hello there,” Kieran cooed, leaning close. “You’re quite gorgeous, aren’t you?”
Quandary puffed up with pride and rubbed his tiny head against Kieran’s finger. His purr started up again, louder this time.
“He likes you.” I couldn’t keep the bewilderment out of my voice. “He never likes anyone but me.”
“Animals often have good instincts about people.” Kieran kept scratching under Quandary’s chin. “Perhaps he approves of our match.”
My blood ran cold. “Approves? Why would he?”
The air between us went razor-sharp. Even Quandary stopped purring, his little claws tightening on my shoulder as if bracing for impact.
Kieran’s eyes met mine, and I saw the exact moment he realized what he’d just revealed. “I… That is… We met. Your grandmother—”
“You knew,” I hissed, though why I’d started to have doubts was beyond me. “You knew it was me. All along, you knew.”
Silence stretched between us like a tight wire. Sasha’s eyes narrowed as she sensed undercurrents she couldn’t understand.
“Cyrene,” Kieran said, but I held up a hand to stop him before he spouted more lies.
“No,” I barked.
Several vampires scowled in our direction, their disapproval practically radiating across the garden. “You don’t get to explain this away. You knew exactly who you were marrying, didn’t you?”
His jaw tightened. “Actually, it’s not that simple.”
“Actually, it’s simple enough to me. You knew I was the witch who fell for your lies six years ago.”
“That’s not—”
“What lies? And what happened six years ago?” Sasha wedged herself between us, latching onto my shoulders. “Cyrene, what’s going on? You two knew each other already?”
I kept my voice controlled. “We met at a magical festival six years ago. He told me he was a wizard.”
“You told her you were a wizard?” Sasha snarled over her shoulder at my new husband. “But you’re the vampire king.”
“Every word out of his mouth was a lie,” I said. “Three days of lies. Three days of making me believe in fairy tales, and then he disappeared without a word.”
“Cyrene, please,” Kieran said, trying to politely ease Sasha to the side. “Let me explain.”
“Oh, do you wish to tell me how you thought it would be amusing to play with a naive witch’s heart? Or how you probably laughed about me for years?”
“I never laughed.” His voice came out hoarse with emotion, but I didn’t trust it one bit. “Not once. Not ever.”
“Then why did you leave? Why didn’t you come back? And why didn’t you say something to me, not my grandmother or my companion, but me, when you knew I was going to be your bride?”
He opened his mouth, then closed it again. Whatever explanation he had, he clearly wouldn’t voice it in front of my sister.
“I see,” I bit out.” Still keeping secrets.”
Quandary squawked and pressed closer to my neck. Even my companion could sense how badly this was going.
“Cyrene,” Sasha hissed in a low voice. “Perhaps we should discuss this privately—”
“I need some air.” I gathered up my skirts. The elderly vampires were still watching us with pinched features, and more guests had stopped and were gazing back, probably tasting the tension in the air.
“Wait.” Kieran took a step toward me.
I scowled. “I’m going for a walk. I’ll return when I’m ready.”
Pivoting, I rushed away, heading not toward the reception area but the path that meandered through the forest. I needed to leave all the stares and whispered conversation behind, if only for a short time.
The forest waited ahead, cool and shadowy, holding the kind of quiet that could either soothe or swallow you whole. I welcomed both.
I tore the enchanted veil from my head and flung it to the ground, where it dissolved into mist. Quandary flapped his tiny wings to keep his balance on my shoulder as I hurried down the main path.
Sasha’s raised voice and Kieran’s quieter response followed me, but I didn’t hear what they said. Didn’t look back.
I needed air. I needed space. I needed to not set the vampire king on fire in front of diplomatic witnesses.
And most of all, I needed to figure out how I was going to keep from falling for him all over again.