There is only you.
Our love is not a beginning or an end but an infinite constant.
Nox’s voice wraps around my mind, and for a moment, I feel the delicate fluttering of butterfly wings taking flight in my stomach. “He’s very good to me. The best.”
“Well, then, consider me part of the team that will do whatever it takes to make sure you get back to him.”
The corners of my mouth draw down as I think of all the risks involved. “Nothing that would get you in trouble with the king.”
Erica doesn’t respond beyond a playful wink before there’s knocking at the door. With a sigh, she moves to open it, revealing a fidgeting Eve.
“You’re awake!” she shouts when she meets my gaze, a deeper voice murmuring something behind her.
“Yes, but she needs her rest—”
“She can come in,” I interrupt, sitting back up and tucking the comforter around my waist. Eve is at my side quickly as her eyes roam over me. Behind her, Xander stands in the doorway but doesn’t enter. Instead calling Erica over to speak with her in a hushed voice.
“Rhea, you’re truly alright,” Eve says, taking a seat on the edge of my bed. “I was tasked with cleaning your room after, and”—color drains from her face—“there was just so much blood.”
Regret rises like a tide within me at her worry. “It appears I was able to heal myself,” I tell her, my gaze jumping to Xander’s. Despite the way everything feels grayed out—hazy—I’m still curious to know one thing. “HowwasI able to do that?”
“King Dolian commanded you when he arrived,” he answers, walking to the foot of the bed.
I gaze down at my hands. At the ring that sits atop one of my fingers. Foolish as it was, a small part of me thought that maybe under duress I could access my magic. It wouldn’t be thebestway to use it, but if it meant getting free… I blink away the pointless thought. Imagine my hand swiping away at that seedling of hope.
“I’ve been ordered to let the king know when you’ve awakened,” Xander says, bracing his hands on his hips. Erica scowls at him. “But I wanted to warn you first.”
There’s a skip in the beat of my heart when I ask, “Warn me about what?”
“King Dolian intends to make the death of the man who attacked you a public event. And he wants you there when he does it.”
The next morning comes far too quickly, and though I skipped breakfast, nausea still threatens to expel the meager contents of my stomach.
“I can’t believe he is making you watch,” Eve says from behind me as she runs a brush through my hair. King Dolian had ordered her to spend extra time on my appearance this morning, so that I might bepresentableenough to watch a man’s execution. “It is cruel.”
“It’s his idea of showing me he cares,” I respond, my voice hollow even to my own ears. I had expected to wear black, sure that was the only appropriate option. But the king had a crimson dress made for me, the cut of it dripping from my body as if made of liquid. It follows the contour of my delicate curves, gold lace edging the long sleeves where they flutter around my wrists.The neckline dips just enough to show the top of my cleavage, but Eve layers multiple jewel-laden necklaces to conceal as much of the skin as possible. I swallow the bile that rises to the back of my throat. “If he knew anything about me, he would know that I do not want this. I wouldneverwant this.”
“I know,” she says quietly, laying the brush down. I stand, my heart racing as I grip the back of the chair and look over my reflection. But I don’t see me so much as I see the color of blood. Red and red and red. Splashed over my body and leaking to the floor. Staining skin a shade too pale. “Hopefully it is quick,” she says, wincing. “In any case, I can be here once it is over if you like. Perhaps we can sneak into the library to get your mind off of it all?”
I force a grin as I nod, appreciative of her offer even if that place is no longer the refuge it once was. Eve’s reassuring smile is the last I see as I step into the hall, Xander and Brisk waiting to flank me. As we begin to walk, another two guards join us from behind.
“Is all of this a result of the king’s command?” I ask Xander under my breath.
“No. This is a result ofmycommand. I trust each of these men with my secrets. You can trust them with your life.” He spares me a glance, ensuring that I understand his intention. And even with my complicated feelings about him, I do. “I’m not going to pretend that anything I say will help make the next few moments more bearable. I don’t know exactly what the king has planned, but I’ve bore witness to enough of what he deems entertainment to know that it will involve making a spectacle.”
My entire body bows under the weight of those words. I hold no fond feelings for the man who tried to kill me, but neither do I want to watch my uncle torture him on my behalf. We walk for a while, the occupants of the castle thinning out until we arrive at a set of gilded double doors, and Xander holds his hand upto halt the guards stationed there from opening them before he turns to me.
“We will not be able to interfere,” he says, remorse heavy in his gaze. “But you will not be alone.”
My eyes bounce from one man to the next, each of them offering a small nod. “Thank you,” I say quietly. But even with Xander’s assurance, and those of the men around me, dread still holds me within its clutches.
“Get ready,” Xander says quietly before dipping his chin for the guards to open the doors. My heart pounds as I dig my nails into my palms, unsure of what I’m bracing for. But as I walk forward with Xander at my side—his own hand resting on the hilt of his sword—and we pass the doors, my brows knit together.
“What the fuck?” Xander whispers, confirming what I see. That this is not some strange dream.
Like the rest of the castle, this room is painted in red and gold, fabric draping from beam to beam making it look like a bleeding sky. Gold flecks the cream tile floors, and as I take another step forward, it’s hard not to feel two feet tall under the sheer magnitude of this place. Especially because there is no one elsehere.
Heavy steps sound behind us, and Xander rips his sword free as he spins, the light from flame gems reflecting off of his golden armor. Guards spill through the doors, a sea of glinting gold as they file off to the sides and stand at attention, their hands clasped behind their backs.
