97
SERENA
I’m dressed in a ballgown of the deepest ebony.
It’s the kind of dress you dream of wearing as a little girl, with a full hoop skirt and elbow-length opera gloves. The kind that begs for twirl after glorious twirl. Little diamonds are woven into the velvet skirt, twinkling like stars each time I shift and they catch the light. The corset is wound so tight it borders on painful.
Beauty and pain. This world to a tee.
And the finishing touch? A silver sash wrapped around my waist and bowed at the back.
Making me a gift. An offering.
Conversation buzzes throughout the packed throne room. My friends surround me, hovering close by, our shared tension bubbling beneath the guise of this happy day.
The fanfare of trumpets sounds, swallowing the chatter of the crowd and commanding every eye toward the entrance. A line of royal guards in sleek black uniforms steps through the door in perfect synchronization, forming two parallel lines on either side of the aisle. At Max’s command, they draw their swords with a loud swish, hoisting them into the air to form a tunnel. I catch Jace’s eye through the arches, standing with the rest of Derek’s small council near thefoot of the dais. A sharpness tugs at my gut, and I force myself to look away.
Sorscha and Eaton appear beneath the green vines snaking up the marble archway, looking resplendent and regal. They are sunshine personified, exuding power and confidence. Together, they make their way down the stretch of silver carpet beneath the gleaming tented swords, matching fur-lined capes dragging behind them.
Ceremonious words are recited on the dais, but they sound muffled and distant, like I’m listening underwater. I watch the figures up there like players on a stage, moving in slow motion. I finally snap out of it when Jace takes the crown of glistening diamonds from its velvet bed and places it on Sorscha’s head.
She breaks into a winsome smile.
“Hail Queen Sorscha!” someone shouts. The room echoes the joyful chant.
When it’s time for Jace to remove the crown from his own head, he stops in front of Eaton.
As soon as Derek’s crown brushes his golden hair, all hell breaks loose.
Shadows swallow us up.
Black so thick it is completely opaque.
Screams surround me—horrified wails—and I know that something is very wrong. I whirl, reaching for Zadyn’s hand.
But he’s not there. I can’t feel him. I can’t feel anything at all.
“Zadyn? Zadyn!” Panic slicks my throat as I call his name.
This feels too familiar. Shouting into a crowd of terrified fae. Too far away from the people I love. My mind flashes to Jace.
Fuck.Why was I so awful to him? All my anger, all my resentment, is swiftly erased by the crippling fear of losing him.
Of losing them both.
Hysteria rakes through the crowd, so strong I can taste the fear.But my shadows whisper to me, longing to mingle with the dark. They are drawn out by the likeness. They want to be friends.
I know who these shadows belong to.
The moment his name forms in my mind, my sight is restored.
The throne room is empty.
Except for me.
And Kylian.
98
