“You dare,” she hissed.
Both of Dominique’s parents froze. They stood perfectly still as they watched the sorceress with wide eyes. Together, Graciella and Jurgen were powerful, but they still couldn’t take on a sorceress such as Zephira and win.
“You dare interfere with my curse,” she accused.
As one, Graciella and Jurgen took a step back. “Of course not. That wasn’t our intention.”
Dominique could almost smell their fear as they put more space between themselves and Zephira. Her legs nearly collapsed when Jurgen’s hands released her, but Ronan reached out, pulling her into his body and holding her weight easily.
“You mean you weren’t going to bespell the boy and convince him that one of your elder daughters was his true love?” Zephira asked.
Neither of her parents spoke, but even Dominique could see that the enchantress had voiced their spontaneous plan.
“I cursed these two for a reason and you shall not interfere, or you will face the consequences.”
Zephira strode forward, and Dominique saw her stepfather shift as though he was about to reach for her. The sorceress saw it too because her dark eyes pinned him in place as she said. “Your touch won’t work on me, but you’re welcome to try. You’ll die for the trouble, and I don’t think you’ll be missed.”
Jurgen stilled, prey before a raptor.
“Now, it’s time for you to leave my sight before I lose my temper and destroy you both for what you tried to do.”
Graciella opened her mouth, the glint in her eye telling Dominique that her mother thought she’d found a way around this mess, but Zephira seemed to grow a foot right in front of them. Huge gray wings burst from her back. Each feather tipped with black as though they’d been dipped in shadows.
“I said LEAVE MY SIGHT!” Zephira roared, her voice echoing in the courtyard, the magic in her words so thick and potent that anyone within a few miles would have heard her.
Jurgen abandoned any pretense of backing up Graciella, leaving his wife behind as he turned and sprinted away. When she realized her only weapon was escaping, Graciella soon followed.
Once they were out of sight, Zephira glared at Ronan and Dominique before she vanished as well in another storm of gray smoke and a boom of thunder.
Dominique’s legs gave way completely, and Ronan didn’t hesitate before he scooped her up in his arms. The prickle of magic poked at her skin as shadows emerged from his flesh, wrapping around both of them.
In a blink, they were inside the castle, the furnishings of the room completely unfamiliar to Dominique. Ronan strode to a couch, settling on the cushions with Dominique in his lap.
“Shhh. Don’t cry, Princess. You’re safe. I have you,” he murmured, his hands brushing her cheeks.
Dominique suddenly became aware of the tears streaming from her eyes. She hadn’t realized she was crying until Ronan spoke. A thin breath escaped her as her entire body shuddered, still fighting off the remnants of the potion her mother had administered and her stepfather’s magic.
As she struggled to regain control and shut down the thoughts of what might have happened if Zephira hadn’t appeared, Ronan held her, stroking her hair and back, holding her so close that she could almost believe he cared about her.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Immortal fae couldn’t haveheart attacks, could they?
Ronan wondered if it was possible despite everything history said because his chest felt so tight that he couldn’t draw breath. His heart pounded behind his ribs, the beat so hard and fast that he saw black around the edges of his vision.
He’d never been so afraid in his life when he realized that Dominique’s parents were planning to poison her right in front of him. He wanted to intervene long before he had, but he needed proof that they were traitors of the crown before he went to his parents.
The Proxa family had wormed their way into his parents’ good graces, and it would take more than gossip and intuition to convince them to banish them.
Very few fairy godmothers were willing to even talk to his parents, much less visit their kingdom. For all their scheming and strategizing, Caden and Bronwyn had difficulty maintaining alliances and friendships. They were too selfish for relationships of any kind, even ones forged for the good of the kingdom, to last.
As he watched her stepfather manhandle her, Ronan realized that he loved Dominique. That the entire reason he’d chosen herfor this marriage of convenience was because he’d fallen a bit in love with her as a child and never stopped. That spending time watching her and with her over the past couple of weeks had only made those feelings grow and deepen.
But seeing Zephira again reminded him of his curse. His true love will despise him. The thought made his chest hurt even more. Dominique would never love him in return.
For the first time in thirty years, Ronan wanted to weep. Not just for himself but for Dominique. Knowing that his love wasn’t reciprocated hurt so badly and he didn’t want Dominique to endure this pain.
He stroked her hair again, murmuring quiet words of comfort to her as he rocked her in his lap. When her muscles relaxed against him, allowing her body to melt into his, Ronan found his resolve.
