He may have imprisoned me,but he hasn’t broken me yet.
14
VIVIAN
Asoft touch on my shoulder had me jolting upright as if I’d been struck by lightning. My pulse raced wildly, my breath stuttering as I registered the silver-haired figure standing by my bedside. Eldora. Her lavender eyes glowed faintly in the dim light filtering through the heavy curtains.
“It’s time to wake up,” she said. “Your wedding day awaits.”
The words hit me like a punch to the gut. “What?” I rubbed the sleep from my eyes. “What do you mean? He said I had a week!”
Eldora tilted her head, her expression as serene as ever, which only made my panic worse. “The Shadow decided today will be better. He no longer wishes to wait a week.”
A sharp laugh burst from me, edged with hysteria. “Decided today will be better,” I muttered bitterly. “How considerate of him.” My mind scrambled for something to latch onto, to stop the tidal wave crashing toward me, but I couldn’t even find my footing. “This isn’t happening. I’m not ready?—”
Eldora put her hand on my arm. “There’s no time for this, Vivian. Get up. Take a shower. I’ll help you get ready.”
Panic clawed at my chest. Still, I swung my legs off the bed, feeling more than a little disoriented. My feet hit the cold floor,and I stared down at them as if grounding myself might steady the whirlwind inside me.
Eldora had already moved to the bathroom and turned on the shower. “Come,” she called over her shoulder. “We don’t have much time.”
Numbly, I forced myself to my feet and stumbled toward the bathroom. My hands trembled as I grabbed the doorframe, using it to steady myself. “This is insane,” I muttered. “Absolutely insane.”
Eldora said nothing as she adjusted the towels, then left, closing the door softly behind her. I stood there for a long moment, staring at the fogged-up mirror. My reflection was an indistinct blur, but I could still see the panic etched in the curve of my shoulders, the wildness in my posture.
I stepped into the shower, the hot water scalding my skin and jolting me from my stupor. My mind raced, trying to come up with any way to get out of this.Fake an injury?The thought bloomed like a desperate flower. Maybe I could trip and sprain my ankle. Would that buy me a day? Two?
Or what if I made myself sick? My stomach was already twisted in knots. It wouldn’t take much to make myself vomit. I imagined collapsing at The Shadow’s feet, spewing bile onto his polished boots, and fainting dramatically for good measure.
A bitter laugh escaped me as I scrubbed my skin.As if that would stop him.I could practically see him standing over me, face impassive and terrifying. No, he wouldn’t pause or postpone the wedding. He’d probably say his vows next to my unconscious body, his shadowy tendrils ensuring I nodded in all the right places. Hell, he might even drag me down the aisle in a heap if it came to that.
I pressed my forehead against the cool tiles, letting the scalding water cascade down my back. There was no way out. Not today.
I rinsed off quickly and stepped out of the shower, wrapping myself in one of the plush towels Eldora had set out. My heart was still racing with the frantic tempo of a caged bird. I dried off mechanically, my hands shaking as I fumbled to wrap the towel around my body.
When I opened the bathroom door, the sight that greeted me made my breath catch. The bedroom had been transformed into a bridal suite. A vanity table, complete with makeup palettes and tools I didn’t recognize, was set up by the window. A trio of women bustled around the room. One adjusted a curling iron, its cord snaking across the floor, while another arranged an array of hairpins and brushes. Eldora stood in the center of it all, that ever-present serene expression on her face.
“Sit,” she said, motioning to the chair in front of the vanity.
I obeyed, my legs moving on autopilot, and bit back a gasp when I saw my reflection. I looked like a ghost with my pale face and wide, haunted eyes. The women descended on me, their chatter and movements blending into white noise. Brushes swept across my skin as they applied powders and creams. The acrid smell of heated hair product rose in the air around me as they curled my hair.
But I wasn’t really there. My eyes locked on my reflection, unblinking.How did I get here?How had my life narrowed to this moment, this nightmare? I didn’t recognize the person staring back at me—this trembling woman about to marry a monster.
The buzz around me continued as the women perfected me like I was some porcelain doll being prepared for display. My breathing grew shallow, and my chest felt tight. The room seemed smaller, the air thinner, as if the walls were closing in on me. I clutched the bouquet of roses they’d handed me, the stems cutting into my palms, but even that pain couldn’t bring me back to reality.
“Vivian.” Eldora’s voice cut through the haze.
I barely registered her at first, my breaths coming faster, shorter. “I can’t,” I whispered. “I can’t do this.”
Eldora moved closer, her lavender eyes sharp and discerning. She waved the other women away, and they quickly left my room. Her hands found my shoulders, her firm touch grounding me.
“Look at me,” she said, and I met her gaze in the mirror. “Just breathe. In through your nose, out through your mouth.”
Her thumbs brushed soothing circles against my skin, but it didn’t help. My chest heaved, panic spreading like wildfire through my veins. I shook my head, tears pricking at the corners of my eyes. “I can’t—he’s—he’s going to?—”
“Vivian.” Eldora knelt beside me, her silvery hair catching the light like spun moonlight. “Listen to me. You’re safe right now. Nothing is happening yet. You’re just here, sitting in a chair, getting ready. You don’t have to think about anything else. Just focus on this moment.”
I shook my head again. “He’s a monster, Eldora. You don’t understand.”
