Which is exactly why Atlas is not on the list.It would have been easy to sign myself away to her, and I wasn’t ignorant of her feelings on the matter. But the risk of him stepping in at the last moment and ripping away any hope that I had at freedom was too high.
I needed to be smart about this. Cunning. Just like my father raised me to be.
“I remember,” I all but spat at him and jerked my head to pull my hair from his grip, but he held on tight, sending a searing pain across my skull.
“You never did thank me for that,” he commented as he leaned close.
I didn't want to thank that bastard for anything. I gritted my teeth. The urge to attack him ravaged through me. If I were the old Aurelia, I would have snapped at him and tried to pull his head from his neck with my bare hands.
But I’m not.
That Aurelia wasn't here anymore. Inside, there was still that vampire that would rage at anyone who tried to harm her regardless of what the consequences were.
But this time it wasn't just about me. Because right then, as I was looking at my brother's eyes, something flashed in them.
He thinks this is a game.
The playfulness told me he knew exactly what was going through my mind, and he was just waiting for me to lose it.
But he also knew aboutthem.
“Thank me,princess,or I’ll send word to the vampires watching your lovers that you’reuncooperative.”
Ice-cold fear struck me right through the heart. I had been naïve to think that he wouldn't ensure that I was being a good little vampire. I thought offering myself up on a silver platter would be enough for him. That showing that I was willing to kneel in front of him and expose my neck—degrade myself—would prove my loyalty.
He was smarter than that. And crueler.
I guess it runs in the family.
“Thank you,” I spat at him.
He held my gaze for a long moment before pushing me away, and I only barely caught myself before I stumbled into the dry fountain.
"Remember your place, Aurelia,” he warned, all the joking gone from his tone for the first time.
With that, he turned away, his cape swishing behind him as he disappeared back into the castle.
My anger was boiling up. Violent thoughts raged inside me. Images of me pulling back his cape and sinking my fangs into his neck, tearing it out violently, and painting the dying flowers red flashed through my mind.
But so did the memory of how easily he had taken out the witches. And on how he had set his eyes on Cedar next.
My vision blurred. My breathing quickened. His shape was nothing more than a black blob now.
Not really caring what anyone else would think if they heard, I let out a shriek that came from the deepest, most anguished parts of my soul. I turned around and started pulling out the weeds at the bottom of the fountain, throwing them across the garden at the wall that separated me from my freedom.
When that wasn't enough, I started pulling my hair, gripping at the roots until I crumbled into a screaming mess. Anything to let out the anger that was eating me alive inside.
I'd been able to hold it in front of him, but as soon as I was alone, it all came rushing out. All the fury. All the fear. All the hopelessness.
I did this to myself. I did it for them.For us.I couldn’t let them die. Couldn’t let them get taken away from me. This was the only way.
But that didn't make it any more enjoyable.
I was Aurelia Castle to my core, for better or for worse. Soon to be the broodmare everyone thought me to be.
I took a deep breath and turned up to look at the now dark sky.
I had one last thing to do before my marriage. One final chance to make it all worth it.
