I let out a bitter laugh. "I'm about to marry her. Alice is locked in a dungeon. Your children are in the Shadowsteel mines. Tell me how that's not winning."
Rabbit had no answer. Neither did I.
I set down the bottle and stood. My legs felt heavy. My whole body felt heavy.
"Help me get dressed." The words tasted like grave dust. "Let's get this over with."
I leaned against the bathroom door jamb as Rabbit filled up the tub. Steam curled into the air, fogging the mirror. I tookanother swig of Black Smoke before stepping into the scalding water.
Fuck. I was the sacrificial lamb. Dressed up pretty for the slaughter.
Rabbit washed my hair, scrubbed my back. I sat there numbly, staring at nothing.
I could escape. I could race out of here right now—knock Rabbit aside, tear through the guards, unfurl my wings, and fly. I was fast. Strong. I'd escaped from Alanna before.
But I couldn't get to Alice. The dungeon was too deep, too guarded. And she wasn't the only one. Flint. Steel. Bunny and her children, all rotting in the Shadowsteel mines.
I couldn't get them out of here. Not alone. I didn't possess any magical powers. No way to unlock cells or break curses or stop time.
All I had was myself. And I'd already traded that away.
I got out of the tub and dried myself off. I caught my reflection in the mirror and barely recognized the man staring back.
Death warmed over. Hollow eyes. Gaunt cheeks. A shell of who I used to be.
Why the fuck did Alanna even want me? She didn't love me. She wasn't capable of love. She just wanted my damn hat. My power. Another trophy to hang on her wall.
I braced my hands against the counter, my head hanging low.
"I don't know how I'm going to get through this, Rabbit." I couldn’t meet his eyes in the mirror. "She's..."
"I know what she is." Rabbit appeared in the doorway, the pink suit draped over his arm. His eyes met mine in the mirror. "We all do."
He helped me get dressed in silence. The shirt was pure silk—clinging to my skin like a second layer I didn't want. I never wore silk. It wasn't my style.
Alanna knew that. She just didn't care.
The pants and jacket were stiff, constricting. I turned to face the mirror.
"I look like a flamingo."
Rabbit's lips twitched—almost a smile. "The color is... unfortunate."
"The color is a fucking insult."
I glanced out the window. The sun was sinking toward the horizon, painting the sky in shades of orange and crimson. Blood red. How fitting.
Soon it would be sunset. Soon I would belong to Alanna forever.
My chest tightened. I thought of Alice—her smile, her laugh, the way she'd looked at me like I was something worth saving. I'd never see that look again. She'd spend the rest of her life believing I'd betrayed her.
And maybe that was for the best. Maybe hating me would make it easier for her to move on. To live.
Another knock at the door shattered my thoughts.
Rabbit opened it, his hand trembling on the handle. "He's ready."
Two guards stood in the hallway dressed in formal crimson attire. Gold buttons. Polished boots. Like this was a celebration instead of an execution.
