“You’re very direct, aren’t you?” The queen’s tone remained pleasant, but I saw the annoyance in her eyes. “Perhaps weshould discuss what’s at stake. Our seers’ visions have shown us … developments. Time is not our ally.”
“What developments?”
A ripple of whispers spread through the crowd—apparently, few people questioned the queen.
Her gaze narrowed. Clearly, she was impatient with my obstinacy.
I didn’t care. She’d have to offer me more than cryptic hints if she wanted my agreement.
The queen’s gaze traveled the crowded room before she stepped closer, lowering her voice. “You saw what happened in Banvil. I’d prayed we’d never revisit such atrocities, but I fear that what you saw there will happen again. Our strength lies in unity, Haven. In bonds that cannot be broken.” She paused as if carefully considering her next words. “War is coming, and we need you.” She leaned closer, her voice barely audible. “I will tell you more when we’re alone. I promise. For now, know this: The ceremony isn’t a meaningless tradition. Bonds enhance magic. You’ll all be stronger.”
A smart reply rose to my lips, but I bit it back as I thought of Takir and the new family we’d left there. If Rymar fell, what would happen to Grace?
I pressed my palms together and leaned my forehead against my hands, thinking.
With a few well-chosen words, the queen had me responsible for the safety of everyone in Rymar. She was manipulating me. The question was whether her manipulation aligned with what I actually wanted.
Did I want peace? I glanced at the queen’s favorite window. Of course I wanted that, but at what personal cost?
I’d known the answer since I touched Gladys’s godsdamned pool. Pain. Suffering. Death. And tying myself to six men.
Did I even want these bonds? Remy and Zane, absolutely. But the others? Could I accept them without forgiving them?
I’d dipped my fingers in Gladys’s pool. I’d seen hints of the future. I’d need all of them for what was coming. The queen might be manipulating me, but she wasn’t wrong about the danger.
“If I say yes, what exactly am I agreeing to? And why wasn’t I told this ceremony was happening?”
The queen’s eyebrows rose slightly. “If you say yes? These are the men fate has chosen for you.”
“Fate doesn’t get to make my choices for me.” I looked at each of the six men. “I need to know what this means—for all of us. I won’t bind myself to anyone without understanding that.”
Remy leaned forward, whispering in my ear, “Haven, you can refuse any of us. The ceremony doesn’t create the bonds—it acknowledges what already exists.”
I took a breath, centering myself. Two of these men I wanted. The other four … were complicated. “If we’re already bonded, why do we need a ceremony?”
He winced. “Like I said, you can refuse us.”
A prickle of unease slid down my spine, unease that had nothing to do with signing my life away. “What does that do to the bonds?”
“Nothing. They’ll still be there. Just … incomplete.” That pause suggested there were things he wasn’t telling me.
It was easy to accept Zane and Remy. Less so the others. But I’d seen Gladys’s visions of my future. I needed these men. All six of them.
I lifted my gaze and scowled at the queen. She might be royalty, she might be Remy’s mother, but I did not appreciate being blindsided.
She seemed serene, unperturbed by my ire. “Well?”
I was the opposite of serene. The world, the men, and the queen had thrown too much at me at one time.
I took a moment to collect myself, looking at each man.
Remy’s blue eyes held nothing but warmth, as if he’d wait forever for my answer. Beside him, Zane’s golden gaze was steady and certain, as if he already knew I’d choose him.
Pierce remained on one knee, head bowed, but I caught the tension in his shoulders. He expected rejection.
Teal’s usual smirk had faded into something more vulnerable, hope flickering across his features before he schooled his face into a guarded mask.
Flynn bounced slightly on his toes, radiating nervous energy. His usual cocky grin looked brittle around the edges.
