“Well, I’ll see you all at the abbey,” I say to my companions, smoothing the front of my dress.
“It was nice knowing you, Leigh.” Desi laughs from the chaise lounge, where she is elegantly draped like a cat. Her pink bridesmaid dress sharply contrasts with her bone-white skin, red eyes, and ebony hair. “Queen Jorina is likely going to kill you before you can become my sister-in-law.”
“That’s because someone”—I shoot a glare at Gianna—“told her I was never coming back.”
Gianna scoffs. “Well, excuse me, how was I supposed to know you’d return mid-conversation? She deserved to know. We all did.”
I fold my arms over my chest, careful not to ruin any part of my dress, while cringing. I never meant to hurt any of them. Though I should have known that was inevitable. I was just trying to make everything better so we could stand here today, smiling like we are now. “You could have waited another hour. Now, I’m going to get lectured. On mywedding day, no less.”
“You deserve your grandmother’s wrath,” says Gi, “after lying and making us all worry.”
“I agree,” my mother says, dabbing at her eyes with an embroidered handkerchief.
“Does anyone else want more bubbles?” Meg asks from across the room. She looks adorable in her strapless gown. It fits her perfectly, though it does nothing to hide the faded hickey she’s trying to cover with a partial updo. I hide a smile. After everything Gianna’s been through, I hope it works out between them.
“I do,” Isolde says before downing her drink. She gives Meg her glass. She’s had two flutes already, as though she’s trying to work up the courage to do something big. Whatever it is, I pray she doesn’t get too drunk before she can get the words out. I also hope she doesn’t trip on her way down the aisle.
I look at my bridesmaids with tears in my eyes. Years ago, if anyone had told me I would become a queen while an openly practicing Lunar Witch and the wife of a former Nebula Blade Commander, I would have thought they were high. The fact that I’d get there by surviving the deaths of my father and brother and a haunting journey through a ghost wasteland would have made it even more unbelievable. Yet here I am. Every trial the gods have sent me has shaped me, making me stronger than I ever imagined. It all began when Wilder saved me from Thayer’s earthquake and again after an explosion at a festival. Since then, we have saved each other countless times.
Now he truly is my soulmate. Our lives are linked, and no one will ever be able to tear us apart again. “Til death do us part” now has a whole new meaning since our souls are connected. I am still so overwhelmed by Wilder’s selfless act. For me. Not only did he follow me into Mictlan without any warning, but he also risked everything to bring me home. If that’s not love, I don’t know what is.
“Okay, wish me luck,” I say.
I leave the bridal suite, the heavy door closing with a solidthudbehind me, and I head down the hall toward my grandmother’s quarters. The hem of my dress whispers against the carpet, paired with the soft click of my heels. A few royal attendants smile as I pass. I smile back, my confidence growing with each step.
I knock on my grandmother’s door.
“Enter,” she calls.
My grandmother’s rooms here in Glaucus resemble her space back in Borealis. Green dominates every surface—drapery, chair cushions, and bedding—creating a forest-like atmosphere that feels both regal and suffocating. My grandmother, dressed in a stunning sapphire gown that matches her eyes—Fynn’s eyes, Don’s eyes, Felicity’s eyes—sits in a high-backed chair. She looks incredibly poised despite her age, or maybe because of it. At the sight of her, healthy and present, my eyes prick with tears like they have every time I’ve seen her since I found her unconscious in that hospital bed months ago. I am so grateful she’s alive.
“You look hot in that dress,” I say before I can stop myself.
My grandmother frowns. “You lookalive.”
I laugh and take the velvet seat beside her. “Barely.”
“What were you thinking, Leigh?” my grandmother chastises.
I sigh. “I thought I could handle it.”
“You’re lucky you have a devoted fiancé.”
Warmth spreads through my chest. My grandmother has no idea.
Wilder and I haven’t told anyone about my pact with Kosac to sell my soul in exchange for Aradia’s freedom, nor have we revealed his deal with the gods to share his life force with mine. Some things are too outrageous to believe. Everyone knows we barely escaped Kosac’s grasp, surviving together by the skin of our teeth, and that’s the truth—just not the whole story.
“So, are you going to punish me for being a reckless queen?” I ask.
Her eyes twinkle. “If I did, would you listen?”
I tap one finger against my armchair. “Probably not.”
My grandmother sighs, and the sound carries decades of exasperation. “You might be surprised that I called you here, not to chastise you, but to express how happy I am that you are safe.”
I balk. Usually, my grandmother is such a stickler.
I shift in my seat to face her directly. “You know, I do have something I want to tell you.”
