“It was so scary,” she whispers. “They came in the middle of the night. It sounded like…like there were coyotes outside of my house. Which is normal for our region, I know. But it sounded like my entire house was surrounded by them. When I looked out the window, they weren’t coyotes. They were…” Her voice trails off, lost in the memory. I wait for her to continue, silently sitting beside her.
“They were, like, children. Dead children with no eyes. They surrounded my house, just staring at it. I ran to the front door to make sure it was locked, and there was an old woman standing on the other side of the door, looking through the glass. She said, ‘Cally dear, open up.’” Her voice catches, and I can feel her trembling. “I don’t know what happened after that,” she says, wiping her face roughly.
I wait a few seconds, just in case she’s not done talking. “I thought you didn’t remember anything at all,” I say, asking the question without asking it.
“That’s what I told everyone. I couldn’t go through it again. The feeling I got when I saw the children and then the old woman…It was like I knew I was about to die. I can’t explain it. It was terrifying. I didn’t feel like explaining all of that to everyone over and over. So, I lied and said I didn’t remember anything.”
“The old woman…” I say. “Did she have milky eyes?”
Cally freezes beside me at my question. “Yes, she did.”
I nod slowly, feeling one of the threads connecting. “She was here. At the castle. The day of the first attack. The children you saw are called cambions, and they’re created and summoned by witches using dark magic.”
“That old woman was a witch?” she asks, turning toward me, eyes wide.
I nod quickly. “That’s what I think. I think she was the one who killed my father, too. I’m not sure what the fuck’s going on, but I think she’s behind everything.”
“Why would she attackme?” She looks at me, eyes wide.
I shake my head and say, “My running theory right now is that she’s trying to destroy the High Court. Ivan and Luca seem to think that by attacking you, I’d rush to you and leave the grounds, leaving me open to be attacked.” Her jaw drops, and I add, “I’m so sorry that I’ve put you in this position, Cally. I know how awful last night must have been. Those things are terrifying.”
She nods and says, “It’s not your fault, Mae.” She takes a deep breath and runs a hand through her hair. “Well, enough about me. Congratulations on your engagement!” She’s trying hard to sound cheery, but it doesn’t work.
“Thanks,” I say, lacking the excitement she was trying to elicit. “Honestly, I’m feeling a little…I don’t know. I’m just not as excited as I was hoping to be for my wedding. It feels rushed—like it’s just something I need to cross off a to-do list at this point,” I confess for the first time, even to myself. Sure, I like Marik, but I’ve only really known him on a deeper level for a week. That’s not enough time to truly love someone.
Her face falls, and she says, “Is it too early to drink?”
A genuine laugh rises from my chest at the question. “Yes, but that’s never stopped us before. I’ll send someone to the kitchens to grab champagne.”
Ruby and Nora arrive soon after, their bags of hair tools and makeup in hand. Behind them, Holly and Elle push two rolling clothing racks, one overflowing with white wedding dresses, the other one overflowing with bridesmaid dresses in different colors and textures.
I pour the first glass of champagne, trying to lighten my mood. Despite the happy occasion, my thoughts have turned grim. Whenever I envisioned this moment as a girl, I pictured marrying my dream male. Now, despite a wedding and a fiancé that many girls across the kingdom would kill for, all I can think about is how three people were killed so that I could have this moment. Even now, the threat of more death looms over me, and I’m not convinced that a wedding will put a stop to them.
Marik and I meet in the foyer, both of us in our matching rehearsal dinner outfits. His fitted navy blue suit is a perfect match to the top layer of my floor-length dress. The see-through navy layer is dotted with floral appliqués, with a nude satin dress underneath. The back of the dress leaves my back exposed while the train flows behind me. Marik smiles when he sees me, then lets out a whistle when he sees the back.
“I can’t believe you’re going to my wife,” he says, grinning at me.
I return the smile and say, “It’s a great dress, huh?”
He nods and says, “Not to change the subject, but I do want to give you a heads up before we get in there. My parents are difficult. Don’t take anything they say personally. They’re just cold and miserable people.”
I give him a smile and say, “Thanks for the heads up.” We hold hands and make our way to the formal dining room, where we had our first dinner together. We enter through the archway, and I see our families and friends seated around the table, different conversations happening around the table. The conversations die as we step into the room, and everyone rises before forming quick bows and returning to standing.
Marik and I make our way to the head of the table, where two empty chairs sit side-by-side. I take the seat beside Willa, and Marik takes the seat beside a tall but thin woman with dark, pin-straight hair that stops abruptly just before it reaches her shoulders. An equally tall but thin man stands beside her, his eyes just like Marik’s. Asmo sits beside the man, his piercing gaze locked onto me. I tear my eyes from his and look at my side of the table. Willa sits beside me, Cally on her other side. Holly sits next to Cally, and Elle sits at the other end of the table.
I clear my throat and address the entire table, “Thank you all for being here tonight, especially on such short notice.” I look down to find two glasses of champagne already poured. One for Marik, and one for me. I pick my glass up and hold it up, saying, “A toast to getting to know each other as a family. Cheers!” I force enthusiasm into my voice, but I feel like a total fraud.
We clink our glasses together, and everyone takes a sip. Willa catches my eye and smiles at me encouragingly before we all sit back down. She must be able to tell I’m nervous.
Marik squeezes my thigh under the table and turns to his parents. “Mother, father, you didn’t get a chance to meet Mae on her coronation day,” he says. “Mae, these are my parents.” He gestures toward his mother first, then his father, before saying, “Queen Minerva and King Vasuki.”
I refrain from looking at Cally, wanting to exchange a weird look with her at the introduction of his parents and the way he used their titles.
Minerva gives me a tight-lipped smile and a curt nod before saying, “A pleasure to meet you, Your Highness.” Beside her, Vasuki’s eyes find mine, and he gives me an apathetic smile.
Great.
“It’s an honor to meet you,” I say, digging deep to find the words, desperately trying to convince them that itisgreat to meet them, but I’m not sure that they buy it.
