I was tempted to make some smartass crack about himguarding mybowerwhen two females stepped forward—one with silver-flecked hair, one younger, with an equally constipated expression.
Ah. The lucky winners of the who-gets-to-dress-the-reluctant-bride contest.
“Come, Emberline,” the older woman ordered, takingmy arm in a commanding grip before I could object. “I am Zia Elisabetta. This is my daughter, Rina. We will dress you properly before you are presented to the family. We must make a good first impression on your future husband.”
Of course, we must.
Then the heavy doors closed, and the wards rolled over my skin, cold and final. Somewhere outside, Nico’s presence receded beneath the hum of Dominico magic.
And that quickly, I was trapped.
The rooms were beautiful,as all Venetian rooms were, filled with beautiful, delicate, expensive things—paper-thin glass from Murano, high ceilings painted with gilded frescoes, tall windows overlooking the dark lagoon, a massive four-poster bed draped in white.
In fact, everything in the entire room was white.
So. Much. Fucking. White.
For some inexplicable reason, cold fingers of dread curled in my gut.
“What a hideous mess,” Rina sniped, clucking her tongue as she eyed my dress like some people eyed a pile of horse shit. “Black. Good for nothing but funerals. Your father allowed this?”
“My father’s dead,” I told them with a chilly smile. “I chose this for myspecial day.” The only fucking thing about today I had chosen, and now, even my clothing was about to be ripped away, replaced with something…proper.
Suddenly, I realized I had a problem.
“Is there a bathroom I might use?” When they both juststared, I let my smile wobble. “I have to pee. The boat ride was longer than I expected, and my nerves are… getting to me, I’m afraid.”
The older female looked even more annoyed, if that was possible, jerking her head to a door on the far wall. “We are already short on time. Make it fast, girl. We are not serving at your beck and call.”
“I’ll be quick.” I dipped my head in appreciation, crossed the room, and shut myself into the small lavatory, which was, again… all white Carrara marble, shot through with pale veins of gray.
Outside, the storm picked up, thunder booming, rain sheeting down the window, drumming on the roof overhead. The sound would have been calming if I wasn’t facing down a crucible of judgy, dour aunts and impossible choices.
Fast as I could, I stripped off my weapons. Knives of all sizes, a long, slender pick—perfect for penetrating an eye socket without leaving a mark—stuffing them behind the mirror, on top of the cabinet, and behind the commode, managing to find hiding places for everything.There. My own personal armory,I thought, stepping back, making sure everything was well out of sight.
“Thank you for your patience,” I whispered, slipping back into the room. “My stomach hasn’t been the same since these arrangements were made.” Best they think of me this way. A nervous, high-strung female with no survival skills at all.
Easily manipulated, easily dismissed.
“Of course.” Zia Elisabetta smiled coldly. “Every bride is nervous on their wedding eve. But you should not be afraid,ragazzina.Gabriel is a good boy.”
Boy.I almost laughed out loud, given I’d seen him crusha vampire’s heart with his bare hand just a few days ago, after he’d hunted him through the streets of Venice like prey.
“He will be a good husband,” she continued. “And a strong Don,ifhe has a strong wife by his side.”
I kept quiet.Wife.What a fucking travesty this all was. Even worse, everyone was going along with it, playing their part, like actors in a play.Well, at least I wasn’t the only one pretending.
“What we must concern ourselves with now,”—Zia Elisabetta briskly clapped her hands—“is making you presentable. Turning the duck into a swan. Honoring our… traditions.”
Rina went to a wardrobe and drew out a mass of fabric that glittered like fresh snow under the candlelight.
This wasn’t a dress.
It was nightmare fuel.
A tulle-inspired monstrosity.
Layers and layers of silk, lace, and tulle frothed from a bodice encrusted with tiny pearls. The fucking thing probably weighed more than I did. And of course, it was the whitest white I’d ever seen in my life.
