Betrayal sliced through me. My feet planted themselves in a fighting stance without my permission.
Even he found this amusing. Our marriage, the vows, all of it.
The court’s laughter swelled around his, amplifying it until the hall rang with mirth.
His struggle is real,Savory said.Look at his hands. They’re trembling.
But I couldn’t see past the hurt and the anger building in my lungs like a storm.
The elder pressed on, undeterred by the disruption. She completed the binding ritual, her hands glowing with magic as she wove threads of light around our joined wrists.
The moment our skin touched, warmth sparked between us, a tingling connection that raced up my arm. It caught me off guard and made my breath come to a halt. How could I feel this pull, this dangerous spark between us? I’d sworn never to let anyone into my heart, not after losing my parents.
Dominic’s fingers tightened around mine, and he mouthed,I’m sorry. His eyes held something deeper than humor. Desperation maybe. Or frustration.
But it was too late. The wall had already snapped up around my heart. I smoothed my expression into careful blankness, tucking away the hope I’d carried into this hall. Letting myself care too deeply would only cause me pain. I needed to remember that always.
This marriage would be nothing more than another alliance to manage.
“By the powers of realm and root, I declare you wed,”the elder said, her voice cutting through the lingering laughter.
I held my composure through sheer will, smiling politely as the guests applauded, witches with genuine warmth, fae with that same amused sparkle. My hair arrangement felt too tight, pulling with every movement of my head.
For the traditional exit, Dominic kept hold of my hand.
As Savory flew over to land on my shoulder, her black feathers contrasting with my gown, he channeled his fae magic.
The laughter may hide currents you haven’t yet sensed,she said.
I wasn’t sure I could agree.
The world shimmered around us, the hall dissolving in a swirl of colors and whispers. In an instant, Dominic transported us to the heart of the fae court, leaving the giggles behind.
CHAPTER THREE
DOMINIC
The world solidified around us in a shimmer, and I soon stood in the castle’s grand entrance hall with my new wife beside me. Marble floors gleamed beneath our feet, reflecting the soft glow of enchanted lanterns floating near the vaulted ceiling.
Sasha pulled her hand from mine the instant we materialized.
I tried to focus on her face, to gauge her reaction to her new home, but another giggle bubbled up my throat. I pressed my lips together, mortified.
“I’m sorry,” I managed to say, the words breaking on an involuntary chuckle. “About the ceremony, I didn’t mean?—”
“Please stop.” Her voice came out carefully neutral, but there was no missing the tightness around her deep blue eyes or the way her fingers touched the locket at her throat. The hurt in her eyes cut deeply.
“I’m trying,” I said, and Fates help me, I was. But even as I spoke, another laugh escaped, making me sound like acomplete fool. “I don’t know what’s—” Giggle. “—happening to me.”
Her expression remained composed, a mask of politeness that made my chest ache. She was beautiful, even more so than I’d realized during our brief meeting a week ago to finalize the marriage contract. Her dark hair was still elaborately styled from the ceremony, and her pale-yellow wedding gown made her look like captured sunlight. But it was her seriousness that drew me, the quiet strength in the way she held herself and the sharp intelligence I’d glimpsed in her eyes before the disaster at the altar.
I’d humiliated her at our own wedding.
The raven on her shoulder shifted, its black feathers gleaming as it studied me with unsettling intelligence.
“This is Savory,” Sasha said, her tone thawing slightly. “My companion. She can communicate with me mentally.”
“Ah.” I tried for a welcoming smile, fighting back yet another chuckle. “Welcome to the court, Savory.”
