“Gargoyles, red skies, fences made of bone.” My eyes slid over to him, not wanting to fully take in his smirk.
“Is that how you see us?”
“I suppose it’s how I’ve been taught to see you.” I finally met his eyes. The amusement lingered.
For the first time, he smiled. Not a smug smirk or a wicked grin but a real smile. My knees nearly gave out beneath me at the sight, and his smile only grew, likely due to my uncontrolled gawking. He held out his arm to me, and I wrapped my own around his as we crossed the bridge.
And something shifted as we made it to the other side. I would make it back home, but I’d never be able to make it back to what once was.
* * *
Sebastian had us enter the castle through a side door connecting to a sprawling garden. The interior was so bright I had to squint my eyes. The ceilings stretched high above, and light poured in from the skylights. The white walls donned the most intricate crown moldings I had ever seen and massive oil paintings depicting unknown histories that spanned across centuries. The white marble floors were polished so thoroughly, the sun reflected down upon it like a gilded sea.
Sebastian clutched my arm a little tighter. “Let’s make it to our room before—fuck,” he muttered at the appearance of the most beautiful woman I had ever seen.
She was draped in gold. Her skirts flowed from her like a gentle waterfall. Each cascading curl of dark chocolate-brown hair was perfectly positioned atop her perfect head. And her skin was kissed with a glowing tan. I glanced to Sebastian and then to her. They had very similar features. Except unlike his nearly black eyes, hers were a golden hazel. She was flanked by four guards, two on either side, all donning the same armor as the guards at the portal, except these ones wore a cape of deep burgundy.
Her arms flew up at the sight of us, bent at the elbow, wrists flopped limply. Her catlike eyes widened, plum mouth parting inshock and then smirking as she eyed Sebastian and me. “Sebby, who do we have here?” she asked in a seraphic singsong voice.
Sebby?
I glanced at him through the corners of my eyes, and he shot me a quick scowl. If I hadn’t known him, I would have run far from that terrifying expression. But I couldn’t stop my smile, which only darkened his eyes.
He clutched my arm tighter bringing me closer to him. I tried to ignore his warmth and the hard planes of his body. “This is Charlotte, my betrothed.” He turned to me. “And this is Queen Sindri, my sister.” His lips pressed into a firm line for a moment. I could tell he was reluctant to make the introduction.
Sindri gasped and looked between us for a few seconds, her mouth agape. “Well, this has made this evening quite awkward,” she whispered.
“And why is that?” he ground out.
“Odette is visiting,” she delivered the words as if she was handling fragile glass.
“Of course she is,” he said calmly, but everyone leaned away from him slightly. I had no such luxury as he held me tightly at his side.
“She’s grown restless in your absence. She’s always here.” She rolled her eyes dramatically. “I can’t seem to get rid of her.”
“That is your own doing. You were the one who suggested this ridiculous arrangement.”
She reeled back as if he had slapped her. “Excuse me for assuming you were intrigued with her. I mean it wasn’t long ago that you were all over ...” she trailed off as he leveled her with a look that could flatten a tidal wave. Her eyes slid over to me. “Right.” She smiled widely. “It’s so nice to meet you, Charlotte—Emily!” I jumped at her sudden outburst and change of subject.
I glanced to my side, jumping a second time at the stoic woman who appeared out of thin air beside me. As I realized I was clingingto Sebastian’s arm, I let him go quickly and shoved him away a little too aggressively, but then I remembered we were supposed to be soulmates, so I snatched his arm back and pulled him closer. He looked down to me with his blank expression, though there was a touch of vexation. I smiled sweetly, glancing around awkwardly, pretending that didn’t happen.
“Emily, please prepare their room. Sorry it’s such late notice. I didn’t receive any word of their arrival.” She cast a mile-long side eye at Sebastian.
He gave a murderous glare to a gilded vase of luscious, white flowers.
“Well, I’ll leave you two be. You must be exhausted after crossing worlds,” she said as if it were a normal occurrence. “I’ll see you both at dinner.” She grinned, floating away down the hall.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
I pried my eyes open, blinking through the grogginess that still weighed them down. I didn’t even remember falling asleep. Sebastian’s room was more like a small house since it consisted of a massive bedroom, a sitting room, and a bathroom that could be another bedroom. His rooms were much warmer and cozier than the rest of the stark white castle. The walls were painted a dark forest green, the velvet furniture in the sitting room a midnight blue, the wood floors and crown molding the color of coffee, and there was a giant, four-poster, canopy bed with plush bedding that nearly swallowed me up.
I rolled to my side, meeting Sebastian’s back. He stood before the glass double doors that led out to a grand balcony. His rooms overlooked the expansive mountains, and I sat up at the sight. The sun was setting. A vivid orange lit up the pillowy clouds like they had caught fire. The sky was a vibrant pink, casting lavender hues down on to the snow coating the mountains.
“You get to see this every night?” I breathed, still caught within awe of the sight before me.
His head turned to the side, but he didn’t look at me. He turned back to the window. “Every night that I’m here.”
“Where else would you be?” I asked, curious.
