Derrick stood next to Brietta at the opposite end of the line. He looked at me with shining bloodshot eyes and my heart ached. If I had a choice, I would have run to him and begged him to fix what was aboutto happen.
But I never had a choice. No noble woman in Lycaster had a choice for hundredsof years.
Sir Bloodstone extended his hand to help me up the pavilion steps. I gulped—I had nowhere to go but forward. I reluctantly wrapped my hand around his thumb and climbed the steps to stand at hisright side.
Fraleigh turned to Duke Hyton and lowered herself into a graceful bow. Her black and white robes rippled as she dipped so low the tip of her nose touched the stone floor. Duke Hyton barely regarded her as he wobbled from drunkenness. Fraleigh turned backto us.
“Midnight approaches!” Fraleigh said in a cool yet commanding voice. She produced a glass vial from her robe that contained glittering water. Duke Hyton handed her an old silver chalice. With a flourish, Fraleigh poured the water into the chalice. She held the chalice out in front of her, fixing her eyes on the ancient cup,and spoke:
“He triumphed over trials, his brideis won,
Day has died and a newera begun,
This night two hearts will transforminto one,
When his heart stops beating, her lifeis done,”
The water in the chalice glowed white. Fraleigh continued the enchantment, speaking louder and withmore deliberation.
“Give them virility, give themtheir health,
Give them their legacy, give themtheir wealth,”
Fraleigh walked to Derrick and offered the cup from her hands, the water inside still glowing white. Derrick refused and I let in ahopeful breath.
The hope was fleeting. Under his father’s wrathful glare, Derrick finally accepted a drink. He winced as the drink passed his lips. Brietta was next, her eyes widening as she tookthe drink.
Fraleigh went to each couple, each person obediently drinking from the chalice and then grimacing afterward. Sir Bloodstone took a small drink, the chalice looking tiny compared to his large lips, but he did not flinch.
Fraleigh offered me the last of the glowing water. I placed my lips on the silver and Fraleigh tipped the contents into my mouth. The water burned all the way down my throat and intomy stomach.
Fraleigh returned to the center of the pavilion while Duke Hyton commanded the men to hold out their right palms and the women their left. We all obeyed and Duke Hyton took a small knife from a sheath on his belt. He quickly cut a small gash in the palms of each couple and joined their hands.
He clumsily sliced Sir Bloodstones’ palm and blood that nearly gleamed in the low light rushed down his hand. Even though the cut was longer than one of my fingers, Sir Bloodstone did not flinch. Duke Hyton jerked his knife over my hand but left an almost dainty cut with only a few beads of blood rising to the surface of my skin. It barelyeven hurt.
He smashed my hand on top of Sir Bloodstone’s open palm, leaving a cloud of spirits from his breath as hewalked away.
Fraleigh’s voice boomed as she finishedthe spell.
“Man of the Mountain, hear myown command!
Bind these hearts by the torn flesh oftheir hand!”
My stomach burned with the intensity of the sun and I nearly doubled over from the pain. Sir Bloodstone held my hand so tightly the strength of his grip nearly crushed my fingers. The pain like needles crawled through my veins from my chest, then my arms, then my left hand. The others cried out as the enchantment ravagedtheir bodies.
The bond blazed and I let out a gasp of pain. I fell to my knees again and hung from Sir Bloodstone’s arm, unable to break free from his grip. My heart raced as it burned, beating so quickly I was sure it was goingto explode.
I glanced up at Sir Bloodstone. Even though he was still kneeling and he was surrounded by nine suffering people, his face showed no grimace, notears, nothing.
Grigory’s words came back to taunt me.He has a beast’s heart. He cannot feel or love, he canonly destroy.
A beast’s heart—the same heart I was binding to as I suffered under Fraleigh’s enchantment. Golden fire raged through my entire body until it was white-hot underneathmy skin.
My entire body, even my thoughts, were nothing but pain. I thought of Father being led to the execution scaffold, Mother slipping away once his blood wet the chopping block, giants tearing through my brothers as they screamed, homes in Ravenwood crumbling and skeletal bodies grappling at empty bellies, and facing everything without Derrick’s armsaround me.
My body could not take the pain any longer. I was goingto die.
Just as I slipped into unconsciousness, the pain stopped. I gasped from the instant relief. My sweating face was plastered on the smooth and mossy floor of the pavilion. I had somehow escaped Sir Bloodstone’s grip as both my palms were pressed against the stone. I raised myself up and I noticed my left arm was soaked with crimson from Sir Bloodstone’scut hand.
