All the others were also gasping and slowly rising from the floor except Sir Bloodstone, who remained still and stoic. I looked up—a hole in the roof of the pavilion revealed a full moon high in thesky. Midnight.
“This stage of the binding enchantment is complete,” Fraleigh said. “You should feel the effects of the spell presently. However, you must consummate your union before midnight of the next full moon, or else the enchantment fails and your marriageis annulled.”
Consummate the union. I looked over at Sir Bloodstone, who had left the pavilion already and offered his non-bloodied hand to help me down the steps. Sir Bloodstone was twice my height and twice as broad as me. None of the intimacy lessons at Ashmore had prepared me for a bodylike his.
Grigory had made a point to warn me about Sir Bloodstone. He had to have a reason. Maybe Sir Bloodstone knew me because of my family and had told Grigory he wanted me. Maybe Grigory wanted to give me afighting chance.
My chest tightened as I looked at Sir Bloodstone’s outstretched arm. The half-giant could have planned to ravage me or even eat me. My mind raced as I thought of how I would survive the night when a calm voice echoed in the back ofmy mind.
You are manipulative and anexcellent liar.
Fraleigh’s words played like a triumphant song in my head. She was right, I was not a satisfactory bride. I was a Ravenwood. I wasa survivor.
Sir Bloodstone may have been a killer, but I would outplay him, outsmart him, and come out of the next twenty-eightdays unbroken.
My shoulders were heavy and my chest was weak, but I used my last bit of strength to grab SirBloodstone’s hand.
My salvation would not come from Derrick. I had to keep my wit sharp and my tongue quick. No one would save mebut myself.
I had to survive. No matter what the Beasthad planned.
Sir Bloodstone and I followed the other newlyweds to the palace. The blood bond enchantment had left me sore and weak, so I gripped his thumb for support. Even though he held me upright, I refused to look at him, instead keeping my eyes fixed on the line of other couples in frontof us.
Each couple trudged up the patio steps to enter the fray of the ballroom. Silhouettes of nobles danced and laughed through the ballroom windows on the other side ofthe garden.
I rolled my eyes. Glad everyone else was having a good time while I was figuring out how to keep my half-giant husband from breaking meinto pieces.
Derrick and Brietta entered the palace first. Within a few moments, thunderous applause from the ballroom echoed through the stone walls and glass windows. A moment later, Annalisa and Grigory received noticeably less celebration when they entered the ballroom.
Dinah and Myles had just walked into the palace when General Hyton stepped in front ofour path.
Sir Bloodstone halted so quickly that I nearly tripped over myown feet.
“Bloodstone,” General Hyton barked. He was the tallest human man I had ever seen and even he had to crane his neck to look up at his soldier. “No one can see you before tomorrow.”
His Hyton Blue eyes flicked down to Sir Bloodstone’s crimson-stained right sleeve and the matching stains on the entire left side of my dress. “Especially while looking like this,” he added with a note of disapproval. “You will retire to your quartersat once.”
“Yes, General,” Sir Bloodstone replied. His voice was powerful and low—like the darkest depths of therolling sea.
Duke Hyton appeared next to his brother and clapped him on the back. General Hyton wrinkled his nose at the stinging cloud of spirits that had suddenly enveloped the threeof us.
“All right, Ragnar,” Duke Hyton said with a thick tongue. “I will take it from here. Now get that son of mine good and drunk for me, would you? I do not want him running around the palace looking forme tonight.”
General Hyton gave his brother a small bow. “Yes, Your Excellency.” He turned back to the palace, but not before looking up over his shoulder and shooting Sir Bloodstone animperious glare.
Duke Hyton gestured for us to follow him. I bit my tongue, preferring to curl up and hide in a nearby rose bush than go anywhere with that horrible man. I glanced up at Sir Bloodstone’s hand wrapped securely around mine—maybe marrying the notorious Beast had an unexpected benefit. Even while drunker than a sailor on payday, Duke Hyton would not so much aslookat me with a monster atmy side.
My chest relaxed a little as I let Sir Bloodstone guide me to followthe Duke.
Duke Hyton led us through a hidden door on the northern side of the palace. Just like the maze of hedges outside, the Duke’s palace was made of endless twisting hallways and rooms that would make anyone lost. After what seemed like an eternity of walking around in circles, Duke Hyton opened a door to reveal a large conservatory with tall glass windows that looked out onto theWestern Sea.
No one had lit any candles, so I blinked as my eyes adjusted to the dim light from the windows. Blue strips of moonlight glistened on the leaves of lush plants that grew in a small garden below the huge windows. A few freestanding bookshelves stretched upward near two sets of spiral staircases on either end of the room. A large, flat square laid in the center of the room and I blinked some more as it cameinto focus.
My stomach dropped—it was a mattress. If Sir Bloodstone did not have such a firm hold on my hand, I would have turned on my heels and sprinted throughthe door.
The Duke pointed at the two of us. “Stay here until someone fetches you in the morning. And, since you ruined your dress Miss Ravenwood, erm, Madame Bloodstone—whatever your name is!—someone will bring you a new one tomorrow. We need you both looking well for thevictory celebration.”
The Duke walked away, grumbling about needing another drink, and slammed the wooden door to the conservatory shutbehind them.
