My hands shook as I gripped the arms of the chair. No, stop, I had to calm down. Too many people. Toomany eyes.
I forced the thoughts away and focused on Riyan’s face. Unlike Grigory, who lit up with a prideful smile at his own triumph, Riyan stood before the crowd stone-faced, his eyes blank as he held thehead aloft.
Riyan broke his stony countenance for a moment as he looked back to a bare spot on the scaffold. With one jump, he leaped onto the scaffold and the shockwave from his jump sent me flying backward off the edge ofthe platform.
I crashed on the cobblestones and my chair clattered next to me. Every muscle screamed at me to run. My arms shook as I forced myself from the ground and scrambled underneath the scaffold to hide from the crowd. My body ached from hitting the stones and my heart raced as I panted. I peered through the supports of the scaffold to see the soldiers handing Riyan the giant heads one by one, the crowd erupting in cheers each time Riyan showed off anew head.
Even though I could not see Grigory, I heard him again in the recesses of my mind:He has a beast’s heart. He cannot feel or love, he canonly destroy.
I pressed my hand to my heart and tried to catch my breath. Riyan had killed ten giants and hoisted their rotten heads without a trace of emotion. He threw me off the scaffold with the force of a casual jump. He was the perfect executioner, a killer, and a beast. Was I just next on his list of prey? Would all my charm and manipulation not be enough to subvert hiskilling instincts?
The note from Derrick crinkled against my heaving chest. I did not know whether the note contained his reassurance, an explanation, or even a final goodbye and a declaration of love for Brietta, but I did not care, I just needed my Derrick. I made sure no one was watching and pulled outthe note.
Serafina,
I do not know how, I do not know why, but you were stolen from me. Do not fret, this is not the end. I will not lose you tothat monster.
Annul your marriage, Serafina. Do not give yourself to Bloodstone. Damn my father’s laws, we will have a peasant marriage if that is what it takes for us to be together. I promise to take care of you. No man, magic, or monster canstop us.
I could not choose you on Selection Night, but I will choose you today, tomorrow, and every day for the rest of our lives.
Eternally yours,
Derrick
Derrick had abandoned the secret names—he was done hiding.
My heart swelled and I held the letter to my chest. I still had a way out of this marriage with Riyan and a path to becoming the Duchess, being more to the people under the Ravenwood banner than a Baron’s daughter in a pretty dress, and making everything as itshould be.
Heavy footsteps thumped above me on the scaffold, then on the steps. I hurriedly stuffed the letter back intomy corset.
“Madame Bloodstone!” General Hyton called as he spotted me in the shadows. “Are youall right?”
I quickly dusted off my skirt, forcing myself to smile through my aching muscles. “I am.”
“My sincerest apologies, Madame,” he said, taking me by the hand again. “Everyone was so distracted by the spectacle we did not seeyou fall.”
General Hyton helped me up the scaffold steps again. Riyan held up what was, hopefully, the final giant head. When we reached the top of the steps, General Hyton leaned down so his face was nearmy ear.
“My brother wants you to stand next to his hero,” he whispered. “Pretend tobe happy.”
My stomach churned—I wasseenagain. Could everyone tell how miserable I was? No, if a crowd of hundreds did not see that I fell off the scaffold, no one had paid enough attention to know I was unhappy. If Duke and Duchess Hyton had barely noticed my presence in their carriage, there was no way I had revealed the true nature of my mind to anyone in the Houseof Hyton.
Although, General Hyton was at the Suitors’ Ball and in the ballroom during the Presentation. He may not know about Derrick and I’s secret relationship, but might have noticed how we looked at each other. General Hyton also saw me collapse when I saw Riyan, was with me in the carriage when I nearly vomited at the mention of his “perfect executioner,” and he was by my side through the entire grotesque spectacle celebratingRiyan’s bloodthirst.
Or maybe General Hyton paid me no mind at all. Maybe anyone could see how wrong Riyan was for choosing the smallest woman possible to wed and bed, or even how wrong he was to show up to Selection Nightat allknowing what he was. Hero or not, he was not a gentleman. He was not even fully human—he wasa beast.
Regardless of what my husband was, I could not disobey the Duke’s orders in front of the whole city. I tentatively crossed the scaffold to Riyan when I caught Derrick’s gaze. Derrick’s golden coronet gleamed in the sunlight but the hopeful look on his face as blue eyes met hazel was more splendid thanhis attire.
My stomach lurched as Riyan grabbed my left hand and thrust it into the air as high as he could get my arm to extend. I stood on the tips of my toes as he all but dangled me in front ofthe crowd.
“As a reward for his valiant acts of heroism,” Duke Hyton shouted, “I granted Sir Bloodstone the first selection last night, ahead of my own heir. Now, the Northern provinces will have springs and summers free from giant invasions, bountiful herds, andmany SONS!”
The Bloodstone camp roared. The Ravenwood camp cheered. The rest of the crowd applauded, but I trembled as I hung from Riyan’s arm in front of the crowd like another giant’s head—just another prize for winningthe battle.
I looked over my left shoulder into Derrick’s hopeful and beautiful blue eyes. With an unspoken promise on my lips, I nodded. Derrick smiled softly, paying no regard to his bride next to him, and noddedin return.
Relief washed over me. The new plan to annul our marriages was in motion. I was not going to be bound to the half-giant formuch longer.
