I straighten, the gravity of my next words anchoring in my chest. I know the moment I speak, the air between us will shift irrevocably. But it has to be done. And it has to be soon.
“Tomorrow night.”
The silence that follows is haunting. Shock. Anticipation. Fear.
There’s no going back now.
Chapter 21
Evangeline
There are worse fates than marrying a sexy fae king, and yet my heart is beating rapidly, like an ax murderer is following me. My brain can’t tell the difference between the two. It’s normal to be nervous on your wedding night, right? At least that’s what all the romance movies I’ve ever seen taught me. This is exactly what I signed up for, minus the threat of the scary-ass Nephilim.
My nerves aren’t unfounded though, keeping me awake all last night with thoughts of my betrothed and his mate. No matter how many times Niko reassures me, I can’t help but fear that our marriage—or mating, as he calls it—will drive a wedge between Niko and Zephyr.
I still can’t get a read on Zephyr’s feelings. He claims he’s fine with the mating, but why does he seem so distant from me? I’ve accepted he doesn’t wish to marry me—something I’m strangely saddened by, which makes no sense—but I had hoped we could be friends. Or whatever the equivalent of that would be when you’rebonded to his mate. He said we’d be family, but that doesn’t mean he’ll be friendly. Maybe he will warm up to me in time.
Here’s to hoping.
Niko stopped by earlier this morning to drop off a gown. He offered to stay while I got ready, but I turned him down. Maybe a little too quickly. It felt wrong. Even if I don’t know what fae traditions say about wedding days, in my world, grooms aren’t supposed to see their brides before the ceremony. Superstition or not, I need something familiar to hold on to and ground me. Something human.
He then offered to have a maid help me get ready for the wedding, but that also didn’t feel right. I never pictured my wedding before, but if I had, I’d be getting ready with friends and family. I never thought marriage was in my future, but if I were to find a husband, I hoped he’d be kind, caring, and devoted. Which seems to describe Niko. If my mother were still here, she’d be the one doing my hair and helping me into the dress. No, it’s best I do this alone.
Lady Thalia is off overseeing the final preparations, which leaves me alone, pacing the room in a swirl of silk and nerves. My hands won’t stop trembling, and the silence feels impossibly loud. This is happening. I’m really about to marry a fae king. I wait for the regret to come bursting through, spoiling an already tense mood.
But it never comes.
Needing an outlet for my pent-up energy, I unzip the dress Niko brought in earlier, revealing a puffy layer of twill and even more silk, similar to the texture of thepajamas I’m wearing. Stripping to just my panties, I carefully maneuver myself into the dress, which turns into an Olympic sport as I precariously jump from foot to foot to shimmy into it without ruining anything.
By the time I finish, I’m out of breath, which is embarrassing. One would think I just sprinted a mile, rather than simply put on a dress. After all this trouble, it better look amazing on me.
I move to stand in front of the mirror, fingers clenched tightly in front of me to stop them from shaking. The gown shimmers like moonlight spilled over a luscious field—soft, ethereal, and almost too beautiful to be real. Pale green tulle floats over a blush skirt, dotted with tiny blossoms that look like they were plucked from a whimsical garden. The off-shoulder sleeves brush against my skin, delicate and light, and completely sheer.
My throat tightens, and I exhale slowly.
My hand drifts to the bodice, fingertips grazing the stitched petals like they might anchor me. “You can do this,” I whisper to the girl in the mirror.
She doesn’t quite believe me. Not yet. But it’s a nice sentiment. In honesty, I still don’t think I’m the woman Ender promised them, but I’m here now. I have to believe everything happens for a reason.
A soft knock on the door has me jumping out of my skin just as it cracks open. Finnick’s tiny head pokes in, searching the room until his gaze lands on me. Comically slowly, his eyes widen, and a low whistle leaves his throat. “Eva, you look beautiful. Far too good for my ugly brother.”
His words break up the nerves, forcing a laugh from my lips. “It’s not too much? It weighs a ton.”
“Never too much. You look like a proper queen.” Finnick creaks the door open farther and flutters into the room. He’s dressed to the nines as well, wearing a vibrant button-up white shirt that gaps open to expose most of his chest. The sleeves are rolled up, and his wrists are adorned with various bracelets. His leather pants make him appear almost pirate-like, but it’s a good look for him.
“I didn’t come in here to tell you how beautiful you look, though you do.” He winks. “I came to get you for the ceremony. Everything is set up. All we need is you.” Finnick then looks around the room, as if expecting someone to appear from the shadows. He leans closer and whispers, “But if you want me to spare you from being tied to my brother, I have some centaur friends you could stay with.”
“As tempting as that sounds, I think I’ll take my chances with Niko.”
Finnick just shrugs. “Suit yourself, but don’t say I didn’t warn you when he bores you to death. Let’s go before they think I actually stole you away.”
“Was that a fear?”
Another shrug. “I find keeping them on their toes amusing. They never know what’s coming next.”
“Now that, I believe.” I laugh and gather my skirts so they don’t drag across the floor. I follow Finnick, nerves setting in once again. Except this time, it feels more like excitement. I’m not sure what that says about me that I’m excited to marry a married man I hardly know.
Remember, Niko and Zephyr are both okay with this.
