But I refuse to bend.
As the priest removes the ribbons, Caiden loosens his grip, then releases my hands. I hate that I let out a breath of relief.
“The rings?” Darius asks.
“Brevan?” Caiden calls.
My heart stops.
Brevan, dressed in his formal uniform, approaches the dais. He climbs the stairs, a small box in his large hands. His eyes don’t meet mine. I didn’t think I could feel anything worse than I already had, but as he hands my ring to Caiden, my insides feel like they’re crumpling in on themselves.
“Sabina, your hand,” Caiden says, his tone impatient.
My lower lip trembles as I lift my hand so he can slide the ring on my finger. It’s cold and impersonal. A black band without decoration.
“Now, you, Princess,” Darius says.
I look toward Brevan, and our eyes meet. Something shatters inside me. I want nothing more than to crawl into a dark hole and never return. Even the jaws of the dragon are preferable to standing here, stretching out my hand, so Brevan can place the wedding band into my waiting palm.
He’s careful not to touch me, dropping the ring before our hands could brush. I’m grateful for that small mercy.
As I slide the ring onto Caiden’s finger, my mind goes fuzzy. It’s like everything is muted, and my vision blurs. I’m only vaguely aware of the priest announcing the completion of the ceremony. When Caiden leans to kiss me, he presses his lips to mine, but I don’t respond. He might as well be kissing a corpse.
The crowd rises when we turn to face them, cheering and applauding. Caiden guides me down the stairs and through the people to the hallway outside the ballroom.
An army of servants march toward the open doors carrying vases of flowers that I helped pick out for the Darkfall ball. They’ll change everything quickly, turning the wedding into a night of dancing and drinking. Soon, there will be more people present. The wedding guests were only the closest and most important people. In an hour, it will be overflowing with revelers.
Caiden leads me to the dragon skull and through the secret door. I tense as soon as we pass into the space. The carpet has been replaced along with the furniture. Evidence of the emperor’s death stripped from the room, but I swear I can feel his ghost hovering around us like a curse.
“That wasn’t so bad, was it?” Caiden asks.
I look into his eyes for the first time. “You know I didn’t want this. You forced me into it.”
He brushes his knuckles along my cheek and down my jaw. I close my eyes and turn away from him. “You’ll warm up to me in time.”
I step back. “No, I won’t.”
“You will because you have no other choice. I know what you’d do for your friend. Your rebel friend. The punishment for her crimes is death, though you know we torture first. Katherinewas too quick. Usually, I let them linger for days. Weeks, even, if I get a decent healer to keep them alive.”
I bare my teeth at him. “You’re a monster.”
“Oh, my darling little raven, don’t say such things. We don’t yet know what the temple turned you into. It’s possible you’ll be my equal in all things. It’s also possible you’ll just be a pretty face that I keep by my side as long as you’re of use to me. That choice is yours.”
“I am not bedding you,” I hiss.
“I’m not asking you to. I’m patient. I’ll wait until you’re begging me.”
“That is never going to happen,” I assure him.
He smirks. “You’re still thinking about Brevan, aren’t you? About his hands on your skin, his lips on yours. But you don’t know him like I do. And soon you’ll see who he really is, and I can promise you, if you think I’m a monster, you’re going to see him as the terror that haunts nightmares.”
Two
Sabina
My limbs are heavy as I force myself to move alongside Caiden through the party. I fix a smile on my face and play the part, accepting well wishes and meeting nobles.
People spin and turn on the dance floor while others mingle around at the tall tables sipping champagne and eating hors d’oeuvres. There’s dinner at midnight. Apparently, it’s some kind of tradition on the first night of Darkfall to take in the dark sky, then eat a feast when we should normally be asleep.
