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I spot Dorrian in the crowd. Both hands in the pockets of his slacks, leaning against the wall in the corner of the ballroom. He’s not staring at anything in particular until he somehow senses me staring at him and his attention pings to me. His harsh eyes pin me with a stern look before his eyebrow pulls into the middle when he catches sight of my shirt.

I give him a slow grin when he looks at me again, then his eyes flicker away from me and back into the crowd, his posture remaining still.

Then, that changes. His face softens as he focuses his attention on the entrance where Cassie walks in. The material of her dress flows over her belly, her eyes pinging around the room. Her parents stroll in after her while everyone greets them. Her bump isn’t huge for being nine months pregnant. She hides it well. But I also heard Jordie telling her to get the fuck out, what is she still doing here?

Yellow lights dim, and a red glow fills the room as Heath stands at the dais, flanked by Vivian and the clergy, all dressed in black.

Black.

What the fuck is happening?

Jordan

I secure the thin, leather belt around the knife, the sharp point digs into my skin but it’s a sacrifice I’m willing to endure for a few hours. I’m more worried about it cutting through my tights. Luckily, the dress is long enough, the lacy end of the dress brushing over my knees.

With my makeup fixed, or as fixed as it can be—most of it has been melted off by tears—and hair neat, I take one last look at myself in the mirror and blow out a sharp breath, shoving all my feelings aside.

All of them.

My heart nearly stops altogether when I open the door and come face to face with a cloaked figure standing in the middle of the hallway. Kain’s door is open, which means he’s gone.

“Um—” I stutter, shaking my head in phony confusion.

They don’t move, don’t say a word.

Then, a shuffle of a cloak and they begin walking down the hallway. When I don’t move, they turn slowly as if giving me the command to follow. With a square of my shoulders, I step out after them and trail them to the ballroom as violin music slowly begins to fill my ears.

I don’t know why I expected anything different when I arrive. The parties look the same every time but there’s a shift tonight. Like everyone is anticipating the wedding as much as Heath and my mother. Booming laughs fill the space, and slow, almost ominous, music plays, like a creepier version of religious songs.

I whip my head to the left where I feel a pair of eyes on me.

Dorrian.

He’s sipping on a drink, studying me as his eyes flick up and down my dress. His head moves back slowly, glass leaving his lips and eyebrow quirking.

Just like a critique waiting for the show.

I’m not wearing the dress he was expecting. No. Not the pure, white dress that marked me as someone’s. Someone I certainly don’t belong to.

Instead, I’m in an obsidian, corseted dress that fans out at the waist.

Tonight isn’t a wedding. It’s a funeral. It will mark the death of my old life and this town.

This is the dress that Kain brought me and even though I’d never tell him, I’ll wear it proudly. No matter how much it’s going to kill me to leave him tonight.

I expect Dorrian to ambush me, to tell me how I’m not supposed to be dressed like this, but he doesn’t, he doesn’t move an inch.

I scan the crowd for any sign of Kain or Samuel, but I don’t see either of them. Instead, I see the hooded figures, standing still as statues among the crowd like they’re watching everyone. An unsettled feeling washes over me as I continue to search for Kain.

I need to know he’s here and that he can see me, or my plan won’t work.

I catch sight of Dorrian again and he’s looking up. Though his face is stoic, he wears a blanket of amusement as he mock salutes someone. I follow his line of sight, and there he is—red, bloodstained shirt with Blake and Asher flanking his sides in burgundy suits.

It’s not the best idea, but it’s the only one I have.

Here we go.

Kain