Page 10

Finnric snarls at me. “Your union is cursed.”

“Arkana,” my father cries.

I try to go to him, but the handfasting binds snap me back. I pull forward again, but my new husband will not budge. I drop to my knees in front of my father. “I’m right here.”

“My… angel… Ssss. Lay.” His head drops forward and his body slumps.

“Father!” I scream.

“No. Icarus, n-no,” my mother stammers. “No!” The scream she unleashes is deafening. The windows burst, and glass flies across the church into a thousand tiny shards. It rains down on us like ice, a hailstorm of black and purple glass.

As I watch my mother throw herself over my father’s limp body, the tears rush down my face. No. This cannot be happening. Gods, please do not take my father.

I lock eyes with Bellamy and shudder. Darkness permeates his entire aura. And the corner of his mouth gives the faintest hint of a smirk.

The priestess presses her fingers against my father’s neck in search of a pulse. I hold out hope. For twenty agonizing seconds, I make bargains with ravens and pledge sacrifices to gods I don’t even pray to.

I see it in her eyes first. She shakes her head. And the room spins into chaos.

BELL

It is not the first time a man has taken his last breath while looking into my eyes. And it won’t be the last. But the odds of Icarus Graves meeting his end the second he looked upon my face are peculiar even for me. But it was her face that provoked me. Her beauty, the way she wields it, angers me. Will these newfound riches be enough?

This land of Raven’s Gate is strange. And the people, even stranger. They practice ancient rituals and form secret pacts. I have much to learn if I am to claim it all for myself. These people have more than gold and jewels. They have power. It simmers in their bones, flickering in their eyes like starlight.

And I want it.

The mother has forbidden us to undo the binding despite the chaos that surrounds us. She fears our union will truly be cursed if we don’t follow the ritual to its proper end. But now I am forced to stand behind my new bride while she weeps over the corpse of her father. When all I want to do is drink my whiskey outside in the rain. Alone.

But I can’t do anything to jeopardize this contract. I have far more to gain by going through with this sham marriage than by walking away with a dead man’s name. Bellamy Erebus is who I am now. Arkana Graves is so much more than I could even imagine. Possessing her as my wife will be the key to unlocking my place here.

So I stand stoically behind my spoiled brat of a bride and observe. I listen to the whispers and musings and ramblings of those with loose lips. I hear chatter of fortunes and estates and burial sites. But what piques my interest the most is the word I keep hearing over and over again since I arrived. Nocturnus. From what I can piece together, it is a secret society of sorts. There are rituals and ravens and sacrifices. Icarus was an elder, and so now his position must be filled by one of his sons.

A man with a thick head of black hair and a face resembling Icarus himself hands me a glass filled with whiskey to the brim. He gazes at my throat first before looking me in the eye. “For the man whose face was the last my brother looked upon. Congratulations on nabbing my niece. She’s quite the prize.”

I narrow my eyes at him, my jaw ticking. “I didn’t realize your family auctioned off their daughters as they do their horses. Is that customary in Raven’s Gate?”

He smiles, but it doesn’t reach his gray eyes. “It’s but a figure of speech. Tell me, where are you from, Bellamy Erebus? My brother neglected to tell me that much before he dropped dead at your feet.”

“The North. And it’s just Bell.” My arm aches from the angle Arkana has it in. She pays us no mind as she sobs over her father still.

Her uncle squeezes my free hand. “Bell? That’s quaint for a nobleman such as yourself. I’m Atreus Graves. My brother told me you are quite well off. You wouldn’t have been suitable for my niece otherwise. How did you come to your status in this life?”

If looks could actually kill, I would have preferred that it killed this brother instead of the other. His incessant questioning is riding my last nerve. Luckily for me, the real Bellamy Erebus couldn’t keep his fucking mouth shut. “It’s family money, of course. My great-grandfather, Bellamy Erebus the Third, was a grumpy old fellow but sharp as a tack. He built our fortune around transporting cargo.”

Atreus’s eyes light up. “Ahh, so you’re a shipping magnate. That may come in handy for our family business.”

This man is a deviant and a conniver. I can smell his type a mile away. I force a smile, but it physically hurts my cheeks to spread warmth into them. “Speaking of, I can’t wait to hear all about Nocturnus. It seems it’s in need of a new elder.”

His eyes darken as he downs the rest of his whiskey. “I think it’s time you take my niece home to her new manor. It is her wedding night after all. I highly suggest you complete the ritual if you wish to keep this marriage valid.”

I snicker as I take another sip of the luxurious whiskey. It goes down my throat like velvet. “Are you to watch and make sure I claim my prize, then?”

He rips the glass from my hands. “The ravens see everything, Lord Erebus. You’d be wise to remember that.” He yanks Arkana’s free arm back, pulling her away from the deathbed. “My dear niece, you must not neglect your duties. Your father is gone. There will be time to mourn him tomorrow.”

She snatches her arm back. “Uncle Atreus… I’m not leaving his side.”

Priscilla hisses. “Yes, you will, child. All of you will leave. Icarus is… was my husband. And I want to say my final goodbyes in private.”