Total pages in book: 197
Estimated words: 186911 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 935(@200wpm)___ 748(@250wpm)___ 623(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 186911 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 935(@200wpm)___ 748(@250wpm)___ 623(@300wpm)
I took a step toward him, then another. “How do I know you’re telling the truth? This could be another trick. A lie. Elude you until daybreak and you’ll let me ride away from you and this frozen wasteland forever? There’s nothing to hold you to your word.”
A soft cough drew my attention away from him.
“Excuse me, my lady, but he can be held to his word.” Aeris stepped up next to the cauldron. “I told you your people abandon the ancient ways for this reason. They couldn’t step into the cauldron and promise fidelity if it was a promise they never intended to keep. The runes of bonding and marriage hold all to their word—even a being as powerful as our lord.”
I eyed the bowl of viscous soup in new light. I couldn’t be blamed for not knowing much about rune magic. Even if my poor little school had been allowed to teach us, it wasn’t something women needed to know.
Our magic was inside of us. A part of us. It bent to our will by command alone—before it’s taken from us. We didn’t need runes to make magic obey us.
“Hmm.” I took another step. “Will... Will the runes work on me? With my magic bound as it is?”
“They don’t need to work on you, my lady. As you said, they only need to work on him,” Aeris replied. “And they will.”
I met Alisdair’s gaze. “You would do all of this just—”
“—to ravage that sweet, toothless pussy to my heart’s content,” he finished. “Of course, my queen. As any man would do, and more. Don’t underestimate yourself.”
“Stop it,” I barked, covering my chest. As I said, I knew what he was doing. That didn’t make me able to stop my body’s reaction to him.
“Toothless?” Bradach muttered, clenching my teeth tighter.
Alisdair held out his hand. “Have we a bargain?”
I hesitated. My hand drifted down and stroked the bracelet he gave me on our wedding day. Our first wedding day.
Am I truly doing this? Bounding the chains to him even tighter all for the hope he’ll let me leave this place?
This may be your best chance, another voice said. Escaping this smirking, pampered fae-beast is only the first step. You’ll still need to traverse miles of snow, then the miles of a barren desert battlefield to get home. You’ll need food, supplies, clothes, transport, allies. You’ll need a way to get past those horrible creatures lurking around the town. All much easier to collect if I’m not doing it in secret.
I will plan my escape right in front of him, but by the time he sets off on the chase, I’ll already be gone.
To make a deal, you have to have something the other wants. Shadowsoul wanted to watch the little bird screech and flap in its cave while he laughed at the silly creature’s attempts to escape. And I wanted to go home—more than anything.
“We have a bargain.”
“Wonderful.” Aeris clapped, bouncing on her heels. “Come, come, my lady. Allow me the honor.”
I chanced one more look at the trees, wondering at my chance of taking off and running right then.
A vision of the Taken flashed in my mind and I turned back, taking Aeris’s hand. She helped me up and into the basin. I hissed when the liquid touched my skin.
It was warm and slimy like slipping into a vat of nose leakings.
“What happens now is quite simple,” Aeris said for my benefit.
I tried to look at her, but Alisdair’s eyes held me fast—refusing to let me look anywhere but at him.
“There is no officiant because this ceremony is between you and Meya,” she continued. “You will paint your vows on each other with runic ink, then we shall bathe you in the pure sealing magic of Meya. If your promises are true, the rune will bind to your skin. If you lie, the ink will scald you until you burn alive and die.”
“What!?”
Aeris was already off and rushing to get everyone into position. For the life of me, I didn’t understand her excitement. She was like a proud mother on her son’s wedding day. Was it a birdlike innocence that prevented her from seeing this was not a happy occasion?
“Why do this?” I asked softly. “Why offer me any deal?”
“I have answered this question.”
I tensed. “Tormenting me cannot be the reason you’re enduring this ceremony. We could’ve made the same bargain without all of th-this.” My voice cracked as one of the servants removed my robe, leaving me naked before his feasting eyes. “In fact, you could’ve countered with your true terms in the carriage, instead of making me believe you were taking me home.
“Why are you doing all of this to bind yourself to a woman you never wanted to marry?”
“Very well. If plain words do not suffice, I will tell you a story.” His gaze drifted off me to someone over my shoulder. He nodded and Aeris took her place beside me. Bradach took his place beside him. Both held those bowls of strange, white liquid.