EstrellaI smooth my hands over the fabric of my soft, golden coronation dress, shot through with strands of color. Purple for the sky at night. Rich brown for the sand of the desert beyond our little oasis. Gray for Father’s eyes. Red for the heart of our people.The heart I hold in my cold hands.
“Oh, my dove.” Mother cups my cheeks, and I watch hesitation flicker in her eyes. I’ve asked her a question she doesn’t quite know how to answer. “Didn’t you listen to me? You’re never truly alone in Sundrop Gem.”The bite on my neck itches. I scratch at it absently. In Dun’s Crossing, I thought tha
AnwenMy mouth falls open. Estrella’s whole body is consumed in that light, the glow I saw the night her father was killed. She tilts her head back with a beatific smile, and something in my ribcage heals too. I knew she was going to be beautiful. But the dress, her hair, the smile… it’s all too muc
That’s what I need. A single moment alone with Estrella. A second to tell her it’s not true and have her listen.No, a second to tell her I’m sorry. That I know I can’t live without her, and I’m willing to do whatever she needs—even sail across the sea on a stolen boat—to be with her.From the shado
EstrellaMother kisses me on the cheek in an empty courtyard. Even the servants are gone, having carried all the remainder of the cleaning inside.“You did wonderfully,” she says. “As I knew you would. Now, sleep, and I will see you in the morning.”She leaves. I am truly alone. That hurts again, li
A smell reaches my nose. Floral, deep. Dream thistle. I blink and look around as Anwen sinks his teeth lightly into my haunch.I didn’t think about the Haze often before Anwen. I knew the Goddess would take me by the paw and lead me where I needed to go. But when I allowed myself the thought, I hope
AnwenEstrella rolls her hips against my hand, against my softening cock still inside her. I groan. I’ll fuck her fast, slow, whatever she’ll allow to just keep tasting her.She starts to try to stand up, and I instinctively tighten my grip on her hair. She shivers—I knew she liked a little pain wit
She leans up on an elbow, her breasts swaying. “I need the truth, Anwen. I cannot spend—consider–my life with a mate I cannot trust.”Spend her life. She’s thinking about a future with me. I swallow and leave the water, feeling a whole hell of a lot more naked than I was a second ago.“No.”She take
Anwen grunts in pain. “Okay, that’s enough.”“Just a moment longer,” I plead.Out of the corner of my eye, I see his indulgent smile.After another moment, my family unwinds themselves from me. I exhale in a gust as my pain becomes manageable again. Tess perches on the edge of the seemingly wooden t
EstrellaI float for a long time in darkness. Not exactly here or absent. Not exactly comfortable or in pain. Not very much at all.Then, my whole body flames back to screaming, torturous life at once. I am the heart of an inferno, consuming everything that I am to produce the flame. A hoarse, ragge
Like she should be. Fuck. If Estrella is already gone somehow, already looking down on me, and she sees me abandoning all the progress I’ve made the second she’s not watching, she’s going to find a way to become a ghost just to kick my ass.I start pacing. Raven takes a dropper of the liquid, winces
AnwenSomeone screams. I think it might be me.I slide across the glass-covered floor to Estrella’s side and wrap my arms around her. My heart hammers.“No, no, no,” I mumble. “You can’t—not after—please.” My voice breaks on the last word.Her body is still warm. That has to mean something. It fucki
Behind me, Estrella sucks in a breath. Fabric rustles. Every instinct screams to keep my eyes on Floyd—I glance back at her. She is pushing into a sitting position. The black veins climbing up her throat threaten to choke me, but she nods. Sways, nearly falls, but fucking nods and picks a piece of
AnwenI pluck at the neck of my wedding clothes and look at myself in the mirror.“You look like shit,” Baz says from the bed behind me. Despite Estrella’s efforts, he’s still healing.“Thanks.” He’s right, though. Sundrop’s bright colors just kind of make me look sick. And the damned thing is so st
The cold. If it hurts enough, Anwen will feel me. He’ll know. And he’ll free me from this Goddess-damned ice so I can tear Floyd Winters limb from limb, as he deserves. That’s what Floyd missed.I grind the tender flesh of my ankles against the jagged edge of my prison.“You’re barely fucking civili
EstrellaMy heart thunders against my ribcage. My pulse roars. Mother, Castor, Tess—all gone. And with the wedding in an hour, I cannot yet mind-link to Anwen. I am alone.With the man who murdered my father.An oil-slick smile splits Floyd’s face as he circles me. The dagger in his hand shines. I l
King Andri clears his throat loudly. “In Snowcrest Canyon, it is rude to have a private conversation in public.”“Apologies.” Kieran dips his head, but I catch the scowl he’s hiding. “Prince Anwen was curious about how Prince Hollis came to hold such a position of power.”I smile as surprise washes