*Isaac*My office feels like it’s caving in on me as I tap my fingers on my desk and stare down at the profiles scattered across the wooden surface. The same desk I used to sit beneath as a child while my dad conducted pack business is now littered with pictures and essays written by women I don’t know.And I don’t really care to know them either.Dad is going to be livid when he finds out what I’m doing. Mom, too. Especially Mom, now that I think about it. They went through hell and back to be together and raised me and Ella to never have to worry about being in the position I’m willingly putting myself in. It’s not like I’m looking for a breeder. I’m looking for a wife. “For the love of the Goddess,” I breathe, pinching the bridge of my nose as my head begins to throb. “You still have time to back out,” Cassian grins from the red leather sofa across from my desk. His ankles are crossed over one of the arm rests as he lounges aimlessly, still in jeans and an old college T-shirt.
*Maddy*I need to run now. I can feel Reginald's fury starting to suffocate the room. He’s still arguing with one of the well-dressed men who is now shouting in his face. I understand nothing.A few of the women dressed in fine gowns start to walk out of the ballroom, their faces drawn in disappointment. I glance around quickly, trying to keep my battered face shielded from the Prince–no, the Alpha King. He’s the Alpha King now. I hadn’t realized until I saw him, but the crest he wears on his lapel confirms it.He hasn’t recognized me. I didn’t expect him to. It’s been three years, after all. And I look nothing like the rosy cheeked teenager I’d been when he’d asked me to dance at his birthday ball. He’s as handsome as ever with the same dark hair as his father and his mother’s bright blue eyes. I remember them well from the ball. The scent of bergamot and leather waft off of him, making my lower abdomen tighten, but I’m not here to throw myself at the king. It seems clear we’re not
*Isaac*Lorena sits in a wing-backed armchair in the formal sitting room off the front garden. Her golden hair falls over her shoulders in soft curls. Her eyes haven’t left mine for the past hour, and to be honest, I find myself growing more and more uncomfortable in her presence. This isn’t good. She’s my top contender at this point, a week after out initial meeting. Her father, an Alpha, is a great man. Kind, loyal, intelligent. An ally I am lucky to have. I know that his loyalty to the crown isn’t contingent on whether or not I choose Lorena as my wife and Luna based on a prior conversation I had with the man. Thank the Goddess. It’s not that I’m not attracted to her. It’s not that I can’t see her potential. It’s her voice–and the words that leave her lips when her guard is down. I can sense a bit of a mean streak, and the way her eyes narrow on the female maids that work at my home make me wonder if she’d rule this house like a dictator, her intentions cruel and that cruelt
*Maddy*I can’t understand a word these people are saying. I sit in on a bench in a large kitchen, a cup of hot tea with milk and honey in my trembling hands. King Isaac is arguing with the copper haired man, a shade a few lighter than my own. I recognize him from the day Reginald dragged me here. They must be roughly the same age. The man looks over at me quizzically before turning back to Isaac and continuing the animated conversation. I wish they’d slow down so I could have a moment to pick through their words for anything that sounds remotely familiar. Anything I learned from Reginald’s sadistic tutor has been replaced by nothing but the feeling of my knuckles being swatted over, and over again. I’m dead. The second they lead me out of this castle, I’m dead. Two women walk into the room, and I immediately hang my head so my hair falls forward to shield my face. One of them looks a lot like Isaac. Her hair is much darker, a deep brown that’s nearly black. I can’t see the other
*Isaac*I don’t believe her name is actually Jenny. The uncertainty in her eyes gives it away. This man, whom she says is her uncle, has motives that are unclear. I had Cassian send for the man shortly after I hauled the girl into the kitchen with the intent of questioning her. Both intentions fell flat, of course. She doesn’t understand much of what I’m saying, and Alester Martin, if that’s really his name, is incredibly hard to track down. But now he’s here, and I intend to get the truth out of him. Short and lean, he walks into the sitting room with a look of elation on his face that falls the second he sees his niece sitting in a chair dressed in sweatpants instead of the fine gown she arrived in. Contempt flashes behind his beady eyes as he looks her up and down before turning to me with a deep bow. “My King–”“Would you care to explain why your niece is here at my home, uninvited? I made it very clear that she wasn’t part of the chosen few I’d invited back for interviews.”
*Maddy*Reginald hasn’t spoken to me since he brought me back to his townhouse last night. Fresh bruises pepper my skin from the beating he gave me last night on the way home last night. I used my forearms to shield my face from the blows before he finally turned around and left me alone. Today, he seems in good spirits, but I have no idea why.I failed. But then nothing else happened to me last night. I wasn’t dragged from my room and given to his wolves. I was simply left to my own devices, which meant I spent the entire night picking through the brief conversation he had with King Isaac. I found a few words I recognized, but I still can’t make sense of why Reginald is so adamant I catch the king’s attention. I can’t possibly be considered as his Luna. A consort, maybe? Someone to warm his bed? Morning sunlight whispers through the windows in my room. No breakfast has been laid out, and neither Glenda or Clare have come in to ready me for whatever I’m supposed to be doing today.
*Maddy*I expected the blows to my body, the rough knuckles raking over my skin until bruises bloomed yellow and purple on my arms and stomach. I expected the bitter words in a language I didn’t understand, and the tight grip on my wrists as I was dragged through wet snow back into the house I’d just escaped. I wasted so much time. I couldn’t help but beat myself up over it. Had I not run into Princess Ella, I’d be on a train right now traveling far, far away. Cool night air was replaced by dry, fiery heat, and then it all went black. For a moment, at least. I wake to someone shouting, and suddenly, I’m lifted and thrown against the wall, my head banging against the weathered floorboards with a violent smack. Stars fill my vision before faces blur into view. Reginald is standing over me, the toe of his boot pressing into my chin. “How the fuck did she get out?” he sneers to a large man standing beside him. “The kitchen window, I think.”I wince as Reginald’s boot clips me hard,
The night before… *Isaac*I press my phone to my ear as I walk through the castle. It’s early evening, and Cassian is insistent on shifting with me tonight. It’s a perfect night for it, a full moon. The whole city is lit up with lanterns and every temple is decorated for the monthly celebrations that take place during the full moons. “Mom,” I breathe, my mouth curving into a smile. “I missed your call earlier.”“How are you, honey? I haven’t heard from you in ages!”“Busy,” I admit, wincing. “I’m sure Dad and Antony have made you well aware of the situation here.”“They have.” Her voice is suddenly stern and uneasy. “Antony and your dad are growing concerned. It’s all the talk around Crescent Falls, but it takes so long for news to reach Maatua. Is everything all right?”“Everything is fine. The threat is far south so far, and I have it handled.” For now. I keep her chatting for a moment, trying to gauge whether Ella made good on her threat to tell our parents what I’m up to, but M
Brie“Tonight?”“Yes, tonight.”“How?” I laugh, taking a step away from him. “We-we can’t.”“We can,” he says breathlessly, shaking his head. “The temple stays open all night. We’d just need to find a priestess.”“We’d need a witness,” I whisper as the cogs in my mind start turning. “I’d need a dress–”“I’d marry you like this,” he says, taking my hands. “But please, for the love of the Goddess, marry me before I go.”I blink up at Logan, my heart swelling and squeezing simultaneously. There’s still a whisper in my mind that warns me that he could change his mind, that he can’t really want me, but I… banish it, giving myself to him fully. “Are you sure?” I ask, scanning his eyes. “I’ve never been more sure of anything. I want you to be my wife, Brie.”“I’m already your mate.”“It’s not enough.” He brushes my hair out of my face and kisses me, but a rush of air alerts us to a visitor making their way up the stairs to the tower. I pull away as a soft knock sounds on the door. Neither
BrieLogan steps into my dad’s office. All eyes turn to him as he scans the men–Sydney, Grandpa Ryatt, my father, a few others that serve both my father and grandfather as generals, captains, and commanders. Logan’s eyes are like polished, imperfect emeralds as he eyes my grandpa wearily, like he’s not entirely sure he understands what Ryatt just said to everyone in the room. “Brie, you don’t need to be here for this,” Aviva whispers behind me, knitting her fingers in mine. But Logan growls, “She stays.”A silent, heavy, creeping hint of tension scatters around the room. The entire castle would explode if someone lit a match right now, I’m sure. My spine tingles as Logan turns to Ryatt and says, calmly despite the bite in his voice, “There’s nothing in Emberfyll.”“Quite the contrary,” my grandfather replies immediately, rounding my father’s desk, his shadow powers simmering and coiling around his fingers, “Debris has been washing up on the southern shore of Tarsian for decades now.
LoganBrie looks exhausted, but otherwise… happy, thank the Goddess, as she sits between her mother and Misty, listening to their conversation and picking at a sandwich. I lean my elbows on the table across the room where I’m sitting in silence, alone, still waiting for my mind to catch up with my body after Maeve jumped with us from the middle of the ocean to Veiled Valley. A shadow moves into view, crossing through the doorway before a shadow breaches the informal living area. Ryan looks around before turning the corner, beelining for me, waving away several rushed questions coming from the group of women on the couches nearby. He braces his hands on the table beside me, leaning down to whisper into my ear, “I need to speak to you in private before Ryatt returns. Can you come with me?”I glance at Brie, who’s watching us with her brows furrowed in worry. I suck my teeth before nodding, and Ryan moves back a step so I can stand. Brie and I have been using the mind-link as much as
BrieI pull the stool out from under my vanity, sinking down and facing Blake. I’m older than him by a few months. We’ve always been close, even when we were younger, and he tended to want to play rowdy boy games with Aris. He always sat quietly and played tea-party with me, though, without fail. He’s also the pariah of the family and knows it. His powers rival Ryatt’s, which is a terrifying thought. In fact, I often question who’s more powerful–him or Maeve? But that’s not a fair question at the moment, given that Maeve’s powers aren’t even fully developed yet. Blake, however… he exudes energy that makes my skin tingle as he sits in my desk chair, resting his elbows on his knees. “You found us, didn’t you?” He nods, a flash of guilt darkening his irises. “I admit I didn’t even look until Maeve cornered me. She felt you, she said. Sensed your arrival back in our waters.”I wonder how much Logan told the family. Probably everything, I’m sure. That man can talk, and I love that abou
BrieAt first I think I’m dreaming that I’m in my room in Veiled Valley. Familiar smells and textures unravel my senses, shielding me in a sense of calm serenity I haven’t felt in a very long time. Sunlight trickles through the curtains as they lift in a soft, warm summer breeze. Birdsong flutters through the air, breaking through murmured conversation nearby, but it sounds like a gorgeous day outside. The kind of summer day I’d spend in the garden before shifting and running into the mountains to that overlook, where a waterfall funnels back toward the city of deep, emerald green and crystal. The vision fades for the space of a breath, my eyes growing heavy once again. I wonder what I’ll dream of next? I hope it’s a good dream. But my stomach rolls and pitches, and I choke on a cough. Bright pain tingles through my body, settling at the base of my neck where a headache of epic proportions explodes, and suddenly wherever I am is too bright and far too loud. I groan, twisting into t
LoganI hit solid ground with a crunch that reverberates through my body, shocking me back to life. Dark stone and stained glass come into view, and it’s all familiar. We’re in Veiled Valley, in the castle.I blink, sucking in a breath, then curl to a seated position before swaying to my feet, my vision blurred, but I can just make out the outline of Maeve clutching Brie to her chest as Brie slumps over her arms. I run, slipping over the stone floor, and pull Brie out of Maeve’s grasp just as she begins to fall to the ground. “What is wrong with you?!” I shout at Maeve, kneeling and cradling Brie as my knees hit the ground. “What were you thinking?!”I smooth Brie’s hair out of her face. Her eyes are closed, and she’s pale, barely breathing. “Hey, Brie? Brie, come on–” I run my hand over her face, smoothing pale silver tears from her eyes, but she remains frozen. I look up at Maeve, who’s panting, a horrified look on her face. She shakes her head over, and over, mouthing something
LoganBrie folds her arms under her chest against the sudden, humid chill in the air. Thunder booms around us as the Artemis creeps toward the towering waves that should be crashing down on the deck but seem to hang in midair, casting long shadows over the ship. I rest my hands on the railing, caging Brie in against the wooden slats while we look up at the waves, neither of us breathing. In fact, everyone aboard the Artemis is standing on the deck, watching the unnerving sight in absolute bone-chilling silence. The waves simply vanish ahead of us, rolling back into the depths, allowing the fleet of over a dozen boats to pass. It’s unreal. It doesn’t make any sense whatsoever. “Are you all right?” I ask my mate, resting my hand on her upper arm. She nods but is beyond words at this point. I don’t blame her. I feel like I’ve been holding my breath for the last half hour as the Artemis leads the charge. Several men scale the ratlines to hang from the masts, keeping an eye on the shi
Brie“There’s four main ports on the continent,” Logan says, bending over the crude, illustrated map of Crescent Falls and Eastonia for Alex. “Here, in Maatua. Just south of that is Avalone, in Veiled Valley. I believe that’s where we’ll be closest. However, if we come out of the veil far south, there’s a port here, in Tarsian, which is part of Eastonia. And if we’re somehow north.” He breaths, tapping the map with his knuckles. “We’ll be here, in Crescent Falls.”“And Emberfyll is… where?” Alex asks.“Somewhere… over here, I believe.” He drags a finger south from Tarsian and sharply east. I follow it, my chest tightening as I look up at him. We’re on the Artemis right now, tucked away in Alex and Monica’s private quarters. Behind us, the Asteria, the Atropos, and two other grand ships bob in the water. Beyond them, an entire fleet of ships of varying sizes follows our progress away from Tempest Valley and into the open, toward the veil. We’ve been on the water for two weeks. Before
MaeveMom stands with her arms crossed on the balcony overlooking the ballroom in our castle. In the city below, the once beautiful, tropical landscape is cast in shadow. The crystal bridges lined with greenery are now painted in banners of black. A field of flowers stretches beyond the gates of the castle, left by mourners. Left for my sister. Veiled Valley has never been this quiet and dark. The sun has barely shown itself since Brie left us. The castle itself has barely stirred in that time. It’s magic just… can’t handle Brie’s loss. It mourns with the rest of us, sometimes sending a low, choked groan through the corridors that make the lights flicker, like the magic is crying. “I’m not ready,” Mom says quietly as she watches the women below mingle in small circles, most, if not all of them, dressed in dark fabric–mourning gowns. “I’ll tell them we’re waiting. It's not a problem,” I reply, gliding to her side, reaching to lay my hand over hers as she grips the balcony, but she t