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Calomyr’s eyes bored into me as Kauvras reached greedily for my blistered hands, and I fought the wince that rose from the pain. I turned my head to the mass of strangers before me, hundreds of people settled into velvet seats that must have been dragged in for the ceremony. My mother sat in the front row, her gaze empty and distant as Castemont grasped her thigh through the skirts of her navy satin gown, the familiar smug look on his face once again. Miles sat to Castemont’s right, the Saints damned mask over his Saints damned face, white knuckled and still. The crowd was filled with Cabillian soldiers, some in armor and some in leathers, and from what I could see, some members of Cabillian royalty were tucked throughout.

With every curious, hollow, or steadfast gaze I met, I fought against instinct to look over at Calomyr.

The priest began speaking, holding the Book of Saints open, but not reading from it, as if it were just for show. “Ladies and gentlemen, the Daughter of Katia stands before the eyes of her Holy Mother to join her soul with King Kauvras of Cabillia, Savior of the Realm.” My stomach was churning with anger and anticipation.Get through it and light the candle. “This holy union will mark the beginning of a new age for the people of the realm. The age of Kauvras, Saint of New Beginnings.”

Saint of New Beginnings? This had to be a fucking joke. Did he think he’d marry me and just…ascendto sainthood? Kauvras beamed at me, the sapphire in his eyes alight with excitement. I once again almost felt bad for him, for whatever inside of him had snapped, whatever had made him sofuckinginsane.

“With the power that flows through the veins of Petra, Daughter of Katia, Kauvras will lay ruin to this world, ushering in a new one free of all evil.”

I had to stop my hands from shaking in anger, my feet from running in panic.Lay ruin to this world?So I was going to be used as aweapon?

“King Kauvras, Savior of the Realm, please lift the veil to reveal the face of your bride,” the priest said. Kauvras was surprisingly gentle as he lifted his hands to my head, staring at the diadem as it was uncovered.

“Now please turn to face me,” the priest continued. I surveyed the priest’s face, his bland features offering no hint as to what he was thinking. Did he sympathize with Kauvras? Or had he too heard of myexplosionand fallen to his knees as some of the soldiers had?

“King Kauvras, Savior of the Realm, will you swear to protect Petra and make use of her gifts to begin the world anew, free of all evil?” So, it seemed we wouldn’t be taking the traditional wedding vows I’d been expecting.

“I will,” he said, his voice thick with excitement, a smile plastered across his face.

“Petra, will you allow King Kauvras, Savior of the Realm, to utilize the gifts given to you by your mother Katia, Keeper of the Benevolent Saints, to begin this world anew?”

Silence crept in, heavy and uncomfortable. No, I had no intention of letting Kauvras utilize my gifts. I felt the crowd stir behind me, could have sworn I heard Castemont holding his breath. What were my choices here? Try to escape? Say no? I couldn’t. I had no choice.

I’d never had a choice.

Just get through this and you can light the candle.

My words were strong, loud enough that every person in this damned hall heard me loud and clear. “I will.”

“Then it is so. In the eyes of the Saints, I pronounce you husband and wife. King Kauvras, you may kiss your bride.”

The blood hit my chest and face faster than I realized what was happening, spattering across my white gown as an arrow pierced the Rebel King’s shoulder.

Chapter 4

The throne room erupted as Kauvras fell to his knees, grabbing at my skirts, blood trickling from the wound where the arrow protruded at an angle from his shoulder. Steel split the air as blades left their sheaths, chaos erupting across the throne room. The floor quickly went slick with blood as people sprinted for the doors to escape the sudden melee. My head whipped around to Castemont, the man hunched over my mother in some sick form of protection as he dragged her from the room.

I tried to turn to Calomyr but arms closed around me, dragging me back, all the while Kauvras clawed at me to stay upright as soldiers closed in around him.

The arms tightened around me and I thrashed against them, against the body that was suddenly pressed to mine. It was solid behind me, my attempts at escape proving pointless. “I’ll get you out of here,” a low voice rasped in my ear. Miles.

“Let me go!” I screamed, fighting against him, trying to find my flames.

He turned to me, his mask inches from my face. “I’ll get you out of here.” The words must have resonated with something in me because suddenly he was pulling me along and I wasn’t resisting. He unsheathed his own blade, the sound ringing in my ears as he shoved me behind him. I could see him eyeing a door to the side of the dais crowded with people, his short but intentional steps taking us there inch by bloody inch around people fighting and screaming and dying.

Where did Calomyr go?

“Get her!” I heard Kauvras’ voice shriek between the sounds of singing steel. “Get my bride!”

I tunneled into myself, trying to find any dregs of power, but I couldn’t focus with the chaos unfolding around us. A man clad in the telltale black Cabillian armor rushed toward us, wild eyes on me like I was prey. “Hand her over!” he shouted, his sword raised high in the air. Miles met his blow easily, pushing the man back off the dais, but he didn’t back down.

Miles’ sword made contact again and again before the man finally crumpled to the ground. But then two more men came at us, their eyes even wilder, their faces even more menacing.

“Mind helping out, perhaps?” Miles snapped from under his mask.

“I’m fucking trying!”

One of the men broke past Miles, both hands on the hilt of his broadsword as he raised it above his head, closing in on me–