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The Sacred Light raises his arms again. “The anointing is sealed. Take her to your bed, future Prior. Through this union, the covenant is made whole. As it was in the beginning, so it shall be again.”

Her fingers twitch in mine. I lean in. “It’s all bullshit,” I whisper. “What’s real is you and me. Remember that.”

She nods ever so slightly.

This is hard for her. She has her own religion, and here she is, forced to go through the motions with mine. Even when she knows it’s all rooted in what she considers evil.

But she’s doing it anyway. For me.

What the fuck did I do to deserve her?

When we step from the chapel into the corridor beyond, Coraline waits just outside the door, her posture stiff. Two guards stand by her side—men I trust, and I still hesitate.

Every part of me wants to snatch Ava back. To never let her out of my sight again. But the ritual demands this. The preparation. The tradition.

It will all be over soon.

I nod at Coraline. “Take her. Prepare her for the bedding.”

Ava

“Why are we here?” I ask, rubbing my arms against the cold.

Instead of going with me to my room, Coraline guided me to a garden on the far side of the castle. One I’ve never seen before. The two guards stand just beyond the wrought iron gate.

Coraline glances at me over her shoulder. “You looked like you needed some air.”

I release a breath I hadn’t realized I was holding. “Yeah.” My voice feels thin. “The whole anointing thing was…strange.”

She frowns. “I guess it must have been. I’ve never really thought of it from the perspective of an outsider.”

My head jerks back. “How could you not? Your religion is…very strange.”

I want to say barbaric, but I can’t.

She shakes her head. “It’s not a religion in a typical sense. We’re at the center—not a god.”

“I bet you like that, since you’re so independent.”

“I do. I could never waste the one life I have worshipping something imaginary.” Her lips twitch, and for a second, I feel almost a kinship with her.

I don’t agree with her of course, but I admire her conviction.

She lifts her head, seeming to study the twisted branches overhead. “I have something to say to you.”

The weight in her voice pulls me straighter. The garden is suddenly quieter, like the flowers and trees are listening too.

Her eyes grow hard. “I’ve always loved Damian.”

The words knock something loose inside me, but I stay silent. Waiting.

“But it isn’t just love. We’re a good match. We’re both smart. We’re both cautious, though he’s gotten a little reckless of late. We both want the same things.” Her green gaze grows hooded. “And yet…he chose you.”

My fingers curl into the fabric of my sleeves. There’s nothing to say.

She lets out a bitter laugh. “Because that’s how men are. Even smart ones like Damian. They don’t want the women actually worthy of them. They want the sweet little babies who make them feel even bigger and more powerful than they already are.”

Her gaze moves over my face like she’s taking inventory, and something settles in her eyes. Not satisfaction or rage. Something colder. Quieter.