Page 62

“The sacrifice will not happen tonight, Princess. It is a thirteen-day long ritual, with a great many factors to be considered. Mab will expect to show you off as her new prize to the other court royals, a trophy of her reign. She will not take kindly to you remaining in your room, and I imagine you will be forced to attend one way or another,” Nila explained, stepping back and making her way to the door of my chambers.

She tugged it open, revealing Malachi waiting on the other side. His eyes tracked down to my arm, to the unblemished mark of my mate bond upon my freshly grown skin. There was a promise in his eyes, a malicious intent to see how far he could push it the next time Mab allowed him to try to take my mate bond from me.

I had a feeling I may be lacking an arm the next time.

I glared back at him in challenge as I brushed past him and into the hallway. Nila traipsed behind me, doing her best to arrange the train of my gown appropriately. The beading and gems glimmered in the candlelight as I took a few steps forward, heading toward the dining hall that waited beside the throne room.

“Aren’t you coming? You shouldn’t keep Mab’s prize pig waiting,” I said, turning to look at Malachi over my shoulder.

His lips twitched in something like a moment of amusement, but he shut it down immediately. He caught up with me with a slow amble, making sure to let me know that he didn’t rush for anyone but his master.

“One of these days, she’ll allow me to tear you limb from limb. I greatly look forward to the way you’ll scream. That is the only use I have for your mouth.”

“And one of these days, I’ll cut off your cock and feed it to you, Malachi. I have no interest in your screams,” I said,tilting my head to stare up at him through my lashes as I smiled sweetly. “Only your silence.”

He clenched his jaw, turning his gaze forward as we made our way down the hall. The doors to the dining room were already open, the enormous table filled with Fae.

I followed behind him as Nila gave one last adjustment to my train before skittering out of sight.

“Crown Princess Estrella of the Winter Court and the Court of Shadows,” Malachi said, making the Fae in the room fall silent. “Mate of Crown Prince Caldris Arawn.”

Caldris turned from where he sat in silence, pushing out his chair so that he could stand slowly. He’d abandoned his usual armor in favor of a pair of black trousers that hugged the muscles of his thighs. His dress tunic was the same deep teal as my gown, like the deepest color of frozen oceans, with a black jacket draped over his shoulders that struggled to contain the muscles of his broad chest and biceps.

He stepped around the table, coming to a stop in front of me as the room stayed quiet. I felt every pair of eyes fall upon us as Caldris ignored Malachi entirely and grasped my hand within his. He leaned down, pressing his mouth to the back of my hand.

“You are more beautiful than all the stars in the sky,min asteren,” he said, his voice dropping low as he held my gaze.

It was only after I smiled up at him that he let his gaze travel down my gown, taking in the subtle curves that had only begun to fill with more access to food.

Even though Mab liked to torment me, she fed me well. It was the first time in my life that I had more food than I could ever eat, and my body began to show the signs of ample nourishment. Even my face had begun to fill out, my cheeks looking less hollow when I glanced into the mirror.

“Min anam,” I murmured, drawing his gaze back to mine. I raised the hand he gripped to cup his cheek, watching as his eyes shuttered the moment I touched him.My soul.

Being separated from him was more than just an emotional toll. My body felt the loss of his presence the moment he was drawn away, the moment his skin left mine. As if my body needed to spend every waking moment wrapped within his embrace. If he felt even a fraction of that, then I understood the pain.

And the relief that came when the touch finally returned.

“Bring her, Caldris,” Mab ordered.

My mate tensed in place. The grip on his heart made his body physically react as he turned, using my hand to guide me to the vacant seat between his and the end of the table where Mab had placed herself.

“We’ve saved you a spot, Little Mouse.”

“I wouldn’t presume to take a seat that surely should have been given to a court royal,” I said, glancing around the table to find any who might desire the place of what Mab doubtlessly considered an honor.

“Nonsense, you are the guest of honor. All the courts are curious about you,” Mab said, waving her hand dismissively.

She dropped her gaze, pausing at the sight of the embellished fabric covering my throat. Her lips twisted into a smile as she stood, approaching me and stopping directly in front of me. She dragged a black nail over the front of the fabric, tearing one of the gems from it so that it fell to the floor in a sound that echoed through the silent dining hall.

“Let them see you for what you are.”

With those words, she pulled the fabric from my neck to reveal the iron collar and the raw skin peeking out frombeneath it. She tossed it to the side, sending the glittering teal fabric fluttering to the floor. I thought she meant to remove the collar itself as well, to put my oddness on display for all to see as the evening’s entertainment, but she left it.

She didn’t mean for them to see me. She meant for them to see me as her prisoner.

I raised my chin as surprised gasps filled the room, turning my stare toward the table and the watchful eyes.

“Sister, what is the meaning of this?”