Page 33

Chapter 33

Rahk

Kat goes rigid for a second time beneath my grip. Meanwhile, Lady Duxbury Vandermore says immediately, “Deal.” She’s afraid I’ll rescind my word. She’s afraid I’ll realize how she has supposedly fooled me.

My world has narrowed to what is right before me. The Ivy Mask, the blood oath sealed with Pavi’s life, Ash’s task, the Faerieland border—all of it is gone. Even Kat’s own feelings don’t matter, much less the reasons for her deception.

I just have to get her out of here.

I will deal with the repercussions later. I will deal with my own simmering fury later. I will get answers later. And I will endlessly regret my choice not to force Kat’s hand about her disguise— later.

Right now, there is room for one truth: I vowed to protect Kat, and for whatever unknown reason, she is not safe with her stepfamily.

“Let us go sign the papers at once,” I say.

“Yes, of course,” says Lady Duxbury Vandermore.

The daughter who is most definitely not Lady Vandermore says nothing. She hangs back, glancing with something akin to guilt between Kat and her mother. Every now and then, she braves a glance at me when she thinks I’m not looking. As we step into the house, she promptly disappears, and I am glad for it. I know a coward when I see one.

As we sign the marriage contract, Kat is a silent witness to the purchasing of her future. I keep one hand on her. I do not know which I fear more: her running away again or handing her over to her stepfamily.

When at last I can delay no longer, I pry my fingers off her, sketch a bow, and force myself to leave without her.

Sunlight streams across my face as I storm to the carriage. I dare not look back. The footman hurries to open the carriage door for me, but I beat him to it and barely keep myself from slamming it behind me.

Once I’m safely ensconced in the privacy of drawn curtains and rattling horse hooves, I bury my face in my hands and groan.

“Why didn’t she tell me?” I growl under my breath. “If she had just told me, I could have kept her safe, away from her stepmother. I wouldn’t have had to resort . . . to this !”

What am I going to do now? I can’t be married! What am I supposed to do with a wife? It’s not as if I can bring her back with me to Nothril! Do I leave her here when I return to Faerieland? If I do, will I have to visit her?

One thing is clear: I cannot marry her my people’s way.

Carriage wheels on cobblestone fill the silence as my thoughts storm through my mind.

No matter what way I view this from, it is a disaster of colossal proportions. I should have handed Kat over, rescinded my intention to marry as I’d planned, and left . That is what I should have done.

So why didn’t I?

Her wide, frightened eyes return to my memory. I will never forget the way she turned her face into my arm and begged me not to give her back to them.

I clench my jaw hard.

The carriage finally comes to a stop. My foot is on the ground the next second. Edvear rushes out to greet me. He reads my expression and falls back a step.

“My lord! What has happened?” He looks behind me. “Where is Nat?”

“Go get Mrs. Finch,” I order.

He obeys at once. When the cook meets me in my study, I tell her, “Go immediately to Vandermore Manor.” Then I lay forward all that I require of her.