Page 13 of Darkest Desire

Mom catches my eye. Despite being my mom, she has no way to offer me comfort in this moment. I’ll be marrying Nico tomorrow.

My fate is sealed.

I wake up to a wedding dress in my room. It’s a simple dress with lace on the bodice and spaghetti strap sleeves. It gently flares out. I can tell my mom picked it out because it’s in my style. If anyone knows me, it’s my own mother.

I will not put this dress on. Nico can come in here himself and force me into it.

The thought of Nico in my room, getting me naked, sends a warmth down my body. It doesn’t make any sense. I hate him.

I can hear the guards in the hallway, opening the doors to my sisters’ and mom’s rooms. Then I hear the knock on my door. Denis opens it.

“Why are you not dressed?”

“Because I’m not marrying Nico.”

His face morphs into a sneer and for a moment, I think he might hit me. But then he takes a breath and calms himself. “Tatiana! Bring her here.”

A guard appears in the hallway, gripping my mom’s arm in his hand. He practically shoves her into my room.

“Get her in that dress,” Denis snaps before shutting the door, leaving my mom and I alone. It’s the only kindness he’s ever given me.

Mom holds out her arms and I run into them with a sob. “It’s going to be ok. It’s going to be ok.”

“No it’s not and you know it. I’m going to be married to a man that will hurt me. I will be tied to Denis forever. I will not be able to help any of you. That was Natalya’s job and she failed.”

“No. It was never Natalya’s job to protect you or your sisters. It was my job and I failed. And I know I need you to put on this dress and marry Nico today. For your own safety. Denis could hurt you if you refuse. Marry Nico and make the most out of it. At least he’s handsome.”

“I would rather a plain husband who’s kind than a handsome husband who’s mean.”

She lets me go and picks the dress up. “I know you hate this, Sasha, but right now, I need you to do this. I need you to be brave. Please.”

I have no other options.

Well… I do have one. Death. But I cannot kill myself over this. I want to live. And besides, if I died, there’s a good chance Irina would be expected to marry Nico the moment she turns eighteen.

Tentatively, I touch the dress. It’s silky and smooth.

“Let me help you get in it. I wasn’t able to attend Natalya’s wedding. But let me do this for you.”

Mom helps me into the dress. She stands behind me, fixing my hair as I look at myself in the mirror. I’ve never looked more like her than in this moment.

That’s the only consolation I can give myself. I’m off to marry the Devil.

Chapter Three

Natalya

“We failed her,” I say, feeling numb. Mikhail comforts me in our bed but his strong arms around me can’t help the fact that I was close to getting my sister back and I lost her. Again. She put her faith in me to save her and I let her down. “You should have shot Nico.”

“You told me not to. You didn’t want to risk Sasha getting hurt.”

“I know what I said!”

Mikhail raises an eyebrow, reminding me to stay calm. Getting angry doesn’t help anybody.

“We now know who Sasha is going to marry,” he says. “Which means it will be easier to find outwherethey’re going to getmarried. If we find the location of their wedding, we can attack. I can kill Nico, save Sasha. And if your other sisters are there, we can save them too. It’s the best bet we have.”

“It’s so dangerous though. I’m worried one of my sisters or my mom could get shot.”