Page 74 of To Touch A Silent Fury (The Bride of Eavenfold #1)

Tani

L ang’s brows pulled tight, and his confusion began to shift into something worse. Fear, and a hint of betrayal.

Without thinking, without comprehending what I was doing, I pushed back, flooding his mind with peace and reassurance. It was a desperate act. I couldn't let everything fall apart. There is nothing wrong. There is nothing to fear. He blinked, and his brows unknotted,

He helped me to my feet, a placid expression on his face.

It had worked. I breathed out heavily, my free hand shaking like a leaf.

I had done that, I realised, with a mixture of relief and surprise.

I had made him stop worrying somehow, pushing my feelings into him.

The wedding was done, and I was transformed, and there would be a lot of questions.

Questions I wanted to run from, questions I needed time to prepare for.

He deserved the truth, but not now. Not here .

For the first time since the beads fell, I acknowledged the congregation.

My heart skittered, my face surely betraying my utter terror.

Some stood, whilst others sat, confused and uncertain.

They were all waiting for a cue, for someone to tell them how to act.

But one pair of yellow eyes drew my gaze more keenly than the rest, like a siren’s call.

I would not give Derynallis the discredit of saying she looked shocked, for that had been long schooled from her.

So there was no surprise there to cloud her rage, and no one to shield me from the fear of it.

While the bards postulated on whether looks could kill, Derynallis was putting it into firm practice.

I leaned up and whispered in Lang’s ear. “Please free my dragon.”

A flare of something below the peace came through our touch.

Hurt and confusion. I’m so sorry, I thought.

I knew Lang couldn’t understand, but there wasn’t time to explain, and I couldn’t let them have Hanindred.

I squeezed his hand and pushed acceptance through our touch.

Manipulating him again, doing the one thing everyone had always done to him.

Lang looked over to my now father-in-law.

Braxthorn stood, his face entirely horrified as his sapphire eyes met mine with abject hate, though still less fearsome than his sister’s. He looked on the verge of calling Kallamont down on our heads.

“Father, do you have the key to this beast’s collar?”

Braxthorn tensed, his face reddening as all eyes in the congregation looked at him.

He lanced a final look of complete rage towards us, and he then softened his expression with calculated precision.

“Of course. Settle down, everyone. We thought it best to hide her true nature for this moment. The Daughter of Eavenfold will be a great asset to my reign. ”

I forced a smile. So that was how he wanted to play it, as if he had known all along. It saved some embarrassment, and I was lucky he hadn’t decided to behead me on the spot.

I kept one hand firmly in Lang’s, keeping him calm as Braxthorn approached the dais. It was the only thing I could do. Lang extended his other hand as his father held out a key, pressing it so firmly into Lang’s palm it reopened his wound, pooling fresh blood in his hand.

The look Braxthorn dealt me was nothing short of murderous.

I knew then, without a shadow of a doubt, I would pay for this deceit dearly.

They would wait until all the hubbub died down, but retribution was coming.

Perhaps I would die of some mysterious illness in a month or find myself in the tower with Seth.

There was no way I would get away with my subterfuge, I saw that painted as clearly as the blood dripping down my hand.

Lang unlocked Hanindred’s collar, struggling with one hand, but there was no chance I was letting him go. We had to be free of this room before he cursed me, before he pushed me away. I had no doubt he would hate that I had taken his agency from him.

But since I had already broken us before we had begun, and since Braxthorn would already be conspiring for my execution… I had to use the one moment I had. It might be the only one I ever got.

As the gold loop fell away, I whispered into Lang’s ear. If I was dead anyway, I wouldn’t let it be for nothing.

Lang heard my words, and stiffened. His true emotions, blanketed by my constant reassurance, threatened again. The sadness and betrayal hurt me the most, but I pushed past them, forcing complacency, even as I recalled his words from that night by the tree .

How he wanted someone to see him as a partner and not a tool.

Lang straightened, bowing under my emotional assault. He addressed the near-silent room.

“Thank you all for coming here today,” he said. “Before we retire to the gardens for a fabulous party, I have an announcement to make.”

Braxthorn stopped dead, turning on his path back to his seat and clenching his fists. Behind him, Derynallis had stood too, and stared at our clasped hands with a growing awareness.

“In my first act as your general, rather than your prince, I will pull back the troops from Unger Lift and stop all support to the Thane of Sellador. I intend to foster peace with King Odenor and the Euphons.”

Silence, followed by a hesitant clap. It caught, and soon a smattering of claps turned into a loud, if confused, applause.

Derynallis stepped over to a very purple Braxthorn, and whispered in his ear, pointing towards us.

We needed to leave this room. The applause still rang as I scooped up Hanin with my free hand and pulled Lang forwards.

He walked with me. My hand throbbed from the cut, my knee complained from the movement, and my head pounded from the exertion of consistently dampening Lang’s emotions.

But I couldn’t let my own guilt and fear slip into him, and the effort of projecting calm into him whilst segregating my own emotions was giving me a swift and resounding headache.

Thankfully, the applause was the perfect time to leave, and the congregation continued to cheer, wishing us long and happy lives as we strode back down the runner.

I had done it. I had made Lang say something which could not be unheard or unsaid.

It was a strong statement, one everyone there would remember .

Even if my head ended up as a rooftop decoration, today’s display would be a thorn in their side.

Once we were at the door, I dropped my grip on Lang’s hand to grab the wrist of the guard at the door. Lang stumbled, holding his forehead as the guard’s emotions, primarily confusion, fell over me. The armoured stranger watched me with uncertain eyes.

I desperately pushed acceptance and obedience into his head. “You’ll close the door behind us and usher everyone out through the left doors.”

I only waited long enough to see his nod, and then I grabbed Lang’s arm and hauled him through the main doors and into the hall.

I knew we were supposed to continue into the courtyard gardens for drinks, but I could tell Lang was fading fast. Braxthorn was probably already negotiating with his guards to haul us away for some interrogation.

We needed to get away from them, somewhere we could talk, so I could explain myself. The guard closed the doors behind us as I scanned the foyer, pulling Lang towards the western corridor.

But we only managed to get halfway across the room before he collapsed, and my hand pulled from him again. He cried out, clutching his head and rolling onto the floor. I knelt down beside him, clutching Hanindred against my side.

“Lang? Lang? What’s wrong?” I flipped him over and touched my hand to his forehead as he groaned once more. He didn’t feel hot, and his injuries didn’t look worse.

Then he opened his eyes, the whites around the red stark and wide as he gasped. “Tani—What?”

His head lolled, and he fell unconscious, his eyes rolling back as his body spasmed once and went limp.

“Lang?” I shook his shoulders, my heart pounding. “Lang! ”

Footsteps sounded, and I spun on my knees, ready to defend myself with tooth and claw from any guard who wanted to take him from me.

Two guards approached fast from the right-hand door, and then, from the left, Theollan. He was dressed in opulent lavender and had clearly just witnessed our wedding.

A breath escaped me in a hiss as I straightened. “Get Lang out of here,” I said to the Brother.

Then I walked straight for the two men in loping strides.

“Princess,” one of the guards said, surprised by my equally swift closing of the gap. “The king would like you to come with us.”

I dropped into a bad curtsy before them, offering my hands simultaneously for them to take. To chain me or kiss my knuckles, I cared not for their intent, for no sooner had they touched my hand, did I push back into them. “You are mistaken. The king would like you to take a day’s leave.”

I raised my eyes to see them both blink and regard each other in confusion. Then, they nodded and made for the garden exit.

Whatever influence I had, I had no idea of its potency or longevity. They could return in a minute, or it could hold an hour. All I knew was that I needed to make sure Lang was alright and figure out what in Amune’s name we should do next.

Theollan had moved to Lang’s side and pulled his arm over his shoulder. He turned to me as I reached them. “Help me lift him.”

I hauled Lang’s other arm over my shoulder, but I needed one of my arms for Hanin and found myself barely helping. We stumbled forwards a few steps, just about getting him into the western corridor and partly out of sight before the guests began to leave through the left door.

I heaved in a breath as we paused in an alcove. “Is he alright? ”

Theollan grimaced. “You used your Fated power on him before you even knew its true nature. You just forced yourself into his head.”

I had done this? I had hurt him? I didn’t realise. “I didn’t think—”

“He should be fine, but we need to get him somewhere away from these people.”