Page 77
Sav
“K aspar.”
He moved past me, shoving aside vines of pondweed and leaving us to stare after him.
“This is really…” Hazel said to my back.
I turned to face her. “I think I made a mistake.”
Hazel trailed a hand along smooth stone, perfectly carved to match the sinks in Spring. “Do you think—”
“He doesn’t love me.” I cut her off. “He said he couldn’t.”
Hazel raised a snowy brow. “He lied.” She spun in a slow circle. “If he didn’t care, would he have recreated your court baths with such attention to detail?”
I scoffed. “A pretty prison is still a prison.”
Hazel held out her wrists as she stepped into the tub. “Lock me up because I would live here with hot prince forever.”
I rolled my eyes, leaving the bath and returning to the expansive bedroom. It wasn’t like my room, and I wondered if that was intentional. Did he know me so well? Of course. Of course he knew I didn’t want a reminder of the room my sister wouldn’t let me move out of after Lord Banyan.
My one small act of defiance. A reminder that I could lock them out, was painted with Kaspar’s magic. It changed nothing about that night, but it gave me some power back. Kaspar was the only one who knew the truth, and since that night it seemed he had made it his mission to keep me safe.
I sat on the bed, running a hand over smooth fabric. Hazel flopped down beside me. “Look at that.”
I followed her gaze to a circle of glass and outside, a lake teaming with life. We watched as creatures came and went, tails moving swiftly through clear water and I let out a startled laugh when a frog, too large to be anything but folk, spread his webbed feet wide and kicked through the water.
“He’s cute,” I laughed, and it cracked some of the anguish that had taken up residence in my chest from the moment I’d chosen to go through with this deception.
Hazel laid a hand over mine and I looked at her. “You don’t have to marry him.”
“Hazel.”
She sat up. “I mean it. There are other ways to get your magic back.”
I tugged my hand from hers, leaning back. “Such as?”
She reached for my pack, pulling out the object I’d kept hidden for three years. “You stole the quartz crystal from my court for a reason. Let’s use it. Let’s find Mab and restore order to this mad, messed up world.”
“There’s no time for that. Every minute we waste, Jack could be closer to death.”
She exhaled a long sigh. “You care that much about him?” She searched my face. “There’s no undoing this. Marriage is binding. I don’t think Jack would want you to marry someone else just to save him.”
I pushed up, rising and stalking away from Hazel. “We’ve had this conversation. He’s human. I’m not doing it because I expect a future with him. I’m doing it because he was only captured in the first place because of me.” I tugged a strand of my sodden hair. “I can’t let him die because of me.”
Hazel blew out another breath. “Are you back to believing he’s human again?”
I rolled my eyes, tired of this argument. Human or not, I had to save him. “Come on. We need to change into dry clothes before we catch cold.” I reached for my satchel and pulled out two sets of leather pants, my sheath of daggers, and flowing silk tops.
“You couldn’t have brought me something nicer? I’m going to a wedding.”
I arched a brow. “My wedding. You can’t dress better than me.”
“No one told you to bring pants and knives to your wedding.”
I chucked the clothes at her. “Just get dressed.”
My heart had begun a nervous thrumming in my throat that only intensified with each passing moment, beating against my jaw. Kaspar had said he had matters to attend to but in this place, where sunlight filtered in through water, I had no idea if it had been thirty minutes or three hours.
I paced the room, stopping beside the window.
“Sav. Please. Stop.” Hazel flung a hand over her face.
I glanced back. “I don’t know how you can sleep.”
“It’s either that or die of boredom.”
“You wanted to stay here.”
She dropped her hand, glaring at me. “That was when I thought I’d be spending my time having hot sex with a prince all day.”
I rolled my eyes.
The sound of water sloshing in the next room had my nerves jumping and my heart climbed into my throat. The room swayed and I inhaled a slow, deep breath. I can do this. I was doing this. I was marrying my best friend. Former best friend. And then I would get my magic back.
A small green creature hopped into the room and bowed low.
I stifled a giggle, nerves momentarily forgotten.
He was the cutest thing I’d ever seen. On land, shifters were only ever land creatures.
We never got cute little frogs with webbed feet and big bulging eyes that seemed to look everywhere at once.
“Lady Briar. His Majesty, Prince Kaspar, asked me to escort you to the ballroom.”
I laced my fingers together, squeezing, and Hazel stepped up beside me, looping her arm in mine. I leaned into her, thankful for her presence. I had just begun to dry, but at least in these clothes, I wouldn’t drag water with me.
His words hit me. “But, how will I say vows underwater?”
The little frog slid his tongue out of his mouth, smacking it against his eye and I nearly squealed in delight, nervous tension bleeding away. “The throne room has been made ready for you.”
Not waiting for my next question, he turned and hopped through the pondweed and was gone.
Hazel tugged me along behind her as we followed the frog, and I gasped when we stepped into a narrow hall lined in lake stones in every shade of blue and gray.
It was dry. No, not dry, but a path had been carved down the middle. A pocket of air. For me.
We moved on silent feet, the green creature ahead of us, hopping impossibly fast. At the end of the long hall, we slid to a stop.
The massive two-story arches weren’t blocked by any weeds this time, giving us a full view of the cavernous room.
It was at least three stories tall, lined on either side by massive ovals.
Unlike my rooms, the water was held back by magic and only the center of the room—leading to a stone dais—had been cleared of water.
On either side of my path, rows of sea folk floated, eyeing me as I approached.
Hazel squeezed my arm, and I moved through them, gaze landing on Kaspar, dressed in a navy suit.
I looked down at shoes polished to a shine, and back up to the small pink flower tucked into his lapel.
It was representative of my court and nausea overtook me.
I may have rushed to make this day a reality, but Kaspar had planned for it.
Aquamarine eyes met mine.
This wasn’t how a wedding should be. This wasn’t how I’d imagined mine.
My wedding was supposed to be a day of joy and a promise of forever.
Instead, I was crushing Kaspar’s dream and shackling myself to a male I would never love.
A wild, selfish thought tore through me.
I could leave this all behind and return to Creig’s hidden pocket.
I could hide from the world and all the creatures whose lives I destroyed merely by being in it.
Hazel released my arm and I turned, wide-eyed. She nodded, giving me a small smile. I spun back to Kaspar, feeling the rush of blood to my head as he held out his hands. Mine slid into his and I watched through a fog as he gave me a small smile and nodded to the naiad standing beside us.
The creature spoke and Kaspar repeated the words.
He searched my face, and I swallowed. “I promise,” I began, heart beating so loud it drowned out my words.
If I couldn’t hear them, did it mean they weren’t true?
“To remain true.” My throat was dry and the room began to spin.
“To put the needs of our people first.” Kaspar’s grip tightened on mine and I glanced down at our clasped hands.
“Never to use my husband’s name for ill or in vain. ”
The naiad spoke again, and Kaspar repeated after her.
I cleared my throat, feeling as though a frog were stuck in it.
Wild laughter bubbled up my chest at the image I’d conjured of the small creature who’d brought me here, trapped inside my mouth.
I swallowed it down and cleared my throat again.
“To care for all the subjects of the court of lakes and streams as if they were my own.”
The room was spinning and voices blurred together. Whirling, twisting, suffocatingly close.
“I do.” Everything stopped as the words left Kaspar’s mouth and my gaze fell on navy lips.
It was my turn to say it. My turn to promise forever. “I…” I glanced around at all the leering faces, ice sliding down my spine. “I…”
“Salvia,” Kaspar whispered. Power laced his words and my stomach hollowed out. He was going to do it. He was going to use my name to force this. I wouldn’t let him. I wouldn’t let him take this choice away from me. Not when every other choice in my life already had been.
“I do.”
Magic swirled around us, weaving through my hair and circling our clasped hands.
Invisible ribbons wove tightly, squeezing our palms together.
It traveled up our arms to our shoulders, wrapping around us until we were consumed by it.
A jolt of pain shot through me as the magic pierced my heart.
Kaspar’s mouth opened as it struck him too.
As quickly as it had come, it dissipated into nothing. It was oddly reminiscent of my binding as it settled. No longer heavy or oppressive, only a featherlight touch caressed my hand, reminding me of the promises I made today.
Kaspar loosened his grip and I tugged my hand back, holding it up. On my left ring finger, an intricately woven band of vines was tattooed in a circle. It was exactly like the one I’d given him all those years ago.
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