by Eva Brandt
Unfortunately for Sarai, children weren’t in the plan anytime soon. I doubted my wedding night would even hold activities conducive to that kind of thing since I wasn’t comfortable having sex with Mathias, especially not when he was using Darius’s body.
I didn’t want to disabuse Sarai of her misguided notions, though, so I answered, “Let’s hope you’re right. The scavengers need to pay for everything they’ve done.”
She acknowledged my words with a nod and didn’t delve any deeper into nationalistic speeches that didn’t resonate with me in the slightest. “Come. Darius must be waiting for you by now.”
Ironically, she was right. Darius and Declan might both be waiting for me. Maybe they were relying on me to help them find a way we could be together without getting killed. Then again, so was the fake Darius, Mathias, the man I would be marrying for the sake of our shared future.
Naturally, I didn’t say any of this to the Alarian queen. I forced a smile that was just as empty as hers and answered, “Yes, of course. Please, lead the way.”
The Palasion was the main headquarters of The Pure Kingdom of Alaria and the residence of the royal family, but the wedding wouldn’t take place here. Large human cities were not very conducive to potent magical rites, and all Alarians preferred using secondary properties for their marriage ceremonies.
It was a little convoluted and frustrating to have to climb into a helicopter with a dress that occupied most of the space in the aircraft, but I adjusted quickly. Queen Sarai and her escort of paladins seemed to be prepared for this particular issue. They helped me into the helicopter, didn’t protest when I stepped on their toes and kept their distance from me and the dress. I was a little tempted to use this chance to knee someone in a sensitive spot, but I suppressed the impulse. Starting today, I was supposed to be an Alarian princess. I would act as such until the Alarians served their purpose.
On the bright side, the noise of the helicopter rotors made it unnecessary for me to start another conversation with the people I disliked. As we flew over the city, my eyes were drawn to the distant ocean and a strange feeling stirred in my chest. The water glinted in the sunlight like a priceless gemstone, the glow almost as magical and hypnotizing as the dazzling display of my jewelry and dress. I’d always found the ocean beautiful, its quiet immensity holding something that had spoken to me even before I’d met my soulmates and had found out magic existed. For some reason, I deemed it even more beautiful today.
Our destination was a small island just off the shore of Long Island. Eloquently named Fire Island, it was popular with tourists, but it also had private regions, areas where humans rarely ventured. By the time my helicopter got there, at least half of the staff of the Palasion had already been relocated as security for the ceremony, in addition to the paladins who were regularly present on site.
Despite the irritating ostentatiousness of the whole process, the Alarians remained above all else a practical nation. I half expected a carriage to be waiting for me, complete with the horse with a braided mane, but my in-laws had gone with a more sensible approach and landed the helicopter close to where I needed to be. When I left the aircraft, I could already see the crowd of guests, only a dozen feet away from me.
Maybe it was a day for miracles. The Alarians were finally displaying some sense.
Bjorn and Malachai were waiting for me at the landing site, a pleasant meadow not far from the beach. They didn’t approach me. It would’ve been inappropriate since Malachai’s relationship with me was still scandalous and Bjorn was supposed to be on his superiors’ side. Like every other guard present on the scene, they knelt and greeted me and Queen Sarai as was appropriate to our respective stations.
“Hail Queen Sarai! Hail Princess Lucienne! May they be eternally honored!”
Technically speaking, I wasn’t a princess yet. I would get that title officially once Darius and I were married. The Alarians had apparently set the details aside and accepted me just because I was Darius’s soulmate. I would have appreciated it had I not known that the real reason for their open-mindedness had nothing to do with honor.
I didn’t acknowledge the greeting. I didn’t allow myself to give Malachai and Bjorn more than a passing glance either. Instead, I kept my eyes forward, on the man I had to marry today. My guards helped me with my train, but I ignored them too. If I just focused on Mathias, at least for now, everything would be all right.
It was easier said than done. The silver carpet that stretched out in front of me suddenly seemed like an insurmountable obstacle. The same people I’d faced at the two trials in order to defend Declan, Darius, and Malachai had now gathered to witness my wedding. I felt the weight of their gazes almost as acutely as I had in the courtroom. The ceremony was taking place outdoors, but the air still seemed barely breathable.
I didn’t falter in my decision and just kept going. My luck must have turned because I didn’t trip over the hem of my dress and managed to safely reach Mathias’s side.
It was only then that I realized Mathias wasn’t comfortable with this process either. Lines of strain appeared on his face when he looked at me and sweat beaded his brow. “Are you all right?” I mouthed at him.
“Fine,” he replied, just as discreetly. “I’m marveling at how beautiful you are. I’ll imprint this moment in my head so that when we finally get him back, he can see it too.”
He didn’t explain what he actually meant. The Alarians might not understand our exchange, but it was still too dangerous to elaborate while we were in public. Even so, I appreciated his effort and the respect he’d shown toward my relationship with Darius.
Honestly, some days it felt like he respected that relationship more than I did. No, that wasn’t quite right. He understood it better than I did. I still hadn’t gotten the chance to think about it too much. In my heart, I knew I was doing the right thing by prioritizing and putting our safety first, but that didn’t mean I wouldn’t have liked for this soulmate business to have gone in better.
It didn’t matter now. We were here, we were together, and this would be the first step in building a new future for myself and my soulmates. I only hoped Mathias was being honest with me and he wasn’t feeling ill. He’d claimed he could handle the transfer between bodies, but he’d also admitted that it was an extremely dangerous situation to be in.
“Thank you,” I told him, “Thank you for everything. And if there’s anything you need, I’m here.”
“You don’t need to thank me,” he replied, taking my hand and kissing it. “As always, I’m at your disposal. And the only thing I want is for us to be happy and safe.”
When he smiled at me, I had a strange moment of disconnect. Mathias’s true face superimposed over Darius’s and I couldn’t help but recall how Mathias and I had truly met. Had it really been a fortnight ago? It was insane, and not just because my life had changed so much since then. I’d bonded with the man who had tried to kill me and my soulmates, resorted to using methods like mind control to achieve my purposes, and found out that I wasn’t an orphan at all.
But it was better this way. Regular weddings were a beautiful illusion. This wedding hid too many shadows and secrets to be romantic, but I valued it all the more for that specific reason. It wasn’t a vapid and empty celebration for something that would probably start to break as soon as the party ended and the cake leftovers were thrown away. This had purpose and that knowledge filled my heart with a joy that hadn’t been there before.
I squeezed his hand and smiled back. Sparks of magic swirled around my fingertips, responding to my wishes even if I hadn’t consciously done anything. Mathias relaxed and together, we turned toward King Sterling.
When this whole business with the marriage had started, I’d believed that Cardinal Vaughn would be the person chosen to officiate the ceremony. As it turned out, his position didn’t actually hold any religious authority. He was part of the security forces and while he was posted nearby, he didn’t have any role in the ceremony itse
lf.
Then again, Alarians weren’t very religious people at all, which sort of made sense considering the fact that no god had ever helped them in over a millennium of suffering. Usually, Alarians turned to civil servants called binders for marriages. Since Darius was a prince, we’d been granted the honor to be married by the king himself.
I would have preferred Cardinal Vaughn. I disliked him, but I might have been able to usher him to go through the boring part quickly. I wasn’t so fortunate in King Sterling’s case.
“Today marks the beginning of a new age in the history of The Pure Kingdom of Alaria,” he started. “For the first time in centuries, we have found a bond that is stronger than any magic we ourselves could cast. It is a gift we can only celebrate and embrace.”
I suppressed the urge to snort. He certainly hadn’t been that eager to embrace anything before Mathias had woken up in Darius’s body. Hell, he hadn’t shown much interest in Darius’s well-being at all, although some discreet poking and prodding had led us to believe that he was monitoring Darius’s health through the healers.
“My son Darius stands in front of us, having found unparalleled strength in his fae soulmate, Lucienne.”
I twitched in irritation. Of course he had to go and point out that I was fae. Never mind the fact that I’d been deemed a simple human when Darius and I had first met, and my background hadn’t mattered all that much to the Alarian Vow. God, I hated them.
“Here and now, another steadfast soul will join our battle and pledge fealty to our cause. Lucienne Hastings will become Lucienne Alaridottir.”
I wondered what the background of Darius’s family really was. Alaric was a Germanic name, but the format of the official surname of the royal family suggested some kind of connection with the Norse. I wished I’d had the chance to look into it more. Instead, here I was, seconds away from swearing an oath of loyalty to a kingdom I barely understood and very much disliked. I knew the words—Queen Sarai had made sure of it—but still, the process irritated me.
Nevertheless, when King Sterling gave me an expectant look, I opened my mouth to follow his command. I never got the chance to say a word.
“So sorry, King Sterling. Lucienne won’t become anyone’s daughter today. She already has a father, and that’s not you.”
I turned on my heel and gaped in awe and shock at the sight of the man who was now walking up to us. It didn’t take a genius to figure out his identity. I recognized his voice, and he had practically introduced himself anyway.
My mysterious father, Louis de Hastingues, wasn’t like any other paranormal being I’d met so far. He was dressed in white from head to toe, which would have given me a Matrix vibe if not for the fact that the clothes were almost offensively plain. Between the tank top, the cargo pants and the sneakers, he looked like he was a passing tourist who’d stumbled onto something he shouldn’t have, not a very dangerous creature who, according to Mathias, thrived on torturing and murdering the unwary.
I didn’t know if I found his entrance shocking, outrageous, or just plain ridiculous. Why had he waited until this moment to intervene? How had he even gotten here? Why were the Alarians just allowing him to walk up to us unhindered?
More importantly, what gave him the fucking right to pop up in my life at my wedding—a wedding I had chosen, if not wanted—and suddenly decide he had a say? Fuck that. Fuck him. I didn’t have the time and patience for this bullshit.
“Hello, Lucienne,” he told me with a smile. “Everything will be all right. I promise. I’m here to take you home now.”
“Is that a fact?” I asked tightly. “As far as I’m concerned, I don’t have a home, although I’m in the process of building one. And I think you must be mistaken. I don’t have a father, because if that had been true, I wouldn’t have spent my childhood in an orphanage and the better part of my later life struggling to find a way to survive.”
“I only did what was—”
“I don’t care,” I cut him off. “Maybe you did have the best possible intentions. It doesn’t matter anymore. The end result is that, from my point of view, I’m an orphan.”
“There’s only one problem with that, Lucienne. You can’t really pick your family. You are who you were born to be and your soulmates can’t do anything to change that.”
“I’ll suppose we’ll just have to see about that.”
A surge of magic swept over the area as Mathias spoke and the rest of the guests finally snapped out of whatever trance they’d been in. “W-What?” the king stammered. “Guards! Seize this intruder!”
The paladins rushed to obey his commands, but they didn’t get very far. White-robed figures manifested out of nowhere, intercepting the Alarians before they could reach their target. The figures were obviously feminine, but I couldn’t distinguish much else about them. Their bodies were covered by thick, heavy cloaks, and white hoods completely hid their faces.
“It’s the Dames Blanches!” the queen shouted, magic already blazing at her fingertips. Apparently, Darius took after her, because she had a powerful affinity for fire as well. She blasted one of the white-clad figures to the side with one elegant wave of her hand and said, “You need to—”
The instructions she’d been planning to give to the paladins melted into a deafening scream when my father turned to look at her. “How inhospitable, Queen Sarai. Then again, I’m not exactly surprised. You haven’t been very kind to my daughter. You should apologize for the turmoil you put her through.”
His eyes flashed and Sarai instantly reacted. “I’m sorry! I’m so sorry. Darius, I’m sorry.”
I didn’t know what my father was making her see, but it clearly had something to do with Darius. Was that her worst fear? Her son? Why? Why was she so afraid of Darius?
Wait, she wasn’t supposed to be able to feel, was she? Then why was she afraid?
My father laughed as if he could guess my thoughts. “The Alarian Vow is such an interesting little toy. It can’t really tell if the feelings a person experiences are organic or induced. It’s an amazing tool if I do say so myself.”
A blast of magic struck him, originating from King Sterling. My father staggered back and Queen Sarai stopped screaming. She collapsed on the ground, panting and shivering. “Darius,” she whispered, obviously still in the hold of the enchantment. “Please.”
I hated her for what she had done to Darius, for placing the Alarian Vow on him when he’d only been an innocent baby. But she was still his mother and I couldn’t let her die, not like this. “Stop it!” I snapped at my father. “Hurting them doesn’t help you with anything.”
“Oh, I think it does,” he said. Somewhere behind me, King Sterling let out an inarticulate cry of his own. I hadn’t even noticed the moment when my father had targeted him. “You don’t like them, do you, Lucienne? Just give me the word and I’ll end their lives right now. Or perhaps, I could take my time with them later, once I’m done with the immediate emergency. Isn’t that right, nephew?”
“I beat you more than once, uncle,” Mathias answered coldly. “I can do it again.”
“You can, yes, but Darius Alarisson can’t. In that body, the body you stole, you’re helpless against me.” My father laughed, and at that moment, I hated that I recognized my features in his own. “You’ve always been a little too soft, Mathias. You’ve always wanted to save too many people. You’ve never been able to choose and that is why I’ve already won this battle.”
“You’re wrong,” Mathias snarled. “My desire to save them is my strength, not my weakness.”
His words held none of the certainty I’d grown accustomed to hearing from him. Somehow, I knew that in this, my father was right. By rescuing Darius, Mathias might have just set himself up to fail in the most important task of all, defeating his worst enemy.
* * *
Malachai
The wedding day started as miserably as I had expected. We’d reached a tentative agreement with Mathias, but I still wasn’t crazy about Lucienne
marrying him. The feeling of unease only amplified when I reported to my post on Fire Island.
People kept giving me long looks, undoubtedly wondering what in the world I was doing there if I was no longer a guardian. The sun was too bright, and I kept thinking about Declan, about what he would’ve said and done if he’d been here. God, sometimes it really sucked to be a vampire.
I stuck close to Bjorn, although we didn’t exchange more than a couple of words. He was in a foul mood as well, but he did a better job at hiding it than I did.
Side by side, we watched Lucienne arrive, dressed in a beautiful gown that made her glow like the angel Declan had called her. Not for the first time, it occurred to me that she was way out of my league. As she walked toward Mathias with her back straight and her face unreadable, I thought that maybe I wouldn’t have had a problem with this wedding had it truly been Darius waiting for her at the aisle.
It was only much later, as Louis de Hastingues and his underlings attacked the wedding venue, that I dared to acknowledge the truth. My disquiet wasn’t related to Mathias Vandale at all, but to the enemy he had mentioned during our conversation. By then, the reasons for my original bad feeling no longer mattered. We had a battle to fight and a group of very troublesome fae to defeat.
The Dames Blanches were a very rare type of fae-like creature. Originating from France, they didn’t socialize much with anyone, not even with others of their own kind. Until today, I’d actually thought they disliked Accursed less than the rest of their species did. I’d been very wrong.
I was among the first people the Dames Blanches targeted in their assault. They appeared out of nowhere, like white shadows, and lunged toward the whole group of guards. Two of them attacked me and I narrowly avoided being eviscerated by the blow of the first one.
The magic of the Dames Blames wasn’t like my own, Darius’s, or even Lucienne’s. It was spiritual, but it had very little to do with the elements or even with the notion of spirit as an Accursed understood it. It was more like a strange combination of several elements that shouldn’t have been usable together at all. The Dame Blanche who had attacked me, for example, seemed capable of nature manipulation, but her actual ability went far beyond the shapes she used to bend her magic to her will.