Page 52 of Luna Rising

“Under different circumstances, I would allow my son the option to take you as his mate. What you lack in certain areas, you make up for in ours. Your defiant streak, of course, concerns me. The bonding ceremony will take care of the problem.”

I squirmed in my chair. What did he mean “take care of the problem”? That sounded ominous.

“Unfortunately, both you and my son have confirmed my suspicions. I spoke with him earlier, and he too confessed his love. He said the words to me, the same as you have, Zosia.”

The royal court, particularly the ruling family, was full of known, skilled liars. Yet I was certain the king told the truth, and I nearly wept with happiness. Deep in my soul, I felt Stavros’ love and didn’t doubt his for me.

“Do you understand why this is an issue, Zosia?”

I stared at the king, confusion creating frown lines between my eyebrows. “Forgive me, Your Majesty, but I don’t.”

He nodded like he’d expected my response. “There is a—let’s call it a story. Supposedly, in a year when four blood moons rise as one, Gaia marks two of her children, intertwining their fates for always and ever. At one time, this was considered a great honor and an even greater blessing for the fae. Under the soulmates’ reign, our ancestors knew peace and prosperity.”

His lip curled back in disgust. “Until a pair of ungrateful fae squandered their gift of true, everlasting love. They chose immortality, an unnatural state of being, as a way to perpetuate their bond. They are the reason humans hunt us. Every pair of soulmates born since has been a curse upon this valley. Their union brings war, death, and destruction—a punishment from Gaia for allowing the vampire plague to spread in this world.”

I didn’t know what to say. The part of me that was Zosia hadn’t heard this story before and had no reason to doubt the king’s twisted version. The Zara part of knew there was more to Nicasia and Ambrose’s story.

Crushing weight landed on my chest, and I had a hard time catching my breath. King Orrin watched me knowingly, doing nothing to ease my anxiety.

“Now do you understand, Zosia?”

I did. Both she and I finally understood the truth, and neither of us had wanted to hear it. Tears stung the backs of my eyeballs. I tried to blink them back so the king wouldn’t see, but it was as useless as telling the sun not to rise.

“Cry, child. Mourn your loss. I do not underestimate the magnitude of the sacrifice that you are making—your heart for an entire kingdom. As a fae, you will feel Gaia’s mark upon your soul, as will my son. After the bonding ceremony, his love for you will transfer to Illiana.”

His words were like a dagger slicing my heart. Ending my relationship with Stavros was bad enough. Knowing he would love another with the entirety of his being broke me. I clutched my chest and sobbed, rocking back and forth in the chair so violently that I eventually fell forward onto my knees in front of his desk.

The king watched me with a neutral expression, not an ounce of sympathy for my plight. “My son knows nothing of the true bond between you. Keep it that way when you tell him it is over. I rarely give second chances, but I am giving you one because you are young and didn’t know the devastation your love would cause. However, your disobedience cannot go unpunished. Our arrangement still stands. End it with my son, and you will make it to the end of the games and keep our kingdom safe from the curse of your bond. But while he exchanges vows with Illiana and experience a love like no other, you will feel Gaia’s mark on your soul forever.”

He sneered down at me, enjoying my torment. “It is proper manners to thank your king for his generosity and, in your case, discretion.”

Hatred made my blood boil as I looked up at him through swollen, tear-filled eyes. “Thank you, Your Majesty, for your generosity and discretion,” I repeated, voice devoid of emotion.

“Good girl. Now pull yourself together.”

The doors opened as King Orrin returned to the chair behind his desk and resumed writing on a fresh piece of parchment. Two guards entered and hauled me to my feet, dragging me from the king’s private chambers when my legs refused to work right.

In the memory, Zosia went numb as the shock of it all took over. Thousands of years later, I felt sick. Selfishness ultimately hadn’t played a part in my decision to end things with Stavros. If anything, the act was selfless, particularly given King Orrin’s promise to leave me pining for a mate that would never be mine.

Zosia hadn’t known that Zeno would pick her or that the bonding ceremony would transfer her love for Stavros to her new mate. Since I had seen that memory already, I did know, and both the king and queen had seemed pleased with the match. And not at all surprised when Zeno made his selection.

Had the king told Zeno to pick me? Why? What had changed his mind?

Truth Hurts

I awoke alone in an unfamiliar bed, in an unfamiliar dark room, the dream fresh in my mind. I shot up in a panic. The sheets fell and pooled around my waist. I looked down at the flimsy, thin white tank top and could see my nipples through the material. Who had dressed me in such a ridiculous shirt? I slid the sheets down my thighs and saw nothing but my bare skin.

The door opened, the scent of cinnamon proceeding Winter into the room. She had a tray in her hands, which she bobbled when she saw me sitting up.

“Oh, thank Gaia, you’re awake!”

She set the tray on a dresser and hurried over to my beside, throwing her arms around my neck. “It wasn’t your fault,” she whispered in my ear.

My fault? What wasn’t… Charlie.

I shoved her hard, desperate to put space between us and afraid of what I might do to her. Winter stumbled backward and fell on her ass. She sat on the floor blinking for several seconds. “No, it’s fine. I’m fine,” she said, even though I hadn’t asked, suggesting someone else was in the room.

“Missy or Archer?” I asked.

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