Page 42 of Fading Sun

In the meantime, Blaze isn’t alone in being tired. Because I’m exhausted. Completely and utterly spent.

“We have an early start tomorrow morning,” Damien says, standing up. “Shall we?”

He motions towards the grand double doors leading out of the ballroom, and I say a final goodnight to my friends before following him out. Each step is heavy, and it’s not just because of the huge dress or the uncomfortable heels.

It’s because each step feels like a march toward an uncertain future—one that I never would have dreamed would be my own.

We enter the elevator, and I reach forward to press the button for my floor. After all, this marriage is an alliance, and nothing else. Damien and I won’t be sharing a bed tonight. Not with the way things are between us.

But right before my fingertip hits the button, he catches my wrist, his touch tentative but firm. “No need to go there,” he says. “You’ll be living in my apartment now.”

I’m standing there, frozen as he keeps his hold on me, his words sinking in.

He thinks I’m going to move in with him.

It’s insane. We didn’t talk about this. Admittedly, we didn’t have much time between my acceptance of his proposal and the wedding, but it’s the sort of thing that deserves to have been discussed.

“All of my stuff’s in my room,” I finally say.

“It was moved for you,” he says. “During the wedding.”

I pull my wrist out of his grip and step back, not realizing that my skin had heated up until I see the burns on his fingers healing. “Then move it back,” I say, narrowing my eyes at him, anger flaring through my veins.

“Absolutely not.” He flexes his fingers, dropping his arm back down to his side. “The people expect their king and queen to share quarters. They expect to see us together, strong, steady, and united. If you remain in your room, they’re going to talk. They’re going to doubt the stability of our marriage.”

I release a low chuckle, since they absolutely should be doubting the stability of our marriage.

He presses the button for his floor, holding it a second longer than normal so it can scan his fingerprint, since the elevator opens straight into his apartment.

“Will I at least have my own room?” I ask.

“About that.” He clears his throat. “Since the Fairmont has ample rooms for guests, none of the other rooms in my apartment are equipped for sleeping.”

“Then what are they ‘equipped for?’” I ask.

“Working. Reading. Entertainment. To put it plainly, the only bed in the apartment is the one in the primary bedroom. However,” he continues before I can protest. “You can sleep in the bed. I’ll take a sofa.”

“Okay,” I say, even though picturing him sleeping on a sofa in his own apartment makes me a bit sad. “And then we’ll turn one of the other rooms into a bedroom for me?”

I can’t believe I’m agreeing to move in with him.

Then again, I didn’t expect to live in the guest hall forever.

Married couples live together. I knew that going into this.

I guess I just expected to move my own things when I felt ready for it.

Although, what I did tonight by marrying someone before feeling ready for it is a lot more permanent than moving in with them.

“If I can figure out how to redecorate one of the other rooms into a bedroom without causing talk amongst the clan, then yes, we can do that,” he says. “But the primary bedroom will still be yours.”

“And if you can’t figure out how to redecorate without them noticing?” I ask.

“We’ll deal with that problem if it comes to it.”

A problem.

That’s what our marriage is going to be after I get the Solar Scepter and defeat the shadow souls.

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