Page 6 of Soul Forge

She let the noise batter her until the king finally raised his hands to quiet the chaos. “I’ll keep this short since everyone is eager to get on with the festivities. We’ll start with introductions from each suitor, then we’ll hear the formal pledges. Elda will make her choice, and then we drink!” he called, eliciting another cheer. There was no trace of the man who had forced a young soldier to choose between death and poverty. “Suitors, you may begin your introductions!”

Elda’s heart tapped against her ribs, keeping pace with the lively tune bouncing off the vaulted ceilings. She knew which suitor would get to her first. He was already gliding across the dance floor. She fixed her eyes on the tabletop and prayed to the Spirits for someone else to reach her before he did.

Not that she deserved someone else rescuing her from him. Being forced into a marriage with a violent suitor was a fitting punishment for the life she’d ruined.

“It’s a pleasure to finally meet you, Your Grace,” a deep voice purred, sending an unpleasant shudder through her bones. She looked up to find reflective golden eyes watching her. He was handsome, with perfect blonde hair, bulging muscles, and a healthy tan. His gaudy armour was polished to a shine, and his rich emerald cloak still adorned his shoulders. The aura that surrounded him was powerful, a predator stalking his prey.

She forced a smile. “The pleasure is mine, sir.”

“I’m Lord Rhydian Horthan of Falkryn.” He held out an expectant hand. “May I have this dance?”

She had no choice but to say yes. At first glance, he was charming, taking her fingers gently and flashing a winning smile, but she sensed the poison hidden beneath the thin veneer of a gentleman. She swallowed the bile rising in her throat, catching the eyes of Captain Reiner as she watched from the edge of the room. Her lips were pressed into a thin line, brows almost meeting in the middle. A flash of violet power pulsed through her, illuminating the veins at her neck before fading quickly. Elda couldn’t tell from afar if she was angry or disgusted.

The moment they reached the centre of the floor, Horthan pulled her closer, one hand gripping hers tightly, the other resting too close to the base of her breast. He moved like he owned her, exerting too much force as he spun her away and yanked her back to him. The whole time, he smiled smugly, not needing to talk because there was nothing to say. They both knew he’d already won. Even Reiner had to stand back and let him control the situation.

He was the bigger force. His fleet was big enough to wipe out Eden and anyone it allied with combined. His shifters were ferocious fighters, the beasts they became capable of killing ten men with only their teeth and claws. If Horthan decided he wanted the crown, Eden would bow, or it would fall.

You deserve this,the voice whispered. Elda felt like all the air had been sucked out of the room.

The lord was too close, his hands too curious, and his smile had a tilt to it that gave away how quickly it could become a hateful sneer. When the song finally ended, Elda practically ran from him, pulling her hand from his grasp before she’d even finished her curtsey. Her heart was pounding, the grinding of stone beginning to sound in her ears again. She needed to leave,tobreathe, before she had a breakdown in front of the entire court.

She was just six feet from the side door and the safety of an empty hallway when she was stopped by a tall, blue-skinned fae with opulent robes and striking violet eyes. The heir of Cenet – her next suitor – smiled down at her.

“Princess Elda,” he greeted with a bow. “I am Prince Runiel Falmyr. Would you do me the honour of a dance?” Once again, she was expected to say yes, so she let him take her hand and sweep her around the room a second time.

Renowned for their beauty, the fae were often the most striking presence in the room. Prince Falmyr was no exception. His many intricate, dark blue braids swung down his back, the clasps and jewels decorating them winking rhythmically in the sunlight streaming through the tall, colourful windows. He was more respectful than Rhydian, his hands staying firmly where they were supposed to, and he had all the grace she expected from his species. Her feet fell easily into the steps despite the knocking in her knees.

Elda suffered through dancing with two more suitors from Bratus and Saeryn before she was finally freed, keeping her eyes on the windows with their artful displays, each one depicting the tales of the wielders selected by the Spirits to protect Valerus in its darkest times. All of them featured the same figure to guide them. With his pale white hair and glorious black wings, the Soul Forge was unmistakable.

Elda should have been fascinated by the rounded ears and copper hair of the wood elf, Heir Thurla. She should have been charmed by Artan, the human king. But this was not a real choice, and they stood no chance at securing her hand.

Bratus was too small to offer help against Falkryn, famed for the exotic crops the forest bore. They grew nowhere else on the continent, and the wood elves were notoriously timid. They hadno army, and it was clear to her in the constant shifting of his feet and downward tilt to his mouth that Thurla had no desire to be in Eden.

Saeryn was larger, with a kind ruler and a sizeable army, but Elda’s father said the soldiers and residents were mostly human. Skilled fighters, excellent weaponsmiths, but reliant on Eden to lend a magical element to their forces. The valkyries Reiner led were invaluable to the continent, and Saeryn leaned heavily on them in times of trouble. Falkyrn would tear through the human population in under a week.

A constant string of worries and what-ifs sped through Elda’s mind, gaining speed with every dance she was forced to endure. What if she chose Horthan and he used the remains of their army to attack the weaker kingdoms the moment her father abdicated? What if she didn’t choose him and he burned her home to the ground? And what would happen when she was dragged away to live in his kingdom – a place famed for hating outsiders? The beasts they shared a soul with made the shifters territorial, hostile. Non-shifters were permitted to pass through the kingdom but never to stay.

Unless they were human. Humans only set foot in Falkryn as slaves.

Hrothgar had warned her of Horthan’s people himself, and yet he was forcing her to marry into their royal bloodline. How long would she last before she joined his previous consorts in death?

The moment the opportunity presented itself, Elda escaped through a side door, ducking out of sight of Reiner’s watchful eye in the single second her back was turned.

For a short moment, Elda had peace and quiet in the empty corridor, her racing thoughts beginning to still. She leaned back against the wall until cool grey stone touched the back of her head, the chill grounding her enough to steady her pulse.The rolling of her stomach subsided after a few deep, calming breaths.

Her peace was shattered when someone followed her out into the hall, letting the sickeningly jolly music blast through the doorway. She froze, expecting her father or the captain to chastise her for walking around without a chaperone. When she turned, her heart dropped into her stomach.

It was Horthan.

“My lord,” Elda gasped, backing away. The overwhelming aura of his beast filled the hallway with its presence. “I came here to think on my decision.”

Lord Horthan stalked her until her back met the wall, moving close enough that their chests touched. Her heart rapped out a short staccato, sweat coating her palms. His eyes, glinting with that animal glow, flickered to the pulse thrumming at her throat, nostrils flaring to scent her fear. A cruel smile curved the corners of his lips.

She wanted more than anything for Reiner to come charging through the door to yell at her. To toss him away and drag her back to the ballroom. She’d give anything to be chewed out by the sullen valkyrie.

“You came out here unchaperoned? My, my, thatwasfoolish,” Rhydian admonished, his voice a low hum. His beast stared out of those deceptively beautiful eyes, reaching out to take a strand of her hair between his fingers. Her stomach churned when he took a deep, hungry sniff.

“I felt faint,” she gasped, trying to edge away from him. Her skin crawled, every inch of her revolted by him. Any space she gained for herself, he invaded immediately. “Excuse me, my lord. I’ll return to the hall now.”

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