Page 52 of Court of Bone and Amethyst

“Then a betrothal tonight, and the ceremony after Avonia is defeated?”

My heart pounds so hard in my chest it feels like my ribs might crack. How many terrible choices must I make to keep Valaron safe? But I am a queen. And queens must make terrible choices.

“We have an agreement,” I say, my words ringing across the room with a finality that send cracks across my heart.

“Very good,” Esbella responds, a smile on her lips. She rises from her chair. “I’ll send a dress to your room later today, and servants to help you get ready.”

She gestures toward the door, and it’s clear our conversation is over. My legs feel weak as I walk toward the door, and when I open it, Zyren is standing there, his gaze moving to mine like a hawk. Rivald follows the queen down the hall, and we head in the opposite direction. As we walk, I can feel Zyren’s eyes burning a hole in the back of my head, but I stay silent until we reach my room.

But the moment we shut the door, he’s on me. “What did you discuss with the queen that required such privacy?”

I look up at him, my heart pounding in my chest. “The northern armies will begin arriving today. We march at dawn.”

“What else?” His eyes search my face. “What’s happened?”

“As part of our agreement, the queen wishes…” I trail off, swallowing the huge lump in my throat. “She wants to ensure I keep my end of the bargain if she’s sacrificing the lives of so many warriors. She asked me to choose a husband from the northern lords.”

“And you told her no,” he growls, taking a step closer to me.

My fear vanishes, replaced by anger. “Told her no, and ruined our chance of reclaiming Valaron? Is that what you think I should have done?”

Zyren’s shadows pulse off him. “Should have done? So, you agreed to it, then?”

“Yes!” I snap. “What else was I supposed to do?”

“You could have come out and asked me, could have—”

“And then she would have withdrawn her warriors. Zyren, think it through!”

His words are deadly. “But you are already married tome.”

“A marriage you have made very clear you consider purely duty, and only something you entered into as a last resort to trap the nightmares back in their territory.” He opens his mouth, but I hold up a hand and cut him off. “Not only that, but our spell didn’t fully work, or else Avonia couldn’t be releasing nightmares through the barrier.”

“So, your plan is to annul our marriage, then?”

“My plan is to save Valaron,” I snarl. “And I will do anything to achieve that. That’s what a queen must do.”

“Yes. It’s clear you will stop at nothing.” His jaw rolls, his shadows spinning around me. “Have you wondered if your resolve is fueled by saving Valaron, or simply revenge against Avonia for killing your family?”

I feel a swell of my own magic, which rolls out, clashing against Zyren’s shadows. “And have you wondered if maybe the reason Avonia has broken our spell is that you never took our marriage seriously to begin with?”

“You know why I didn’t. Why I couldn’t.” Zyren’s face contorts with rage. “How can I enjoy my marriage when I betrayed my brother, which led to his death? I have failed in so many ways as your guardian. That was theone thingI could do to redeem myself. Not that I can ever fully wash away my sins.”

His eyes begin to turn black, and he spins and strides out of the room, slamming the door behind him.

Part Three

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Zyren

Istand outside thedoor to Sarielle’s room all day, my thoughts in a dark spin, my shadows and my inner monster barely in control. Outside the castle, I hear the blare of horns as contingents from across the north arrive, lords and ladies with their warriors. Each time I hear the sound of another new arrival, it feels like a spear to my gut.

One of those lords will be Sarielle’s husband.

The part that makes me the most furious is that I know she’s right.

We knew from the beginning that our only hope, the only court with enough warriors to challenge Avonia, was the Court of Memory. We knew that they would be hard to convince. Even before the surprise change of leadership we discovered when we got here. It was always a long shot. Sarielle did what she had to, a sacrifice to ensure Esbella stayed loyal to our cause.

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