Page 69 of Bonded to the Fallen Shadow King

I inhaled a deep breath. Clearly, the king wouldn’t like what I had to say, so there was no point in holding back. “I think they’re grotesque and outdated. An arranged marriage would work better than this and wouldn’t result in the loss of lives while people look on. Fae don’t seem to have a problem turning on each other if that means they can get ahead, and I think if things like that continue, the pieces of a person’s soul that make them care, love, and get angry will be replaced with raw hatred.”

He nodded, his expression somber. "And what do you think of Vad?"

My breath caught. Out of all the questions, he’d asked about Vad. “I think he’s vulnerable and hides it with arrogance. He pushes everyone away but you, Elara, Thalen, and Silus, because he’s afraid to care for anyone else. He has the potential to be an amazing man and a wonderful leader, but if he continues down this road, hisstupidself will always fall short. He needs someone who's going to love him, push him, and be by his side at all times with more than just her mere presence.”

He gave a contemplative hum, not reacting otherwise. Then he looked me in the eye and asked, "Do you like him?"

My legs stop moving and my mouth opened and closed like a damn goldfish. No words came out.

How thehelldid I answer that?

Vad

My stomach soured as I took Kaylen through the steps of “Moonlight Waltz,” the fastest waltz in the traditional first dances for a Shadow Fae ball. This dance would seem to never end. Kaylen disgusted me in ways I couldn’t put into words, even as she tried to bat her lashes and flirt. As hot as Briar made my blood, Kaylen chilled me to my soul and made my skin crawl.

I couldn’t even focus on what Kaylen was saying; I was trying to get through the dance without strangling her.

Something yanked at my chest, and I had no doubt that Briar had arrived. My reward for enduring this intolerable task was to finally look upon the woman who dominated my thoughts and dreams. As much as I hated my own weakness and how fast the connection had happened, I no longer wanted to pretend about my feelings for Briar, and I doubted I could hide my reactions to her. Fast or slow, Briar held my heart in her wild magicked hands. Maybe she could turn into a strange colored shadow beast, and maybe she was reckless. But she would be mine, and her heart was more pure than the refined gold in Fate’s Sanctum.

All at once, the music changed. The steady rhythm of the crotalums and the pan flute ceased, and the tempo slowed to a contemplative waltz as rune harps, wood shawms, bodhrán drums, and bone flutes rose in a gentle layered harmony. When those first notes struck, I straightened, and the hairs on the back of my neck rose.

I knew this song. It was one of my mother's favorites at these events, "The Starlight Crown.” She’d loved it because it was so easy to dance to. Whenever there were newcomers, she’d asked that it be played, and almost all found it easy to follow. When she’d taught Elara and me the basics of dance before we began our formal lessons, this was the song she had chosen.

I hadn’t heard it in years. Yet I knew that rhythm, and I turned.

My shoulders sagged, and my heart nearly stopped. By Fate—what had chaos and beauty wrought? I couldn’t breathe as I sawhergliding across the floor with my father.

I faltered, my grip on Kaylen loosening even more as my heart quickened. I’d avoided looking at her because I’d known just how gorgeous she would be. There had been dozens and dozens of gowns readied for the candidates, but I’d picked the best one to be sent to her, selecting the one that would set her body off to its full advantage and frame those perfect breasts and that elegant waist.

Not even in my wildest dreams had I realized how stunning she would look. She was a vision in violet and ivory, the gold branches on the bodice and skirt representative of the golden aspens beyond the salt lakes and twilight mountains in the far north. She looked as if she had been blessed by Fate herself, and while I’d known she would be a sight to behold, nothing had prepared me for this.

“That little fiend,” Kaylen started.

“Shush.” I glared down at her and dragged her off the dance floor so fast my feet nearly tangled in her layered yellow skirts. Nothing was going to ruin this moment. My father was here in his full regal garb, all black and silvery gray. And he was dancing with the woman who meant the world to me. Nerves worked through me, and my mouth turned to cotton as I struggled to comprehend what had happened.

How was this possible?

“I must insist that, when this is finished, you dance with me again.” Kaylen cut in front of me, vivid color streaking her cheeks. “After all, I am owed a full dance.”

This harpy was getting in the way. Anger strung my patience to its thinnest point. Stepping away from her, I fixed my gaze once more on Briar and spoke to Kaylen with clipped words, “The actual rules of your reward are that you get to live and that I would dance with you. I have danced with you. Nothing was said regarding the length of the song or that it would be a full song.”

Her breath hissed through her teeth. “You are being exceptionally discourteous, Your Highness. You should be wiser about those whom you alienate. It could have unfortunate consequences for you and those you love.”

Now she had my full attention. My wings bristled out. “I suggest you reconsider that statement,” I growled. “And understand this—if I learn that you or anyone associated with you is involved in harming someone I care about, I will see to it that every bone in your body is shattered or that you receive the closest painful equivalent. And to ensure there is no misunderstanding between us, that includes Briar.”

She paled even more as she drew back. “I meant no offense.” Her voice tightened, and her hands balled into fists. A trickle of red appeared between her fingers. “Forgive me, Your Highness.” She then turned on her heel and stormed away.

I spared her one more look just to ensure she was gone. Thalen was right. That bold yellow did not suit her in the slightest. I chuckled inwardly as I turned my gaze toward the sleek ballroom floor. As I did, Rhielle strode to the door, her midnight blue gown making her seem even more like a shadow. She halted when she saw Kaylen, and then she scanned the chamber. Her eyes met mine, and her eyebrow lifted. She looked pointedly from Briar to me, then mouthed,Be good to her.

I dipped my head forward in silent acknowledgment and mouthed back,Forever. I meant it with every bone and fiber in my body.

A smile spread over her face. Her hand rose to her throat, her fingertips brushing the livid scar. Then she disappeared into the sea of people. She really was a remarkable woman. Every inch the consummate Shadow Fae. But she wasn’t Briar.

No. Rhielle was someone the Shadow Fae Council might have arranged for me to wed. On paper, she made sense, though I suspected there was more of the wild in her than she let on. But she was not well suited to me. Briar, on the other hand, was all that I longed for, with her bright copper hair and jade green eyes that glowed with heart and passion, chaos and loyalty.

My focus returned to the dance floor as whispers spread. My father hadn’t danced since Mother’s death. He’d barely shown up. I could barely believe my eyes. Even from this distance, I could tell how much he liked Briar. The edges of his eyes were crinkled, and he seemed entranced by the animated way she spoke—the toss of her hair, the tip of her chin, the snap of her head—I had no doubt she was telling my father precisely what she thought about our kingdom, the trials, and whatever else he might ask. She was never one to be short of words.

His expressions were far more subtle—slight twitches at the mouth, minor tilts of the head, and murmured instructions—but he might as well be announcing to all who were watching that he was fond of Briar. I caught the movements of his lips enough to know that he was telling her the dance steps, instructing her as he had once instructed Elara.

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