Page 20 of The Fated and the Damned
A foolish bargain indeed. It was stupid, agreeing to leave the coven if I’d lost, but I’d had no choice. Iren had backed me into a corner, and who else could I bet on if not myself? Desperate times called for hard choices. It was just a godsend that I’d won, or else I’d really be in the shit. Kind of hard to protect people if you’re not allowed anywhere near them.
My skin prickled, and I glanced at Dante, finding him watching me, weighing my merit. Our relationship had shifted ever so slightly, though I didn’t dare unpack what that meant just yet. I couldn’t ignore him any longer, not with so much at stake. We needed to work together if we were to stand any chance against Sylvie. More than that, I needed this marriage for the power it would grant me. He’d made it clear he wanted me to rule, but just how much leverage did that give me? Would Farkas allow me to make decisions on behalf of Mistvellen and my coven?
I didn’t want to marry Dante like this—with so much unresolved between us—but I would. I’d told Mama as much not long after Sylvie’s resurrection, but those words had been fuelled by hot tempers and the sharp stab of betrayal. A few months of brooding had helped stoke those flames. Even so, I would bind myself to him right now if it gave me the means to lead as I needed to. To protect my family.
András slurped his meal noisily from beside me, and I frowned at him sidelong before turning my gaze back to Mama and Erika. “I might not like Iren, but she is useful. There is no better spy, and as much as I hate to admit it, she has connections we need. Banishing her now would be short-sighted.”
“You trust her? Despite how close she was with Caitlin?” Lukasz asked, raising a brow.
I studied the táltos sitting across the table, noting the way his hand rested on my sister’s and trying not to smile. He noted the direction of my gaze, the corner of his lips tipping up. I hadn’t had the chance to get to know him yet, but he had already done more for me than I could ever repay. In the time I’d been away at Mistvellen, he’d been overseeing my family’s protection personally. Mama had even allowed him to stay in the house and … oh gods. I blinked, slowly looking at Eszter’s face. She looked radiant, as always, her cheeks rosy and her golden-brown hair shiny, but there was something different about the way she held herself. No longer as timid and childlike, but with a woman’s countenance and a seriousness to the eyes.
Well, fuck. I looked back at Lukasz with a hard glare, his dark brown skin turning several shades paler, but to his credit he clasped Eszter’s hand harder, anchoring himself for dear life.
Good. I smirked, cocking my head as I answered him. “I’ll be keeping her on a short leash if that’s what you’re asking. She’ll be accompanied by a set of guards whenever she leaves the village. Preferably with someone we trust when carrying any correspondence. In fact, she’ll be leaving first thing in the morning.”
Mama blinked. “And just where is our little spider heading?”
I smiled, lounging back in my chair. “Now that I’m High Witch, the leaders of our neighbouring covens might be a little more amenable to the idea of answering our call.”
“And if they’re not?” Dante asked, his voice a deep rumble.
For the first time since Sylvie’s resurrection, I didn’t shy away from his gaze. I was done feeling sorry for myself and letting my anger rule me. If I didn’t get past what he’d done, if I couldn’t even be in the same room as him without those feelings overcoming me, he would be my ruin. This man was mine. For better or worse, whether I wanted him or not.
I stared deep into those brown eyes ringed with gold. His face was lined with stubble, the reddish glint to his dark brown locks gleaming in the candlelight. His hair had grown longer over the last few months, and he’d tied it back with a leather thong. It made his cheekbones stand out, the sharp cut of his jaw deadly and—I hated to admit—even more delicious.
“They will,” I replied with a secretive smile. “Let’s just say I offered them a little incentive.”
“Gods,” András groaned, rolling his eyes. “That’s never a good sign.”
“Stop whinging, András, or I’ll demote you from the ranks.”
He scoffed. “My orders come from Dante, so until you two are married, you don’t have the power to do any such thing.”
Everyone’s eyes immediately swivelled to Dante, and I felt my cheeks heat as awkward silence followed. Damn it András. The táltos looked at me sheepishly and I kicked him under the table, only for Lukasz to immediately straighten and grimace instead.
Oh my gods. I wanted to die right then and there. Clearing my throat, I looked to my betrothed and took a deep breath, then smiled sweetly at my family. “Actually, seeing as we’re on the subject, I have an announcement. Dante and I are moving up the wedding.”
He stiffened slightly, his eyes flashing, the only sign of his surprise—and maybe his anger.
“Kitarni, that’s …” My mother faltered, her smile strained, her brown eyes lacking the usual warmth that accompanied the smiles I so adored from her. She was the only one who knew my real intentions. That the wedding was just a means of gaining power in the world beyond our coven. A world currently ruled predominantly by men with resources and soldiers I desperately needed. “That’s—”
“Wonderful,” Eszter gushed, rushing around the table to envelop me in her slender arms. “How soon? It’ll be at Mistvellen I suppose? Oh let me take care of the dress, please, it’ll be my gift to you. I can get new fabrics, use my earth magic to make flowers ...”
Her voice became background noise as she droned on about things I’d never dreamed of for myself. What any girl would dream of for their wedding. But I found I couldn’t focus as I risked a peek at Dante, who was smiling as everyone congratulated us, not a chink in his armour as he let this information roll off his back like a duck out of water.
When he turned to me at last, it was with a predator’s smile and eyes glittering with the promise of danger.
“Nothing would make me happier,” he said smoothly, rising from his seat and stalking towards me, “than making Kitarni my wife.” He placed his hands on my shoulders, squeezing a smidge too hard for comfort.
“So are we going to talk about what happened tonight or do I have to force it out of you?” Eszter asked, popping a chocolate in her mouth as we lay side by side on my bed.
I grimaced, stuffing my mouth with one, two, three chocolates to avoid the conversation. She twisted her head, glaring sternly, and I rolled my eyes in response, savouring the creaminess in my mouth as I chewed slowly.
“I might have forgotten to inform him, but what does it matter? A wedding was coming either way, I just … gave it a nudge.”
“You know, at some point you’ll need to refer tohimby his name again.” Eszter sighed. “Kitarni, are you sure about this? I know you’ll do anything for the coven, but this is forever. Do you really want to marry Dante while things are so strained between you two?”
I shrugged. “My feelings have nothing to do with it. As far as I’m concerned, nothing has changed since the betrothal was announced. This marriage was always about power. Farkas wants the blood of my ancestors to flow through his grandchildren, Mama wants the coven and clan to reunite, and I want the influence that comes with an elevated position. At the end of the day, if we don’t stop Sylvie and stop the spread of corruption, what we want doesn’t matter.”
