Page 33 of Sweet Nightmares
Emrys tapped the table. “I never made that deal with you.”
“Yet you benefit from it, as the de facto leader of the Fantômes.”
François let out a low snarl. He didn’t like the insinuation that he wasn’t in control of his gang.
“We are allies, nothing less.” Emrys held up a placating hand. “Nightmare, darling, just marry the girl properly.”
Darling. Oh, Nightmare was going to kill him.
Yet he didn’t.
He simply nodded.
“Please, clean her up and find her something to wear.” Emrys turned to the brunette, whose glare could have cooked a steak.Emrys leaned in closer, whispering into her lips. “Please, do it for me, Harlowe.” He closed the distance and passionately kissed her while everyone looked away, pretending not to watch.
Jane wanted to burst out of her skin. It was too… carnal. Too heated. Too much. But mostly, Jane was jealous that no one had ever kissed her like that.
Like they wanted to consume her.
Granted, it was this moment that Jane would look back on when this foolish Prince turned his eyes to her sister. It was at this moment that Jane would probably never approve of him.
Not forher,Quinny.
“Yes, fine,” Harlowe said before standing and motioning for Jane to follow.
Harlowe took her first to a pool, where she helped her clean up and then gave her a glittering silver gown.
“Do you have something more…” Jane didn’t quite know what she wanted, but she didn’t want a white gown or a white adjacent gown, not for her second marriage and not to marry a monster cloaked in shadows.
The silver wasn’t fitting.
“Black or blood red?” Jane finally finished the question.
The corner of Harlowe’s lips lifted. “Something more monstrous?”
Jane nodded.
“Fitting, I guess.” Harlowe pulled out a black velvet hoop-skirt dress with deep crimson embroidery and lace, mixed with black lace and red velvet sleeves that doubled as gloves.
The sweetheart neckline was cut low and exposed ample cleavage. In the dress, Jane’s red hair looked darker, almost black. Almost as if the dress were adapting to her, and her to it.
It was the perfect dress to marry Nightmare in, and ten minutes later, she was walking down the aisle for her secondwedding, just hours after her groom had murdered her first husband.
The ceremony was quick and beautiful. It was held in an underground cave overlooking a lava pool and a tranquil waterfall. There was little sound apart from the steaming hiss when the cold water met the lava.
It was beautiful, but all Jane could focus on was her heart, ticking away in her chest.Beat, beat, boom, tick, tick, crack.
Nerves coated the lining of her stomach, and her knees shook beneath the massive skirts of her dress.
Only François, Harlowe, and Emrys witnessed the nuptials as the words of the ceremony blended together, as she looked up into Nightmare’s sculpted face—a face so beautiful a mortal dared not stare too long. Outside the mirror, his hair was more white than silver, and his eyes had more blue cutting through—but he still didn’t look human.
Godly was the only word that could ever match his radiance.
His throat bobbed as he looked down at her. He, too, seemed to ignore the prince’s words, his focus tearing into her and devouring her.
“I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss your bride.”
Nothing happened. Nightmare didn’t move his lips to hers. He didn’t do anything save glare at her.
