Page 52 of House of Gilded Nightmares

As the guardian realized his feelings had shifted, he fought them even harder than he fought the nightmares that hunted his ward. He knew, after all, that he was a monster just like them. And it was this darkness within him that made him weak, that made him feel such traitorous and wicked thoughts. His ward was his king’s betrothed, his brother’s betrothed. His love for her was unthinkable, unforgivable, the worst of sins.

But the harder he fought against himself, the stronger his feelings became. He could feel the bond growing between him and his ward. The more her magic grew, threatening to break free, the more impossible it became to deny how he felt. As the Obsidian Moon grew closer to completing its cycle, he realized he might not find a way to bring her back home. And that same dark part of him knew that if the nightmares broke loose and the realms merged, maybe that was the only way they could ever meet in the flesh.

He loathed himself for his lack of honor.

The night before the ceremony with the High Priest, he could see in her fitful dreams what lay ahead. Rage filled him at the idea of the treacherous priest claiming her. She was not for him. She was the Queen of Valaron. Nothing had ever made him so furious, so desperate, in all the centuries he’d lived. And in her dreams that night, he felt her dark fury, too. She was a beacon to the nightmares, and all night he slaughtered them, trying to keep them away. When one slipped through, she became the hunter. She drew the blood of the nightmare that stalked her. He knew that night, seeing the blood on her face, that his love for her was more unshakable than even his vows. He would love her until he drew his last breath, and he would love her in the next life, too.

When the night of the ceremony arrived, he realized he could feel a tether of magic between them. Their bond had multiplied in strength when she claimed her power and took the life of the nightmare. He could see her even waking, which was not something he’d ever heard tell of from any guardian in the past. He didn’t want to watch, to see what came next, but he could not look away. And when, in her fear and desperation, she reached out with her magic, his answered.

It was not just her magic that pulled her through into the nightmare realm. It was both of them, bonded, as one.

And then, quite abruptly, the impossible occurred, and Sarielle of House Otreyas, future Queen of Nightmares, was standing by his side.

He could not let her know the truth of his feelings, the darkness within him, the failure within his heart as her guardian. So, he made a decision in that instant, as they stood there in the swirling mists. He would be cruel to her instead. He would make her hate him, so there was never a chance that his wickedness could come to fruition, his dishonor made a reality.

His plan worked for a time. But the guardian didn’t know a vital truth, because he’d never loved before.

The heart is always stronger.

Chapter Twenty

The air seems to evaporate from the throne room, and my heart drops out of my chest. Brother? Zyren is the king’s brother? It takes every ounce of my strength and willpower not to look over at him.

But it seems I can’t hide my reaction entirely.

“You look surprised,” the king says with a chuckle. He turns to Zyren. “Did you not tell her?”

Zyren’s eyes flick to mine. Their weight is like a burning brand, but I dare not meet them.

“You know I abdicated my royal title long ago,” Zyren says, his voice laced with a thunderstorm.

The king laughs. “Come, Zyren. Title or no, you are still my brother. And this is my future wife. We are all to be family now.”

The expression on Zyren’s face, which I can see out of the corner of my eye, is so tense, his jaw so tight, it seems a tendon might snap. “My duty as guardian supersedes all,” he says, tone flat.

I don’t know if he’s trying to explain to the king or to me. The rush of emotions within me is so strong I can’t see for a moment, and the room spins. I wobble on my feet and Zyren grabs my elbow.

“You are exhausted from your journey,” the king says, frowning. “Zyren can escort you to your room. You need to be rested for the ceremony. It will take place shortly after dawn—I’m afraid we can’t delay further than that.”

I nod, feeling numb everywhere except where Zyren’s skin touches mine. We turn and walk from the throne room. When we reach the hall beyond, we descend one flight of stairs to the fourth floor of the palace. We enter another hall, then two doors down to the right, we turn into a huge room that, similarly to the throne room, has huge arched windows affording a stunning view of the sparkling valley below. But I barely notice.

As soon as we’re inside the room, Zyren shuts the door quietly behind us. I rip my arm from his grasp and stalk away from him. My body feels ablaze like I’m burning from the inside out, a comet inside my chest. Magic pulses off my skin, gold and shadows both. I walk until I reach the end of the room, and there I lean against the arch of one of the huge windows. The cool stone presses against my skin, but the flames inside only grow stronger.

When I hear Zyren’s footsteps behind me, I send out a flare of magic. “Do not come any closer.”

“Sarielle,” he says, his voice low and filled with regret. “I was going to tell you.”

“But you didn’t,” I growl. “And don’t say it’s because we were interrupted in the meadow. You had so many chances before then. Weeks, Zyren.”

“I lay no claim to the royal family. I gave up my title many, many years ago. I am not that person anymore—this doesn’t change anything.”

I whirl, eyes blazing. “This changes everything!”

Zyren flinches as if I’ve struck him.

“What we did,” I say, lowering my voice in shame, “was treacherous enough without the added complication of you being the king’s brother. I had hoped that a more pragmatic approach could be taken with this marriage of duty, that maybe I could be free to choose a lover. But now…”

“I wish I could change things,” Zyren says, anger riding on his voice. “But I couldn’t resist you in that moment, not after letting my darkness rise to the surface. Not if I tried a thousand times. We are bonded by both our blood oath and the shadows that live within. Our fates are intertwined. That is unchangeable.”

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