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“Let’s go,” I ordered, already brushing past and leading the way. “A bath is exactly what I need.”
I spared only one glance back at the monster I’d bound myself to till the end of everything.
“I SEE YOU DID NOT LASTuntil dawn.”
My face flushed at the burst of giggles that sounded behind me.
We were in my baths again. Aeris combed and braided Emiana’s hair—all traces of white leaving with the sun’s arrival.
I couldn’t believe that even while cursed to wear another’s skin, I couldn’t escape my other curse. My first one.
Since the day of my birth, my hair has turned white in the moonlight. No one—not my mother, not our neighbors, not the healers knew why, or how, I came to be this way. I couldn’t even say if it was a curse, because no such curse was known by fae. But then of course, one did not need magic to be cursed.
There was a reason that although we were all struggling, all poor, and nearly all the children of war wives, I was singled out for chasing, beating, and bullying. Only I was the keva with the strange, color-changing hair. Only I the freak.
But Alisdair said nothing of it, and he said a great many things last night while fucking the sense out of me.
I wasn’t certain of half of the filthy things he called me. I only knew it was filthy because of how it melted my core when he growled the words while drilling me into the snow.
“—try again?”
I snapped to, returning to reality. “Yes,” I replied. “Of course I’m trying again, and I will every single night until I’m free of this place, and him. Speaking of, Aeris, there’s another way out of the castle, yes? Other than the front and garden entrance.” I took her hand, squeezing it. “Tell me where it is, please. Lord Alisdair can have his midnight run—hours after I’ve left.”
Aeris smiled at my reflection. “My queen, did you forget your end of the bargain? By night you run, during the day, you reign.”
My hope dimmed. “He meant that? He truly expects the unwanted wife he narrowly killed to play pretend at his side? For what purpose?”
“It is not pretend.” She pinned the final braid to my crown, then snapped her fingers. A feather fell from her hand and hadn’t yet hit the ground before three attendants were beside us, holding out three tiaras. “This is a real kingdom, and you are our queen. Your day is full, Lady Ana. In truth, you’re already behind. You shall have to eat quickly.”
I ate nothing, and did not despair for doing so. I wasn’t worried about finding safe food to eat before I starved. I’d be home in Lyrica long before that happened.
“You can take this back, Talulla,” I said, returning the tray to my taste-tester.
She took it, wrinkling her nose as she did. She looked like she was holding her breath.
“What? What is it?” I asked. “Do I smell?”
“Of course you don’t,” Aeris rushed. “Come now, my queen. Your lord awaits.”
She helped me up and tried to tug me away. I stopped short, catching the eye of the woman in the mirror.
It wasn’t me, so I couldn’t marvel at the crown of shiny, copper braids—winding around the glittering gold, diamond-encrusted tiara. They weren’t my lips plumped and shining to perfection, still carrying his punishing kiss on my lips. It wasn’t my neck, framed by the intricate beadwork clinging to the slivery-white gown’s collar, and clashing boldly with the red and purple marks on my throat and skin. It wasn’t me that looked more beautiful than I ever had in my entire life.
It wasn’t me who looked like a queen.
I followed Aeris out through winding hallways and hidden staircases leading down into the bowels of the castle. The further we went, the more the rich décor, jewels, antiques, and heavy tapestries disappeared.
Aeris stepped off the stairs, entering a large antechamber with nothing on its gray walls but flickering torches. Two large double doors loomed over us, calling us inside.
My feet didn’t leave the bottom step. “What is this place? Why are we down here?” I backed away. “Is this a trap?”
“A trap?” She cocked her head too far to the right. “Why would our lord need to trap you, Lady Ana? He already has you.”
Indignation rose up in me hot and heavy, and reality drowned it out. She had an awful and accurate point.
“Not for long,” I warned, and stepped off.
Aeris knocked sharply on the wood. The doors swung open, revealing the scene on the other side.
