Page 94 of Vicious Kingdom

“Penny won’t be standing with me either,” I lamented. “I could really use some backup.”

Serena snorted. “You don’t need it. Leo is grumpy and gruff, but he won’t bite.”

Grumpy, gruff, and basically nonexistent. I’d barely seen him all week. He worked long hours, came and went without warning. We might be dwelling in the same abode, but this was not what I pictured when he asked me to live with him.

Luckily, the rush of wedding planning occupied every waking hour. I only went back to my parents’ house this morning when I knew mom was home. While she railed about the absurdity of the rushed wedding, it was actually because of the fact that my father and I ganged up on her, cutting her out of the action.

My wedding was her moment to shine. To show off how well she could flaunt the event.

What bothered me more than that was that she hadn’t realized I’d moved out. She paid so little attention, consumed with her own slight.

“Are you happy, Anna?” Serena’s question broke the daydream.

“Of course! I finally have my prince,” I beamed.

But the words felt hollow.

The moments we shared were like a flickering candle. Lit suddenly in the dark, but not strong enough to hold up to the gale that raged outside. One strong rush of wind, and it would be extinguished, and I’d be left to fumble about in the dark until I managed to spark another flame.

“Come visit soon!” she insisted, but a rustle in the background stole her attention. “My pirate is back. I have to go.”

“Give the salty dog a hug from me,” I teased.

She rolled her eyes at my eccentric turn of phrase and ended the call.

The silence pulsed around the room.

Setting my laptop bag on the counter, I pulled out the device. My fingers moved of their own accord, going into an old Word file. It had the date of five years ago. With a deep breath, I clicked.

Screenshots of Pinterest images blinked on the screen. Files with notes, worldbuilding details, and even some poorly designed maps interspersed the images.

I clicked on the document labeledRough Draft 1and braced myself. The first chapter was utter trash. But the story shown through the immature writing the further I scrolled. By the third chapter, I copied the context, pasted it in a fresh document, and began to litter the edges with notes.

Instead of finalizing the manuscript in the genre I published regularly, I lost myself to a world of magic, a fae prince with a curse, and a human girl, his captive, who would bring him to his knees.

Chapter 33 – Leonardo

It was the wedding of the century. The billionaire businessman and the pretty little socialite. Standing at the end of the aisle, those epithets didn’t feel correct. I was just a man. A mere mortal, who’d fallen under a spell. And Annaliese?

The music began to play, and all eyes swiveled to the entrance.

That woman was from another world entirely.

The universe seemed to hold its breath as she appeared in a halo of light, standing poised at the threshold like a celestial visitor gracing our mortal realm. My lungs forgot their purpose as I beheld her.

Annaliese floated down the aisle, each step measured and graceful. Her dress, a cascade of ivory silk that whispered against the floor, caught the light filtering through stained glass, transforming her into something ethereal. The bodice hugged her form before giving way to layers that moved like water around her legs. Delicate beadwork captured and scattered light with each step, as if she walked among stars.

Her face, partially veiled in gossamer lace, held an expression of serene determination. Those blue eyes, visible even fromwhere I stood, never wavered from mine. She clutched a single crimson rose—blood-red and perfect. It was a vision I would never forget, even if old age stole every other memory.

If I wasn’t careful, she would steal my very soul.

I avoided her this week, wanting time to adjust to the notion of her being a permanent fixture in my life. It wasn’t hard to stay away. There was a mess in the office. Something had gone terribly wrong, and we were being audited.

I shifted as the crescendo brought Annaliese closer. There was an inkling of the past stirring up a darkness that clashed with the surreal beauty of this moment. It was like a dark cloud loomed in the distance.

What were the odds that my business, which had never been in trouble, was now in a heap of hot water right as Annaliese was forced into my life?

She wasn’t the problem last time.