Chapter 21

I n rhythm with the slow, romantic melody of a violin, I strode down the lantern-lit aisle between rows of chairs. Hot tears pricked my eyes, blurring the faces of the guests, but my heart was light, and my cheeks hurt from smiling.

With every step, the hem of my opulent red gown brushed along the grass. I glanced down at the lush, golden embroidery on the fabric, my heavy earrings and the gems in my hair jingling. Crimson petals rained down on me, tickling my face.

I felt as if I could spread my arms and fly, walk on the clouds, dance on the sickle of the moon and pluck the stars from the sky.

But all I truly needed was right in front of me, anchoring me to the ground.

There, on a platform surrounded by a half-circle of braziers, by the side of an old Xar'vathi priest in sanguine robes, stood him .

Skrain .

The one I wanted to spend eternity with.

His white silk shoes peeked out from the hem of his luxurious robes matching the shade of red and embroidery pattern of my gown. They suited him so well. With a ruby circlet resting on his loose, long hair and gems studding his horns, he looked like a king.

My breath stuttered as I climbed the steps. Our gazes locked, and he smiled, tears shimmering in his eyes, too, and I understood the meaning of love.

I would have done anything for this man.

We had seen the darkest, ugliest sides of each other. We held each other's hand, whether our fingers were coated in blood or gold. We had seen each other cry and laugh, shout for joy, and scream in pain.

I knew what I loved about him. His loyalty. The fire in his heart. The way he protected me with his life. I could have come up with a million reasons to adore him.

But I knew his flaws as well. His temper, his brutality, his callousness. And he knew my flaws, too, but we still chose one another.

I would have chosen him again and again.

Skrain reached for my hand and raised it to his lips, putting a chaste kiss onto my knuckles. "You are breathtaking," he whispered.

All I managed was a strangled, sobbing giggle, and he snickered.

The priest cleared his throat, adjusting the heavy crimson ritual shroud on his head before gesturing for me to take my place at Skrain's side.

The old man spread his arms. His voice boomed as he greeted us, and I silently thanked whoever had first come up with translation spells. I loved having a traditional Xar'vathi wedding, but my progress on learning the native language hadn't been as fast as I had hoped, and without the spell, I wouldn't have understood a word.

Luckily, when my turn came, the enchanted tourmaline dangling from an anklet beneath my skirt would turn my spoken Elvish into Xar'vathi, too. Wearing it was a habit I picked up on the first day I arrived in Xar'vath. Except for language lessons, I hadn't taken it off since, though Skrain's talent for Elvish was astounding, and in private, he communicated with me in my mother tongue.

"Dear guests," the priest said. "Beneath the watchful eyes of Zawayn, our gentle God of matrimony, we have assembled here today to bear witness to the bonding of Skrain and Keryssa. May Zawayn grant his blessing to the holy union of these two hearts."

A cheerful cry drifted from the crowd, and Skrain squeezed my fingers as the priest continued, waving his arms in a grand gesture.

"Scripture says at the beginning of time, the Xar'vathi were a people with two hearts beating in their chest. Two souls housed in the same vessel. But when Ha'dyx, the God of jealousy, heard of the happiness of our blessed existence, he turned green with envy. Driven by jaundiced rage, he brought a great calamity down on Xar'vath, splitting us in two."

The man pulled his hands apart, and the guests at our back gasped. I smiled. They must have heard this tale countless times, but love and loss moved everyone, whether here or in Zeridia.

"Since then, we are doomed to wander, lost without our fated other half," the priest said. "We search for the one to complete us. The one whose heart beats in rhythm with our own. The only one to understand the tenebrous depths of our souls, to brave its darkness, and want us still. Skrain and Keryssa are two such shattered beings, made whole by each other."

The priest waved at us, unsheathing a small dagger from his belt. "Announce your loyalty to one another. Swear your love in word and blood."

Skrain's throat bobbed as he turned to face me. "Keryssa, I swear to choose you every day for the rest of my life. Every minute. Every second. With every breath and every beat of my pulse, I pledge myself to you."

Tears streamed down my cheeks as I bit my lip, holding in another sob.

Skrain held out his left hand. He kept his eyes on mine, didn't flinch as the priest pulled the blade over his palm.

"By the red of my veins, I vow to honor you as my wife," Skrain continued. "I vow to never look at another with longing. I vow to protect you and cherish you. And when this existence comes to its end, I vow to find you in the next. Should I ever break my oath …" He pressed his hand to his throat, leaving a crimson print across his skin. "My lungs shall falter, and my heart shall stop. I lay my life at your feet."

He kneeled. With his uninjured hand, he lifted my skirt to expose my white silk heels. Holding my gaze, he put his bleeding palm against the left shoe, staining the top red.

My mouth curled as he rose. I couldn't deny my tears any longer, I didn't want to any longer. I had never cried out of joy before, and everyone should see how happy he made me.

The priest jutted his chin at me. "Now you."

My voice wobbled, coming out too thin at first. "Skrain, I swear to choose you every day for the rest of my life. Every minute. Every second. With every breath and every beat of my pulse, I pledge myself to you."

I presented my left hand to the priest, and while I looked into Skrain's eyes, alight with affection, I barely felt the sting of the blade.

"By the red of my veins, I vow to honor you as my husband," I said, showing my cut palm to the guests. "I vow to never look at another with longing. I vow to protect you and cherish you. And when this existence comes to its end, I vow to find you in the next. Should I ever break my oath …" The gash throbbed as I wrapped my hand around my throat, coating it in blood. "My lungs shall falter, and my heart shall stop. I lay my life at your feet."

A tear rolled down his cheek as I lowered myself to my knees. Softly, I grasped the hem of his robes, peering up to catch his gaze. His breath stuttered as I pressed my wounded palm to his left shoe, leaving my mark.

I straightened, and the priest took our bleeding hands, intertwining them between his. "From this moment on, these two hearts beat as one once more. With Zawayn as our witness, their souls are woven as one, bound to each other in this life and any that follow. Skrain and Keryssa, I hereby pronounce you husband and wife."

The crowd jumped to their feet, joyful ringing filling my ears as they shook carved wooden sticks with dozens of tiny bells attached. More petals rained down on us, and I laughed.

Time stood still. I wanted to remember this moment for eternity and beyond.

"I love you, Keryssa," Skrain whispered, wrapping his other arm around me, pulling me in.

"I love you more," I breathed.

My heart swelled as he lowered his face, our noses brushing. His lips met mine and?—

White flashed before my eyes.

Adrenaline pumping through me, I pushed the bedroom door open with my elbow. Skrain stood by the dresser as he cursed under his breath, fumbling with the pearl buttons of his tunic.

Jumping in front of him, I beamed a smile. "I was right!" I said, holding up the music box in my hands.

Skrain stiffened, heaving a long sigh. The lines on his forehead were deeper than usual, as if he'd spent the entire afternoon frowning while I was sequestered away in my study. Leaving his shirt half-open, he rubbed both palms across his face.

"Right about what?" he asked, voice tense, tail flicking like that of an annoyed cat.

I popped the lid of the music box open, and a gentle melody filled the room. "Notice anything?"

"No. It's the same box I gifted you during our wedding night. The same melody I listened to when I was a boy."

"But look, the gems!" I pointed at the four spinning figures, now each presenting a faceted jewel in their outstretched hands.

Skrain's brow furrowed as he cast a brief glance at the box. "Gems?"

"I did some research and found that every element and its deity is associated with a certain gem," I explained. "To me, it always looked like there was something missing, like the dancers were supposed to hold something. So I shaped a dark blue sapphire for water, a light blue aquamarine for air, a red carnelian for fire, and a tiger's eye for earth." I paused, my grin slipping as I noticed Skrain's expression changing, turning vacant. "Are you listening?"

"Yes," he mumbled.

I clicked my tongue. "Anyway, when I put the gems into their hands, a compartment opened down here …" I slid my nail along the bottom edge of the box, pulling out a shallow drawer, barely deep enough for a folded piece of paper.

"In it was a spell recipe for a special soulstone, written in Xar'vathi," I said. "The instructions mentioned that it's strong enough to imprison a demon while keeping it alive, essentially letting the owner wield its power—forever! It must be some sort of lost knowledge because I've never heard of anything like it, only stones that drain the demon to death, limiting how often it can be used. I-I left it in the safety of my warded study to analyze later, and?—"

I paused once more, pouting. Skrain's distant gaze rested on the orange sunset shimmering above the dunes.

"And then a dragon flew through the window and kidnapped me," I said, waving one arm. "The big, flappy bastard carried me right to his nest in the mountains. I'm not actually here."

"Sure. That's great, Kerys. Sounds fun." He still wasn't looking at me, still not listening.

My head cocked. Something had my husband terribly worried, and my ramblings didn't help.

"It's not that important. I'll tell you tonight over dinner, yes?" I suggested.

"Uh-huh," he hummed, a muscle at his jaw feathering.

I closed the music box and put it atop the dresser. My eyes fixed on the locket dangling around his neck, I buttoned his tunic. A smile flitted across my lips. Since I'd surprised him with the necklace during our first night as husband and wife, he'd not taken it off.

Most Xar'vathi didn't wear wedding rings. They believed in fated mates, though the definition of fated was often skewed to accommodate the merging of noble bloodlines or forging of business alliances.

Still, the spiritual connection and blood bond was more important than a materialistic symbol thereof, but I wanted him to have something to remind him of me. A locket with a strand of my hair, preserved in amber, and a little portrait of me I'd commissioned in secret seemed perfect.

I brushed over his chest, and finally, he looked down at me, teeth clenching. I drew shapes and swirls across his abdomen, swooping to the waistband of his trousers, hooking a finger behind it.

"You're so tense," I said. "Why don't we open a bottle of wine, sit in the garden, and you can tell me what is worrying you?—"

He grabbed me by the shoulders, pushing me away. "I can't, Kerys."

His grip didn't cause pain, I wasn't even afraid of him. I knew he wouldn't hurt me, but the disrespect had my gut twisting with anger.

"You're out of line, Skrain. What the fuck is wrong with you?"

"I think I found a buyer for the remaining shipment of chipped emeralds, even those with inclusions nobody else would take."

"That's wonderful! You've been trying for months." I reached for his arm, stroking it. "Why are you in such a foul mood then?"

He ran a hand through his ponytail, shaking his head. "The buyer wants to see me tonight, hash out a quick deal, or it's off the table. I received a message a few hours ago, saying they'd meet me at the mine to pick up the jewels, but the client is Xar'vathi. He insisted I come without you."

I puffed my cheeks before slowly exhaling a stuttering breath. "I still don't get why the Xar'vathi are so distrusting toward foreigners. Especially since I'm your wife and business partner."

Skrain growled, his tail hitting the dresser with a thunk. "I don't fucking like it either, but that was his condition to open negotiations. Guess he thinks he can strong-arm me by rushing the deal, probably get me to lower the price, and he's not wrong."

"Can't this wait until tomorrow or, even better, could you find someone else to buy?—"

Skrain barked a sarcastic laugh. "No, I can't." He raised his arms, gesturing to the open balcony door and the bedroom. "We need the damn money. The honeymoon, building this mansion, the staff, and your insatiable hunger for luxury … we've spent too much, Kerys, and there are still more bills coming in. We haven't found new emerald veins in months. The deposits are depleted, and all we have left are those tarnished jewels. If I can't make this deal work to carefully reinvest the coin, we'll be bankrupt before the year ends. We'll lose the house—everything!"

My shoulders fell. "Why didn't you tell me?"

His eyes softened. "Because I can't say no to you. Because I don't want to say no to you." He sighed, a small smile tugging at his lips. "And because I didn't want to worry you. Call me a fool for that, sure. But when we married, I promised to look after you, give you everything you need or want. My purpose in life is to make you happy, my darling wife."

"Usually you do a fine job," I teased, embracing him, and he shrunk a little, melting into my touch, seeking refuge in it.

"Not so much right now, huh?" His heavy hand laid itself onto my head, caressing. "I'm sorry. My stress is no excuse to act like a fucking prick."

I giggled. "I'm glad I didn't have to say it."

He grasped my chin, tilting my head up to give me a long kiss. "I'll make it up to you, yes? I'll probably be back late tonight, but tomorrow, I'll have the cook whip up all your favorite dishes. We'll drink wine in the garden, have a picnic. I'll read to you, and you can tell me all about the music box. Then we'll dance until the moon rises! No, until the sun comes up again!"

I rolled my eyes as if I had to ponder his offer. Then I allowed the smile playing around my mouth to break through.

"Apology accepted." I stood on my tiptoes to kiss his cheek. "I'll go back to my study. And then, I'll await you in bed. Promise to wake me when you return?"

"I'll hurry." He breathed a last kiss onto the tip of my nose before pulling away. "And I'll miss you every second we're apart."

I laughed. "I'll miss you mor?—"

My vision went white.

I closed my eyes, lids heavy from poring over the ancient recipe for hours, but my slow thoughts kept drifting back to work.

Such a weird list of ingredients to create a soulstone.

What did it say again?

Drowsiness made my brain sluggish, the memory of the recipe blurring in my mind's eye. I knew it was there, just hidden beneath layers and layers of exhaustion.

I tossed and turned, tangling in the sheets. The massive bed seemed too cold, too large without Skrain, and I tucked my nose into the collar of his tunic I'd stolen from the laundry basket in the bathroom.

It was his favorite, dark green cotton with abstract, golden embroidery, and far too big for me. But he'd worn it this afternoon, and his spicy-sweet scent of cinnamon and smoke was still fresh. Putting it on, wrapping myself in his fragrance, it was almost as if he was with me?—

The door creaked open, and so did my eyes. I squinted at the horned figure stepping into the moonlit room, a lazy grin spreading over my face.

"Skrain," I mumbled, stretching out a languid hand. "Come here. I've been so lonely without you …"

He rounded the bed with slow, thudding steps, one arm behind his back.

I pulled back the covers and sat up against the headboard, blinking the sleep from my vision. "Did you bring a surprise for me?"

The mattress dipped when he sat down, laying a hand on my cheek. I shuddered, my brows knitting as I peered into his flinty eyes. His mouth was pressed into a sneer, disgust written all over his face. Adrenaline surged through me, startling me fully awake.

"Are you feeling okay?" I asked. "Did the deal go badly?"

No response.

"Skrain, why aren't you talking to m?—"

Sharp pain shot through my abdomen, taking my breath away. My heart stumbled as I looked down at myself. Up at Skrain. Back down.

A knife stuck in my gut, and a dark, wet stain appeared on my tunic. With each second, it grew.

Larger.

Larger.

I screamed as he twisted the blade before yanking it from my flesh. In the pale light of the moon, it shone black with my blood. I doubled over, pressing both hands to my belly, and hot tears ran down my face.

"You-you stabbed me," I sobbed. "W-why …"

He calmly sheathed the weapon in a holster at his belt, not sparing me a single look while he rose and walked to the dresser. The crack of a match being struck had me flinching. I tried to get up, but my legs caved as I swung them out of bed, and I crumpled to the floor.

"Please, Skrain …" I was getting lightheaded, sweat breaking out over my forehead. "Tell me … why … I thought you l-loved me."

He turned around, the light of the match deepening the shadows on his face. For a second, it was as if my beloved wasn't even in this chamber with me. As if he didn't even have a face, a black abyss swirling where handsome eyes and mouth and nose once were. As if he wasn't himself, not a man, not my husband, but something dark.

Something evil.

I crawled toward him, dragging myself along the carpet. My sticky fingers found his boot, and I gave a weak smile as I pressed a bloody print onto the light brown suede. "Don't you remember … our … wedding? How we pledged our lives to each other?"

He kicked my hand away, and I rolled over. I coughed, the taste of copper on my tongue. "Why, I just—I just want to know … why …"

"Because Keryssa …" he spat, but it seemed as if his lips didn't move. "You're nothing but a drain on my wealth. You're annoying and needy, and I've had enough of playing the gentleman for a pathetic bitch like you. Being around you is unbearable. I'll be better off without you."

My heart cracked. Shadows crept into my vision.

Sobbing, I dropped my head onto the carpet. I curled into myself as I felt the life drain from my veins, but his words hurt so much more than the gash in my stomach. His words carved out my chest, left me hollow. A ghost.

I cried out his name, over and over. I didn't stop. Couldn't stop. Not even when the lit match landed right beside me.

Heat engulfed me, but it wasn't enough to chase the frigid hand of death from my bones.

Pain beyond imagining filled every fiber of my being. I screamed as I felt my skin roasting.

Flesh blistering.

The stench of burned meat stinging my nose.

It took the last of my strength to raise my head and watch him leave the room.

He didn't look back.

Fire , I thought. Flames everywhere . No way out .

I'm going to die .