Chapter 10

UNA

"Papa," I whispered as I settled on the side of his bed. The guards gave me privacy and waited outside. "It's Una, Papa." I took his hand in mine. "I've come to say goodbye."

The low, steady chant of the wraith fae outside reverberated through the thick palace walls. They seemed to be waiting for his return on his dragon.

Surprisingly, Papa opened his eyes and looked at me. I blinked back the stinging tears. His irises were full white now, only the tiniest sliver of dark purple rimming the outer ring. He'd lost his ability to speak seven months ago. He'd been bed-ridden for well over a year.

But sometimes, his whitened gaze held the lucid intelligence he had before the sickness had begun to slowly take his life thirteen years ago. Like now. The way he looked at me, I knew he heard me.

A luminous healing orb vibrated, hovering over the foot of his bed and casting a golden hue throughout the room. The healers kept a charged orb—called a moon chalice—radiating out life-saving magick that fed into my father day and night. It was all that was keeping him alive. Sometimes, I wondered if he wanted us to just let him go.

Not for the first time, I wished I'd been able to create an orb for him myself. But that magick was long gone from me. I fluttered the wings at my back, reminding myself that I'd at least gotten one thing back that had been taken from me. Not that they were of much use.

"Papa, I'm going away for a while."

The tiniest crease formed between his brows. He didn't like it when I was gone. He probably hadn't realized that I'd already been gone for many weeks.

I remembered how he'd scolded me as I lay in my sickbed when Baelynn had brought me back from Northgall five years ago. When he demanded I tell him why I'd gone, he'd become even angrier with me. I'd risked my life to find a cure for all of those falling ill with the Parviana Plague, this sickness that had crippled so many of the moon fae. And now, he was dying with it.

Parviana was the name of the first moon fae girl who fell ill with it. Nothing and no one had been able to stop the illness from taking her life.

"I know you hate it when I go away, but it won't be for long," I lied, knowing this was goodbye.

N?kt Mir was far from Issos, and I had no idea when or if I would ever return.

I squeezed my father's hand. "I'll be back, Papa. I promise."

At least, I'd try. As soon as the wraith king let me, I would come back.

Papa blinked heavily. I sniffed and wiped the tear that slipped down my cheek. "Yes. I love you, too. So dearly." I leaned over and kissed his cheek.

He closed his eyes and fell back into his slumber.

I left my father asleep and marched directly for my chamber with my two wraith fae guards in tow. When I reached my bedroom, I turned to them.

"I'm packing my clothes. Please allow me some privacy."

They frowned at me for a moment then the one seemingly in charge nodded and they remained at the door.

I took very little time packing as many gowns and chemises as I could into my traveling trunk. I included my gold necklace of the moon's crescent. Glancing at the open door to be sure they weren't watching, I then pulled my bound journal from beneath the bed where I kept it.

I'd gathered prophecies from all three kinds of oracles—soul seers who could attach to one person and foretell their destinies, god seers who heard and spoke the will of the gods, and world seers who prophesied the fate of fae kind. But it was the visions that pertained to the plague that had kept me vigilant in my search. And I'd found them all. All three.

I grabbed a folded chemise on the bed and hurriedly wrapped it around the journal full of the prophecies I'd collected. Then I stuffed it at the bottom of the trunk.

Finished, I strolled back to the doorway, facing the senior guard.

"My trunk is ready. Please ensure it makes the journey safely as that is all of my homeland I'll have for a long time."

The wraith guard simply nodded. "It will be done, my lady."

Now it was time for me to marry Gollaya Verbane.

The glass dome of the great hall above us cast a pool of moonlight onto the center of the white marble floor. I stood inside Lumera's glow beneath the glass dome next to the priest. But my gaze was on my brother near the throne dais whispering vehemently to Gael, now uncuffed as he argued with Baelynn.

Everyone had been removed from the chamber except for Baelynn and Gael. Goll and his second strode toward us from the hall doorway, both wearing stern expressions. I don't know what any of them had to argue or be cross about. I was the one on the sacrificial altar.

When they reached me, I asked, "Why is he staying?" I nodded toward the dais.

Because forcing Gael to watch me marry another man would be torture. While I held no love for Gael, I'd been committed to him and prepared to marry him for most of my adult life. And I was aware he had deep affection for me though it mattered little now. Still, I didn't think it kind to force him to watch it.

"The priest said we must each have witnesses." Goll's voice had gone hard. The conquering warrior king now stood on the altar with me.

"My brother should be enough."

"No," he answered quickly. "His second will remain as witness too." Goll's steely gaze slid to Gael.

My heart beat faster, for Goll knew that was my former betrothed.

Then my brother was crossing the hall with Gael behind him toward the temple stone, which is what we called the sacred circle where I now stood. He took his place behind me. I met Gael's gaze, flinching at the fury burning there.

Of course this was difficult for him, but not nearly as difficult as it was for me. He had no right to argue with my brother over what I'm positive were his losses as my betrothed. I would be losing much more.

Goll took his place facing me within the temple stone, Soryn stood behind him and scowled. He didn't like me, that was certain.

The priest who'd been standing quietly outside the circle, stepped beside me and Goll. He began speaking of the importance of binding in heart, body, and soul, but before he'd gotten two sentences out, Goll raised a hand, stopping his speech.

"Let's get to the meat of it, priest. My men below are getting restless, and I'd rather not keep them waiting too long before they decide to go against my orders and pillage anyway."

My mouth dropped open. "They'd pillage the city when we've surrendered?"

Goll turned his intense gaze on me, those eyes always sending an electric shock through me. "Until I leave this palace with you , the bargain isn't set. Delays make soldiers restless and might give them the impression there's trouble." He arched a brow. "My men love trouble."

Clenching my jaw, I said through gritted teeth, "Please hurry, Elder Lelwyn."

"Yes, Elder Lelwyn," Goll said mockingly. "Make haste, shall we?"

For the first time, his second behind him smirked, his red eyes narrowing with amusement, making me more angry.

"Yes, yes, of course." Elder Lelwyn was a kind, old fae who'd served our house for many years. He'd even joined my parents in their own moon-binding ceremony. He jumped quickly to the meat of it , as Goll had suggested.

"Clasp your hands and press your forearms together for the binding words."

I held both my arms up, bent at the elbow. Goll just looked at me, his gaze roving my upturned arms.

"Take my hands and do as I do," I whispered.

Goll stepped forward and lifted his arms. The immensity of him, especially covered in thick, black-steel armor, seemed almost ridiculous at this moment. I was used to prettily dressed fae males in silk and brocade with perfumed hair and smooth hands. Goll was completely the opposite.

His calloused palms pressed to mine, then he curled his long fingers through mine, reminding me where those fingers had recently been. His claws touched the back of my hand, but they didn't pierce the skin. His eyes blazed with that familiar fire I'd seen when he first walked into my bedchamber back at N?kt Mir.

I gulped hard as Elder Lelwyn asked us both to repeat after him. But when I began to speak, Goll said nothing. He just watched me with unnerving intensity as I recited the sacred words.

"My king," said Elder Lelwyn, "you must repeat after me. You say the vows at the same time."

"I'm aware of your custom, priest," said Goll, his eyes on me, "but the princess will be reciting her vows for her own peace of mind. I don't need them."

"I see, well, I see that…hmmm. I'm not sure that—"

Baelynn stepped forward and placed a hand on the priest's elbow. "It's fine, Elder Lelwyn. We will recognize the ceremony's validity regardless. Won't we?"

The poor elder stared wide-eyed in his white robe at my brother, never having been put in this situation. He'd be performing his own magick on this ceremony for the binding. A priest's magick was considered sacred for the binding magick it held.

"I'm not sure the binding will take if both don't speak the words."

The vows in a moon-binding were part of a spell that wove with the priest's god-given magick to bind us. The bond wouldn't hold, of course, since we were not a proper match, but the ceremony would be recognized by all of Lumeria, branding me as that pitiful fae princess, bound to the wraith king. At least, I would not be renounced a whore, and that's all that mattered to me at the moment.

"That might be for the best," I said, still clasped in Goll's grip.

"I see." Elder Lelwyn cleared his throat. "Then repeat after me, Princess." He began to recite the vows.

"I bequeath to you my loyalty, my fidelity, and my love." I frowned at the falseness pouring from my own mouth as Elder Lelwyn went on. I repeated, "My trust and my companionship till our years are long and our days are done." I swallowed hard then repeated, "I give you the…"

I stumbled at the next part.

"You must repeat it," said Elder Lelwyn.

Goll smiled, a predatory gleam in his dragon eyes. He squeezed our clasped hands and leaned closer, his blue eyes glinting in the moonlight. "Yes, I want to hear this last part from your lips, Princess," he whispered intimately, his gaze dropping to my mouth.

Taking a deep breath, I repeated what the priest had said, "I give you the fruit of our coupling with an open heart, vowing to treasure any children who come of this consecrated union. I vow to hold sacred this binding, sanctified by the blessed Goddess Lumera beneath her divine light."

Elder Lelwyn said the last sentence again. Then I repeated it.

"I give my whole self, body and soul, into your care and keeping. For as long as the moon shines and magick reigns."

Goll grinned so wide I could finally see his pointed canines. Rather than repulse me, my heart raced with excitement. How could that possibly be?

Then Elder Lelwyn's magick began to burn along our clasped wrists, our hands and fingers, sliding in a tendril of silvery-white light. It wound tighter around our wrists, creating a band of light tethering us together. Goll stiffened, sensing the ropes of light fae magick sizzling around us and along our skin.

For the first time since he'd entered this chamber, I smiled. I liked seeing Goll confused and uncomfortable.

"It won't hurt you. Or taint you, my king," I said mockingly.

His scowl deepened. "I know that. Light fae magick can't hurt me."

"Not the almighty, fierce wraith king?"

His scowl softened, and a wicked light flickered in those blue-gold depths. "That's right, Princess."

Elder Lelwyn clapped his hands once, the shimmering strings of magick entwining our clasped hands and wrists fading. But they left behind a raised bracelet of flesh around my wrist, where the priest's magick had burned brightest. I wondered if there would be traces beneath Goll's armor.

"By the Divine Goddess Lumera, you are bound as one," proclaimed Elder Lelwyn. "There now. All done, my king."

But Goll didn't immediately let me go. His intense gaze moved from my eyes to my wrist. He was likely wondering how long I'd have this mark and if he bore one as well. He released my hands, but when I stepped back, he wrapped a hand around my forearm and kept me from stepping away.

"You said only two times." He searched my face. "Isn't that right, Una?"

My brow pursed as I tried to figure out what he was talking about. "Two times?"

He held me tight but also gently, his finger at my chin sliding up my jaw, his thumb trailing behind to caress my cheek before he let me go.

With agile swiftness, he stepped around me in two long strides and grasped Gael by the throat. I gasped and covered my mouth, watching in horror.

When Baelynn went for his dagger, Goll's second stepped forward. "Don't bother, prince. King Goll will have his due."

Goll pinned Gael to the closest column. Gael's face flushed red as he clawed at Goll's hand fruitlessly, his face contorted in fury, his wings beating helplessly. A deep, guttural growl rumbled in the room, raising the hairs on the back of my neck. When Goll leaned forward, Gael's expression subsided to fear.

Suddenly, Goll released his throat, only to grab his right wrist and press the back of Gael's hand to the stone pillar.

"You're right-handed, are you not, my lord?" Goll asked mockingly as he slung his short-sword high.

"What are you doing!" yelled Gael. "Stop, no! Don't! Please!"

I sucked in a horrified gasp, unable to look away as Goll sliced through the air and cut through flesh and bone, his blade clinking against stone. Gael screamed as blood sprayed crimson, two of his fingers rolling across the white marble floor. Elder Lelwyn fainted.

"Sacred goddess," I murmured, nausea rising in my stomach.

Goll re-sheathed his short sword and strode toward me, his face lit with the raw brutality of the king he was known to be, his cheek sprayed in Gael's blood.

While Baelynn tried to help Gael, who'd fallen to the floor writhing and screaming in pain, I stood in horror as my new husband stalked closer.

" Why did you do that?"

"It was necessary," he proclaimed, taking my uninjured wrist in his giant hand and leading me toward the exit.

"No! It was not. It was monstrous." I tried to jerk my wrist free.

He turned suddenly, pulling me close, his face inches from mine. "This news will be spread everywhere. If they think me monstrous, so be it. But all will know the consequences to anyone who dares touch what is mine. That goes for my land, my property, and you ."

I shook my head, unable to understand why he felt the need to be so barbaric.

"You desecrated the temple," I whispered, actually afraid of the fiery-eyed demon staring down at me.

"She's your goddess. Not mine. Now let's be gone from this place before Issos learns the true meaning of a wraith fae pillaging." Then he turned toward the door, dragging me along. "Come."

I glanced over my shoulder to see one of the guards hefting my trunk onto one shoulder like it weighed nothing, the rest of the wraith fae falling in line behind us.

Baelynn still knelt beside Gael on the blood-spattered floor, having wrapped his hand in a kerchief. My brother's gaze found mine, full of aching pain and regret, then he mouthed the words I'm sorry before he disappeared from view and I was hauled away by my new master.