When Wishes Bleed

by Casey Bond

  “We will appear – in style,” she told him. Mira shoved the bagged outfit to me by the hanger and grinned as she strode away. “See you tonight!”

  Mira and her magical spiders had crafted a sleek pair of black dress pants. Over it, she’d created a masterpiece of precisely-placed sheer panels and dark, glittering beads. The tunic was more of a short dress, hugging my curves perfectly. Tauren certainly liked the traveling suit. His eyes swept over me. Often. Bonus: she’d placed my favorite dagger-hiding heels in the bottom of the bag.

  The drive to the palace was different. I’d traveled the road before, but never with Tauren beside me to introduce me to every facet of the Kingdom he loved. I was amazed by how much he knew about his people. As the carriage swept through each sector, he taught me.

  How the timber mills worked; how strong and brave the men who felled the trees were.

  How the factories produced electricity, and how the witches might want to consider adding it in the future.

  How his mother had let him pound the head of a hammer into a chisel, which flung small bits of rock into his eyes. He was only five, but he remembered his tears clearing the debris and then taking up the hammer again, undeterred.

  He hadn’t visited the Children’s Ward in Sector Three since his father passed. I promised I would go with him soon, grabbing his hand and making him smile. Of all the powers I’d ever possessed, putting a smile on Tauren’s face was by far the greatest.

  When we passed through Sector One and Rose’s mansion in particular, I tensed. Tauren stared out the window and for a moment, I wondered if he was reconsidering his decision to hand-fast to me. In times of contentment, a year could pass fast, but in times of discontent, it could seem to pass agonizingly slowly.

  “I’ve invited the other invitees, and their families, to attend tonight,” he noted, turning to watch my reaction.

  “That was kind of you.” The words came out snippier than I would’ve liked, but Rose… well, she could push my buttons like no one else, and I didn’t feel like having them pushed.

  “You hate Rose almost as much as I do,” he laughed.

  “You hate her?”

  “A match with her would’ve made sense, given her father’s position, but she never would have made me happy.”

  I wanted to purr when he lifted me onto his lap. I threaded my fingers around the back of his neck, feeling the freshly cut hair at the nape. “Why is that?”

  “She’s not you. None of them were.”

  I kissed him, pouring love through my lips instead of through my words. When we pulled away, I finally told him, “She used a love potion on you, you know.”

  His brows kissed. “Who did? Rose?”

  “Yep.”

  He smirked. “Then she learned a valuable lesson. You, Sable, are more potent than any silly potion.” His grip on my waist tightened. He kissed me again and again, and before we knew it, we’d arrived and were stopped in front of the palace.

  Courier Stewart cleared his throat from the driver’s bench. “Highness, your mother approaches,” he warned.

  I slid onto the seat like a chastened schoolgirl, pressing my lips together to quench the tingling sensation, all too aware that they were swollen and the skin around them likely red.

  Tauren laughed. “You’re blushing.”

  I swatted his arm before he stood and exited the carriage, gallantly proffering his hand. I accepted it – again – and exited the carriage with careful steps, holding my breath as the Queen descended the stairs.

  Annalina hugged her son and then scooped me into her arms. The scent of her lavender perfume clung to her neck and hair. “I’m so happy you accepted. Welcome to our family, Sable.”

  Tears burned in my eyes, but I held them back.

  “Thank you.”

  Tauren and I spent the afternoon together. We walked next to the lake, threaded through the woods to the amphitheater, and made our way back to the Night Garden, where we slipped inside the glass walls that were open ever so slightly. The wind was cool, but the sun glorious.

  Spending time with him was like a breath of fresh air.

  Gone were the moments of uncertainness, the jealousy he and I both experienced. Before, we were consumed by trying to divert the approaching tragedies and the knowledge that both of us were powerless to stop them.

  Now, there was only him. Only me. Only calm.

  I knew that life never allowed these moments to linger, so we needed to savor them while we had the chance.

  The only constant in life was change itself.

  When the sun dipped lower and dusky pinks began to streak across the sky, Tauren walked me to my room, the one he’d had designed for me. Courier Stewart had delivered the things Mira insisted I take with me. Given the girth of the dress bag hanging on the rack in the corner, I knew she’d sent a gown worthy of the coronation ball.

  I showered and dried my hair, then applied a light dusting of makeup. Once I was satisfied and unable to stand the suspense any longer, I walked across the room to examine the dress.

  The zipper purred as it parted, and I pulled the sides open to reveal the gown. The top was strapless, covered completely with tiny, glittering onyx beads. The dress was wider than the bed in this room, comprised of so many airy layers of tulle, I knew it had taken Mira’s spiders many hours to weave together. I pulled the dress from the bag and let the layers relax.

  In the bag’s bottom were heels, encrusted in the same glittering beads as the dress’s bodice, and a familiar box. I removed the lid and clasped the necklace Tauren had given me around my neck.

  The stones matched our hand-fasting ribbon, one half of which was wound around my wrist. The other half was tied around Tauren’s.

  I took a deep breath, releasing it slowly. I still couldn’t grasp that he came for me, bending his traditions to honor mine.

  Never had I felt more at ease about a decision. Accepting Tauren’s hand was natural. It felt right. I just hoped the Kingdom’s citizens approved of his choice, and of me.

  Two knocks came at the door. I knew that knock. I tugged on a robe over my dressing gown and went to answer it.

  “Brecan?” I asked, opening the door for him.

  “Sorry to interrupt. I know you’re getting ready. I just wanted to tell you that I’m happy for you.” He gave a small smile, hovering just inside the door frame.

  “Truly?” I asked.

  He nodded. “If he makes you happy, then I heartily approve.”

  “He does. Thank you, Brecan.” It meant so much that he was okay with the pairing. Brecan – my oldest friend. At times, my only friend. I had been afraid that my choice jeopardized our friendship. “I’m glad you all came to watch and support him in becoming King.”

  Brecan snorted. “That’s not why we’re here. I mean, I like the guy and all, but we’re here to watch as you are crowned, Sable.”

  My mouth opened slightly. “I don’t understand. I think you’re mistaken. This is Tauren’s coronation, and the ball is to celebrate the new King,” I stammered.

  “That would be the case had the future King not hand-fasted and pledged himself to you,” he replied patiently. “But you’re his now, which means you will also be crowned.”

  My heart began to thunder. “Are you sure?”

  He nodded once. “I’m sure.”

  My mind raced. Did Tauren tell him that? Why didn’t he mention this to me? Does he assume I know?

  Mira appeared behind Brecan and slid into the room. Her eyes widened. “You aren’t dressed yet?” she squeaked, taking hold of my hand and dragging me into the wash room. “Wait in the hall, Brecan,” she ordered.

  Brecan chuckled but obediently left the room, closing the door behind him.

  Mira got down to fashionable business and quickly helped me dress. She slid a flat iron down my hair, making it shi
ne and stretch an inch further than it naturally lay, thanks to my unruly waves.

  She added a hint of rose color to my cheeks and lips and shadowed my eyes until I looked beautiful, but elegant. Fierce, but merciful.

  “Are you ready?” she asked, staring over my shoulder at my reflection. Her hair hung in waves, gently lapping at her shoulders. Her gown looked like the deepest blue of the ocean. It ebbed and flowed in luminescent strands from chest to toe, as if thin streams of foam pushed around its surface.

  “You look magnificent, Mira.”

  She grinned at me through the mirror, her hands tightening on my shoulders. “As do you, my Queen.”

  29

  After Mira and Brecan left to guide their Houses into the ballroom, I waited in my room. And by waiting, I mean that I paced until I was sure I might wear a hole through the floor.

  Tauren knocked gently and peeked inside. “Are you ready?” he asked, his words fading away as his eyes found me. “My god,” he breathed. “You are the most beautiful… I have no words.” His mouth hung slightly open. Mine must have matched, because I found I couldn’t speak. Dressed in a sleek black tuxedo, complete with a bowtie that matched the glittering bodice of my dress and heels, he extended his hand. “It’s time.”

  “Brecan said that I would be crowned.”

  “Of course,” he answered as if it were the simplest thing in the world.

  “What if the people of Nautilus don’t approve?”

  He shook his head, a smile tugging at his lips. “How could they not?”

  My lashes fluttered. I knew he loved me, but wearing a crown beside him would send such a strong message – a message I wasn’t sure the citizens were ready to hear. “Tauren –”

  He took my hands in his and waited until I looked up at him. “It’s just me and you.”

  But it wasn’t. The entire Kingdom was here, along with the highest-ranking military leaders, a smattering of celebrities, and all the other invitees. Not to mention those who weren’t present at the palace, but would watch from their homes as the coronation and ball was telecast throughout the Kingdom. The sectors would be filled with parties, public and private, so that people could gather to celebrate the occasion.

  “Me and you,” I repeated.

  “Just focus on me,” he assured. “Pretend I’m the only one in the room.”

  “That won’t be difficult,” I told him. “When you’re near me, you’re the only thing I can concentrate on.”

  Tauren smiled and brought my hand to his lips, placing a kiss on the back of it. Goose bumps spread over my skin as the moths took flight. “The feeling is very much mutual.”

  Together, we walked to the ballroom where Queen Annalina waited outside. She walked in first and announced us. “I give you my son, Tauren Nathaniel Nautilus, and I give you my new daughter, Sable.”

  The crowd cheered as two guards swept the double doors open and we entered the room. Tauren and I made our way to the stage, where I could see the colors of the witches blending with the finery of the citizens of the Lower Sectors.

  Overhead, the chandeliers dripped light and crystals atop the crowd. The only empty space in the room, the scant trail we’d carved, quickly filled in once we passed by. Tauren squeezed my hand.

  The Reverend who had said such kind things at Lucius’s funeral joined us. Surprisingly, he blessed the pair of us. I thought he might call our union false or warn us that we should marry in his church instead, but the man was kind, loving, and gracious.

  He instructed Tauren on the traits of being a good and moral king, then instructed me on the same traits as they applied to a good and moral queen.

  A young girl carried Tauren’s crown to the Reverend. He thanked her graciously and she skipped back to her mother with a beaming smile. When the Reverend asked Tauren to kneel, he took a knee.

  As he placed the silver crown on Tauren’s head, I was mesmerized by its beauty; cut apatite stones and shiny black obsidian stones were inlaid around the metal ring. Tauren smiled up at me, and when the Reverend asked me to kneel beside him, Tauren took hold of my hand.

  A matching, more feminine crown that somehow fit perfectly was placed atop my head. Tauren watched attentively, his eyes taking in every movement. When they combed over me, it felt like a caress instead of a perusal.

  “You’re the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen in my life,” he whispered. “And I’m the luckiest man in the entire world.”

  My heart fluttered.

  “I love you,” I told him.

  He smiled. “I love you more.”

  That night, among my peers and his, Tauren and I danced, toasted, and most of the time, though we were surrounded by an enormous room full of people, it felt like it was just him and me.

  One king.

  One queen.

  One fate.

  epilogue

  I clutched my stomach, staring into the mirror, mouth agape, listening to the swish-swish sound resonating through my body. Swish-swish-swish-swish. It was strong. I tried to smile, but covered my mouth, unable to believe it.

  How will Tauren feel about this?

  A baby so soon?

  I stared at the new, black ribbon knotted around my wrist. We’d just hand-fasted again, but I had no idea until now that I was carrying his child. I’d gotten queasy a few days ago, but thought maybe the chicken was undercooked or something. I never imagined I was pregnant.

  The door to the washroom swung open and Tauren entered. His eyes caught on the hand that rested on my stomach before I could move it away. “Are you sick again?”

  “It’s nothing.” I tried to smile, but I couldn’t look at him.

  What if he was furious? What if he didn’t want children yet? We’d talked about having them, but that was far, far into the future. Not now.

  What would happen when the people found out? The purists would be angry. That small, but loud group already hated that a witch sat beside the King. They wanted me out. They would never accept our child.

  “Hey,” Tauren said gently, tipping my chin up so I would look at him. “What’s going on in that beautiful mind of yours?”

  I squeezed my eyes shut for a long moment, then took in a deep breath.

  “I’m pregnant,” I revealed.

  We’d made our own vows the night we were hand-fasted. We promised never to lie and never to conceal anything important from one another. It was me and him. Him and me. Against everything else.

  His brows rose and then a glorious smile spread over his lips. He tentatively touched my stomach. It wasn’t even swollen yet. “Truly?”

  I nodded, trying to smile back at him. It wasn’t that I was unhappy. It was the other piece of news I dreaded giving him.

  “How can you tell?” he asked, wonder lacing his voice. “The sickness?”

  I shook my head. “I can hear the beat of his heart.”

  “His?” he asked, brows raised.

  “It’s a boy.”

  “I am so happy, Sable.” He hugged me and spun me around, gently setting my feet on the ground. “I’m sorry. Did I hurt you?”

  “I’m not a piece of glass, Tauren.”

  He smiled sheepishly. “Right.”

  He chatted happily about how we should reveal the news to his mother and Knox and Leah, who would be wed on the first day of spring. Tauren rambled about creating elaborate surprises for them. A cake with blue icing or cyan-colored fireworks. Or both… Or something magical, instead. “Perhaps Brecan and Mira could help with that…” he mused excitedly.

  “There’s something else,” I said hesitantly.

  “What is it?” Tauren’s brows furrowed with concern. Of all the things I’d said to him since we met, this was by far going to be the hardest. I closed my eyes and gathered every ounce of strength I had.

  “I also feel Fate
’s presence again… in our son.”

  Tauren sucked in a shocked breath.

  about the author

  Casey Bond lives in West Virginia with her husband and their two beautiful daughters. She likes goats and yoga, but hasn’t tried goat yoga because the family goat is so big he might break her back. Seriously, he’s the size of a pony. Her favorite books are the ones that contain magical worlds and flawed characters she would want to hang out with. Most days of the week, she writes young adult fantasy books, letting her imaginary friends spill onto the blank page.

  Casey is the award-winning author of When Wishes Bleed, the Frenzy series, and fairy tale retellings such as Riches to Rags, Savage Beauty, Unlocked and Brutal Curse. Learn more about her work at www.authorcaseybond.com.

  Find her online @authorcaseybond.

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  acknowledgments

  I’m ever thankful to God for his mercy and blessings in my life. I have to thank my family for their constant encouragement, my friends for their support, and fans for loving my characters and stories as much as I do.

  A special thanks to Melissa Stevens for designing the perfect book cover, interior, map, tarot card and every other thing related to bringing this book to life visually. And thanks to Stacy Sanford for waving her magic red pen over my manuscript and polishing it beautifully.

  also by casey l. bond

  The Fairy Tales

  Riches to Rags

  Savage Beauty

  Unlocked

  Brutal Curse

  Glamour of Midnight

  The High Stakes Saga

  High Stakes

  High Seas

  High Society

  High Noon

  High Treason

  The Harvest Saga

  Reap