by Sara Thorn
“What, you mean tomorrow?”
“Yeah.”
He breathed in a big sigh, and I felt his chest rise and then fall with his slow exhale. “I don’t know, Mara. I hope so.”
“I can’t let him say the vows,” I said as my voice began to crack. “No matter what happens, Quinn. I can’t let Cassius say words that would tie him to someone else. I know you like Bree, but this is different for me. I would rather die than think about going through life without him.”
“I know you would,” he said. “Trust me, I know. I see the way you two are with each other. He feels the same way. He’s not going to say the words tomorrow. No matter what happens, even if he were to have to fight Lithius himself in hand-on-hand combat, he wouldn’t say the words. He’d rather die trying to be with you than live without you. That much is clear enough for anyone with eyes to see.”
We lay there for a while in silence. We were both tired, but neither of us could fall right asleep, not with the looming threat of tomorrow approaching. At least something would happen to put an end to it one way or another. At least I knew that I wouldn’t have to look at Cassius from an untouchable distance anymore.
When we finally let our eyes close, it felt like it had been only a matter of moments before the light came spilling in through the window, and it was morning already. Even before we got out of bed, I could hear the bustling noises of a castle getting ready for a big celebration. It was weird that most people didn’t seem to find it strange that Cassius was marrying Bree or that there was a giant, antlered deity here at the castle. I guess that was because it was mostly humans here now, and as I very clearly recalled from my time on Earth, humans were very ignorant a lot of the time.
Quinn and I got out of bed and got ready to leave the bedroom. Somewhere in one of these rooms, there were dresses that I had seen stowed away, and I needed to find one to wear so I could play my part perfectly. I suggested to Quinn that he should probably try to “fancy-up” a bit, too. He didn’t seem to think it mattered, but I assured him that it did. Every little bit we could do to keep Lithius from expecting another attempt to get in the way of this wedding was a worthwhile investment. We needed all the help we could get.
When Quinn opened the door to the hallway and we stepped out, Cassius and Bree walked down the hallway just a few feet from the door. Cassius face changed into an immediate look of shock and dismay when he saw us coming out of the bedroom together.
“Cassius, it’s not what it—”
I couldn’t finish because Quinn pulled my arm away. Lithius was right behind them in the hallway, watching and listening to our every word. I wanted to stay and talk to Cassius, at least to calm his worries about seeing Quinn and me leaving the bedroom together. I wanted to make sure he had a clear head for today because he would need it. But Quinn tugged my arm and urged me down the opposite direction of the hallway with him.
“You can’t get into that in the hallway right now,” he whispered as we walked away. “Not with Lithius there. Cassius will know it didn’t mean anything. He’ll figure it out, and it will be okay.”
I frowned. “You said that the last time and he nearly impaled you with the broken stem of a wine glass.”
“True,” he said. “I forgot about that already.”
We split ways for a bit so we could both get dressed and ready for the ceremony. People were already filling into the castle and going toward the ballroom. I didn’t know where Lithius was taking Cassius and Bree, but I imagined that they were getting ready somewhere. I tried to mentally prepare myself for seeing Cassius standing at some ceremonial altar with Bree, and even though I knew the whole thing was an unwanted set-up, I still wasn’t looking forward to the sight.
I threw open the doors to a massive closet and found a whole plethora of dresses and gowns that I had been hoping to locate. Since it was a wedding, kind of at least, I passed over all the white ones. I spotted a black gown that caught my eye, and since the event was one that I was dreading, I opted to go with it. It was sheer and lightweight, so it would be easy to move around in, and it also had a tight corset-style bodice that would be perfect for hiding my daggers inside. There was a pair of thigh-high black boots next to it that would also provide a nice hiding spot for weapons, and the heels were more combat-style short, which would make the whole outfit maneuverable. I put it on and looked in the mirror and realized that it looked like I was going more on some sort of sexy dungeon raid than a wedding ceremony.
Perfect.
I added a few sparkling clips to my hair to try to play the part a bit and then walked out of the room. Quinn was already there, waiting for me since he didn’t have as much to change into. He played the part well in a black suit that made him look darkly tempting and made me feel a bit uncomfortable for some reason.
“Wow,” he said. “You look absolutely gorgeous.”
“Thanks,” I smiled.
“A bit dark for a wedding,” he chuckled. “But still gorgeous.”
Quinn held out his arm, and I wrapped mine around it as we walked toward the ballroom together. When we got to the doorway and looked inside, it was already packed with people. I had no idea so many guests would come. Fae and vampires and humans were all here now, and some of them looked a bit disconcerted at the sudden announcement of the marriage of their ruler. Some of them also looked tensed and wary of Lithius as he loomed beside the altar, waiting for Cassius and Bree to arrive. A nauseating wave of nervousness swept over me.
“There are too many people here,” I said to Quinn. “It this goes sideways, they could all end up dead.”
“Then we need to make sure it doesn’t go sideways,” he said as he put his other hand up around mine that was resting on his arm.
We stood there for a minute before going in, and I saw Cassius and Bree walk in through the ballroom’s back door. They stood at the altar in front of Lithius and some sorceress who had come to perform the ceremony. Lithius raised his massive hand up to the crowd, and everyone quieted down and took a seat for the ceremony to begin.
I saw Cassius straining his neck around to see where I was, and when he saw me, his eyes locked with mine, and we couldn’t break away from the stare. He looked trapped and miserable and desperate. I thought about all the times that Cassius was the master of revelry in this room with his lavish parties and all the times that he kept watching over me and saved me from things that would have likely ended me. Now it was my turn to save him.
“Ready?” Quinn asked.
I nodded, and we walked inside.
Thank You For Reading!
Thank you for reading book three in the Marked by Night Saga. It’s amazing that you were willing to even pick up my book when you don’t know me!
If you enjoyed it, the best gift you could offer is a review.
I should mention that this series is planned for over 30 books with the first 5 launching VERY quickly and monthly after that, so be sure to join my newsletter to be the first to know about new releases.
xoxo
Sara
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About the Author
Sara Thorn writes dark paranormal romances filled with all her favorite supernaturals. Her series, Marked by Night, is planned for over 30 books. Sara loves all things “geeky fantasy” and spends her free time playing RPG’s and browsing the shelves of used bookstores.
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