Page 141 of A War of Three Kings

Half-hearted cheers rise from the crowd, but a strangled sound leaves Diarmuid’s throat. Tears spill from his eyes as he looks at me with such devastation.

I want to cry.

To rage.

To whip up my magic, burn this place to ashes, but I am far too stunned to react.

Finan has a huge smile on his face as he pulls me to him and I stumble limply. He places his hands on either side of my face and crushes a brief kiss to my lips, then he drags me back down the aisle. The witnesses stand and clap, throwing more petals atus as we move by.Their motions are mechanical, smiles forced too wide and eyes in shock.

A ring of guards surrounds us as we leave the hilltop and I am rushed to the palace again. Finan’s clutch on my arm never weakens, and his fingers dig painfully into my flesh. I hardly notice the ornamental gardens that fly by us or the riches of the palace. All too soon, we are approaching my apartments, and my mind is screaming at me to run.

A guard pushes me into the room, and I almost trip on the heavy skirts, taking multiple steps to right myself. The others make jeering remarks and pat Finan on the back as he enters behind me.

Then they seal the two of us in here.

There is a predatory glint in Finan’s eye as he stalks toward me. “You are my wife now.”

I back up. “Don’t you dare touch me!”

His eyes flare, as though he thought that ceremony would make any difference in winning me over. “You will fall in line. I expect certain things of my queen.”

My entire world shatters at those words.

I was never meant to behisqueen.

I circle around him as he advances. “Then you should have married someone else. Someone willing.”

“It has always been you for me, Keira.”

I feint to one side, and he launches out to catch me, but I dart in the opposite direction, running from him. Finan curses, pursuing me from the sitting room into the miniature library.

This apartment is circular, so I can run and run from him, but I will still have nowhere to go. I twist my ankle as I frantically search for a book heavy enough to hit him with, but my motion comes to a sudden stop as the dress pulls me back.

I glance over my shoulder at the smug smile on Finan’s lips. His boot stands on the fabric of my train. He picks up the entirething and loops it around his arm until he is standing right in front of me.

“Just give in to it, Keira,” he murmurs, leaning close to me, eyes focused on my lips.“I promise you will enjoy it. Just like you used to.”

I punch him in the face, wiping the damned smirk off it, but the dress is too restrictive and it pulls the force from my blow. He opens his mouth to say something, and I stomp hard on his foot.

Gods, I want to knee him in the groin hard enough that he will have no hope of using it, but the wide hoops of this skirt get in the way. I shove at his chest, pull his hair, and fight tooth and nail to keep his hands off me.

Finan finally grabs me by the shoulders and slams me against the bookshelf, lust darkening his eyes as he presses his body against me. “I think I might like it rough. You have so much passion, my queen.”

A shudder runs down my spine. “Are you a rapist as well, on top of everything else?” I spit.

His entire body turns stiff, then he drops his hold on me and steps back. Finan’s face is pale as he frowns at me.He has truly lost his grip on reality if he has only now realized I don’t want to sleep with him. That I don’t need more convincing or a bolder pursuit.

“You will find your way back to me,” he says with conviction. “As soon as the fae’s enchantments wear off. Maybe I will kill your fae lover, and then you will see there is no one else for you.”

Finan turns on his heel and leaves the room. I jolt as the door slams shut. My body turns to jelly and I slide down the bookshelf at my back until I collapse into a heap on the ground.

I hold my head in my hands for a long time, not caring about the bones of the corset digging painfully into my ribs, or the waythe layers of fabric make me sweat. I am drowning in lace and silk.

The only way for me to end this marriage is for Finan to die.

Chapter 38

Keira

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