Page 57 of Married By Treachery

Except.

He had kissed her. That part, at least, had not been a dream. It had been real and sweet and as brilliant as the dawn, and it had set a sun inside of her that would not dim.

I never lied, my bride. You simply refused to believe me.

Raquel sighed and…

Froze.

She could sigh.

Her hands flew to her mouth where the gag…

Her hands were free.

How was this possible?

Raquel flexed her jaw, and she was staring at her unbound hands when a pair of heavy boots appeared before her. She followed those heavy boots with her eyes, up a pair of wide calves, and over a broad and hairy build until her gaze met Prince Edom’s.

“Where are your ties?” He growled like a bear as he searched the ground, and then he grabbed her hands and jerked her to her feet. “Where are her damned ties?” he shouted at his men, who now scrambled like ants having their anthill destroyed.

“What did you do with them?” Edom jerked her closer and bent in her face. Raquel was too bewildered to respond. “Did you cut your way out?”

“No, I—”

“Are you hiding a blade from me, mortal?” Edom snapped, and now his eyes raked over her frame. “I will strip you down until I uncover every last—”

“Found it,” said one of his guards, approaching them, rope in hand.

The rope was clearly uncut, and Edom let out a puff of a breath. He grabbed the rope, jerked Raquel’s hands forward, and tied her wrists again.

“The gag?” Edom barked.

“I couldn’t find it, your grace,” the guard replied. “But this will work.”

A beat, and then Edom was shoving a new piece of fabric into her mouth that tasted like mildew. Two minutes later, his guards threw her back upon the horse, Edom glared at the mist, mumbling something beneath Raquel’s hearing, and they were off riding again.

For her part, Raquel sat in silence to the rhythmic pulsing of horse hooves as she tried to untangle her thoughts.

Jake had been there last night. He’d been the one to unbind her hands and mouth, and Edom knew it too.

Butwhy?

Her gaze skirted the trees, the mist, searching for what she felt so strongly was there. How Jake could keep pace, Raquel had no idea, but she felt his nearness even stronger now, after the night.

To what end?

The princes needed her blood to stop their curse—that much was clear—but why bother unbinding her? Edom had not bothered with her comfort; why had Jake?

I never lied, my bride. You simply refused to believe me.

Raquel continued searching the mist until, eventually, they drew upon a great fortress. Similar to the outpost, the mist stopped at its walls, but this was much larger. The moment they passed through the gate, a barren landscape spread before them, with rocky earth and rotting structures and a dried riverbed cutting it in half. The riverbed was like a royal carpet made of stones, spread out before the mouth of the fortress, and Raquel thought it had probably been beautiful once. With glittering blue water and vibrant green trees and a magnificent palace standing sentry over it all. But it was difficult to imagine that now with it so bathed in darkness and shadow, which Raquel found ironic for the Court of Light.

Edom led them through a small village of sorts as Forest kith emerged from buildings to see the source of commotion. He rode on for the castle without slowing until the road wound higher, over a bridge, and through the castle’s wide-open doors.

Into a courtyard.

Prince Edom dismounted and pulled her down from the horse, then grabbed her by the rope as he dragged her after him toward the great doors in back.

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