Page 154 of Crown of Briars
I inhaled deeply. “But, if you are concerned, I will speak to her about it. Right now, in fact. If she is loyal to me, as I believe she is, then she will not object to swearing an oath in her blood. She might despise me for it, but she will not refuse.”
Sybelle’s brows lifted, her lips parting. “You would do that?”
“Yes. I would.”
Clearly, she had not expected me to agree to this. She gave me a broad smile, her eyes crinkling. Mother of Shade, she looked so devastatingly beautiful.
I carefully stroked strands of her hair out of her eyes, my mind snagging on something that had been burrowing within me for a long time. It wasn’t until I had met Sybelle that the thoughts had grown stronger. More insistent.
“You said you wish something could be done for the witches,” I said softly. I took her hand in mine. “Perhaps something can.” When she only frowned, I said, “I have heard stories of persecuted witches in other kingdoms. Some have soughtrefuge in our lands, but because of the lingering hatred brewing between the unseelie and the witch clans, they always felt they were unwelcome.”
Sybelle’s brows drew together in concern as I continued, “Perhaps… I can change that. I can send decrees throughout the kingdom that witch refugees are to be welcomed. I can create a fund to help them start new lives here. It will take some time to undo hundreds of years of prejudice, but—but perhaps it’s the change we need to move this kingdom in the right direction.”
Fresh tears brimmed in her eyes. “Are you serious?”
I nodded solemnly. “I’ve wrestled with the guilt of my forefathers for my entire life. It’s time I actuallydidsomething about it. I can’t do anything for the witches who were killed, but perhaps I can help others.”
Sybelle’s breath hitched, and a tear raced down her cheek. “Varius, I—I don’t know what to say. It’s a beautiful idea. It’s…incredible.It’s…” She made a frustrated sound, clearly at a loss for words, then laughed as she leaned in and kissed me again. Her mouth moved hungrily over mine, claiming me again and again with fervor. Her fingers threaded through my hair, and her legs wrapped around me. I grew hard for her all over again from that singular movement. I growled in her mouth, devouring her fully, my hands gripping her thighs and spreading them wider.
I broke away from her before I thrust into her all over again. I knew she must already be hurting from our intimacy. To repeat those actions might cause permanent damage to her human body.
“If you don’t stop,” I murmured, “then I will rip apart more of this floor, and the whole castle will hear you screaming my name.”
She exhaled a shaky laugh before sliding off my lap. I grumbled as she put more distance between us. Part of me had been hoping she would say,Do it, Varius. Let the castle hear us.
But the logical side of my brain knew there were more important matters at hand.
For starters, I needed to speak with Tislora. Sybelle was right. If Tislora had connections to witch magic, then she might know who this lost descendant was.
It couldn’t be Tislora. Itcouldn’tbe.
But I had to find out for sure. I had to show Sybelle that I trusted her.
And once I did this, once I demonstrated my trust, then I would tell her the truth about the curse. I would tell her what the curse would demand of her.
Every human bride before Sybelle had given their blood to ward off the shadows, whether willingly or unwillingly.
After the first elixir of human blood, the Necro Shadows only grew hungrier and hungrier. They flooded the kingdom with violent rage, and nothing but the elixir containing both the king’s blood and the human’s blood would stop it.
Eventually, the demand for blood was so high that the human brides had died from loss of blood and malnutrition. The shadows had devoured them wholly.
Along with the king.
Generation after generation, the king and his human bride had given their lives to drive the shadows back. Some kings were strong enough to outlive a few brides—my father, for instance. But in the end, they always succumbed.
After such a sacrifice, the Necro Shadows were appeased for a few decades. But, then, the cycle continued when they grew hungry again.
I had to tell Sybelle all of this. She needed to know. But I was determined to find another way. Some way, somehow, we would be together. We would rule as king and queen.
Somehow, she would survive this. I would not let the curse take her.
“Well, there’s no salvaging this,” Sybelle said with a laugh, jolting me from my morose thoughts. With a smirk, she lifted up the shredded pieces of her dress. “Perhaps the castle will be merciful and take me straight to my rooms.”
I offered a halfhearted chuckle. “Don’t count on it. Making you traipse naked through the castle sounds like something it might do.”
Sybelle gathered the ripped pieces of her massive skirt and held them to her chest, concealing those beautifully peaked nipples. She gazed up at the vaulted ceiling and said loudly, “Castle? I’dreallyappreciate if you could send me straight to my chambers. Or rather…ourchambers.” She cast a coy grin my way, sending heat flooding over every inch of my skin.
Our chambers.
