Page 26 of Crown of Briars
The Wraith King had arrived.
Shadows continued spillingdown the aisle, coating the ground until I could no longer see my feet. The air felt misty and cool, making my skin pebble. I wished I’d worn a wrap or a shawl.
But what chilled me the most was the dark figure gliding toward me like a haunting specter. I was rooted to the spot, frozen as it loomed ever closer. I couldn’t make out its eyes, but somehow I knew it was watching me. My heart stilled, and my hands began to shake.
It was a mark of how potent my fear was that it managed to bleed through the courage the diamonds gave me. If I hadn’t been wearing the tiara, I probably would have pissed myself.
Years of training and education and preparation had led me to this moment. But now that I was finally faced with looking upon the Wraith King for the first time, I discovered something that threw an unexpected wrench in my plans: I was a coward.
Here and now, watching that darkened shape approach, I was rendered immobile like a prey caught in a predator’s trap. Faintly, I remembered the dagger sheathed at my hip. But I couldn’t even reach for it if I wanted to. More and more shadows rolled forward, and the air was so thick with them that the setting sun was blotted out.
Nothing but darkness and fear remained.
Shadows coiled and twisted like serpents snaking toward me. The mass of darkness was drawing ever closer. Close enough to suffocate me. Close enough to devour me.
My heart lodged itself in my throat, and my pulse quickened. Sweat formed along my brow and the back of my neck, trickling down my skin in spite of the cool air. My breathing came in short spurts, and I worried I might faint.
Get ahold of yourself, Sybelle,I ordered myself.You knew he was monstrous. You knew he was a demon. Shove aside your fear and do what needs to be done!
I internally screamed at myself to move, to shift, just to prove I could overcome this mind-numbing terror. With great effort, I flexed a few fingers, shaking off the cold horror that had frozen me. I took a deep breath, then lifted my hand to my amber necklace, running my fingers over those familiar grooves.
“Give me strength,” I whispered, not caring that the supernatural fae senses meant everyone present could likely hear me.
It didn’t matter. I needed Azure’s soothing voice in my head. This was the moment I needed my dragon the most.
“I am here, Sybelle,”came her warm voice.
I closed my eyes, letting her friendly and familiar presence wash over me.
“So many shadows,”Azure said.“I can even see them from here. It is the Wraith King, isn’t it?”
I said nothing. My eyes opened, and the dark shape was only a few paces away from me now. The darkness was so massive that it blotted out a large portion of the light behind it, dimming my surroundings. I focused on controlling my breathing and reminded myself that Azure was close by. She was close enough to see the shadows.
She would not let harm come to me.
“You can do this,”Azure said.“You may be nothing more than apitiful human, but I know you are capable of facing this wretched monster. If you can tolerate me, you can certainly tolerate him.”
The corners of my mouth twitched at her weak attempt at humor. She was trying to ease my fears by goading me. I was tempted to tell her it wasn’t working, but that would have been a lie. Already my heart was lighter, and the ghost of a smile on my face lifted my spirits.
Az was on my side. And she always would be.
Icoulddo this.
At long last, the mass of shadows reached me. The king appeared as a shapeless form made only of darkness and mist. It churned and roiled more intensely than the rest of the shadows, as if the king’s silhouette was strengthened by his body heat. I could make out faint outlines of his arms and legs, and two large shapes near the top of his head led me to believe he had horns.
But the darkness obscured everything else, rippling like a pool of ink. I couldn’t even make out his eyes, though I felt them scrutinizing me.
With the echoes of Azure’s voice still in my head, I found my strength and lifted my chin to gaze directly into what I thought was the Wraith King’s face. I would not cower before him.
Slowly, my legs bent in a curtsy, but I did not bow my head. I kept my eyes on him the whole time. I held the curtsy and then straightened once more. Unlike his subjects, I was not his subordinate. In this moment, we were equals. And once the marriage ceremony was over, I refused to entertain the idea that I was an object to be commanded.
He would not rule me with fear. Not like he ruled everyone else.
Another figure approached from the opposite end of the courtyard. It didn’t take me long to recognize her. The great black wings folded behind her were impossible to forget. With asaccharine smile on her face, Tislora drew closer until she stood before us, directly underneath the archway.
In Agnarrish, she said to the king, “Are you ready?”
Grateful I’d kept my knowledge of their language a secret, I stared at the shadows swarming around the Wraith King, waiting for him to speak.
