Page 62 of Skyshade
His lips slipped down her jaw, her neck. He dragged his teeth across her pulse and made a deep sound of approval. His voice rumbled against her throat as he said, “I love it when I make your heart race.”
Her sensitive chest tightened. She was desperate for more.
This was wrong, it was so wrong, but she also didn’t want him to stop.
“Hearteater. As far as I’m concerned, you killed me the day you met me. I’ve never been the same.” His lips trailed back up, across the corner of her mouth, all the way to her ear before he whispered, “I’ll see you at the alter tomorrow.”
Then he disappeared, leaving her pressed against the wall.
CLASP
Isla had hoped for storms. Not only for another chance at finding the portal, but also because they might have wiped away the tents that had been built outside the castle, for the wedding festivities.
None had arrived. Excitement for a distraction had only grown among the people.
A Nightshade ruler had never taken a wife before.
That morning, there was a knock on her door, and a group of women filed inside. They painted her nails and her features, and brushed her hair, and put jewels on her wrists, all without saying a word to her. She wasn’t sure if they were ordered not to speak to her, or if they simply didn’t want to, but she sat in silence, waiting—hoping—for the stormfinch to sing. It just stared at her.
When they were done, she had red smeared on her lips, just like the first time she had ever seen Grim. She had kohl on her eyes. She had pink on her cheeks. It all accentuated her natural features, but Isla hadn’t worn so much makeup in a long while. Her hair was left down, but the front pieces were pinned back by clips coated in black diamonds.
The dress left on her bed wasn’t the one she had been married in. No, that one was in the wardrobe. She had seen it and blocked it with her other dresses, because every time she saw the fabric, all she could think about was how Grim had removed it, and there was no room for any of those thoughts, especially after what had happened the night prior.
A mistake.
Agreeing to this wedding was a mistake. It was getting far too easy to forget, and that had always been her problem, hadn’t it?
The dress was black, the requisite color for a Nightshade bride. It was strapless, perfect for putting her necklace on full display. The bodice was tight, and then there was tulle beneath her skirts, making it wider. There were long black gloves that slipped easily over her bracelets. They reached far past her elbows. They reminded her of Celeste’s gloves. They reminded her of the gloves she had worn at the Centennial, the one she had wrapped around her eyes, when she had struck the crown—
Off Oro’s head.
No. She needed to forget him. She was marrying his enemy.
Again.
There was a knock. It was time.
She opened the door and was relieved to see a familiar face. Astria. She threw her arms around her, before she could think better of it. They barely knew each other. Still...she was the closest person she had.
Astria let out a shocked laugh. “You’ll cut your dress,” she said, but Isla was careful with the swords. She sighed and stepped back.
“How do I look?” she asked her cousin.
Astria lifted a shoulder. “Painfully beautiful.”
Isla raised a brow. “No insult?”
She shrugged. “I’m sure I’ll think of something before the night is over.” She took Isla’s arm in hers and walked her down the corridor.
“He sent you, didn’t he?”
Astria nodded. “He thought you might want...family.”
“Are there a lot of people there?”
“Anyone who could make the trip, did,” she said. “The ones who can’t see the ceremony will be at the festivities afterward. They’ll go on for more than a day.”
“What are Nightshade weddings usually like?” Astria had been at her original one, but it had been quick and nontraditional. They hadn’t had an audience. Grim had made it special.
