Page 69 of Awakened Destiny
Marius goes still. His fingers press more firmly against my skin, not painful but definitely present. "Did he?"
I nod.“The Council was planning to bind Callen, strip him of his free will. And they wanted me dead. They were planning an execution.”
Marius's jaw tightens. "Of course they were."
"But we stopped them. Callen, Lochan, and I. The Council is in disarray now. Many of the elites fled."
Marius's hands move to my waist, pulling me closer until I'm nearly in his lap. "And Callen made you his queen." His voice is neutral, but his grip tightens. "What exactly does that mean for us, Brigid?"
The question hangs between us, heavy with implications. What does it mean? I'm not sure I know myself.
"I don't know," I answer honestly. "Everything's happening so fast. One minute I'm trying to control my shadow magic, the next I'm declared a queen."
His fingers trace my collarbone. "And how do you feel about wearing a crown?"
Something shifts in Marius's expression. He slides off the bed in one fluid motion and kneels before me, taking both my hands in his. The sight of him, this dangerous, tattooed man who has known darkness like no other, on his knees before me sends an electric jolt through my body.
"Whatever title Callen has bestowed upon you," Marius says, his voice low and intense, "know this—you were already my queen."
I try to swallow past the sudden tightness in my throat. "Marius—"
"No." He squeezes my hands. "Listen to me, Brigid. You will always be my queen. I will serve no other."
The fierce conviction in his voice makes my chest ache. This man who trusts no one, who has spent his life in shadows, is pledging himself to me without reservation.
"The power you carry, both the Raven King's and the Morrigan's, it's not what makes you worthy of following." His black eyes hold mine, unwavering. "It's who you are. It's what you do with that power."
I touch his face, tracing the sharp line of his jaw. "I don't know if I'm ready for any of this."
"You are." His certainty is unshakable. "And you won't face it alone."
The words settle into me, a warmth spreading through my chest. I lean forward until our foreheads touch.
"We need to move forward with the Shadow Rebels," I say after a moment. "If they're skeptical now, they'll be even more suspicious when they hear I've been named Queen of the High Fae."
Marius nods against my forehead. "You're right. It's time you met them in person."
"Now?"
"No time like the present." He rises to his feet in one smooth motion, pulling me up with him. "They're gathered not far from here."
"I should change, then." I glance down at my rumpled clothes.
"You look perfect." Marius's gaze sweeps over me. "Let them see you as you are. No pretense."
I nod, understanding his strategy. The Shadow Rebels value authenticity above all else.
"Lead the way," I say.
Chapter Thirty Six
Brigid
Marius takes my hand, and we slip from my room into the corridor. The academy is quiet at this hour, most students either studying or are already asleep. We move through the hallways, Marius leading me through passages I’ve never noticed before.
"How long have these been here?" I whisper as we duck behind a concealed door into a narrow tunnel.
"Since the beginning," Marius replies. "The academy has always had its secrets."
