Page 65 of Cold Hearted
“Then it must be as I suspected,” he mused, looking far off into the horizon.
“What’s that?”
He looked at me as if he almost didn’t want to tell me. “I think that the remaining princesses of Faerie are the bonded mates of my brothers.”
I swallowed hard. My mother had said as much in my dream-vision. “What makes you so sure?”
“Every Ethereum lord ever killed was single. We do not marry unless we find our bonded mate. Cal was bonded to Brienne, but none of my living brothers have found their mate. When my mate didn’t present herself either and we were coming up on one hundred years since the last assassination, I began to wonder. I fear that—”
“We’ve been killing our bonded mates all these years?” Tears bit the back of my eyes, but I blinked them away.
Zander looked incredibly sad at that. “Yes.”
My mother saying it in a dream was one thing, but hearing Zander say it was another. It was almost too awful to consider.
“Zander…” I was suddenly filled with panic.
“Yes, my love?”
“In the dream-vision I had, my mother was going to evacuate my people to Fall. It’s never happened before, but there is a protocol for if a champion princess doesn’t make it back before the portal closes. Fall is next.”
He frowned. “So when you don’t show up back home, they will send another?”
I nodded. “And another and another. Until one of your brothers’ hearts lies at the end of a dagger.”
Genuine fear washed over him. “I have to warn my brothers.”
“We have to be careful though. They could hurt her. Aribella doesn’t know any better than I did. She will come here thinking you’re all evil and try to kill an Ethereum lord before he can even speak.”
He ran a hand through his hair. “She should be okay, so long as she doesn’t wind up in front of Stryker.”
I agreed that would be the worst lord of all to find herself with. May the fates have mercy on any woman who was his bonded mate.
* * *
“Oh, Dawn, you are the most beautiful bride I’ve ever seen,” Alexandria gushed, and I couldn’t help the huge grin that spread across my lips.
“Yeah, not bad for a seelie princess.” Nysa winked, and I reached out and punched her arm lightly, causing her to laugh.
Zander had wanted only one week of planning before the wedding, but I slowed him down and we’d made it two. The girls had gotten here a few days ago and took the news that I was getting married so quickly in stride. Alexandria and Nysa had jumped into wedding planning, helping me pick my dress and flowers, and going around the villages with me to meet Zander’s people—soon to be my people too. The Northern fae were wonderful. They loved Zander,so in turn they loved and embraced me. When I walked into the market with Zander and my friends, they threw flowers at our feet, a local blessing for a newly engaged couple.
Now I stepped in front of the mirror and looked up, my breath catching in my throat. My light blonde hair had been pinned back into a cascade of curls that hung over my left shoulder, and small baby pink roses were artfully set inside some of the curls. My dress was custom made by Zander’s palace seamstress. It was a cream satin that fit my bodice snugly and then belled out at the waist with long lace sleeves.
My mother would approve.
A pang of sadness hit me at that thought. My mother wasn’t here on my wedding day. My people were in turmoil and fleeing to the Fall Court. It was hard to be happy when I’d failed them. But remembering the dream where my mother admitted to knowing Zander was my mate and still wanting me to kill him hardened my heart toward her a little. I still loved her. I knew she was only parroting what she was taught as a child, but what we’d been doing for thousands of years was wrong.
Now there was another way, the way the Wise Ones had spoken about, so I was going to push forward and focus on that. Zander had already sent letters to two of his brothers inviting them to the wedding and telling them about the other princesses of Faerie. I would meet them tonight at the ceremony, and Zander said he would explain more to them. We were hoping in the event Aribella, the Fall princess champion, came through the portal and tried to kill one of them, they wouldn’t harm her. We asked instead that they send for us so I could explain everything to her.
We invited Stryker to the wedding but decided against telling him about the princesses. It might only make him look for Aribella to kill her, and we didn’t want that. We needed time to figure out how to convince Stryker to work with us, not against us. If any of the princesses were to appear before Stryker, I had no doubt in my mind he’d kill her immediately, ending any chance we had at destroying the curse once and for all.
I walked over to the window and peered outside, up at the moon. It was a Northern tradition to be married under the moon and stars. Looking up at the night sky, watching the multicolored lights of the northern aurora dance up above, I could understand why. Pinks and purples and greens streaked over my head, taking my breath away. It was achingly beautiful, and although I never would have thought of having a night wedding, now I wouldn’t want to wed the love of my life under any other sky.
It had been one full moon cycle, almost a full month since I’d portaled to Ethereum. So much had happened in such a short time it was hard to believe it had only been that long. At exactly midnight tonight the portal to the Summer Court would close and I wouldn’t be able to return to my world. But I truly believed we’d find a way to heal Faerie without having to kill anyone for it, so a spark of hope that I might someday be able to visit my beloved people remained in my heart.
There was a knock at the door, and I spun. “Come in.”
It opened to reveal Zander’s attendant. “We’re ready for you, my lady.” He bowed deeply.
