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“A lovely mess.” Zephyra sidles over to Jacob and takes his hand, then looks at me. “And I was thinking – what a perfectly lovely evening for a wedding.”
My skin prickles. The hairs on the back of my neck grow cold.
Zephyra looks down at her hand – at the ring my parents forced me to give her. A black gem on a dark silver band.
“We could do it here,” she says. “Tonight.” She turns to Jacob. “You’d be our witness, wouldn’t you, Jacob?”
“Of course, I would.” Jacob’s eyes grow dark. He knows I do not want this, and he is daring me to confess.
“Not now.” I kick the vicar and he rolls down the steps, head almost detached from his rotten neck because of the ferocity of our attack.
“Why not?” Zephyra says sharply. “We have been engaged for almost a decade, Lucien. It is time.”
The doors at the front of the church clatter open, and Eve dances in.
“Your sister is here?” I whirl around.
Zephyra shrugs.
“You planned this.” Recognition twists my stomach and turns into rage. “The two of you.” I turn to Jacob. His eyes carry the same scarlet ring as mine, except his is more pronounced. He is, after all, the head of the family.
“It has been dragging on too long, brother. The marriage should happen. It will be good for the family.”
“Why? How?” I growl in a low whisper. “She is nothing. She has no status, no heritage. She is a whore who I turned because I was bored.”
“She is your whore and she needs to be contained.” Jacob grips my arm and his fingers tighten around me like a vice. “If you don’t do this, she will become uncontrollable. And we cannot afford an uncontrollable whore on our hands when we are attempting to take over the city. Do this, and she will be bonded to you, brother. She will obey you. Forever.”
My jaw twitches. My eyes flash. I cannot think of anything worse than an eternity with Zephyra at my side.
Behind us, Zephyra is clinging onto her sister’s hands. Eve grins and laughs, and they dance around in a circle.
“They are insane. Both of them,” I growl.
“Yes. But the witch cannot be turned. She made a pact that prevents it. So, we will have to be content with containing Zephyra.”
“You think marriage will contain her?”
“I think it is our best shot.” Jacob straightens his shoulders and clasps his hands together in front of him. “It has to be tonight, brother. The next few weeks are too important. We cannot risk her ruining them.”
I turn slowly, breath heavy in my chest, rage and disgust and fury like fire ants beneath my skin.
I despise that woman.
Turning her was the biggest mistake I ever made.
Zephyra walks over to me and takes my hands.
“Ready?” Jacob asks.
Zephyra nods.
I do not.
“Zephyra, you must feed from Lucien. Then Lucien must feed from you. You must then make the pledge.”
Grabbing my wrist, Zephyra does not hesitate before opening it with her teeth. She drinks hungrily, making the same noises she makes when she comes.
I drink from her in return, barely able to look at her.
