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PROLOGUE

~ GRACE ~

The bedchamber I’d been given as part of Lord Breckon’s suite felt like little more than a black box. Only hints of moonlight seeped from under the thick velvet curtains to highlight the raised edges of the paneled walls, or carve the shadows of furniture into voids. It was so dark, the only part of Voski that I could see clearly was the shining pinpoints of light in his wide eyes as he stood over me.

The cool night air stank of his fear. He held my face in his hands, staring at me like a man possessed.

‘We have to do it now, Grace,’ he whispered in my mind through that precious, tenuous link we’d gained from our dragons.

“Do what?”

He swallowed, and stroked my cheek. ‘We have to face them. Beat them. Or die trying. Because your blood is alight. Whether you meant it or not, the vow took. Mother will see it the moment she lays eyes on you.’ His fingers curled into my cheek, his nails digging into my skin, almost to the point of pain. ‘I won’t let her win, Grace. She can’t. They can’t.’

Them. The Cruors. Ugly, dark sorcerers, if what he said was true. Her. His mother, and their leader. Everything about this night was surreal—but his fear zinged in the bond. This was all very real to him.

I took his hands from my face and gripped them, staring into his eyes that were slightly wild. “Just breathe,” I whispered. “I don’t know what’s happening, but just breathe.”

He nodded, gripping my hands so tightly, my knuckles pinched. “I can feel you, Grace. I think… I think I know,” he whispered.

“You know what?”

“I think I know what’s happening. And how to fix this.” His odd tone and wild eyes were alarming.

“What is it?”

That little smile faltered as he lifted my hands and tore his gaze from mine to look down, right at my stomach. “Grace, is there any chance… are you pregnant?”

I went very, very still.

His eyes never left mine.

“I don’t know,” I whispered honestly. “But… two more days. If I haven’t bled in two more days…”

I left the words unspoken, because we both knew what that would mean.

Lines appeared on his brow and his breath rushed out of him. “Mother will know,” he said grimly.

I almost jerked out of his hands. “How would she know if I don’t?”

He shook his head. “I meant, she’ll know if you bleed—and if you don’t. She’ll have servants in her employ. She’ll have listened and watched… she’ll know as soon as we do.”

The cold dread that pulsed in his chest at that thought made my stomach sick. ‘You think she’ll hurt me? Or the baby?’

He shook his head sharply. ‘Not physically. She wants this baby. Trust me. I suppose it’s one thing to be grateful for—she’ll be very wary of causing you any physical harm—and she’ll protect you from others, as well.’

‘Then what—’

‘There’s more than one way to destroy a person, Grace. I told you.’

The sadness and grief that welled in his chest stole my breath. I squeezed his hands even harder and shook my head. ‘We won’t allow it. I won’t. You won’t. She won’t touch our baby—’

‘You don’t understand,’ he croaked. Even in the bond his voice was thick and heavy with pain.

‘Then tell me!’ I insisted. Holding his gaze when he drew back. ‘Make me understand, Voski.’

His gaze grew so wary, I let go of one of his hands, leaned in and cupped the back of his neck, pulling him toward me, holding him into the intimacy. ‘You can tell me anything,’ I assured him. ‘I’m here. I believe you about what they can do. But you’re saying she’d protect the child, so… what is it that makes you so afraid?’

He stared at me, beginning to shake. I clung, near tears because I could feel the fear rising in him like a wave. But the longer he stared, and the more his fear rose to choke him, the harder I clung.