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His eyes blazed with something I couldn’t decipher. “Go to your room, Katya. We will discuss this tomorrow.”
I gave him the finger and hissed, “Make me.”
It was the wrong thing to say. I knew better than to challenge him, but I was beyond caring. He grabbed me and threw me over his shoulder and I screamed and cursed him all the way to my room.
He didn’t flinch, didn’t even break a sweat as he carried me up the stairs. No one came to my aid, let alone stop him. I had hoped, had expected, more loyalty.
I ended up in my bedroom, banging on a locked door that no one would come and open. I was back in a cage and feared that my last day on earth was nearby. A guttural roar escaped from my core. I grabbed the nearest object to me and threw it across the room. My mirror shattered. Books, a candlestick, and a snow globe followed. It did nothing to stop the pounding in my ears.
Morning came, but it brought me no solace. I didn’t move from the bed when the door opened. Not until Kristoff appeared by my side. Feeling at a disadvantage in a vulnerable position, I got up to face him. He looked haggard. I didn’t care.
“Have you come to end me, Hades?”
He cut me a look. “I have.”
“I don’t believe you.” I went over it all night. There had to be some explanation.
“I will make it painless, I promise.”
My stomach turned into a knot. “What are you saying?”
“I have taken a blood vow to end Aslanov’s bloodline. There’s no breaking that.”
My shoulders slumped. It always came down to the same thing—Kristoff’s thirst for revenge. It trumped everything.
“So, now what? You’re just going to package me up and hand-deliver me to Sokolov? Should I wear a long, white dress like a sacrificial virgin from the olden days? Oh, wait, I’m no longer a virgin. I guess you just figured it would be okay to sleep with me right before you killed me. How noble of you to give me that last piece of …”
He let out a long streak of curses and I rejoiced. At least I got a rise out of him.
“You don’t know what you’re saying,” he snapped.
“I know exactly what I’m saying. Imminent death and betrayal have that effect on people. I’ve been so stupid and naive. While you were plotting my murder, I was envisioning us on a porch in rocking chairs.”
A muscle ticked in his jaw. He walked away, leaving the door wide open.
It was a blatant invitation to follow him. The problem was that I didn’t want to go downstairs. I didn’t want to walk to my marriage, which would be followed by a quick death. Oh God, would it be quick? Or would Sokolov want to drag it out in front of Aslanov?
I hadn’t had any time to process I had a father, let alone that I was going to be killed because of him. A man who was a perfect stranger to me. Would Aslanov even care? Did it matter?
I was mulling this over as I got dressed on autopilot. I put on my jeans, a pink top, and my favorite black sneakers. If Kristoff expected me to wear a dress for this farce of a wedding, he had another thing coming.
The corridor was empty and so were the stairs as I made my way to the living room. I was surprised to see the twins, Yuri, and Viking there as well as Kristoff. They all stood before the mantle, like modern-day knights, except they weren’t my protectors anymore. They had determined looks on their faces. Yuri was the only one who gave me a look of apprehension, obviously not liking the vibe in the room.
A man I’d never seen before stood near them. Judging by his clothing and the book he had with him, it was a minister.
I crossed my arms before my chest. Ignoring the rest, I eyed Kristoff. “Good luck getting an ‘I do’ from me.”
He nodded at the man, and the man started talking.
With every word about holy matrimony, my heart hardened more. This was it. The only piece of control I had left in this life. I would hold onto it until my last breath. Wild horses couldn’t make me go through with this marriage.
The minister cleared his throat. “Do you, Ekaterina….”
I zoned out on the rest of his words. My brain worked overtime—I just couldn’t handle what was happening. My heart, that silly useless organ, still clung to the hope that Kristoff must have a reason for what he was doing.
“Why?” I asked, my voice thick with tears.
His jaw was set in stone. “Because you need to become a Romanov.”
