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In front of him, Sephone gave a reptilian hiss of impatience.
Draven’s face flickered with annoyance. “Stand down, Sephone. We both know you’re not going to kill her. To do so would be suicide.”
“I don’t know,” I remarked. “She had no problem murdering her own guards just now.”
“A temper tantrum,” Draven snapped. “Believe me, she’s done worse. But she knows if she dares to lay a hand on my wife, it will spell her immediate end.”
“I’d be more worried about the mist from her mouth than her hands,” I said. “And stop fucking calling me that.”
“What?”
“Your wife!”
Behind Draven, there was a movement. Not from Crescent or Nightclaw.
One of the guards was stirring. The female guard who had smiled at Sephone. The one who had called me “empress.”
I watched as the guard began to push herself slowly to her feet, unable to believe my eyes.
“You are my wife, like it or not. I did what I did to save your life,” Draven was saying. “Besides, it might have been worse. Who would your brother have married you off to, I wonder? Some ancient nobleman? Or was he planning to give you to that bastard Florian?”
“There’s only one bastard standing here that I can see,” I snapped. “And he claims we’re already married.” My eyes widened. “Draven, behind you!”
The words rushed out. Not necessarily because I wanted to protect him but because I needed someone else’s confirmation that I was truly seeing this.
“Are we back at Meridium?”
The guard who had been dead mere moments before was now standing up and opening her eyes.
Draven shook his head. “I don’t think so.”
“Something else? Somethingworse? Fuck.”
“Calm yourself, child,” the guard said, slowly blinking her eyes.
“It can talk, Draven,” I observed. “This isn’t good. Talking undead guards are not a good thing.”
Sephone’s face was transfixed as she watched the guard walk towards her. Then it became ashen. “Wise One,” she whispered. “Is it truly you?”
The guard seemed amused. “I’m surprised you recognize me, child. The Siabra are not exactly known for their devotion.”
Sephone’s beautiful eyes widened. If I hadn’t known any better, I’d have thought she was about to fall to her knees. “I recall the stories, Wise One. I grew up hearing them.”
Then she shocked me by doing just that. Sinking to her knees, she lowered her head as if in reverence. “Mother of Fate, you honor me.”
“Don’t get too excited,” the undead guard chided. “You won’t like what I have to say. I’m not here to see you crown yourself.” The guard glanced over at me, then snickered slightly. “Besides, if I’m the Mother of Fate as you say, thensheis a daughter of destiny.”
“Daughter of destiny?” Sephone followed the guard’s gaze until her eyes rested on me. “I don’t understand. This one? She cannot possibly rule us.”
“For once, I agree with Sephone,” I remarked. “Not interested in ruling. Not interested at all.”
The guard sighed, as if exasperated. “Little one, it matters not what you want or do not want. Your blood was bound with his. I witnessed it myself. I strengthened it with my own hands.” She glanced down at herself and cackled macabrely. “Not these ones.”
My eyes widened. “You? But...”
“Enough,” she snapped. “When one such as I tells you a thing, the thing is true. There is no questioning. There is no denying. There is certainly no undoing the bond. Your husband is your destiny and you are his. I have said this. Thus, it is so.”
Sephone moved, her mouth parting ever so slightly and I flinched.
