House of Lies and Sorrow (Fae of Rewyth #1)(10)

I was not going to die as a weak little girl.

“Excellent,” the King said, pulling a small knife and grabbing Malachi’s closest hand from mine. The King roughly sliced Malachi’s skin, blood pooling in his palm. He grabbed my hand, skin cold as ice, and did the same. Despite my best effort, I flinched as the pain stung my hand. The blood pooled in my palm, and the King clasped both of our hands together. The blood flowed together, down our fingertips and onto the floor.

“Jade Farrow, Princess, welcome to Rewyth,” the King said. Before I could object, he grabbed my face with both hands and planted a harsh, nasty kiss onto my cheek.

I was frozen. Vile rose in my throat. If this was any type of wedding tradition that the fae followed, I was not a fan. Especially when his wandering hands found the skin on my bare back.

Just before panic began to set in, Malachi grabbed my shoulders and pulled me backward, away from the King’s grasp. I opened my mouth to object to whatever the Saints had just happened, but Malachi squeezed my shoulder. A warning.

“You must learn to share, father,” Malachi said. This elicited more laughter from the brothers, but something dark and hateful laced each of his words. I dared a glance at the queen, who sat silently with a bored look on her face.

The King laughed. “You can’t blame a man for noticing beauty,” he said. “And you should be thanking me for finding you such a stunning human this time.”

This time.

“Now, Prince Malachi,” he said, gathering his composure once more. “Kiss your wife, and let the party begin!”

I could still feel the King’s lips on my skin. I couldn’t do it again. I couldn’t let them defile me this way.

But Prince Malachi was my husband now. This kiss was going to be the least of my worries. Malachi stepped forward, coming just inches from my face. I prepared myself for the worst, but felt relieved when he simply placed a quick, featherlight kiss on my lips.

I supposed it was better than the King’s kiss, but I could still feel my cheeks flushing pink.

Cheers of applause erupted in the room. I had completely forgotten about the hundreds of fae witnessing the ceremony. Certainly, they were all here for the food and booze the fae were rumored to indulge in.

Malachi placed a hand on my lower back. “Stay by my side,” he whispered close to my ear, loud enough for only me to hear. I gave him a small nod of acknowledgement and let him guide me back down the aisle I had just come from.

Except now, I was not just a human girl in the fae world.

I was the wife to Rewyth’s Prince of Shadows.

Had the other wives survived this long? Or was this when they all were killed?

It didn’t matter. There was nothing I could do here with hundreds of fae surrounding me. I held my chin high and kept a straight, emotionless face as Malachi led us through the crowd and out the giant doors. As the large doors were closing, I heard the King make a muffled announcement, which cued a loud chorus of music and even more cheers from the crowd.

The doors boomed shut behind us.

We were alone in the hallway.

He dropped his hand from my back and paced to the large window near us, running his hands through his dark hair.

I assessed the situation.

The knife was still strapped to my thigh. If I aimed perfectly, I had a chance at stabbing his heart.

But would it kill him?

I doubted it. And it wasn’t worth the risk. I had to survive the night, and then I would make my escape.

But what of Tessa? Our deal would be broken if I ran away. She could starve if I didn’t make it home alive.

No. There was only one way to survive this. And it was to be the damned human Princess of Rewyth.

“Mal,” I said, breaking the silence. He spun around to face me, leaning against the window ledge. Do not be afraid, I told myself. “You came to see me yesterday. Why? Why didn’t you tell me who you were?”

His eyes scanned my body, pausing at the busted lip Adeline had poorly attempted to conceal. “What happened?” he asked. The fierceness in his voice almost made me step back. I fought the urge to cover my lip.

“Nothing,” I said, touching a finger to the painful area. I wasn’t about to unload what happened with my father last night. I had larger issues here.

His eyes squinted like he was about to call me out for the lie. I spoke before he had the chance and asked, “Answer my question. Why were you in the forest yesterday? Fae aren’t supposed to be in the human lands.”

His eyes scanned my body once before meeting my own. “I am not allowed to see my wife before I marry her?”

Heat creeped up my neck at the way he stared at me.

“I assumed you wouldn’t care much either way,” I said. I hated how weak it sounded, but I stood my ground anyway. If I was going to die tonight, I wanted to dig up as much information as possible. “Your wives have never lived that long anyway, right? How long until you tire of me, too?”

His eyes grew dark and he pushed himself off the window ledge, coming so close I could feel his breath on my cheek. It was the same dominance I saw from him in the forest yesterday against the wolves.

“Let me get one thing straight here, princess. My other wives have been killed, yes, but not by me.”

My eyes widened.

“Shocked?” He asked. Yes. “Surprised that the deadly, feral Prince of Shadows is not killing each of his wives after they are wed?” a low, evil laugh rumbled in his chest. “You have a lot to learn, Jade. And we’re about to spend the evening with hundreds of drunk, idiotic fae who haven’t seen a human in decades.”