A Throne of Ruin (Deliciously Dark Fairytales #2)(104)

His lips felt like forever, even though they were really just for now. I tightened my arms around his neck and let a few tears fall, my heart ragged and bloody.

“None of that,” he said softly, sitting up and pulling me with him. He got me settled in his lap. “And yes, life changing. Let’s get changed for dinner. Your night isn’t over yet.”



“You look fabulous, milady,” Leala said as she stepped back and surveyed her handiwork. Her eyes glittered. “You’re glowing.”

Was it any wonder after the sex I’d just had?

After Nyfain dressed me and carried me back to my room, I’d given myself a sponge bath to freshen up. Leala had come up to help me prepare—fixing my hair in relaxed curls and applying a dusting of makeup to accentuate my features. Finally I slipped into the dress, a deep crimson flowing number with a heart-shaped neckline allowing for ample cleavage. It cinched down my waist and slid over my hips, parting at each thigh in a slit down to the ground. A shimmer worked through the fabric, and the mesh overlay gave it a whimsical feel. If he planned on dancing, it would float on the breeze as he spun me around the floor.

I stood in front of the mirror in the washroom and barely recognized myself. I’d never dressed in anything so fine, and nor had my hair and makeup been done to such perfection. Leala was a master, and while it was still weird to have someone waiting on me, I couldn’t deny she did it exceptionally well.

“Ready, milady?” Leala asked, holding the key to the tower.

Nyfain had asked me to meet him on the second-floor landing. Apparently it would be grander that way.

“Are the demons not out tonight?” I asked as we exited the tower and she locked the door behind us.

“They are. Same as always. Tonight, though, they have less power than usual. I’m honestly not sure why.”

Their having less power for whatever reason must’ve been why no creatures came through the portal. Or maybe the portal wasn’t working without the right amount of power? It was something to research. All knowledge was essential when it came to our enemy.

She gave me some distance as I walked down the stairs, my dress spreading out and trailing along behind me. When I was on the second flight, I saw him down below, turned to the side and with one hand in his pocket.

The breath left me, and I slowed.

A perfectly fitted suit molded to his large span of shoulders and elegantly pulled in at the waist. His hair was styled to look artfully messy, long on top and short on the sides. A livery collar lay across his shoulders and draped across his upper chest, the golden emblem of the kingdom repeated in two-inch round gold pieces connected by little golden clasps. Various gems sparkled within them, diamonds and rubies and sapphires.

On someone else it would have been a vulgar display of wealth, but on him it looked immaculate. His poise, his air of ruthless confidence, and the way he held his shoulders displayed exactly what it was—a birthright.

The crowned prince of Wyvern kingdom waited to dine with me.

Suddenly I felt horribly, terribly out of place.





Twenty-Two





I paused halfway down the stairs and ran my fingers across my bare chest.

“What is it, milady?” Leala whispered, coming to stand just a little behind me.

“I should’ve picked out a nicer dress. Or…maybe more makeup. I don’t have any jewels or anything. Should I have worn the dagger? Or maybe the sword?”

Except he looked up then, and the bond filled with such warm softness that I started forward without consciously deciding to. I met him at the bottom, placing my palm in his proffered hand.

“Goddess give me strength, Finley,” he said on a release of breath, his golden eyes taking me in. “You are an absolute vision. Ever the princess locked in her tower.” He bent to kiss me delicately on the corner of the lips so as not to upset my lipstick.

“You clean up very well,” I said, tracing the royal livery collar.

“I haven’t done it in sixteen years. It feels…odd. Like I am trying to step into a past life.”

He held out his hand for the key to the tower. Leala supplied it immediately, curtsied, and headed back up the stairs.

“I have pockets,” he said by way of explanation, dropping the key into his pants pocket.

“Wouldn’t it be nice to not have to worry about locking doors?”

“I’m just glad there’s one place in the castle they can’t access through the hidden passageways. There’s no point in locking any other room. You at least have a semblance of safety.”

He walked me down the next flight of stairs to the ground floor. No one loitered in the large foyer or meandered through the halls. It was too early for the parties by an hour or so, but usually there were a few weirdos bustling about as night descended. Not so now. I wondered if he’d cleared the way for me. If so, I hoped it didn’t have anything to do with him not wanting others to see him taking a common girl to a nice dinner.

The hall arched above us, and two staff members dressed in tuxedoes with white bow ties waited beside a grand double door up ahead. A deep purple rug ran underfoot, and gold etching adorned the walls. The setup screamed royal.

They waited until we got closer before reaching for the handles and pulling the doors open almost in sync.

“It’s been a while since I allowed myself to notice the staffing…errors,” he murmured as we entered a grand room with large oil paintings on the walls and a table that could seat thirty or more. Flower bouquets dotted the surface, along with glowing candelabra. Two places were set at one end, one at the head of the table and the other to its right.