Read Online Dark Lord's Wedding by A.E. Marling - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: A.E. Marling
Ads: Link
Jerani.
“Wrong.” The Lady of Gems blasted her lavender gaze at Celaise. It didn’t hurt. It only felt like it would. “Your concern is admirable, yet I was only afraid he would refuse treatment.”
“His feet are fine,” Celaise said.
“They are.” Jerani wriggled his toes in his sandals. “They only itch.”
“Time is my only enemy. Let us not waste it.” The Lady of Gems cycloned around Celaise and lifted her hand with its jewel nails to Jerani’s face. His face, not his feet.
Jerani let her touch him. He stood there, eyes full of her shine, and didn’t dodge. He even gulped. He must desire her, the crone with her jewel pox. She had to be twice his age. He would leave Celaise as soon as he felt his debt to her was done. He didn’t love her. He never did.
Or her black wine was souring her.
Celaise stung all over on the inside, a bristling fullness. She had Feasted too much on the axe man. She needed to vomit.
“Keep this out of sight.” The Lady of Gems handed Jerani an amethyst.
He took it. Celaise had lifted a hand to stop him, but it wasn’t her choice to make. He could accept the stone if he wanted. It didn’t matter to her.
“Celaise,” the lady said, “my enchantment for you will be more complex.”
The Lady of Gems was engaged to the lord father. Maybe she meant Celaise and Jerani well. But if she was like the lord father, her kindness could kill.
“There’s no decorous way to say this. I will need your teeth.”
“My teeth?” Celaise pressed a gloved hand against her mouth.
“Your onyx ones,” the lady said. “My enchantment will make everything fit better.”
“No,” Celaise said. Jerani had given her those gemstone teeth, and that was magic enough.
“You will fit better in your day body,” the Lady of Gems said. “The enchantment will make you as healthy as any other emaciated Feaster your age.”
She was lying once more. Celaise couldn’t believe anything else. The lady’s powers couldn’t fight the sun god’s. She couldn’t make Celaise dance again. Celaise would never leap skyward, never laugh jumping, never skip or run in joy, never embrace another and love the feel of his body against hers.
Celaise had her True Dress. That was enough.
“No,” she said.
“Think well before you refuse my generosity a third time,” the Lady of Gems said. “If you do, I’ll know you to be brainless, and I’ll have no use for you.”
Celaise couldn’t breathe. The root cage of her dress was too tight. If the Lady of Gems sent her away Celaise would fail her lord father’s trial. His disappointment would be fanged.
She had to accept the enchantment.
Jerani was leaning toward her, his stance in the same slant as his spear in that adorable way of his. He thought the enchantment would help her. If somehow it did and she became fit during the day, she would no longer need him. He wouldn’t feel guilty about leaving her. His tribe’s debt to her would be paid, and he would return to his home in his savanna. He should return. He would be safe there. Even if Celaise would be alone.
She couldn’t accept the enchantment.
She had to. The magic wouldn’t work anyway. Nothing would change. She would always be half broken.
Celaise should say yes. The lady hadn’t waited for an answer. The purple woman had already spun away to polish on another scale. Jerani was gazing at her with his big dark eyes. Celaise needed to tell them yes. But the words stuck in her throat.
A chill breeze carried the scent of rotting flowers. The other two didn’t notice. They wouldn’t. They were not Feasters. That was black wine in the air, and potent. It smothered Celaise with moldy roses, their thorns piercing her lips.
It was her . Celaise wouldn’t try to fight. She would go out and kneel to her sister and hope.
Life was a jewel. Most people viewed it through a single facet. Hiresha had two. They aligned: one facet mirrored the other, and the resonance dispersed light within her as
“Wrong.” The Lady of Gems blasted her lavender gaze at Celaise. It didn’t hurt. It only felt like it would. “Your concern is admirable, yet I was only afraid he would refuse treatment.”
“His feet are fine,” Celaise said.
“They are.” Jerani wriggled his toes in his sandals. “They only itch.”
“Time is my only enemy. Let us not waste it.” The Lady of Gems cycloned around Celaise and lifted her hand with its jewel nails to Jerani’s face. His face, not his feet.
Jerani let her touch him. He stood there, eyes full of her shine, and didn’t dodge. He even gulped. He must desire her, the crone with her jewel pox. She had to be twice his age. He would leave Celaise as soon as he felt his debt to her was done. He didn’t love her. He never did.
Or her black wine was souring her.
Celaise stung all over on the inside, a bristling fullness. She had Feasted too much on the axe man. She needed to vomit.
“Keep this out of sight.” The Lady of Gems handed Jerani an amethyst.
He took it. Celaise had lifted a hand to stop him, but it wasn’t her choice to make. He could accept the stone if he wanted. It didn’t matter to her.
“Celaise,” the lady said, “my enchantment for you will be more complex.”
The Lady of Gems was engaged to the lord father. Maybe she meant Celaise and Jerani well. But if she was like the lord father, her kindness could kill.
“There’s no decorous way to say this. I will need your teeth.”
“My teeth?” Celaise pressed a gloved hand against her mouth.
“Your onyx ones,” the lady said. “My enchantment will make everything fit better.”
“No,” Celaise said. Jerani had given her those gemstone teeth, and that was magic enough.
“You will fit better in your day body,” the Lady of Gems said. “The enchantment will make you as healthy as any other emaciated Feaster your age.”
She was lying once more. Celaise couldn’t believe anything else. The lady’s powers couldn’t fight the sun god’s. She couldn’t make Celaise dance again. Celaise would never leap skyward, never laugh jumping, never skip or run in joy, never embrace another and love the feel of his body against hers.
Celaise had her True Dress. That was enough.
“No,” she said.
“Think well before you refuse my generosity a third time,” the Lady of Gems said. “If you do, I’ll know you to be brainless, and I’ll have no use for you.”
Celaise couldn’t breathe. The root cage of her dress was too tight. If the Lady of Gems sent her away Celaise would fail her lord father’s trial. His disappointment would be fanged.
She had to accept the enchantment.
Jerani was leaning toward her, his stance in the same slant as his spear in that adorable way of his. He thought the enchantment would help her. If somehow it did and she became fit during the day, she would no longer need him. He wouldn’t feel guilty about leaving her. His tribe’s debt to her would be paid, and he would return to his home in his savanna. He should return. He would be safe there. Even if Celaise would be alone.
She couldn’t accept the enchantment.
She had to. The magic wouldn’t work anyway. Nothing would change. She would always be half broken.
Celaise should say yes. The lady hadn’t waited for an answer. The purple woman had already spun away to polish on another scale. Jerani was gazing at her with his big dark eyes. Celaise needed to tell them yes. But the words stuck in her throat.
A chill breeze carried the scent of rotting flowers. The other two didn’t notice. They wouldn’t. They were not Feasters. That was black wine in the air, and potent. It smothered Celaise with moldy roses, their thorns piercing her lips.
It was her . Celaise wouldn’t try to fight. She would go out and kneel to her sister and hope.
Life was a jewel. Most people viewed it through a single facet. Hiresha had two. They aligned: one facet mirrored the other, and the resonance dispersed light within her as
Similar Books
