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Chapter 200
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Iridian Chapter 201
The she-wolf assigned as my personal aide had left just before the Russo’s solstice party. Like many of the servants in the castle, she had family in one of the neighboring towns and wanted to make sure they were safe in the middle of the chaos.Apparently, we weren’t the only ones who knew what was brewing. The townspeople had been preparing for the worst for months now.“Now, you didn’t think I’d miss my future Queen’s wedding, did you?” Leslie tutted, fighting the grin that relentlessly turned up her lips. “That’s assuming I still have a job, right? You didn’t replace me, did you?” She narrowed her eyes playfully.“In this economy? I’ve been much too busy to take applications, fighting evil and whatnot.” I smirked.Leslie made a sound of acknowledgment and snapped her fingers, “Not to worry, because I’m back. Now tell me all about what I’ve missed while I do your hair.”With how many people hovered over me, smoothing over imperfections I never once noticed, I wasn’t sure I’d ever t
Iridian Chapter 202
Helios looked exactly as he had the first time I set eyes on him, back when Iridian was nothing more than a dangerous game.His skin was still a rich shade of bronze, deeply tanned despite the fact that he spent most of his time within the castle walls. It made his golden locks and cerulean eyes stand out, especially when paired with his color-shifting suit.The lapels were a startling shade of blue, the same color one might see when looking up at a clear sky. It seemed the rest of his suit didn’t get the memo, because from the shoulders down, the colors seemed to fade. His suit jacket was dappled with greying clouds drifted across his abdomen, darkening even further as they reached his waistline. As I tore my eyes away from his suit, a jagged shard of lightning carved through the air.Though Helios didn’t look any different, there was something off about him. Perhaps, it was the way he carried himself, the tenseness in his shoulders and rigid set of his jaw. It made sense given we we
Iridian Chapter 203
A gust of warm magic flared to life in my chest, and I threaded it into my voice, imbuing it with confidence and affection. As I looked down at my golden-haired warrior, I smiled.“Yes, Helios. I accept your pledge.”I could see and feel the joy that exploded from him. It blazed beneath his copper skin, making it shimmer like gold plated diamonds. His eyes turned to brilliant sapphires, flaring to life with the power and heat of the sun. Just when I thought he’d burst into flame, he stood. The smile that tugged at his lips was genuine, so full of happiness that I found myself smiling back, my cheeks aching from how wide it grew.“There’s just one thing left, my Queen. If you’d give me your hand, we can finish the ceremony and hurry to your wedding before Dain starts prowling the castle for us both.” He chuckled deeply, holding out one of his calloused hands.Without hesitation, I placed my hand in his. He flipped it over so that my palm was facing upwards. I watched as the nail on his
Iridian Chapter 204
The ceremony itself was a blur color and sounds, with both Dain and my family at the center. As hard as I tried, I couldn’t keep my attention on one singular thing.Every so often my eyes would dart from Dain’s face to where my parents and Zack stood. Seconds ticked away, melting into minutes that only steepened the edge I felt I was about to plummet off of.Apollo, who was surprisingly enough, the officiant of the wedding, droned on and on about eternal love and how lucky Dain was to have finally found it within my arms. I had to give it to him, he was quite the actor. When he stepped beneath the arch of fire lilies and glittering crystals, his suit a vibrant shade of oranges and yellows, I could see why Dain had chosen him to lead the ceremony.His bronze eyes glittered with genuine happiness for his friend, and his words were filled with a passion that actually managed to snag my attention for a moment or two. The veracious tone of his voice had the crowd murmuring eagerly. Even Ca
Iridian Chapter 205
Ten seconds, that’s how long it took for things to go to hell.During that time, I could hear everything. Every shuddering breath from the crowd, every terrified whisper, even Helios grinding his teeth. It was when the veranda doors exploded in a shower of glass and stone that the screaming began.It was impossible to tell which shrieks were from the crowd, and which were from the wind. Both were whipped into a frenzy, but much to my dismay, no one in the crowd attempted to flee.Everyone pushed to the back of the room, crowding around the two thrones seated atop a raised dais, one made from pure gold and the other from a metal the color of darkness. Within the mix were my parents, both pale-faced and clutching Zack to their chests.I’d been so busy staring at them in horror that I almost missed her as she walked in. When I turned towards the source of all the gasps and screeches, I understood. My own jaw slackened in surprise.Nadia had changed since she fled from the Russo’s solstic
Iridian Chapter 206
“Did you just say Thatcher?” I blurted, my voice echoing in the eerie silence.I couldn’t help it, I had to ask. No one else was speaking up. Not Nadia, whose head swiveled in Antonio’s direction like it was mounted on a metal rod, nor Callum, who had his murderous stare fixated on Dain alone.This had to be the gift the black bull was talking about, but there was still something troubling my mind. Why would the bull think I’d have a hard time letting go of Antonio?I had a strong feeling that Callum didn’t give two shits who Antonio was. The only thing he was interested in was murdering his brother.There wasn’t a chance in hell I forgot about Dain’s little magic trick with the crowd, especially considering illusion magic was Callum’s specialty. I wondered if that was the secret plan he’d been working on all these weeks. Suddenly, him asking for my trust made sense.“Is that what I said?” Dain hummed, rubbing his jaw thoughtfully. Then, as he lost his battle with the smirk curving hi
Iridian Chapter 207
Before the warning bells embedded in my head could begin the haunting symphony that would let me know something was amiss, I was airborne.One of Nadia’s pets had lunged for me, the one with the split skull and milky white eyes. It was fast, faster than any werewolf I’d ever seen. Even Helios barely managed to intercept it in time, but somehow, he did. After all, it was his dagger, gilded and speckled with gold, which protruded from the creature’s throat. Helios held strong, his suit melting away in a flash of light to be replaced with glittering armor.I knew the salty scent of the ocean thickening around me, clotting in my mouth until my tongue went sandpaper dry, was Nadia’s doing—that she had been the one to hurl me across the throne room. She’d swatted me away like a fly and watched in utter satisfaction as I tumbled to the ground, sliding across the cracked marble as pieces of fractured stone scraped at my skin.The stinging pain that prickled my body was unimportant. What littl
Iridian Chapter 208
Selfishly, I tried to call on Helios, to summon him to my side like I’d been told I could. It was what he would’ve wanted, it was why we completed the bond in the first place. The issue was that no one told me how to do it.There was a sense of awareness that settled over me, followed by a wave of understanding that told me Helios was very much alive. He was feeling it too, a subtle tug that let him know I was still here. I concentrated on my golden-haired warrior harder, imagining him as a sword sheathed at my side, ready to be used at moment’s notice.I felt that tug turn into a harsh pull, but there was no smile of victory on my face, because the milky-eyed creature at the end of the hall let out a blood-curdling wail and charged.I’d never been afraid of horror movies, not with their make-shift gore and fake blood. The knowledge that the creepy monster on the television screen wasn’t actually real was enough to smother any fear I might’ve felt. As I scrambled to get away from the
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