Ilift my hand to my chest as a letter shimmers into existence on the writing desk in our bedroom. I’ve never seen anything quite like that before. My eyes widen when I see my name written on it in Felix’s handwriting, and I open it carefully. Ever since the steel was delivered, he and I have barely spent any time together. I didn’t think it possible, but I miss him.Beloved,Meet me for dinner tonight.Audience room. One hour.Love,
FelixI smile at the brusque tone of his letter. I can almost hear his voice. My fingers trace over the word love, and my heart skips a beat. Even in this short letter, I can feel his attempts to be gentle with me. When we came to our agreement, he asked me to give him an honest chance to see if we could break the curse through love. At the time, I gave in because it was the only way to get what I wanted in return. I didn’t think I could ever love him, regardless of what I said. Now? I’m not so sure. I’m certain I’m not there yet, but I feel things I’ve never felt before. I look forward to moments we get to spend together, and I find myself seeking him out on days I know he won’t make it to bed before dawn.A knock on our bedroom door startles me out of my thoughts, and I turn toward it. “Your Excellency,” one of the palace magicians says, hovering by the doorway. “My name is Molly. His Excellency sent me to help you get ready for dinner.”I nod for her to enter, and she bows down low in front of me. Her eyes are brimming with excitement when she rises, and I smile back at her. The attitude of the staff here is in such contrast with the way I was treated at home. There they sneered at me, scared I’d infect them with my bad luck, while here they look at me like I’m a myth come to life. It’s something I don’t think I’ll ever get used to.“It’s a great honor to attend to you,” she says, trembling just slightly. This is how Serena was always treated, but never me. It’s strange how quickly a place can start to feel like home when people seem to want you there. Molly takes a step closer to me, her eyes roaming over my face. “You hardly need any beautification, Your Excellency. Your skin is healthy and has a natural glow, and your hair is thick and dark. I can darken your lashes and brows, and perhaps accentuate your cheekbones? What do you think of adding some redness to your lips?”I nod, unsure what to say. I’ve never been attended to by a palace magician. Since magic is strictly banned in Althea, I have no experience with it. I’ve never used anything but the ointments they had in Althea. “Do as you please,” I tell her. “I’ll trust your judgment.”A tiny squeak escapes her lips, as though she’s barely able to contain her excitement, and I struggle to swallow down a chuckle. Molly is exceptionally cute, and she reminds me of Serena.“I won’t let you down, Your Excellency,” she promises me. It’s clear she takes great pride in her work, and I can’t help but smile.“It’s such an honor to be standing in the same room as you,” she says as shimmering magic flows from her fingers. She brushes them over my brows, instructing me to close my eyes next. “Eldiria has waited generations for you. His Excellency warned us not to put any pressure on you, but I just wanted you to know that we’re all grateful you’re here. I still remember when my grandmother first told me of a prophecy about our empress breaking the curse, and here you are. Some believed the emperor made it up and told us about a false prophecy to give us some hope to hold on to, but I’ve always known better.”I feel her magic flood over my skin, the sensation foreign. “You know, Your Excellency… I thought all hope of me ever having a child of my own was gone. I’d given up, but then you came. I just know you’re going to save us all. I can feel it.”I’m glad she’s instructed me to keep my eyes closed, because I don’t think I can face her. I fear I’m not the savior they all think I am, and I’m scared to let her down.“The day you arrived is the first day I dreamed of her. I dreamed of being pregnant, of my baby lying on my chest. Then there were scenes of me cooing her to sleep, and me kissing her forehead. The dreams have come every day since you arrived. It’s all so real. Sometimes I could swear I can smell her. I don’t think they’re dreams, Your Excellency. I think they’re visions… visions of the future you will give us.”My heart squeezes together painfully, and a shiver runs down my spine. I want nothing more than for her to have all of what she just described, but I do not have the power to grant it. I’m scared I won’t be able to break the curse. Felix and I aren’t even certain we can heat the ground.“All done,” Molly says, and I open my eyes. She turns me toward the mirror, and I gasp. I still look like myself, except… I don’t. I look a thousand times more beautiful than I did on my wedding day. I lift a hand to my face in disbelief. “Magic,” I whisper. Even my hair is done perfectly when that shouldn’t be possible in so very little time.Molly frowns at me and nods. “Of course. What else could it be?”I belatedly realize that the word magic isn’t used as an expression here, and the questioning look Molly throws my way has me feeling defensive. It’s likely that she expects me to be an experienced sorceress myself, and I’m unsure what Felix has been telling his people. It’s clear that he’s been using me as a beacon of hope, and I can hardly blame him.“It’s just something we say in Althea,” I tell her, smiling serenely in an attempt to hide my inner turmoil.Molly nods in understanding and takes a step back. “Oh! Of course,” she says, grinning. “Now, what kind of dress shall we put you in?”My wardrobe swings open, a golden dress floating out of it. I smile to myself. I’ve grown accustomed to the palace’s quirks, and I’ve come to trust its fashion sense, too.“This is beautiful,” Molly whispers, grabbing the dress from the air. Several minutes later, I’m wearing the stunning golden dress the palace selected for me. I watch it shimmer in the light with my every move and worry that it’s too much for a simple dinner, but Molly looks so excited that I can’t bear to say anything.I find myself wondering what Felix might think of me in this dress as I walk down the long hallway. For the second time today, I find myself thinking about love. If he and I were to fall in love, would that truly break the curse? Would it grant Molly’s wishes?I bite down on my lip and hesitate in front of the throne room. I take a deep breath in an effort to steel myself, but before I’ve had time to push the doors open, they open themselves.Felix freezes when he sees me, and my heart skips a beat. In that moment, everything fades away. All I can focus on is the look in Felix’s eyes. It isn’t until someone speaks to him that I realize that he’s standing next to several men I vaguely recognize as his advisers. I take a step back, worried I’m interrupting, but then Felix hands the documents he’s holding to Elaine. “Excuse me,” he says. “I can’t keep my lovely wife waiting for a moment longer.”He walks toward me, the hood of his cape falling over his face. I can see why they call him the Shadow Emperor. It must have stemmed from the curse initially, but it’s also the way he moves and dresses.“Arabella,” he says, offering me his arm. I take it, and he leads me forward. “I apologize. Time got away from me. I hope you’ll forgive me.”“I’m thankful you were able to carve some time out of your schedule after all. I feel like I’ve barely seen you since…”Felix turns toward me and grins. “Since when?”I blush as I think back to the night we spent together. Shortly after, the steel we need for our plan was delivered, and ever since, we have both been forced to focus on our individual roles in our plan, practicing and refining our strategy endlessly. I’ve spent countless hours channeling fire and bending it to my will, until eventually, it required very little thought, and I was able to keep fires lit in all fireplaces in the palace for several days. Felix, on the other hand, has spent all his waking hours helping his men create the pipes we need. His alchemy powers are far swifter than even his best workmen, and though I know he finds it fulfilling to help them, I also know it exhausts him. I’ve missed him, but admitting that and asking for his time felt selfish when we both have so much on our plates.“I have somewhere special in mind,” he says. His hand slips down to mine, and he interlocks our fingers, his thumb drawing circles around my hand. I glance at him, wishing he’d stop wearing his hood at all times. It’s strange, but I miss seeing the gold in his eyes. Even when I catch a glimpse of him during the day, I rarely see him.“Here we are,” he says, his voice soft. He takes a step forward and holds the door open for me. I pause in the doorway, my eyes wide as I take in the bright sun and the greenery surrounding us.“This can’t be real,” I whisper. I haven’t seen sunshine since I got here, and I hadn’t realized how much I’d missed it.“It isn’t,” Felix says, and I turn to him. He lifts his hood off his face and takes off his cloak, revealing a suit I’ve never seen before. Even on our wedding day, he wore his usual uniform. The suit he’s wearing today is all black, and it looks like something royalty might wear. He usually keeps his physique hidden, but this highlights his strong body.“It’s an enchantment,” he adds. “The curse makes it hard to maintain an enchantment like this. Even when it isn’t real, it seems we aren’t allowed any kind of sunshine. It’ll only last a few hours.”“You did this?” I ask, confused. “You created this… for me?”“Technically, I begged Elaine to create it, but I did transmute all the flowers for you. Those are all real.” He takes my hand, leading me to a table in the middle of a pavilion. It’s got thousands of pink peonies growing all around it, rendering the scene utterly romantic. I glance back at him, finding it hard to believe that the same man who once threatened my life and my loved ones would do this for me.“I thought you might miss the sun,” he murmurs as he pulls my chair out for me. “I know I do.”I watch him as he walks around the table and sits down opposite me. “You could leave, couldn’t you?”He shakes his head. “Not for long. If I stay in the palace, I remain human. The longer I’m away, the less human I become. Physically, my nails turn to talons and my teeth become razor-sharp. My skin changes, becoming rougher, more animal-like. That isn’t the worst of it, though. It’s the bloodlust. If I stay away too long, my humanity disappears. The palace has a soothing effect on me, undoing some of the worst effects of the curse. The longest I’ve been able to leave is just under a year. I’m trapped here.”Felix hesitates, and then he looks away, a sigh escaping his lips. “If we don’t break this curse, that is the future that awaits me. The change is slower within the palace, but I can feel it deep within. Every day, I feel a little less human. I struggle to experience emotions the way others do… except when I’m with you.” He looks at me, and for a moment it’s as though it isn’t me he sees. “I understand that you don’t believe me, but I truly believe you were destined to save my people. Pythia, the seer I mentioned, cannot lie. I’m not sure, but maybe, just maybe, you might save me, too.”More than ever, I find myself wishing I could. I don’t know how I’m meant to do something like that. I’m startled out of my thoughts when plates appear in front of us, my eyes widening when I realize what I’m looking at. It’s a traditional Althean rice dish.noveldramaI stare at the food, a familiar ache settling in my chest. These reminders of home are a kind gesture, but it just makes me miss my sister more.“If we manage to heat the ground and grow crops, you’ll let me go back home?”The words leave my lips before I realize what I’m saying, and for a moment, I fear Felix’s response. He looks away, his expression turning guarded. “I never break a promise, Arabella. Do all you can, and I’ll let you go, even if we can’t break the curse. I won’t keep you captive.” He turns back to me, his eyes darkening. “But you’d better remember what you promised me. Until I let you go, you’re mine. Your every thought, Arabella.”I bite down on my lip as my heart begins to race. There’s such profound jealousy in his eyes, and though I should reassure him, I can’t help but revel in it. When he looks at me that way, it’s like nothing else exists anymore, like he isn’t a cursed emperor who needs me—instead, he’s just a husband who wants his wife to have eyes only for him. And I do. Fates, I do.Felix snaps his fingers, and the table disappears. He rises from his seat and throws me a pleading look. “Tell me, beloved. When you asked me if I’d let you go, who was it you were thinking of?” I’m breathing hard, my heart racing as Felix walks up to me. He cups my cheek, his thumb brushing over my lip. “I warned you, beloved,” he murmurs, his voice soft. “What should I do with you, my love? How do I punish you for breaking our agreement?”He moves his hand, using his shadows to lay me down on a bed of pink and red flower petals, my hands pinned above my head by his invisible force. He smiles, but there’s no humor in his eyes as he kneels down beside me.“Felix,” I whisper, a thrill running down my spine. I loved the way he made me feel on our wedding night, and I’m tempted to provoke him into punishing me in that same way again.He leans over me and bunches the fabric of my dress in his hands, pushing it up slowly. “Were you thinking of him?”I look at him and shake my head, unable to help myself. I don’t want to lie to him, but I love the way he’s acting. Felix leans in and lifts my leg, placing it over his shoulder. He turns his face inward and kisses my thigh, sending a tremble down my spine. I gasp when I feel his powers brush over my breasts, almost as though the tips of his fingers are caressing me.“Can he do that to you?” Felix whispers, right before I feel his fingers trace circles up my thigh. He spreads my legs and smiles. “Wet, as expected.”I gasp when Felix pushes a finger deep inside me, using his thumb to tease me. The combination of sensations is almost too much, and I can already feel the pressure climbing. He lets go of me, yet the feelings don’t stop. His hands move to his breeches, but I still feel them on me.“Felix,” I moan, and he smiles in satisfaction as he settles between my legs.“Beg for it,” he orders. “You want it, don’t you?”I nod. “Please,” I whisper. “I beg of you, Felix. I need you.”I’m so close, and the feelings he’s arousing within me are addictive. I need him with a desperation I can’t put into words. The same magic I felt last time buzzes around me, and once more I try my hardest to direct it outside. I vividly imagine the atrium and pray I don’t set the flowers around us on fire.Felix grins at me and lifts his hand into the air, snapping his fingers. All at once, I’m turned over, landing on my knees. I look up to find myself staring straight into a mirror.“Watch yourself succumb to me. Watch as you beg for it. That little boy will never make you feel the way I can. The pleasure I can give you is unmatched.”He grabs my hip and pushes into me slowly, his eyes on mine in the mirror. Felix pauses halfway inside me and I groan. “No!” I whisper, wishing he’d push all the way inside me, and Felix laughs.“Beg,” he orders again.“Please, Felix. Please! Stop torturing me, husband.”He looks startled, his expression softening. “So you do realize that I’m your husband.”Our eyes lock in the mirror, and he pulls almost all the way out, driving me half mad. “You are the only one I’ve ever wanted, Felix. The only one I will ever desire,” I tell him, and deep within my heart, I know it to be true. The feelings I have for Felix are unlike any I’ve ever known before.Felix stares into my eyes, seemingly satisfied with what he sees, and at last, he pushes into me, taking me with the same desperation I’m feeling.I fear the hold he has over me. With each passing day, it becomes harder for me to see a future without him in it. I fear that one day, I truly will lose him to this curse, and I cannot let that happen.