Chapter 5
Poppy
It was cold outside, and the fur that covered my shoulders shielded me from the chill. Sara had wrapped a black glove around my hands before leaving the room.
I was nervous but tried to stay calm. We walked slowly through the snow-covered path to God-knows-where. The air was quiet, and the sky had darkened even more. Bats flew overhead.
As we strode forward, the sight of men appeared. They stared at me—intense and curious. It felt like they could see right through me.
When we reached a tall tree with bloody leaves and dark bark, King Rhain was already waiting there with a woman dressed in a black hood.
In my mind, I tried to convince myself that none of this was real.
That I wasn't about to get married to the vampire who killed my husband.
To the vampire who murdered countless women in my village.
The one who brought suffering to us for years.
He caused us to starve because of the cold.
I gritted my teeth.
The vampires continued to look at me, their faces full of hatred, anger, curiosity.
My eyes landed on Lilith, and she glared at me. Her red eyes darkened, and I quickly looked away.
The hooded woman spoke, and Rhain responded to her words.
"I take this woman as my wife....."
It was my turn to speak. I opened my mouth, but the words didn't come out.
"Human," Rhain murmured, his eyes turning dark.
"I... take this man....." the words slipped from my mouth.
He took the dagger from the hooded woman and sliced the flesh in his palm. Then he took my hand and cut mine. I squeezed my eyes shut at the pain that came from the cut.
Without warning, he slammed our hands together, and the hooded woman continued to speak. I suspected she was a witch or priestess.
With our hands still bound, Rhain's leaned closer. I braced myself for the kiss, expecting to feel his fangs. Expecting to taste rotten, decayed flesh in my mouth. But the kiss was so quick, it felt like only the mask had brushed my lips.
We turned to the crowd, and they raised their hands, clapping. I was not short, but standing next to Rhain made me feel small. He was tall—taller than the men in my village.
I saw Valeria approach us with two glasses and a bottle of wine.
She handed one to me and the other to Rhain. I turned to him, his gloved hand wrapping around mine on the glass. And as he poured me wine, his eyes never left me.
I shivered, taking the glass from him and turning away. I took one sip of the wine. It tasted bittersweet, like poison intoxicating my mind. I gulped it down and handed the glass back to Valeria.
"Go with Valeria," he said.
My heart sank. My face paled. My stomach twisted, and my mouth soured as his words sank in. He was sending me off to prepare for our wedding night.
I thought of Ana's words. What was he going to do to me tonight?
I stared at him, hands clenching in anger.
"Didn't you hear what I said, human?" he asked. "Go with her now."
I didn't move. He shot me a glare, taking a step closer. Once he was near, I spat on his face. He turned away instantly, looking disgusted.
He should be lucky for the mask shielding his face. The crowd gasped.
"Disgusting human!" Lilith yelled. Before I knew it, she had pinned me against the tree with her hand around my neck.
"I warned you, but you wouldn't listen. Now I'll take your tongue as a lesson," she said, pressing me down.
The remaining wine in my throat choked me. I struggled to breathe.
"I'm not scared of you," I snapped, seeing Rhain wipe the spit from his mask with the kerchief Valeria had given him.
Then he turned, his eyes cold—but he wasn't looking at me.
"Release my wife now," he ordered.
"She disrespected you," Lilith said. "She needs to be punished."
"The only person allowed to punish her is me," Rhain said. "Let her go, or I'll see this as an act of disrespect from you."
Lilith's grip tightened, and I could tell she didn't want to release me—not after Rhain's words. So I kicked her in the knee, and she let go, taking a step backward.
"I hate you," she spat.
Rhain walked closer, his eyes filled with anger.
"We'll speak of this later. Go with Valeria. Now."
I swallowed hard and turned around, following Valeria.