trapped in eternal misery. Perin would leave Alisa there too if she had her way, but when I was king, no one else would suffer in stone.
Her eyes widened at mention of the garden. My heart sunk. She knew—how long had she known? Did she know my parents were frozen there? Suddenly I wasn’t quite so sure I could trust her at all.
“You always knew I’d end up here,” she said, her gaze troubled. “My wedding was…inevitable.”
“But you don’t have to marry Raile,” I promised her, trying to ignore the sudden warning sense of falling, as if I couldn’t trust her.
Perin and Dala and I had plotted that I should get her to fall in love with me instead, but I’d fallen in love with her.
Of course, we’d also planned a spell to twist those marriage vows and make sure she married me, in case Alisa didn’t find me as appealing as Dala expected she would. Dala had a mother’s faith in my charms, but she still had the practical soul of a warrior.
Her eyes widened. “We—” She frowned, and I could’ve sworn she swayed on her feet.
“Alisa.” I wrapped my arm around her waist, holding her up; her slender body pressed against mine. I’d meant to come to her for help, to find a way out together, but she obviously needed help herself.
“Faer poisoned you,” I said, suddenly sure. “He’s forcing you to go through with the wedding.”
“Faer didn’t poison me,” she managed. The words seemed to take an effort, and she stopped, looking as if she had more she wanted to say, before she seemed to exhale in surrender. I helped her to the couch, and she collapsed there; her eyes were shadowed with gray, her skin pale. “I drained my magic fighting the Shadow Man, that’s all.”
“You beat the Shadow Man. Of course you did.” Pride swelled in my chest, and I crouched in front of her, resting my hands on her knees. “And together, we’ll beat Faer. You can escape this damned wedding.”
“Tiron, I’m going to marry Raile,” she said, and my heart plummeted. She went on lightly, as if she didn’t notice. “Things changed in the undersea. He’s not who you think he is.”
“Okay,” I said, frowning. “But now you want to marry him? You barely know him.”
“You and I barely know each other,” she said. “You didn’t even tell me who you really are.”
Those words hung between us, and my jaw set, but she was already going on. “I read parts of my old diary. I loved Raile. He’s not exactly an easy man to like, but he is easy to love.”
I shook my head. “You’re under some kind of spell.”
Her lips tilted. “Easier to believe that than to know I choose someone else, isn’t it, Tiron?”
My heart froze in my chest.
“I care for you and Azrael and Duncan,” she said, “and that’s part of why I’m choosing to go with Raile beneath the waves. You’ll be safe. I’ll be happy. All will be well, Tiron.”
She touched my face gently, her palm caressing my skin. She smiled sadly up at me as if she hadn’t heard a damn thing I’d said—or as if she was choosing to ignore it all.
I grabbed her wrist and pulled her hand away from her face. “No. I just told you, the winter court is dying. That won’t be well.”
Either she was enchanted and she couldn’t help me fight against Faer and Raile, or she didn’t want to.
Either way, it was clear what I needed to do.
I’d marry the princess.
Chapter Fifty-Eight
Alisa
I kept testing my magic frantically, hoping that it would spark back to life. Even when the servants were pinning my hair up elaborately and helping me dress, I felt so alone. I kept seeing Duncan’s expression when he caught me kissing Raile. Tiron’s face as the enchantment made me reject him. And Azrael—Tiron said he was in danger.
I had to find a way to protect them all—and their courts.
Herrick came to get me for the wedding ceremony that afternoon. He dismissed the servants, then wandered around the room as I leaned against the windowsill. The sea yawned below, bright blue and deep and shimmering under the sun. Maybe I should just throw myself out the window, but I knew I’d never do that.
I’d fight until the bitter last.
“Any final words of wisdom for me, Father?” I asked. “For a happy and fruitful marriage?”
“No,” he said, turning back to me with his hands tucked behind his back. “You don’t