Zodiac Academy Fated Throne - Caroline Peckham Page 0,315

strode closer and I stood to face him.

Xavier muttered something about needing the bathroom and scurried from the room, tossing me a look that said he was going to find Lance and though I desperately hoped that my best friend might be able to come up with some way out of this for us, I didn't hold out much hope.

Vard smirked cruelly as he shifted, his eyes merging into one as he tried to draw me under his power. I didn't resist, knowing I had to comply with everything Father commanded until I figured out how to rescue Roxy from him.

"Your bride is beautiful," his voice spoke inside my head, pushing my mind onto an image of Mildred with her undercut jaw, moustache and seriously masculine features, not to mention her vile personality. She was ugly right down to her core and everyone knew it. But Vard managed to seek out images of Roxy within my mind and he tried to merge the two like he seriously thought he could manipulate me into feeling desire for that hag.

He kept nudging inside my brain to try and make me more compliant for a few more minutes, but the moment he withdrew, the Phoenix Kiss Roxy had gifted me flared to life beneath my skin and burned all of his manipulation out of me.

Fuck him for thinking he could just make me forget my girl and want that fucking bitch Mildred. But the worst thing was that it didn't even matter that he'd failed. I was still going to marry her. I had to. Even though it broke me and I feared it would break Roxy too, I had to do it.

Father hadn't been lying. I knew him too well to think he'd value her over his desire to force me into line. He'd kill her alright. He'd probably force me to watch too. And I couldn't allow that. Even if the cost of protecting her meant betraying her like this.

I stayed silent as I let the servants dress me for my wedding in a perfectly tailored black suit with a black dress shirt and cravat beneath it. Someone styled my hair and another even laced my fucking shoes and I just let them do it, not giving a shit about any of it and just wishing Lance would appear with some answer I couldn't see.

But when Xavier returned, his eyes were wide with desperation and as he hurried over to me, I found I already knew what he was going to say before the words left his lips.

"He's not there. It doesn't look like he's been there all night. Do you think Father would have done something to him?"

"Of course he has," I growled, rubbing my thumb over the Libra brand on my left arm and wishing that Lance could feel it via our connection even though I knew it was pointless.

Xavier looked utterly crestfallen and I just closed my eyes, trying to pretend that none of this was really happening while racking my brain for any idea that might help my girl.

"Time to go," Vard commanded and my eyes snapped open as I levelled a glare on him that would have seen weaker men piss themselves.

"One of these days, I'll rip you open and tear your intestines out," I swore to him. "And then I'll hang you up by them and let the crows finish the job."

Vard’s eyes glazed over with a vision and the way his face paled let me know that he'd just seen a path to a future where I made good on that promise. And I really hoped it came to pass.

While he tried to fight off the fear that flickered over his features, I turned and strode from the room. I knew where the fucking chapel was and I wasn't going to be dragged there like some snivelling coward.

Xavier ran to meet my pace, a pained whinny spilling from his throat as he tried to catch my eye but I just stayed focused on my destination. I had no choice. Father had set this trap too well.

We made it through the palace quickly and I stepped out into the fresh snowfall beyond the doors to the rear of the building before heading away to the west of the grounds where the chapel lay.

For a moment I just looked at the snow, thinking of how Roxy had told me her only Christmas tradition was a snowball fight with Darcy and remembering the way she’d laughed with