The Dare Collection September 2018. Stefanie London

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       CHAPTER SIX

      Damien

      “TO THE CHAPEL, THEN!” Benedict says with a flourish.

      I readjust my robe and tie it tight. There’s being underdressed for an occasion and then there is flat-out ridiculous.

      “He’s wearing a robe, my love,” Evangeline says, hooking her arm through Benedict’s. Not that I expected her to come to my rescue, but thank fucking hell someone did.

      Juliet unbuttons her camel-colored coat to reveal the servant’s dress she wears beneath. It’s a plain gray smock of a thing with a white apron tied over it. But something about the way her hair falls over her shoulders gives me a sense of déjà vu. I shake it off. There’s no way that I would have made love to Nightgardin’s princess as she claims I did. I was inside one woman like that, and I ruined her wholly and completely. What kind of fool would I have been to make such a mistake twice?

      “We’re quite the pair, are we not?” Juliet asks.

      “It won’t make the cover of Vogue.” Kate giggles, then covers her mouth. “I think it’s perfect,” she says when she regains control. “You’ll both remember your wedding day for years to come.”

      Benedict claps his hands. “We must go now,” he says. “Once Nightgardin realizes Juliet is missing—if they haven’t already—the Black Watch will be after her. And if they know about Damien—”

      “Then there will be guns blazing by nightfall,” Nikolai says. “So get your ass to the chapel and save all of our lives, Damien. For once think of someone other than yourself.”

      All eyes rest on me now, but I grit my teeth and stride out of the room, my shoulder brushing Nikolai’s as I do.

      I can physically feel his rage rising off his body like steam.

      “Wait up!” Juliet says, jogging to my side. We are now some haphazard-looking entourage heading out of the palace and across the grounds to the chapel.

      “What?” I ask, and this stops her short. But when I keep walking, she starts to catch up again.

      “What?” she asks. “What? We’re about to do something unheard of, and you don’t even want to know a little about the woman with whom you are going to spend eternity.”

      I snort. “Eternity? This changes nothing, doll. It’s a piece of paper that you can use to prove to your parents that you aren’t...” The words taste bitter. “Aren’t our whore. That is how you said they spoke to you, yes?”

      And though she’s been called the name unintentionally once by Nikolai and who knows how many times by her own parents, I’m sick at having to remind her of such a thing. I do not know this woman, but I wish her no harm. No discomfort. Perhaps this is all a game and she’s playing us for fools. But to what end? It doesn’t make sense—the idea of Nightgardin royalty waltzing onto palace grounds to simply use us for some deadly sport.

      She falters as we make it through the chapel gates, and I instinctively grab her under the elbow. The brief touch sends an electric jolt up my forearm.

      “Easy there, Princess,” I say. “You need food.”

      She shakes her head. “I think I already proved that keeping food down isn’t exactly my forte right about now. Morning sick—”

      X is beside her with a clean white bag just as the wave hits, and her body convulses.

      “Morning sickness,” I say, finishing her sentence.

      Once again, everyone stops and forms an arc around the princess. Soon to be my princess, I suppose.

      “I’m fine,” she insists after I roll up the bag. “But we should probably skip the whole you may now kiss the bride part?”

      She grins sheepishly.

      X presses a hand to an ear, then whispers something to my father.

      “Go at once,” the king says. “Keep whoever it is busy until we’ve done what’s meant to be done.”

      X slips past us and onto the grounds.

      “Everything okay, Father?” I ask, but he turns his attention to Nikolai.

      “They’re here.”

      Juliet gasps, and even I cannot feign disinterest.

      “Nightgardin?” I say, teeth gritted. Because somehow I’ve brought this horror to Edenvale, and I don’t even remember doing it.

      “Hurry!” Benedict says, and he ushers us down the aisle between the pews. “Rings!” he calls out. “There must be an exchange of rings!”

      “Here!” Kate calls, rushing toward us. She removes both her earrings—two silver hoops just larger than ring size, both encrusted with brilliant diamonds—and places them in Benedict’s palm. “Consider it a loan until you buy her a real one.”

      Juliet blushes.

      “Look,” I finally say. “I’m doing what needs to be done for everyone involved. But let’s not pretend this is going to turn into some happily-ever-after. The entire continent knows the story of what happened the last time Edenvale and Nightgardin tried to procure peace via two young lovers.”

      “They jumped to their deaths,” Juliet says softly.

      I bow dramatically, ignoring the lingering pain in my ribs.

      “Exactly!” I shout, triumphant. “Maximus and Calista were fools to think they could have any sort of happiness. So please stop pretending that we will be any different.”

      Juliet clicks her tongue.

      “What now, Princess?” I snap.

      She holds her head high. “That’s СКАЧАТЬ