“I see fury.”
“And?”
My fire. My anger. That ancient, terrible power I’d only barely scratched the surface of. They all belonged to me. “I see the goddess who rules it.”
“I see my equal. My queen. Welcome back, your majesty.”
I was not a witch. I was the goddess of fury. If I didn’t just witness the truth, I’d still not believe it. My irises slowly returned to the warm brown I’d been used to for so long, another reminder I was not fully free from the curse yet.
Atop the dais were two matching thrones. As the king of the underworld, I’d imagined his seat would be larger. Champagne bronze serpents curved around black leather, looking very much like the tattoo Wrath had inked onto his right arm. My heart skipped a beat when I spied vines with thorns that were elegantly twined around the serpent’s bodies.
Wrath slanted a look in my direction, his mouth curving in a hint of a smile despite the circumstances that brought us to this chamber so late at night. “You’re surprised.”
“You really mean for me to be queen. Not just your consort.”
“If you want me, say the words, my lady.” He traced the bare flesh along my bodice, his caress a seduction of its own. “My queen.” He dipped his head, and where his clever fingers had just touched, he now used his tongue. “My love.”
My husband removed the crown from his head and held it up, showing it to the small crowd gathered behind us. “As a symbol of our shared rule, I offer my crown to my queen.”
With a show of power that made me want to kiss him senseless, Wrath broke the crown in half using nothing but his bare hands. Goddess above he was alluring.
Magic threads in the colors of each demon House along with my sister’s lavender whipped around me and Wrath, coiling tighter and tighter as the threads rushed around our bodies, circling our heads.
In a flash of glittering power, each of our broken crowns became whole. I reached up, brushing my fingers over the cool metal. My crown fit perfectly. Shouts rose from our family members, signaling the end of the coronation. I could scarcely believe it. I was truly queen.
Rosalyn Graham,
Will you be my best friend?
My roommate.
My Dancing Queen.
My experiment life partner.
My heart.
Will you be mine, just like I’m completely, hopelessly yours?
“You are the future queen of Citlali. Those who reside behind those castle walls will fall to their knees when they see you, as will all of Citlali.”
“You didn’t.” I lifted my chin as I stared up at him.
A small smile played on his lips as he searched my face, and I could see his gaze roaming over every inch of the starlight that marked my face. “Trust me, princess. It took everything inside of me not to fall to my knees before you.”
“Her anger, Christ, it makes her look like a true queen.
My queen.”
“You’ll teach me? How to become the queen you need me to be.”
The corner of Nikolas’ mouth lifts, his fingers lovingly tucking some loose strands behind my ear. “You’re already the queen I need, kardiá mou.”
“You’re my queen, Theresa. Those who are against us die.”