I stood immediately, anger shooting through me. “Let me go, Nadia,” I demanded through my teeth.
“Now, where’s the fun in that?” she laughed and glanced up at the grave owners with adoration. She eyed me, snapped her fingers once, and they all promptly disappeared. I instantly noticed a glaring change in her appearance. Her otherwise golden-brown eyes had turned a striking honey color; almost feline-like. They were piercing and haunting; drawing your attention and holding you captive. Her flowing brown hair now boasted streaks of the same honey color that glistened in the moonlight from above, and her skin shimmered with flecks of gold. She was…breathtaking. Her cream colored mini dress showed off her long legs and something else I had not seen before. Her trace. A jagged golden lightning bolt ran down the length of her calf; white vines twisting around it.
The multiple gold bangles on her wrist clinked against one another as she crossed her arms and stared at me; leaning against the mud wall of the grave.
“Besides, we have much to discuss,” she smirked at me.
“The only thing I want to discuss with you is why you won’t leave me the hell alone!” I snarled at her.
“Aww, Anastasia.” Her eyes flashed again as she smiled sweetly, “Such hostility! And here I am, simply trying to save you from humiliation!”
“Ditch the pretenses, Nadia,” I glared at her. “Stop wasting my time.”
“I’m only trying to tell you what our dark Prince Charming has failed to explain.” She tapped her gold watch and tsked, “He’s the one who’s been wasting your time.”
“My relationship is none of your business,” I spit at her.
“Wrong again,” she snapped back and began to step towards me. I stood taller, bracing myself for an attack. She pointed a manicured fingernail at me as she continued, “You think he loves you? You think you mean anything to him?”
“I know he loves me!” I lashed out at her, but she just chuckled.
“So innocent,” she shook her head at me, “So stupid. He doesn’t love you. He’s just using you.”
“Screw you,” I moved towards her, anger tearing through my veins.
“Tempting…but no thanks. You’re not my type,” she snickered at her own joke, and then turned serious, “On the Day of the Dead, his eighteenth birthday, he will become bound. And no one, not even you, can change that.”
“You think I’m going to believe anything you say?” I threw at her with bitterness.
“Won’t you?” She smiled wickedly and stepped closer, with evil dripping down her face. I clenched my jaw. “Listen closely, Anastasia. In two days time, your dear Finn will be betrothed...”
her smile widened, “…to me.”
My jaw dropped to the ground. Finn…betrothed? To her? That wasn’t possible. Was it? It fit the conversation I had overheard at Priscilla’s house, so could this be what she was so eager to tell me? Was this what Natasha had been too busy to tell me? Why wouldn’t Finn have said something?
He said he wasn’t keeping anything from me. He said he didn’t know what Nadia and Priscilla’s conversation was about in my reverie. Would he…lie to me?
“Betrothed?” I managed, as I gawked incredulously into her smug golden eyes. The anger that had consumed me moments before had dried up; uncovering the steady, paralyzing grip of doubt.
“So you see, in his mind there’s never been the possibility of a future with you. He knows as well as I do that the true Son of Daimon, The Prime, is required to have a wife whose soul is connected to the Underworld, just like his. He needs a wife who shares the same bond of darkness; who is truly his equal. You could never be that for him. I am his future.” Her face darkened and I watched the evil tendrils rolling off her skin, taunting me. “ I will be his wife. It has been decided.”
“He doesn’t want you,” I growled at her, my hatred returning at her obvious arrogance.
“That’s the best part! It doesn’t matter what he wants. My mother has spoken,” she shrugged and twirled a lock of honey hair around her finger. “One of the many perks of being the Princess of the Underworld; I get what I want. End of story.”
“You’re lying,” I accused her, my tone lacking harshness. As much as I didn’t want to admit it, the fear that she was telling the truth was more than I could bear.
“Tell yourself what you want. It doesn’t make it any less true. He knows what’s to come. As a matter of fact, go ask him yourself.”
The last thing I saw was her blowing a sarcastic kiss at me and disappearing into thin air.
Gasping for air, I sat up abruptly and began to sob uncontrollably. The room around me swam and blurred as I struggled to pull in a steady breath.
“Stasia! What’s wrong? What is it?” I felt Finn’s hand on my back as I turned to face him.
“Did you lie to me?” I watched him desperately, still holding onto a sliver of hope.
“Did I…” he furrowed his brow at me, “What are you talking about?”
I scooted to the end of the bed, fearing the worst, “Did you lie to me?! Did you? Tell me the truth!” The walls of my heart had slammed shut; locking him out instantly and completely.
“Pasha, slow down! Tell me what happened!” Panic was evident in his eyes.
My legs began to shake as I stood with dizzying speed. He slid off the bed and walked towards me; his eyes frantic. I backed away from him; willing myself to stop crying.
“Betrothed,” I stated simply; my voice breaking. Shock crossed his face, followed swiftly by crushing sadness. He slouched on the end of the bed in defeat and looked at the floor. My entire body began to shake as his body language confirmed my fears. Frozen to the spot, I cringed visibly as my heart hardened, turned away, and shattered into a million pieces. The weight of it was too much. It cut too deep.
Suddenly, I was running. Out of his bedroom and past his roommates. Out of his suite and down the hall towards the elevator. I wanted to be as far away from the catalyst of all of these painful emotions coursing through me as possible. This couldn’t be happening.
“Pasha, please wait-“ he pleaded as he caught up with me. With tears still streaming down my face, I looked into the deep blue eyes of my safe harbor that was no more, and my heart broke all over again.
“How could you not tell me?! Don’t you think ‘betrothed-to-the-Princess-of-the-Underworld’ would be sort of an important topic to discuss with your girlfriend!?” It took my shaking finger three tries to press the button for the elevator.
“It’s the last thing I want to happen! I love you-“
“Do you? Do you love me, Finn?”
“You know I do, Stasia!” Tears I had never seen before collected in his eyes.
“When did you plan on telling me this? After your birthday when it was too late!?”
“I didn’t want to upset you before your journey-“
“Don’t.” I put up a hand as my feet walked onto the elevator. He followed and reached for my arm, but I twisted away and stared at him with disbelief.