Crown of Faeries

25 | Destined

My eyes pierced into Kieran's empty soul as I slowly stepped my way through the parting crowd. All eyes were on me, and I mean all of me. Men's wondering eyes and knowing looks of how Kieran would be treating me tonight as they looked me up and down, taking in every see-through inch of my gowns material. But the humiliation never got a chance to hit me for I was too focused on the fact that Kieran had made my choice for me.

Maybe he was worried I wouldn't choose him and thought he had to bully me into doing so. Maybe he already knew that my heart belonged to another and he was trying to force my heart back to him.

But I wasn't going to let that happen.

My hands balled into fists as I stood down at the bottom of the several steps that led up to the small platform of a stage. Kieran's glamorous green and blue and brown eyes stared at me with a mischievous grin hidden deep inside.

My eyebrows lowered in anger and I stood my ground, not moving an inch. "What are you doing?" I hissed up at him.

Kieran spread a toxic smile across his face as he bent a little at the waist. "Don't be rude Caelia, come up here." He waved a hand outwards for me to take and I shunned him by turning my cheek.

"I'm not marrying you." I said as loud as I could. The crowd gasped in a small breath that echoed throughout the room.

"You must." A crown member said and I turned my eyes to see Carson. The man's long silver hair was braided back and off his face, dropping down to a thread of braided locks down his back.

"You can't force me to do anything!" I shouted up at him and the people around me all took a step back.

Carson stepped closer to Kieran and placed a hand on the Reaper's shoulder. "This is your husband and he always will be, so long as you stay in our court."

"And what if I don't want to stay in your court?" I already knew the answer, but I had to hear it first before I made any other actions.

"Then you will be murdered." Carson said coldly. His already squinty almond eyes narrowed even further, bidding those dark coal stones. "Right here, and right now if you do not choose him to be your husband."

I seemed to be stunned and bewildered into silence as my eyes scanned the crowd. Each person looked angry and disappointed at me for even mentioning that my heart did not belong to Kieran.

But didn't it? Didn't I think about him constantly? Even when I was sleeping I could feel the need to be drawn closer to him. But I couldn't do it.

My eyes landed on a tall figure in the back and I looked at the way Weston's eyes adverted mine once we made eye contact. He loved me, but so did Kieran and...Reighton.

I searched for the human and couldn't find him. Panic swelled in my chest and I gasped at the sudden pain of feeling lonely with out my friend.

I shook my head and everyone looked at me then with a mix of hatred and curiosity. Reighton would never love me like Weston or Kieran. But Kieran could never love me like Weston either.

My subconscious moaned and I looked up into Carson's soulless eyes. "I'll do--"

"No!" Weston's voice boomed just before he charged forward.

I swiveled my head to look over my shoulder and just then the glass from the window adjacent to me broke free in shattering crystals of shimmering ice as a golden arrow with a black tip scraped my cheek.

Screams sounded through the hall as people fell to the floor. Shadows and windows broke all around as heavy boots and clinking chains erupted through the air.