House of Lies and Sorrow （Fae of Rewyth #1）
Emily Blackwood
CHAPTER 1
Jade
“How do you think he’ll kill you?” Tessa asked me.
I continued focusing on the knot that I was tying, even though I was certain the blood had rushed from my face. “I’m not really sure. I haven’t thought about it,” I lied.
Of course I had thought about how I was going to die.
I had pictured all the ways he could end my meaningless life.
Would it be as simple as a dagger to the chest?
Or something less merciful?
But my sister never saw me as weak. She wasn’t about to start now. I put a joking smile on my face before I added, “I wonder if he’ll do it himself, or if he’ll send someone else to finish his dirty work.”
Tessa leaned in with the same smile she always wore while gossiping. At least my upcoming death was important news to her. “Hopefully he does it himself. I heard he’s handsome as sin.”
I shoved her away playfully, not daring to drop the smile that I forced onto my face. “You’ve been listening to too many rumors, little sister. Those big ears of yours will get you into trouble. We both know nobody knows anything about the Prince of Shadows.”
Tessa didn’t respond. She looked down at her own knot she was tying, studying it closely. Except she wasn’t still tying it, either. She had dropped the rope into her lap and had begun picking at her fingernails. The silence grew heavier with every second.
“You never know, Jade. Maybe he’ll end up really liking you. Maybe he’ll fall madly in love and he’ll protect you with his life.” Her voice took a turn from light and playful to serious and emotional. “You have to try. You have to try to survive. Promise me you’ll try to make him like you? That you’ll fight?”
Her large, deep eyes were searching my face for an answer. They were searching for any slither of hope that I wasn’t being sent to my imminent death.
But I knew the truth. I was being sent into the fae lands to marry one of the fae princes.
And if that wasn’t bad enough, I was going to marry the Prince of Shadows. The merciless, deadly prince that waltzed through this world with no consequences.
And like every human wife he had before me, I was going to be killed.
Any other scenario would be a useless attempt at having hope.
There was no way around it. I was going to die.
But I smiled at my sister anyway. “Of course, I’ll try, Tessa. I’ll do everything I can. You know I’m not one to give up easily.”
She seemed pleased with my words, and she quickly resumed tending to her own knot.
Tessa was a worrier. I knew that’s why my father had chosen me, along with many other things.
She was softer. She was likable. She didn’t have sharp edges and scars. She didn’t come with damage. She was perfect.
I, on the other hand, was not even close to perfect. I was damaged.
I was easily expendable. Which was why I was being sent to my death.
Okay, I was being sent to my marriage. But what was the difference?
“Give me that,” I demanded after watching her fumble with the rope a few times. She gave it to me without hesitating and watched in awe as I tied the perfect knot in a matter of seconds. “Here,” I said, handing it back to her. “You’re going to have to learn this type of thing when I’m gone. We all know father isn’t any help.”
She giggled again, but it didn’t quite reach her eyes. “I know, I know. I wish you could stay a little longer to help me.”
“I wish I could stay longer, too. Unfortunately for us, time is not our friend. We’ve put this off for long enough.”
“I still don’t understand why it has to be you!” Tessa said, her emotions seeping into every word. Thick tears began welling in her eyes. “Why can’t someone else marry the fae prince! Why does it have to be you?”
I dropped the knot and pulled her into my arms. She didn’t know the details about the deal my father had made with the fae king. His life for mine. I took a deep breath and told myself to calm down. Just thinking about it made my blood boil. How could he be so reckless? Of course, he had gotten caught. And when the king learned that he had two daughters, they made a deal.
My life for his.
Of course, it wasn’t me that they wanted. I was just the one father picked. To nobody’s surprise, either.
But Tessa didn’t know that part, and I certainly was not about to tell her. It’s not like she would jump up to take my place or anything, but she would at least feel guilty.