Feathers so Vicious: A Dark Fantasy Romance (Court of Ravens Book 1) by Liv Zander

Author:Liv Zander [Zander, Liv]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781955871075
Publisher: Ink Heart Publishing
Published: 2023-08-23T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter

Twenty-Two

Galantia

Present day, Deepmarsh Castle

Murmurs and snickers followed me down the large staircase and toward the great hall, resonating from occupied stone benches, crowded archways, and wherever else the ladies of the court congregated. Clearly, word about my condition had spread.

I ignored it.

Gossip was the least of my worries.

Neither was that sense of dread rising in my chest as I approached the gilded double doors at the end of the corridor to the right. A massive emblem of a metal-cast raven decorated them, its wings spread wide and what had to depict intestines dangling from its claws. The sight alone slowed my steps without my consent. Perhaps my feet had more sense than my brain, urging me to reconsider.

Well, I didn’t have that luxury.

For four days, I’d sulked into Sebian’s pillow, drowning in self-pity as if I could afford such nonsense. As a noblewoman captured, abandoned, and recently deflowered, I needed to take matters into my own hands to keep myself out of the whorehouse or, alternatively, an unmarked grave. Who else would do it for me?

Not my parents.

And what nobleman, be it human or Raven, would stoop so low—potentially even bring the Raven prince’s wrath upon them—and take me to wife?

None.

Which meant that I needed to convince Malyr to marry me.

It was the only way to keep a roof over my head, cloth on my body, and food in my belly. He would torment me, of course—more so than the average husband, to be certain—but I would gain standing and protection. And who knew? If I ever carried his child, he might rein in his hatred, if only for a while.

It was the best I could hope for.

And yet my stomach plunged to my feet, bringing them to a stop mere inches from the doors. I glanced around the corridor, expecting to see some ravens perched somewhere along the window to shift, stop me, and ask my business with their prince. Alas, the man who managed to cast an entire room into darkness presumably needed no guards.

Taking a deep breath, I pinched my cheeks, fluffed the ends of my pinned-up curls, then gave a tug on my boned corset to bring out my cleavage or, more precisely, the raven scarred into its center. I’d borrowed the green silk gown from Cici after hours of careful contemplation. Malyr might take me wearing the color of my house as a provocation.

Good.

Reminding him of whose daughter I was would hopefully taunt his desire to break me. Could he do so without taking me to wife? Certainly. Was he already planning to? Absolutely. But that wouldn’t get him the army he needed to reach his goal.

I brought my clammy fist to the door and gave three knocks. There was a long moment of silence before a muffled, “Enter!” vibrated through the set of heavy doors.

Forcing the tremble from my fingers, I pushed on the wing of the raven and stepped into its treacherous nest. One illuminated by a large stone-hearth to the right, although an oil lamp also flickered where it stood on a small desk to the left.

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