Eric
The door closed behind them, leaving me alone once more. I turned back to the window, watching as more cars arrived, carrying guests for the wedding. My wedding. To Briar.
A thrill of anticipation ran through me at the thought. Soon, very soon, everything I had worked for would come to fruition. Briar would be mine, her power under my control, and nothing would stand in my way.
I picked up the gem from my desk, feeling its power pulse in sync with my heartbeat. "Soon, my love," I murmured, as if Briar could hear me through the stone. "Soon, we'll be unstoppable."
As the morning wore on, I oversaw the final preparations for the ceremony. The great hall had been transformed into a vision of white and silver, flowers and crystals glittering in the light streaming through the stained-
