The Sterling diamonds felt like a cold, heavy collar around my neck. As I stood before the full length mirror in the dressing room, the necklace caught the light, shattering it into a thousand mocking glints. It was a king’s ransom in stones, yet it felt like a brand a sign that I belonged to the Thorne treasury.
I was dressed in a floor length gown of emerald velvet. The fabric was heavy and rich, clinging to my curves before pooling at my feet like a dark, silent sea. Silas had chosen the color himself. He’d said it made my eyes look like "shards of dangerous glass," a description that made me realize he didn't want a wife tonight; he wanted a weapon.
“You look like a queen, Elena,” Silas’s voice drifted from the doorway.
I didn't turn around. I watched his reflection in the mirror as
