Captive of Shadows

Love. Joy. Anticipation. That’s what your wedding day is supposed to be filled with...but not mine. I’ve never seen my future husband or even heard his voice. I only know that long ago, my father made a vow, and now, I have to fulfill it. They say Kane is a monster, with sharp clawed hands and hoofed feet. They say he’s cruel, violent, and likely to kill me before the end of my first night. They say...a lot of things. So when my future husband arrives to collect his debt, I’m terrified of the fate awaiting me.

Kane says we must go to the mortal realm if we want to keep the tenuous peace between mortals and the God of Death. I’ll show a brave face — but the truth is, I’m terrified. Not just for my safety, but for the safety of the man who’s managed to work his way further and further into my heart.

I am the bride of Death. The road ahead is still unknown. There are questions that need answers, and I find myself with very few allies. I carry a blade that bears a burden no one else could ever understand. And Kane looks at me with eyes brimming with lust and something I’m too afraid to dwell on. But I swore to my father that I would right the wrongs that had been done. Can I kill the man who haunts my dreams and makes me wish for a world where destiny does not dictate our path? Or will I fall victim to the monster that lurks beneath the surface of his icy facade?

I never thought my chambers would be my shelter and safety, and even then, I sleep lightly. Awake I am fearful, seeing the changes in Kane I cannot comprehend. Sleep brings me no solace, as it is lit by a burning brightness that engulfs me, and a stranger's voice I do not trust. I search for the flame that Kane had lit for me, burning in his eyes, but now I find only darkness. The fire that burned deep within my core for Kane, expounded by our bonded souls, feels cold and empty.

The war is brewing as I watch Kane undergo tortures the human mind barely grasps. He clings to the last bit of strength he has. Drogaem taunts me, controls me, and the only thing that is mine...is my mind. Within me, my soul intertwines with a Goddess whose depths have spanned a thousand years and more.