The Unwaking King
Kaelan did not wake.
Eira cradled him in the ruins of the battlefield, her fingers pressed to his pulse—too slow, too steady, as if he were caught between heartbeats. The reforged crown gleamed on his brow, its intertwined shadows and starlight pulsing like a living thing.
Nyx poked his cheek. "Huh. I thought he'd be snarkier by now."
Eira's magic flared, a warning growl building in her throat.
The girl rolled her ink-black eyes. "Relax, Starlight. He's not *dead*. Just… talking."
"Talking to who?"
Nyx grinned. "The *other* crown, obviously."
As if summoned, the air above Kaelan shimmered, revealing a spectral throne room—and there, seated across from his unconscious form, was a shadowy figure wearing a twin to his crown.
Eira's breath caught.
The figure turned.
It had Kaelan's face.
---
The Shadow King's Bargain
The vision sharpened—
_Kaelan stood in a hall of mirrors, each reflection a version of himself: assassin, brother, king. The shadowy double lounged on a throne of bones, smirking._
"Took you long enough,"it drawled.
Kaelan's hand went to his dagger. "What the hell are you?"
"What you could be."The double gestured to the crown on its own head."The *true* Shadow King. Not that pitiful imitation your brother became."
It leaned forward, eyes glinting."The crown chose you, Kaelan Dain. But it'll eat you alive unless you claim its power properly."
Kaelan bared his teeth. "And how do I do that?"
_The double's smile turned vicious."Kill the Starlight heir."
---
Eira's Choice
The vision shattered as Eira wrenched Kaelan's consciousness back with a surge of magic. He gasped awake, his hands flying to her wrists—not to push her away, but to hold on.
His pupils were still dilated, his voice rough. "It wants me to kill you."
Eira didn't flinch. "I know."
Nyx clapped. "Aw. True love."
Kaelan ignored her, his thumb brushing Eira's crescent mark. "There's another way."
"Obviously," Nyx chirped. "But you're not gonna like it."
Eira and Kaelan turned in unison.
The girl twirled, her white hair floating as if underwater. "Two crowns, two thrones… or one of each." She tapped her chin. "Basically? Get married or die."
Silence.
Kaelan blinked. "What."
Eira's mouth went dry.
Nyx beamed. "The magic wants balance. So either you share power…" Her grin turned sharp. "Or you fight to the death."
---
The Queen's Return
The ground split before anyone could respond.
Black vines erupted, twisting into a grotesque mimicry of a throne—and there, perched atop it like a carrion bird, sat the Celestial Queen. Her body was half-rotted, her starlight gown now threaded with Luminarch gold.
*"Pathetic,"* she sneered. *"I forged you to rule corpses, and you'd rather *wed* one?"*
Kaelan was on his feet in an instant, the crown's shadows coiling around him. "You're supposed to be dead."
The queen laughed, bones cracking in her throat. "Death is for lesser things."
Eira stepped forward, her own crown flaring to life. "Then we'll make you lesser."
The queen's smile faded.
For the first time, she looked at them—*really* looked—and took a step back.
Because the crowns weren't just glowing now.
They were singing.
---
Cliffhanger Ending: The Wedding March
The first chord of magic struck like a bell—
—and the world reshaped around them.
Vines became a cathedral. Corpses became witnesses. The crowns' voices rose in a harmony that shook the sky.
Nyx, now clad in a bridal veil of shadows, giggled. "Whoops. Looks like the magic chose for you."
Kaelan's hand found Eira's as the queen screamed against the binding magic.
"This isn't a wedding," Eira hissed.
Kaelan's lips brushed her ear. "It is now."
Then the crowns sealed the vow—
—and the queen's throne *collapsed* into a coffin.
Teaser for Chapter Sixteen: The Crownless Queen
The vows are binding.
The thrones await.
But the queen isn't the only one who doesn't approve of this marriage.