The Pledge (The Pledge 1)

The citizens of Ludania would finally be free, no longer forced into a class system that determined what language they could speak, what jobs they could do, or who they could be.

Everything Xander had ever hoped for had come true at last.

He stood straight then, moving to stand directly in front of me as he dropped low and bowed dramatically. “Your Majesty.”

EPILOGUE

I lay there listening to the sounds of sleep beside me, the even breathing, the soft rustling of linens. If only my sleep could be so peaceful.

The nights were the worst, when I closed my eyes and let my guard down, surrendering to the will of my dreams.

She was with me still, I knew that now.

I moved with care, untangling my legs and easing my way from beneath the heavy blankets. There was no need to disturb someone else with my burdens.

The darkness parted around me, cleaved by my very presence as I padded to the window on bare feet and glanced out at the lawns below. The moon blazing brightly in the still night sky nearly matched the intensity of my skin. My own glow had faded over time, but only slightly.

Settling in with my country had not been difficult; I abolished laws, not languages, allowing people to make their own choices, to forge their own place in the world. Of course, not everyone agreed. There were always the voices of dissention—those who opposed change, even when it was for the best—and I worried that those voices might grow, gain a life of their own, much like the voice within me.

Even now, I could feel the veiled shadows straining to reach the surface.

At first I’d believed it was only in my imaginings, that side of me that whispered malice and dreamed dark deeds. A result of my new responsibilities on the throne. I’d hoped it would go away with time, much like the light living beneath my skin.

But now, as the months stretched on, and my country and I settled into a delicate accord, I knew it was something more. Something infinitely more sinister.

She was there—the ancient queen—wraithlike and vengeful, hoping to take her place once more.

I couldn’t allow it, of course, and she understood that. For now, at least, I was stronger than she was. I was able to keep her at bay. So her only recourse was to find my weak spots, chinks in my defenses, places where she could inject her evils and try to infect me with fear and suspicion. And that was usually at night, while I slept.

Strong arms reached around me from behind, and a stubbled cheek nuzzled my shoulder.

“I didn’t mean to wake you,” I breathed softly.

“I wasn’t complaining.” Max’s lips found their way to my neck, and in the darkness, sparks shimmered brilliantly J"0e @, showering us both with a display of what his touch could do to me. “Come back to bed,” he coaxed, and again, light flickered and danced around us.

I smiled, letting him lead me away from the window, knowing that, for the time being, everything was as it should be.

It didn’t matter that later, when I closed my eyes, she would be there, making ugly promises and sinister threats.

For now, I had Max in my bed.

And a queendom to rule.