Chapter 2

"Do you like it? Go ahead and try it on."

"It's a gift from you. I'd like to wait and wear it tomorrow, at the wedding."

"All right. As long as you're happy."

His tone was as gentle as ever.

Yet I caught the flash of impatience that crossed his eyes — there and gone in an instant.

How had I never seen it before?

Dorian lowered his head and pressed his lips to the back of my hand.

"I will love you forever."

"As will I."

Nothing but lies. Anyone can say them.

After returning to the palace.

I stared at the ring in my hand, buried my face in my hands, and wept without a sound.

My ladies-in-waiting were frightened out of their wits.

"Your Highness! Has someone wronged you?"

They crowded around me, flustered, pressing handkerchiefs into my hands and gently patting my back.

"It's nothing. Only a very terrible dream."

In my past life, the ladies-in-waiting had noticed something was wrong with Rosaline. To silence them, Rosaline had every one of them put to death.

I can still hear their desperate cries as they were dragged away.

But in this life. I will not let anyone die again.

"I need all of you to find someone for me. As quickly as possible."

My ladies-in-waiting brought back the person I was looking for — a young mermaid child named Lily.

She was skeletal with hunger, large patches of scales had fallen away, her tail fin was covered in scars, and branded onto her shoulder was a black number: 387.

"Who could be so cruel?"

"She's not even of age!"

I crouched down and met her eyes at her level. "Who did this to you?"

"Thank you for saving me, but I cannot say. The mermaids who spoke have all disappeared."

"It was Dorian, wasn't it? He kidnapped and imprisoned you. To make the dark magic rings."