The door swung closed on Isaac and Lavinia with a click. They had been ushered into a warmly decorated room. In the center was an enormous four-poster bed. Over it was a thick duvet with intricate red embroidery. Beside it was a loveseat and two plump ottomans. Lavinia sank into the loveseat, letting out a breath. Isaac stayed frozen just inside the doorway. "Oh, sit down." Said Lavinia. "I'd think you'd be good at this.""Excuse me?"Lavinia sighed. "Clearly Mr. Brogan thinks we were invited to the ritual or wedding or whatever they're forcing Arabella into.""We should not be wasting time sitting here and-""Isaac, it will be much easier to get her out of here if we are welcome guests. For the time being, we just need to accept their hospitality and wait. When the time comes we will get her and run. "He looked at her incredulously. "How did you come up with that so quickly?""When you work under constant scrutiny you get good at reading people. Mr. Brogan do

The next morning came much sooner than desired. No light streamed onto the bed, the closed hangings kept it at bay. Isaac and Lavinia were awoken instead by a heavy banging on the door. Lavinia sat up, drawing the covers to her shoulders. Disgruntled, Isaac swung his legs out of bed. He pulled his dressing gown tight around himself and stood. Opening the door, he came face to face with Marco."You got here so soon," he said. "I didn't even have time to send out an invitation."Isaac matched Marco's energy, keeping his words light. "I simply could not miss my little sister's wedding.""Of course. This a family affair. Will your mother be joining us? It's so rare to see you without her."Isaac's expression cracked into an unwilling smile. He forced a laugh. "Yes, we are rather close. But unfortunately, she will not. She has work to attend to at the manor.""What a pity," Marco said, making no effort to disguise his mocking tone. You and your..." he glanced at Lavinia

Lavinia had hoped that preparations for Marco and Arabella's ceremony would feel like a point of normalcy. She thought that surely the process could not be that different from events she had been to in the past. Mr. Brogan seemed to be treating the whole affair like a wedding. But nothing could have been farther from the truth.Sonia's event planning was unlike anything Lavinia had ever seen. Instead of choosing decorations and matching centerpieces, she bound herbs and lit candles, guiding Arabella and Lavinia through the motions. That afternoon she led them into the surrounding forest. Lavinia had never seen woods like these. In the confines of the city, there was almost no plant life. It was only near Astor manor that she had ever seen any density of plant life. This area was something entirely new. Trees grew wide and tall, their roots overlapping in a matted tangle on the forest floor, overrun with ferns and thick patches of leafy shrubs that Lavinia could not identify.

"What do you mean?" Sonia asked. "Of course he's your mate. That's why you're here."Lavinia wanted to retreat, to find a way to change the subject and forget the whole thing. If Sonia found out she and Isaac were not there to celebrate, she could tell Marco and they would never be able to get Arabella free. But at this point, they had said too much. Lavinia looked at Arabella waiting for her to say something first."Marco wants me to be his mate," Arabella said slowly. "I don't know if he feels something instinctually or if he just made a decision.""He must feel something," Sonia persisted. "This is one of our most sacred rituals. You can't just claim that someone is your mate. Are you sure you don't-""I don't feel anything," Arabella dropped all pretense. "I didn't want to come here with him. He took me from Astor Manor. Threatened me with-""Marco wouldn't do that. He isn't that sort of person.""Sonia, that's why Isaac and I came," Lavinia siad. "We came here to r

Arabella stood on a platform, staring at herself in a full-length mirror. At her feet, an older stooped woman fussed with the hem of her gown which extended into a long train that reached as far back as the low sofa behind her. On the sofa sat Sonia and Lavinia, the former leaning forward impatiently."I don't see why you need a dress," Sonia complained."Look, if I have to suffer a whole ceremony, I'm at least going to look good doing it," Arabella snapped."Our ritual robes are perfectly fine.""I feel like I should be allowed to add my culture into the process.""Wanting a new gown isn't culture."Lavinia rolled her eyes. "For Arabella, it's almost a religion. Did I tell you what she was like leading up to Isaac's Ball?""No, you neglected to entertain me with that one," Sonia said.Laughing, Lavinia started to describe how Arabella approached her makeover with no small amount of schadenfreude. She talked about the previous fitting she had gone to and how Arabella had i