Enchantra (Wicked Games, #2)

by Kaylie Smith

“I am devastated for you,” she told him sincerely, bending down to haul up both of her trunks, ready to leave the train long behind. “Try not to fall into too heavy a depression from my noticeable absence in your life.”

Lol

Reaching inside of herself for a kernel of her magic, she began to make her form flicker in and out of its invisible, non-corporeal state as she crooned, “Who said I was a lady?”

“Unless you want to end up as one of those whispered legends… of a man who wandered off with a beautiful stranger into the middle of nowhere only to disappear and never be heard from again… I suggest you leave. Now.”

The nightmare was always the same. He stood over her with a lit match as she desperately tried to disappear. “You’re a Demon. I wish I’d never met you. And now you’ll fucking burn.” When Genevieve finally awoke, it was on the outside of Enchantra’s gates, next to her trunks, with no recollection of how she got there and a bitter taste in her mouth.

Do you know what it’s like to be followed around by hundreds of screaming birds everywhere you go?” His expression turned mocking. “Equally enjoyable as this conversation?”

“She made her own bed, and now she’ll have to lie in it. Which, incidentally, could be a win for me. Don’t you think that has a nice ring to it?”

Why is ring emphasized?

“So you work for this Devil?” “I don’t just work for him, Miss Grimm. I am his Familiar,”

“We were married, with Knox’s permission, and eventually went on to have our seven children: Gravington, Covington, Rowington, Remington, Sevington, Wellington, and Ellington.” He waved his hand at the other portraits down the hallway.

“If your wife is a Demon and you were once mortal, that would make your children…” “Wraiths, yes.”

She knew little of Wraiths, and none of it was good. The books said they were made from darkness itself, that they craved the blood and souls of others.

Knox had set his eyes on my children, and what he proposed was the Hunt. A game that he designed as a punishment, because I wanted to break my bond. And a spectacle for every gambler and sick fanatic in Hell. He made it sound like the children would only need to go through the Hunt once, and on that basis I convinced them to agree. But the wording of his contract… was too clever for me. They have been forced to play every single year since.”

“Then we get to live out the remainder of the year under Knox’s command,” Rowin said, his voice dripping with bitterness. “The winner, on the other hand, gets to stay here until the Hunt begins anew,”

“You’re an ass.” He smirked. “Are words the only claws you’ve got?” “Come closer and let’s see,” she crooned.

“My advice is to simply not get stabbed. And if you do—don’t bleed out.”

“Good luck,” Sevin told his brother as he exited. “You look darling together.”

“It has been decided that you will enter the Hunt as Rowington’s wife.”

“Can’t I marry one of the others instead?” she suggested. “No,” Rowin stated. “This was my idea. Therefore, you’re mine. If anyone is winning freedom from the Hunt, it’s me.”

Identical twins.

“And you stepped into the house on my watch. Therefore you’re my burden to bear,”

“Think of it as playing a character. Inside the walls of Enchantra you’re no longer Genevieve Grimm. You’re my wife.”

“You know what, trouble? Let’s make our own little wager.” She held her breath. “You manage to make it out of this labyrinth and get to the front gate before I do—without using your magic—and I’ll give you the choice. Play on your own or play with me. If I win, however, you come back inside and put on a damned wedding dress.”

“You’re going to tire yourself out long before you hurt me, trouble.”

Then she did the only other thing she could think of: she bit him. In the ass.

am about to get married. Yes. Married. Days from my twenty-second birthday. To a man I’ve known mere hours and whom I find infuriating. But he won’t be the first man I’ve attempted to marry that I’ve loathed. We can only hope this engagement will have a better ending.

“I’ve really enjoyed the one where I ask you to do something, and you simply refuse to fucking do it.” “What a coincidence, I love that game, too,”

“If I’m going to be dragged down the aisle, I at least want to look incredible. You only get a first wedding once.” “You’re mortal. You only die once,”

“If I have to look awful on my wedding day, I’m going to be the scariest thing in this house⁠—”

Lol

“We are gathered here today to witness the union of Rowington Silver and Genevieve Grimm in the sacred ceremony of Aeternitas. Eternal matrimony.”

“I, Rowington Silver, seal my fate with yours,” Rowin recited, his amber gaze fixing itself to Genevieve’s and holding firm as he enunciated every word clearly. “My soul is your soul. My heart is your heart. My blood is your blood. Eternally,”

“I’ve got you.”

He’s just a man. But that wasn’t really true anymore, was it? He was her husband.

“And I won’t be showing you any mercy if you lay a finger on my wife.”

“And I thought choking was more your thing.” Genevieve gave Rowin a taunting smirk. “Now that I’m game to try. I’ve wanted to strangle you since the first time I heard you speak.” Rowin rolled his eyes as Sevin corrected, “I don’t think you’d be the one doing the choking, sweetheart.”

“Lovely to officially meet you, Miss Grimm,” Knox said in farewell. Genevieve paused to look back at the Devil, meeting his violet gaze as she corrected, “It’s Mrs. Silver. And it’s with utter disdain that I am officially meeting you. Good night.”

“After you, Mrs. Silver.”

“I am not going to fuck you just because we’re married,” she maintained.

Lolzz

“I’m not sure I have any nightgowns that would be appropriate to wear in front of you,” she finally said. He snorted. “Whatever you have wouldn’t be anything I haven’t seen before.” “I hate when people say that,” she told him. “It is something you’ve never seen before. Me. And I’m spectacular.”

What do you know about Soul Locks?”

“They are enchanted artifacts made to collect and contain souls.

“Sometimes parents make terrible mistakes. And there’s nothing we can ever do to fix them,” he whispered to her. “The least we can do is let you be as angry for as long as you need.”

“Sometimes I think it’s best not to chase after things. Sometimes all we can do is let them go and hope they come back on their own.”

As Genevieve left the mournful silence of the room, she knew such a thing would never be good enough for her. She’d always want to be found. No matter how many times she ran away.

Of course, the last time one of our beloved Silver siblings attempted the marriage loophole, it didn’t end so well, did it?

“I believe it’s my turn to dance with my wife.”

“If he upset you, I think it’s important for you to remember that, as your husband, it’s my job to defend your honor.”

“I don’t want to fight it.” “Fuck,” he hissed. “Neither do I.”

A moment later something else began to caress her skin, tangling in her hair. Something cool and light as a feather that was vibrating with power. His shadows.

Yesss shadow daddy!

“Stop calling me trouble.” “Stop causing it.” “Or you could just join me in causing it,” she crooned.

“You were right.” “About what in particular?” “You aren’t anything I’ve ever seen before,” he said gruffly. “You’re spectacular.”

“If you and Rowin give us a nice little show, I’ll vote you for Favored. I want to see if it’s true that he’s got five piercings in the head of his⁠—”