To Marry A Monster (by Brey Mitchell) novel Chapter 210

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Celeste never sensed the presence observing them from high above, silent as frost and twice as cold.

From an upper window of the inner keep, Cassian stood with one hand braced against the stone frame, eyes fixed on the carriage rolling away from him. The lanterns on its sides cast a faint glow over the snow, turning the tracks behind it into dark lines that cut across the courtyard.

His face did not move.

“You are truly letting her go? The South is a far away place.”

The voice came from behind him, dry and edged with concern. Elder Agape did not step too close. He remained a few paces back, hands tucked into his sleeves, eyes on the same carriage.

Cassian did not turn. “The tide is changing,” he said. “She needs to be away from here when it breaks.”

The Elder studied him in profile. On the surface, Cassian looked steady, expression as controlled as ever. Only the tight pull at the corner of his mouth and the faint strain in the muscles along his jaw betrayed anything else.

“You could have sent her under guard in daylight,” Elder Agape said. “With banners and proper notice. Sending your Consort out at night, with rumors of a fight, is… an interesting choice.”

“Rumors are exactly what I need,” Cassian answered. His gaze followed the carriage as it cleared the inner yard and moved toward the outer road. “Let them say we argued. Let them say she chose her sister over me. Let them say I finally lost patience and let her leave.”

Inwardly, the thought slid into place with a grim satisfaction. If his brother’s spies heard that the Tyrant Lord and his southern consort had fallen out, if courts to the east and south heard that Atasha had chosen to walk away from him, then any future moves he made to protect her would draw less attention. A Consort who abandoned the North was easier to underestimate than one standing beside him on every council day.

“Celeste provides a convenient excuse,” he added. “A southern sister who pulled her away. The King will think it nothing more than family trouble.”

Elder Agape’s mouth pressed into a narrow line. “Convenient or not, revealing her ability the way you did was reckless,” he said. “You allowed your soldiers, your officers, your enemies‘ spies among them, to see how far her healing reaches. Now you let her leave the fortress. You make it easy for anyone with enough nerve to follow her.”

He shook his head once. “I do not have the right to question your decision as Lord. But I am old enough to say that this path is steep.”

Cassian finally turned to face him.

“I would rather send her into that risk with my eyes open than keep her here where witches can turn every stone against her,” he said. “I have already failed once to see how far they were willing to go. I will not fail again.”

He met the Elder’s gaze without flinching. “I will die protecting my mate.”

19:23 Fri, Dec 12

Chapter 210

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The words dropped between them like a weight. Elder Agape had heard vows from many men in his life. This one carried a different strain. It was not the promise of a lord made in front of witnesses, but something more stripped down.

Outside, the carriage cleared the gate. The doors began to close, shutting out the night road in slow, steady inches.

Elder Agape looked back at the last sliver of lanternlight. “What do you plan to do once she discovers what she is?” he asked. “You know as well as I do that her origin is not… ordinary. When the truth reaches her, it will not be gentle.”

Cassian’s eyes tracked the final glimpse of the carriage roof before the gate shut completely. “Whatever she is,” he said. “It will not change the fact that she is my mate.”

“Even if she acts against your people?” Elder Agape asked.

Cassian’s jaw clenched. He turned his head, meeting the Elder’s eyes without looking away.

“I will protect her with my life,” he said.

The rest of the sentence stayed in his mind, not on his tongue. ‘Even if that means turning my back on the North.‘

He pushed away from the window.

Without another word, he crossed the room and took his coat from the peg by the door. The fur–lined fabric fell over his shoulders in one practiced motion. His face hardened as if a mask had settled into place again.

Elder Agape did not move to follow. He watched Cassian’s back, saw the way his steps carried more weight than usual, and knew that whatever came next would not be softened by counsel.

Cassian left the chamber.

In the corridor outside, Lucas waited with his hood drawn low, shadowed enough that most passing servants would not recognize him at a glance. He straightened the moment Cassian appeared.

“Everything is in place,” Lucas said. “The path to the southern road has been cleared. No patrols scheduled to cross their route. Rio and his men are trailing at distance. If anyone tries to intercept her, they will see it first. She will be safe.”

Cassian gave a short nod. “Good,” he said. “Keep them far enough that Celeste does not smell them breathing down her neck. Close enough that no one gets within ten paces of that carriage without losing a hand.”

“Yes, my Lord.”

Together, they moved through the lesser–used passage, avoiding the main stair where guards stood at formal posts. The side corridor was more narrow, the torchlight weaker, but it led them to a door that opened onto a covered stairwell rarely used at this hour.

No one stopped them.

19:23 Fri, Dec 12

Chapter 210

…

พร

42

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Outside, the air bit colder than it had at the window. Their breath showed with each exhale as they crossed the inner yard. Instead of heading toward the gate where the carriage had gone, they angled toward the opposite side of the fortress, to the lower entrance most civilians avoided, where the stone darkened and the air seemed heavier even from a distance.

The dungeon lay beneath that wing.

By the time they reached the stair that led down, the faint tang of metal and old blood already lingered in the air. The guard on duty straightened, and swung the door open without comment.

The steps down were steep and worn by years of boots. Torches burned low in their brackets along the walls, casting a dull glow over stone streaked from damp and smoke. The deeper they went, the stronger the smell became. Old sweat, iron, filth, stale fear. It clung to the back of the throat.

At the base of the stairs, a heavy door waited, reinforced with bars and bolts. Lucas signaled the man standing beside it. Almost immediately, keys rattled, and the door opened.

Cassian stepped inside.

The chamber beyond was not large, but every surface carried marks of use. A single chair had been placed near the middle, sturdy enough to hold a man who did not intend to rest.

Cassian crossed to it and sat.

His gaze lifted to the figure shackled against the far wall.

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