Page 113 of Treasured
He knew. Somehow, that made things even worse.
A crack ran through my heart. I whispered, “Yes. They’re all dead.”
“I Saw it. I thought it might be a nightmare, but…”
“It was real.”
He sucked in a breath. “Oh.”
One word. How could a single syllable be infused with so much pain?
That crack grew until my heart shattered into a million pieces. “Yes. It’s just the two of us now.” I glanced up at Sebastian and amended, “Three of us.”
The harbinger, the Sunwalker, and the Wielder of Shadows.
Three against the world.
The Heavy Weight of Memories
SEBASTIAN
Delicate, tiny soft snores like rumbles from a newborn puppy came from Luna’s sleeping form beside me. She’d fallen asleep the moment we returned to our room, but I couldn’t rest.
Instead, I stared at Phyrra’s note. I’d read the words so many times, I’d already memorized them.
I looked into the three astronomers you asked about. Two, Ignatius and Hviani, are loyal to the queen and should not be approached. Jehanne’s allegiance is unknown.
And at the bottom, in a hastier scrawl, was:
Travel with caution.
I groaned, my head falling back against the headboard. Jehanne Lambert was a renowned astronomer in Eleyta whose temper was the stuff of legends. She was famously private and often refused to work with people who disturbed her peace.
Unfortunately for us, we had no other choice. We needed her help. Between Keven’s vision in Castle Sanguis’ library and the damned prophecy Zephyra had read for us, it was abundantly clear we needed to challenge the queen on the night of the red moon. As neither Luna nor I were astronomers, nor could we See the future, this was our only option. I refused to let the red moon catch us by surprise. There were already enough factors working against us.
Luna rolled over in her sleep, her hand landing on my thigh. Mumbling something under her breath, she licked the tip of her fangs. I scooted down the bed, gathering her in my arms and running my hand down her back. Within moments, her breathing settled.
Pressing the lightest of kisses against her hair, I held her close. “I’ve got you, my love.”
And I would never, ever let her go.
* * *
Leaving the abbey the next night was a teary affair. Luna and Marius cried. They hugged for so long that it seemed like their arms might fall off. I stood behind Luna, my hand on her lower back as I waited. I didn’t want to push either of them, but the journey to Jehanne’s territory would take some time.
After several minutes, Luna released her brother. “I love you,” she whispered, kissing his cheek. “They’re going to keep you safe here.”
“I want to go with you.” Marius stared at Luna before turning his pleading eyes to me. Gods, how did parents deal with this? He looked like a lost dog with that wide gaze, and the slight quiver in his lip certainly added to his cause. “I promise I’ll be good.”
More sorrow came through the Binding Mark.
“I’m sorry.” I shook my head regretfully. “It isn’t safe.”
Marius frowned. “Please?”
Luna sighed, and I could see how much denying her brother hurt her. “We need to move fast, Mar-Mar. I’m sorry.”
His shoulders deflated. “Okay. But you’ll be back soon?”