Page 167 of Treasured

I shot my husband a look. We were already having enough trouble getting Marius to focus on his studies. The last thing I needed was for Sebastian to encourage him in his disdain for learning. Sometimes, I didn’t know how it was possible that two people who were related could be so different.

The clock struck, and Sebastian touched my arm. “We have to go, Luna, or we’ll be late.”

It certainly wasn’t relaxing, being queen. I still hadn’t gotten the cats I wanted, but it was on my list of things to do. Eventually.

I gave Marius one last hug. “Have fun studying.”

“I won’t,” he grumbled.

Sighing in defeat, I stood and slipped my hand into Sebastian’s. We traveled through the Void, landing in the throne room in seconds.

Two matching thrones—far less ostentatious than Queen Marguerite’s had been—sat at the front of the room. We were hearing petitions tonight, and we’d likely be here for hours. I wasn’t upset, though. We were making changes in Eleyta. Our people were happier and healthier. We’d moved Odette’s laboratory to the castle, and with her potion, every single person who had suffered from the Wasting Illness had been given the cure.

We’d barely settled onto the thrones when the doors banged open.

“Your Majesties!” Tristan shouted as he barreled into the throne room. He dropped to a hasty bow at the foot of the dais, clearly out of breath.

“What is it?” Sebastian demanded.

The vampire looked at us with wide eyes. “There’s a dragon on the roof.”

* * *

Sebastian’s hand was an iron grip around my arm as we shadowed to the roof. I wasn’t sure why he was holding me so tightly.

Did he think I was going to touch the dragon? I wasn’t insane. Sure, my mouth had run away from me a few times, but I still had a brain. All thoughts emptied out of it, though, when the shadows disappeared.

Heavy snow fell from the sky, obstructing my vision, but even a blizzard couldn’t have hidden the creature standing in front of me.

“Oh, my gods,” I whispered.

There really was a dragon.

It was far larger than the Nightwing but just as beautiful. The dragon was green, its scales resembling a forest in springtime, and twin horns adorned its head. Two massive amber eyes stared at us, unblinking.

Sitting on the dragon was a rider. They wore a thick, fur-lined cloak that obscured their identity and heavy boots that ran up to their thighs. The snow didn’t seem to bother them, though, as they sat astride the massive, fire-breathing beast.

I wondered if the dragon’s scales made it warmer to the touch. None of the snow that fell on it remained there, melting instantly.

The rider dipped their head in our direction. “Are you the Prince of Darkness?”

Sebastian nodded, but he did not release my arm. “I am.”

A sigh of relief came from the rider. “Thank Thelrena.” They reached up and pulled off their hood, revealing a beautiful elf with long red hair. “I am the High Lady of Life, and we desperately need your help.”

My shadows pulsed encouragingly. Just like before, with the white wolf and the Nightwing, something urged me to trust them. I pried Sebastian’s hand off my arm and took a step toward the dragon.

When I wasn’t immediately incinerated, I moved even closer.

“This is about the darkness, isn’t it?” I asked the elf.

She nodded. “It is.”

I glanced at Sebastian over my shoulder. “We thought this might happen.”

The reports we’d gotten from the Koln Mountains were strange, to say the least. Sebastian and I had both postulated that we might need to act sooner rather than later. It seemed the time had come.

“My name is Luna, Vampire Queen of Eleyta.” The title still felt foreign on my tongue. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”