Page 169 of Treasured

“Lulu? Are you coming?” My brother-in-law’s gravelly voice filtered through the door. “We need to go. Stop making out with your husband.”

With a groan, Luna broke our kiss. “Coming!” she called out.

We shared a look. Since he’d Matured last year, Marius had been begging Luna to let him join Phyrra on her missions. To date, she’d refused, but he was wearing her down. Slowly, carefully, he was making her see he couldn’t be trapped here forever.

Letting Marius come tonight was a compromise. The Wasting Illness had never returned, thank the gods, but Luna was very protective of her little brother. She hated letting him out of her sight.

Although, as I opened the door, I conceded that “little” was a misnomer. Marius was nearly as tall as me, and the hours he spent training with the guards meant he was strong and muscular. There wasn’t a hint of the frail halfling in sight.

The three of us joined hands. That same jolt of power ran through us even now. Shadows swirled, and then, we were off.

* * *

The journey through the Void was longer than normal, but it was smooth. The shadows lifted, leaving us in a lively ballroom. The air was warm, and the atmosphere was light as vampires, humans, shifters, witches, and elves intermingled. Conversations rose, mixing with the occasional laugh. A small orchestra played in the corner of the ballroom, and the windows and doors were open, letting the breeze come in.

The moment the three of us gained our footing, Marius stepped back. “I’ll meet up with you two at the end of the night,” he promised.

“Go, have fun,” Luna gave him an encouraging push toward the crowd.

It was all he needed. Marius disappeared into the crowded ballroom, and Luna smiled as she leaned against me. “Can you believe it’s finally happening?”

I kissed her. “I always knew it would, from the first moment you told me about it.”

“Really?”

“Of course.” I squeezed her hand. “You’re amazing. You can do whatever you set your mind to.”

Luna twisted in my arms and beamed up at me. “It’s not just my night, you know. Tonight, everyone—”

“Queen Luna!” a small voice called out moments before someone slammed into us.

I looked down as the child, who was perhaps five years old with pointed ears and long silver hair, tugged on Luna’s skirt.

My wife let go of my hand, bending to the elf’s level. She opened her arms in greeting, and the child dove into Luna’s arms, snuggling in close.

Luna hugged the elf. “Hello, Arabella.”

“Hi,” the youngling said, her voice like wind chimes. “I missed you.”

Still holding the child, Luna glanced up at me, a grin dancing on her beautiful face. Barely a month had passed since we had hosted Arabella and her family at Castle Sanguis.

“Where are your parents?” I asked. Usually, Arabella ran free through the forests, but it was rather busy here tonight.

“Right here.” A low, booming voice came from behind us, and I turned.

Standing with a red-haired baby on his hip was Arabella’s father. Taller than even me, he was an imposing presence. His sleeves were rolled up, displaying the mating mark on his arm. His silver-white hair was in a bun at the nape of his neck, much longer now than it had been when we first met, and he wore a golden circlet around his head.

Arabella launched out of Luna’s arms. “Daddy!” She clapped, and a flurry of vines erupted from the ground, catching several people off guard as the new growth wound around their feet. “Oops.”

Her father smiled. “Not to worry, little one. Your mother has a habit of doing the same thing when she’s excited. I’m sure she can fix it.” To us, he said, “We’re so glad you could come. This means a lot to us.”

Luna stood, slipping her hand into the crook of my elbow. “Us too.”

Since the balance had been righted, this project had occupied much of Luna’s time. She had a passion for the unification of the Four Kingdoms, as did the new powers in Ithenmyr. Together, along with the Council of Lords in both Ipotha and Drahan, she had spent countless hours preparing for tonight.

This was more than just the opening of the first university in Ithenmyr that would accept females. It was a tangible symbol of the unity that had been built after the righting of the balance.

A bell rang, and the music stopped. A hush fell over the crowd as two elves walked out onto the stage in the middle of the ballroom. One was a blonde with curling black horns like a ram. She wore an ebony gown, and her hair was coiffed in a way that highlighted the red markings covering her body.