Page 2 of Treasured
I sighed. Hearing it out loud did not help. The prophecy was still just as cryptic as ever.
Why were all prophecies so confusing? For once, I’d appreciate it if someone sat me down and told me what would happen next. A little guidance wouldn’t hurt anyone, would it?
A giggle rose in my throat, and I put the plant down before I accidentally hurt it.
Prophecies and vampires and a wicked queen.
How was this my life?
Soon, the giggle gave way to full-on laughter. It bubbled out of me like fizzy Faerie Wine that had been shaken too hard. Despite my efforts to stop it, my mirth filled the cave and echoed off the walls.
Within moments, Sebastian shifted.
“What’s so funny, Princess?” His voice was groggy, and my stomach twisted in shame. I woke him up.
Sebastian rolled over, his hand landing protectively on my hip.
That was also a new development.
Ever since we tapped into the Tether and soul shared, Sebastian was always reaching for me and touching me. Even while flying, his hands brushed against mine constantly as though he needed to reassure himself that I was there.
Not that I minded.
Every time his fingers danced across my skin, and his lips brushed mine, sparks ignited between us. He lit a fire in me, and I couldn’t imagine my life without him. He completed me in every way.
“I was just considering our… situation.” I shrugged.
He studied me for a moment before pushing himself up and drawing me against him in a giant hug. As his arms wrapped around me, I relaxed.
This was my favorite place in the entire world. It was here that I felt safe, warm, and loved. As long as we were together, it would be okay.
I was his, and he was mine.
The gentle, slow lub-dub of Sebastian’s heart was a peaceful backdrop to the companionable silence stretching between us.
Eventually, he said, “I will kill the queen for forcing us into this.”
“I know.”
His murderous declarations always delighted a deep, dark part of me. Knowing he would do anything for me brought me an immense sense of peace and no small amount of joy.
There was definitely something wrong with me.
The queen had to die. There was no other way out of this. Her actions had made it abundantly clear that it was us or her. Drawing my bottom lip through my fangs, I shifted in his arms until I could see his face. “We should reach the Second Order of Isvana’s Chosen tomorrow, right?”
We were flying, so our movements were somewhat weather-dependent. Shadowing wasn’t an option, as neither of us had been to our destination before. We were traveling over snow-covered forests and across mountains, working off an old map of Sebastian’s that he’d taken from his cabin before our hasty retreat into the wilderness.
Hopefully, it was accurate. If not…
Well, I didn’t want to think about that.
It just had to be right.
Sebastian’s hands slipped beneath my cloak, and he drew circles on my back. “Yes. If all goes to plan, we’ll arrive before dawn.”
If all goes to plan.
I didn’t have much faith in that.