Page 45 of Treasured

“Not because you needed to escape the smell?” I teased. I wouldn’t be letting this go any time soon.

“That too,” he said. “But I’m delighted to get some time alone with you, Luna.”

He was right. This was nice. Being alone was something vastly underrated. But it also meant something else. An idea sparked in my mind, and once it took hold, it was hard to think of anything else.

Stepping back, I put my hands on my hips and assessed the clearing. I didn’t see anything that would impede my plan. “Yes, this will be perfect.”

Sebastian’s brows furrowed. “Perfect?” he echoed. “Care to fill me in on your plan?”

I picked up his hand, rubbing the Binding Mark. “You’re feeling alright? The summons is still quiet?”

“Yes, I took the tonic as soon as I woke up.” His voice betrayed his confusion at my train of thought. “The call is muted.”

For now.

The unsaid words hung between us, a reminder of the constant burden of the summons. We couldn’t hide forever. That’s what made this more important than ever.

“Good.” I clasped my hands in front of me, hoping I looked serious, but not too-serious. “I want to practice soul sharing.”

We had done it twice before, the first time having been a complete accident. Queen Marguerite had insinuated Bound and Tethered Partners like us were capable of sharing power, but we had never done it until she drugged us with Faerie Wine and made Sebastian fight another vampire to the death. He’d been moments away from being staked when I pushed past the prohiberis and silver dust that blocked magic and uncovered the new powers within me.

The second time we’d soul shared had been no less frightening than the first, but at least that time, the use of the Tether was intentional. After the fight, the queen tried to murder me in cold blood. The only reason we survived was because we used the connection between us to overpower her long enough to escape.

Needless to say, it was important that we mastered this technique. The next time we met Queen Marguerite, we needed to be as strong as possible. After all, it was us or her. If she’d been a normal vampire, overpowering her would be no problem. Sebastian and I were strong. But she wasn’t normal. She was queen because she was the strongest vampire in the land, and the strange ruby she wore imbued her with power.

Sebastian’s obsidian eyes gleamed as he brushed his lips across my knuckles.

“Are you sure?” he asked. “We don’t know if soul sharing has any side effects.”

“Besides saving our lives?” I asked teasingly. I was in a very good mood tonight, with the success in the laboratory. I hoped this next venture would be as fruitful.

“Besides that.” He frowned and his gaze flickered with concern as they swept over me. “We can do it, Luna, but you need to feed first. I won’t have you trying anything without being at full strength. Especially since we don’t know how draining these experiments of yours could be.”

That made sense. Besides, feeding from Sebastian wasn’t strenuous in the least. The fact that his blood was all I needed was a blessing. Hunting was definitely not something I ever intended to do. Killing that Fledgling had been bad enough.

“Alright,” I agreed. “If you insist.”

He growled, “I do.”

I tilted my head. “You need to feed, too.”

His eyes gleamed, and a look passed across his face that reminded me he was not only my husband but a predatory vampire and the prince of this land. Power ran through his veins, and he was a dangerous hunter. Creatures big and small instinctively feared him.

But not me.

He’d never hurt me.

Sebastian grinned. His fangs glimmered in the moonlight. “Deal.”

Taking my hand, he led me to a fallen log covered in a strange black moss. As terrible as the dying land appeared, it didn’t seem harmful to the touch.

Sebastian sat first, pulling me onto his lap. He fanned his wings, those dark appendages shielding us from the rest of the silent forest.

I straddled him, making myself comfortable before drawing my long hair away from the side of my neck. “Ready?”

“Always,” was his gruff response.

We moved at the same time. I dipped my head, and he did the same. My fangs grazed his neck as his fingers danced over my Binding Mark. I licked his throat, delighting in his responding shiver. Inhaling, I breathed in his deep, crisp scent, and his nose danced over my skin. I trailed my hand down his wing, and he sucked in a breath.