Page 53 of Treasured

He snorted. “Yes, darling. Very.”

Hence the scarf. “Delightful,” I grumbled.

He wrapped an arm around my shoulder, drawing me in for a kiss. “You’ll be fine, darling. The flight will keep you warm.”

“A few hours, right?”

“Give or take. It may be a little longer, depending on the weather.”

Sighing, I mentally prepared myself for this journey. One of these days, I would take a book and sit outside in the sun for hours. If that ended up being the only benefit of being the Sunwalker, it would be worth it.

I had never known how much I valued the sun’s warmth until moving to the land of vampires had stolen it from me. Most people valued the sun for its light, but the warming benefits of its rays were vastly underrated, in my opinion. As if laughing at me, a frigid gust of wind blew by. Even for Eleyta, it was cold tonight.

Sebastian sucked in a breath. “A storm is coming.”

My brows furrowed, and I looked up. “The stars are out.” I pointed to the clear night sky. “There isn’t a single cloud in sight.”

He shook his head. “It’s coming.”

Well, that was ominous. As if we didn’t have enough to deal with.

Glowering, I said, “Fantastic.”

A low chuckle rumbled through Sebastian. I wasn’t sure why he was in such a good mood, but it was nice to see him like this. His wings flapped, and he rose in the air. I quickly followed suit, and soon, the two of us flew side-by-side.

I had to admit that from up high, Eleyta’s beauty was breathtaking. The snow-covered mountains and endless forests were stunning. It never ceased to amaze me that such a beautiful land could be home to bloodthirsty, violent people.

We were only a few minutes into the flight when Sebastian’s wings slowed. He flew next to me. “Something’s wrong,” he said, turning in a slow circle. “The darkness is spreading.”

The trees were darker, the green of the pines less vibrant. Shades of gray and black tinged everything in sight as if something had drained the land of all its color.

I shuddered. What did it mean?

Moving faster than before, he turned and flew towards a mountain range in the distance. Urgency pulsed through the bond. Hurry, Luna. I have a bad feeling about this.

So did I.

Stories and Sunfire Owls

SEBASTIAN

Dread coiled low in my stomach, forming a knot so thick I could barely breathe. With every beat of my wings, as I guided us to the sunfire owl’s nest, the knot grew until it was a living, writhing mass. Underneath it all, the queen’s summons was a quiet, persistent hum. I hadn’t told Luna I could feel the call again—I didn’t want to worry her—but it was there, watching and waiting for the perfect moment to pounce. Thank Isvana, the tonic still numbed the majority of the pain.

Two more days. That was all we needed. Once we collected these items, we could break this bond once and for all.

The frigid air carried shards of ice, promising a blizzard in the near future. It was certain to turn this already bad flight into a dangerous one.

I hadn’t flown over this part of Eleyta in centuries. Other than the Second Order of Isvana’s Chosen Ones, a few human villages were scattered throughout the area, but that was all. This was an inhospitable place, even for vampires.

Luna was a steady force beside me. She’d taken to flying so well, and it was as though she’d been born with wings. I stole a glance at her, unable to help myself.

She caught my eye, her cheeks flushing. “What are you thinking about?”

“You,” I admitted, unashamed of the direction of my thoughts. “Us.”

A radiant grin stretched across her features as she spun in the air. “I really like flying with you, Sebastian.”

“Me too.” This was one of my favorite activities, and it made me happier than I could ever express that Luna enjoyed it, too. Sharing this part of my life with her was sacred and special.

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