Page 55 of Treasured

Pausing to compose myself, I stared straight ahead. The distant peaks were closer now… but not close enough to get me out of this heart-wrenching conversation.

“Even then, Luna, I was not a good person.” I’d lost my claim to that the moment I killed half the army on the night of my Making.

She hitched a breath. “Sebastian—”

“No, it’s true. At that time, I was already a creature of death, forged by the queen and used at her will.” I shook my head. “It is what it is. I’m a killer. I was then and still am.”

“You’re more than that,” Luna whispered. “So much more.”

“I’m a creature of death, darling.” Resignation filled my voice. “The queen made me into a weapon, and I let her use me. But Athena… the moment I saw her, those blue eyes met mine, and she smiled. No one ever smiled at me. Just her, and now… you.”

A sound of heartbreak escaped Luna’s lips. “I’m sorry, Sebastian.”

So was I. “That night, Athena and I danced with each other and no one else. She told me about her work as a seamstress in one of the nearby villages, and I listened. She didn’t seem to mind me not talking much about what I did, and she spoke enough for us both.”

Another lump of emotion grew in my throat, but I pushed past it. The sooner I finished this story, the better.

“Athena and I met whenever I wasn’t working over the course of the next few years. We grew closer. She was always smiling and laughing, and with her, I felt… lighter. Then one day, she asked me if I wanted to visit the abbey where she’d grown up.”

Luna said, “Shadowmere Abbey, right?”

“Yes.”

Had I known Athena would be dead mere days later, I would have taken more care during that visit. I would have paid more attention. Made more time for her. I would have done many things if I’d been able to See the future, but one thing was certain: I would have never brought Athena to Castle Sanguis.

Luna seemed to realize I was out of words. We were silent for a long time, and the steady beat of our wings was a backdrop to the torrents of my grief.

How was it possible that two centuries later, I still felt the pain of Athena’s death?

It had been easier to deal with this when I’d been numb. When I hadn’t let emotions rule me, I was able to lock up my pain and ignore it. In that, at least, the queen was correct.

But if I were still numb, I wouldn’t care for Luna. I wouldn’t know the joy of having someone who filled me so completely. I wouldn’t know what it was like to have a partner who was the missing piece of my heart.

When the mountains were so near enough that I could make out the rough edges of the shale, I sent a wisp of shadow to curl around Luna.

“Athena would have liked you,” I murmured. “I think you would have been friends.”

“I think so, too.” Luna paused, banking as a brisk gale came at us both. The wind current was cold, confirming my earlier suspicions about a coming storm.

A hand brushed up against mine. “I’m sorry, Sebastian.”

So was I—more than I could ever put into words.

When I was growing up, I’d been with a few villagers, but I’d never had anything serious. Athena had been my first taste at something more. Something deeper. Even now, her memory was bittersweet. Had she not died at the queen’s hands, we probably would have drifted apart over the years. She never wanted to Bind herself to me or be Made, so eventually, she would have died. In that way, we were always doomed to fail.

But Luna…

What we had was different. Our love was an all-consuming, blazing, burning inferno that encompassed my entire being.

We continued towards our destination in silence as the night wore on. Clouds gathered on the horizon, blocking the moon.

A few hours into our trek, the air grew so cold that it bothered even me. I adjusted the scarf around my neck.

“Sebastian?” A hint of worry entered Luna’s voice. “Are we close?”

“We should be.” I searched the numerous mountain peaks for the signature flash of orange that belonged to the sunfire owl, but I didn’t see anything.

“Oh.” She blew out a breath. “Okay.”

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