Page 14 of Treasured

“Maybe,” he replied.

But I could see in his eyes he didn’t think so.

The pounding, pulsing pain put a damper on our spirits, and we left the shelter in silence. My bag rhythmically tapped against my hip, the weight of the plant welcomed as we trudged through the snow. There would be no running tonight—the powder was far too high for that, and the throbbing summons were agonizing.

Instead, we moved slowly and methodically. We stuck as close to the trees as possible, where the snow wasn’t as high. Both of us were in agreement. We couldn’t get to the abbey fast enough.

* * *

Our destination was close when the hairs on my neck prickled. An awareness that had nothing to do with the queen’s painful summons crawled up my spine. My shadows pulsed an urgent beat, warning me of the presence of another, and I shivered.

Noticing my sudden alertness, Sebastian tensed. Worry came through the Binding Mark, mirroring my own, and he squeezed my fingers. “What is it?” he asked in a low, urgent voice, his head swiveling as he searched the forest for a threat.

I loved that he didn’t doubt something was wrong. He just trusted my instincts.

Turning my head slowly, I scanned the area around us. With their inky bark, the trees were unsettling, but nothing seemed unusual. This was the state of Eleyta now—murky, dark, and gloomy. Everything seemed to be on the brink of death.

Still, something was wrong.

“I don’t know.” I shook my head, running my tongue over my fangs. “I just… I feel like something is watching us.”

Sebastian’s eyes widened, and he released my hand, pulling shadows from his palms. They formed a corporeal sword, the weapon ominously large in his hands. This wasn’t the first time I’d seen him do this—he’d used similar weapons when battling Bertrand during the queen’s fight to the death—but the sight was not as reassuring as I’d hoped it would be. If he felt protection was necessary, we were in more danger than I had originally thought.

“Stay close to me, Luna.” He tugged me forward, but another pulsing summons burst through my mind. He groaned, stumbling once, before straightening. “We’re almost there.”

This journey couldn’t be over soon enough.

We resumed our slow trek. The snow almost reached my waist, making everything slower. Despite his pain, Sebastian’s back was straight, and his sword was high as he plowed a path ahead of me.

Once, when I’d spent days studying for a particularly difficult test, I came down with a migraine. That constant, aching, never-ending pain made me want to lie down and remain still until it stopped. This was worse than that.

I would never take a headache-less day for granted again.

The feeling of being watched grew stronger until the sensation of eyes on us was the only thing I could feel. The hairs on my arms stood on end, and my shadows pulsed a steady thrum, urging me forward. We were so close to the abbey that the massive bell tower was visible through the curtain of falling snow.

Sebastian wasn’t speaking, but every so often, he grunted as the queen’s call intensified.

Then it happened.

A branch cracked. A shrill bird’s cry filled the air. I sucked in a breath and paused. That was wrong. We hadn’t seen any birds. The woods were empty shells of what they used to be.

I turned to the side just as Sebastian swore and dropped my hand. He shoved me back, and I fell into the snow. My heart raced. A strangled cry left my lips. A blur ran at my husband.

No. Not a blur. A vampire. A very wild, very scary-looking vampire.

She screeched, the sound shrill and ear-piercingly loud. Her words were an incoherent blather in an unrecognizable language. A wildness swam in her black eyes that made my chest tighten. She snarled, gnashing her teeth as she lunged at Sebastian.

Despite the snow, he was quick on his feet, darting around her and slashing his weapon through the air. The shadow sword ripped through the vampire’s flank, but it didn’t stop her assault. She shrieked in anger as blood poured from her wound. She lashed out with her claw-like nails and ran them down Sebastian’s face.

He grabbed her arm and twisted. A horrible snap echoed through the night, and bile rose in my throat.

The vampire screeched like a bat, but she did not stop advancing. Her movements were rough and jerky, like a marionette.

I’d never seen a child of the moon like this before. So wild, so rabid, so… frighteningly animalistic. This was the kind of vampire that parents would tell their children about at night to keep them in bed after the sun set.

The feral vampire kicked Sebastian, and he went flying through the air.

“No!” I yelled, struggling to my feet.

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