Page 25 of Treasured

Death Followed Me

LUNA

Queen Marguerite’s voice echoed all around me. “Where are you, daughter-in-law?”

I tried to open my eyes, but something was keeping me in place. My body was betraying me. It refused to obey my commands. I was frozen. No matter how much I urged myself to move, nothing happened.

This is a nightmare.

It had to be a nightmare.

And yet, it felt so real. The weight on my chest, the ache in my heart, and the burning of my Binding Mark all felt as real as Sebastian’s arms when he held me close in bed.

“Open your eyes,” the queen said. “Come bear witness to the present I have for you.”

I didn’t want any gift of hers. “Let me go,” I begged.

“Look at me,” she demanded, ignoring my request.

My eyes opened without my permission, and when they did, a strangled cry left my lips.

Silver chains were wrapped around Sebastian’s bare torso and legs, tying him to a dying, black tree in the middle of a clearing. He was gagged, his eyes wide as he struggled against the bindings. Queen Marguerite stood in the shadows, her fingers toying with the ruby.

“I was going to kill you first, but this seemed more fitting.” A malicious smile crept over her face. “I wonder who will scream more loudly? My son or the bitch he married?”

I sought my shadows, but they were gone. Not even a hint of them remained. Then I looked down. Silver and prohiberis bound me in the same way as my husband, but blood oozed from hundreds of cuts covering my body.

The moment I acknowledged the injuries’ existence, pain radiated through me.

That wasn’t the worst, though.

Yellow rays of light dusted the sky. At another time, the sunrise would’ve been beautiful. At another time, it wouldn’t have signified imminent death.

Pain and panic twisted together until they were indistinguishable from each other.

I thrashed and thrashed against my bindings. The silver cut into my body, and pain lanced through me, but I did not stop.

“Let us go!” I shouted.

“No, I don’t think I will.” Queen Marguerite grinned maliciously. “Enjoy the sunrise, children.”

Then, she disappeared in a cloud of shadows. I struggled against the chains, trying and failing to find the Tether within me. Why wasn’t it working? Why couldn’t we soul share?

A piece of the puzzle was missing.

My movements became more and more frantic as time slipped on.

And then the first ray of sunlight touched Sebastian’s skin.

His flesh sizzled. The scent of roasting meat filled my nose. He yelled.

And I screamed.

* * *

I jolted awake. Icy beads of sweat gathered on my neck and forehead, my clothes stuck to me, and I gasped for air. Sebastian’s arms were still wrapped around me, holding me tight against his chest, but the nightmare lingered. It was only the middle of the day, but there was no way I could go back to sleep.

The way he cried out as the sun burned him alive was seared into my mind. No amount of comfort would ever save me from the memories of the pain I caused him.

---