Page 35 of Treasured

My lips tilted up, and I followed, happy to give her the lead. Athena had been asking me to come to the castle for some time, and I finally gave in. It was unseasonably warm this summer, and there was barely a layer of frost on the ground.

Of course, she still wore a light coat and mittens, but the clothes didn’t dampen her mood. She picked her way through the snow, uncaring that she didn’t know the way. Not that she could get lost. The Dead Forest led right to Castle Sanguis.

“Isn’t it so nice out tonight?” She looked up at the sky, letting go of my hand to twirl in a circle. “It’s not even snowing!”

“It is rather pleasant,” I agreed.

She laughed, pressing a brief kiss on my lips. “It’s more than pleasant, you big grouch. It’s summer, and it’s finally warm! You must appreciate it since it’s so short.”

“Fine,” I groused, giving in. “It’s delightful.”

“Yes. It is.” Her cheeks flushed as she smiled at me. Gods. Isvana blessed me when I met Athena. Her energy was addictive, and she was always so… alive.

I liked that. I forgot that I was no longer mortal when I was with her. She didn’t want to Bind herself to me, but that was okay. She was young, in her early twenties. We had many years together before I would have to deal with the consequences of being in a relationship with a mortal.

Other vampires had warned me about being involved with a human, but they didn’t know Athena as I did. She was fun and bubbly, and we enjoyed each other’s company. She made me smile.

Nothing else made me do that these days.

When the main gate came into view, Athena slipped her hand into the crook of my elbow. Her blue eyes shone in the moonlight, and she grinned.

“Thank you for bringing me here, Bastian.” She leaned against me. “What are we going to see first?”

“I’ll give you the grand tour, but first, I need to see Mother.” I nodded at the guards standing sentinel at the castle entrance. They dipped their heads, opening the gate for us.

Once we were inside, I added, “She sent a message last night that she has a task for me.”

“A task?” Athena’s eyes widened. “What is it?”

She knew what I did for the queen. Who I was. Everyone did. The Prince of Darkness was no secret. But for the most part, I protected Athena from the bloodier aspects of my life.

I shrugged. “I’m not sure yet.”

Like most of my tasks, it probably involved death. I excelled at it. Athena took one look at my face and did not push me further.

That was good. She and I had been… friends for a few years now. We’d taken a liking to each other the moment we first met, and we’d become somewhat of an item after that.

I wasn’t sure that I loved her—I wasn’t even sure that a killer like me was capable of feeling that way. But we had fun, and that was all I could ask for. Sometimes she met me at my cabin, and other times I visited her home. She’d never been here, though.

Already, the decades were dragging on. I didn’t know how Mother did it. She’d been alive so long that very few people even remembered a time when she wasn’t the queen.

Athena infused life into my otherwise bleak world. She was a distraction from the darkness that had consumed me since the night of my Making. When I was with her, I smiled. I liked her humanity and the way she saw the world.

“Can I come with you?” she asked as I led her up to the second story of the castle. I’d planned on dropping her off in the library before going to see the queen.

Frowning, I pulled her into an alcove so we could have a moment of privacy. “You want to come with me to meet the queen? If you don’t want to go to the library, you could go for a walk, visit the Night Gardens—”

“I want to be with you.” Athena beamed at me, her blonde hair framing her face in a way that made her eyes shine. “Please? I came all this way. I want to spend every minute with you before I need to return home.”

“Fine.” I sighed, ignoring the warning pulse of my shadows as I gave in. “But don’t blame me if you get bored.”

Athena grinned, doing a little dance as she got her way. “Don’t worry. I won’t ever blame you, Bastian.” She kissed me. “I love you.”

My stomach twisted just a little upon hearing those words. I kissed Athena, enjoying her presence, but I didn’t return the sentiment. I couldn’t. It didn’t feel right. Not yet. Maybe one day.

By the end of that fateful night, it was too late for words. Too late for anything.

Athena was gone.

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