Page 47 of Treasured

“Let’s give it a try,” was my response.

Closing my eyes, I searched within myself for the Tether. Luna had described what the magic binding us felt like, but this was the first time I’d sought it out. Deep down, in the depths where I’d buried it, the urgent pulsing of the summons beckoned me beneath the tonic’s shroud. I avoided the muted call.

Instead, I searched for Luna’s presence. Even in this strange, dark place, I could sense her nearby. She waited for me like a ray of sunshine after a never-ending storm. Letting my shadows flow freely through me, I sought her.

Luna gasped. “Keep going,” she murmured. “I can feel you.”

Her words were all the encouragement I needed. I focused on the Binding Mark as energy coursed through me. It was dark and filled with shadows and the night itself, but it wasn’t out of place. Instead, it was right.

My magic thrashed and pulsed, eager to connect with her. She was more than my Tethered partner. She was the missing half of my soul, the light that illuminated my darkness. A lightness brushed up against my mind, as soft as a feather, and I shivered.

“Do you feel that?” I asked, keeping my eyes shut.

“Yes,” was her breathless, instantaneous reply.

The distance separating us was nothing. It was as though we were right next to each other. I heard her heart racing as though it were my own, and her every breath echoed through the silent clearing.

Inhaling deeply, I pushed my consciousness toward the dark magic tying us together. A scarlet light flickered. I tried to grab it, but then it… disappeared.

The connection vanished, leaving me with an empty hole inside.

Inhaling sharply, I opened my eyes. Luna remained in the same spot, her gaze locked on me as she frowned. “What happened?”

I ran my hand through my hair. Snowflakes were falling more steadily now, and a soft dusting of white covered us. “I don’t know. I saw the Tether and felt you, but when I reached for it, it vanished.”

Luna tapped her thigh. “That’s strange.” Her gaze dropped to the Binding Mark on her wrist, and she traced the lines of her Tether. “Maybe it only works if I do it?”

“I don’t know.” It wasn’t like there was anyone we could ask. Tethers were so uncommon they were practically myths. “Why don’t you give it a try?”

Luna nodded, her eyes closing. This time, it was my turn to remain still as she searched deep within herself for the cord binding us. For a moment, I kept my eyes open and just stared at her.

Her wings stretched as far as possible, and shadows misted the air like an early-morning fog on a cold spring day. Those dark appendages twitched every time she inhaled. Between the wings and the moonlight, she was more ethereal and beautiful than usual.

And yet, coupled with the shadows swirling around her hands, her beauty was also a message to anyone who might want to hurt her. She was a powerful vampire, blessed by Isvana herself, and she would not be easily killed.

I found solace in that knowledge.

Shutting my eyes, I waited in the darkness as Luna searched for the Tether. My magic pulsed a familiar tune, but I did not feel her.

After a few minutes, she sighed. “Anything?”

“No.” I opened my eyes once more.

Luna’s lips tilted down, and she strode closer. “We must be missing something.” She held out her hand palm up between us. “Maybe we need to be touching?”

As if I needed a reason to be touching her. Reaching out, I took her hand, pulling her towards me. Her chest brushed against mine, and I lowered my forehead, pressing it against hers. Every part of my body tightened as we closed the distance between us. I may have stolen a kiss or three as we laced our hands together.

Shadows slipped from us both, intertwining and swirling in a soundless waltz. They beat with deep, dark energy, echoing the melody of my soul.

“Let’s try again,” I said, my voice far huskier than it had been moments before. “Both of us, this time.”

“Alright.” She sounded equally affected by our closeness, which delighted me to no end. “Remember, look for the red rope.”

Squeezing her fingers, I nodded and closed my eyes. Focusing on the Tether, I listened for my shadows’ familiar ballad. I dove deeper within myself, seeking that symphony of death and destruction as I searched for the elusive Tether.

It didn’t take long to realize something was different. Luna’s energy was all around. It was more than just feeling her emotions through the Binding Mark. More than our connection.

This was new.

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