Page 60 of Treasured

“The harbinger is born. Light and dark converge.”

“The red moon will soon rise.”

“Soon,” they echoed eerily, hissing like snakes. “Sooooonnnn.”

Underneath it all, a new voice joined the others. Deeper than the rest, it was louder and distinctly masculine. “The Queen of Shadows is sseeearrrchhhinng for youuuu,” the mysterious voice whispered. “If sssshe killssss you, you’ll be trapped here with ussss. Don’t let her…”

Their voices died off as the darkness faded away.

The shadows dropped us in the middle of a blizzard. The light of the moon, though it was dim, was still a shock to my eyes after the Void. I winced as my vision adjusted, but I couldn’t move. I was frozen in place, and cold sweat beaded on my forehead.

My heart raced, trying to escape my chest. My lungs were tight. I couldn’t breathe. Did vampires need to breathe? I wasn’t sure, but this wasn’t the moment to test it.

Sebastian turned, his worried gaze searching mine. “Luna? What’s wrong?”

The new voice’s warning echoed in my mind. The Queen of Shadows is searching for you.

My mouth opened and closed as I tried—and failed—to find words. In the end, all I could do was shake my head.

Paralyzing fear immobilized me. The raging storm was nothing compared to the one in my heart.

Queen Marguerite’s death could not come fast enough.

Lies and Excuses

MARGUERITE

The wind howled like a screaming mortal as I flew through the snowy night. Brighton was in my sights, the village roofs peeking out of the snow like naughty children hiding behind curtains from their parents. It didn’t work for the children, and it wouldn’t work for this village, either.

Usually, I moved through the shadows, not bothering to show myself to my people.

Usually, my people understood who was in charge.

That was not the case tonight.

My jaw clenched when I thought of the circumstances that had brought me out of Castle Sanguis. Tonight, my people needed to remember why I was the queen. My army needed to know I was the ruler of this nation and the one they fought for.

Giving up was never an option, and losses like the ones they’d just suffered were inexcusable.

The buildings serving as army barracks for my human soldiers came into view, and my lips twitched as the cobblestone courtyard rapidly grew near. It had been too long since I’d been flying. Too long since the wind had kissed my wings.

I would do this more often, I promised myself.

Once I dealt with her.

For the hundredth time that night, I summoned Sebastian and pulled on the bond that tied us together. He was ignoring me. Anger was a churning, writhing mass in me. Somehow, he was withstanding my call.

All it did was make me hate the bitch he’d married even more.

I caressed the ruby. I couldn’t wait to spill her blood. Cackling, I landed in the empty square. At least I had this to distract me.

I hadn’t even taken a step before a vampire ran out between two buildings. General Dubois paled when she saw me, her golden skin turning nearly as light as mine, but she did not slow until she arrived before me.

Dropping into a deep curtsy as though we were in my court, the general stared at the ground. “M-m-my Queen,” she said, her voice shaking. “We were not expecting you.”

I snapped my wings together, the sound echoing through the night. “No, I’m well aware this visit is a surprise.” My tone was icy, and I did nothing to temper the violence simmering beneath the surface of my words.

The general gulped, her form trembling as she remained in a curtsy. “H-h-have you come to survey the troops?”

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