Page 82 of Treasured

“Go.” He gave me a small push toward the cave entrance before leaning against the ice. “I believe in you.”

His faith in me gave me the strength to step back into the light.

This time, I had no desire to enjoy the sun’s embrace. I moved quickly, exhaling the moment I was out of the prohiberis’s reach. I called on my shadows, and they responded immediately, bounding like eager puppies wanting to play. Allowing them to flood out of me, I built a wall of darkness between me and the sun. Pouring shadows into it, I worked until the barrier was nearly opaque.

A groan came from inside the cave, and I looked over my shoulder. Sebastian had inched forward. His face was drained of color, and the scent of blood filled the air.

“Ready?” I asked.

He nodded, sweat beading on his forehead. “Let’s get this over with.”

My entire body was on pins and needles as Sebastian took a step towards me, then two. He kept his hand on the ice wall, steadying himself as he approached the light.

For a moment, I held onto hope that my barrier of shadows would be enough to protect him. Maybe, by some small mercy from the gods, this would work.

That grain of hope shattered the moment he stepped into the sun. His skin sizzled as the light fell upon it, and he shouted. It was like his skin was being flayed from his bones. The sound cleaved my heart in two, and I gasped, grabbing him.

“Hold on,” I begged him. “Don’t die on me.”

In response, he roared.

My breaths were shallow as I drew on my magic as quickly as I dared. Yanking us into the Void, my head spun. I gripped Sebastian so hard that I was worried I’d hurt him. The moment we were out of the sun, Sebastian’s cry morphed into deep, ragged breaths.

Picturing our room in the abbey, I dragged us through the darkness as quickly as I dared. The voices screamed at me, but I ignored them. Every second spent in that empty place felt like a lifetime, but we eventually landed on the stone floor. The shadows fell away, and I got a good look at Sebastian.

I moaned, the sound mangled and desperate, as I got a good look at his injuries.

A Herd of Rabid Fledglings Couldn’t Stop Me

SEBASTIAN

Being set ablaze by the sun, even for a second, was akin to torture. But somehow, being burned alive and the pain from my wound was not nearly as bad as the never-ending summons pulsing away in my brain.

The moment we were out of the Void, my shadows returned. I yanked the ice out of my side, letting it fall to the ground in a bloody mess. Agony radiated through my body, but at least the wound would heal.

That did nothing to mute the queen’s call, though. Even now, she haunted me. I couldn’t wait to break this bond. She might have Made me, but she was nothing to me anymore. I hated her with the fire of a thousand suns. I wanted to see her die a long, drawn-out, and painful death.

“Sebastian,” Luna whispered.

I looked over at her. “Yes?”

“Drink this.” She handed me the tonic. I hadn’t even seen her pick it up.

Uncorking the vial, I downed the citrus liquid in one go. Within a few heartbeats, the pounding of the summons faded. I sighed, dropping the empty container on the bed. “Thank you.”

“Of course.” Luna raised her hand and cupped my cheek. Her eyes searched mine, the depth of concern in them so vast that I could barely breathe. She whispered, “You need to feed.”

Now that the summons was muted and the wound in my side was healing together, I felt more like myself. “Only if you do, too.”

Luna hadn’t eaten since before the fall, and I knew she was hungry. It was my job to worry about her and take care of her.

“Now?” She frowned, an all-too-familiar stubborn glint entering her eyes. “I won’t. You’re in far worse shape than me.”

Sighing, I prepared to argue with my beautiful, yet frustrating, wife. Then my gaze dropped, and I caught sight of my arm. I drew in a sharp breath. She was right. Blisters ran down every exposed part of my skin, and even though the immediate pain of the queen’s call was gone, I wasn’t exactly the picture of health.

Realizing she wasn’t going to give up, I dropped onto the cot and sighed. “Fine, you win. I’ll feed first.”

Luna smiled and came to sit next to me. She pulled up her sleeve, offering me her wrist. “Drink,” she said softly. “I won’t even tease you about how nice it felt to hear you admit I was right.”

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