Treasured the binding chronicles book 3 elayna r gallea

Treasured (The Binding Chronicles Book 3) Elayna R. Gallea

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Treasured

THE BINDING CHRONICLES

BOOK THREE

This is a workof fiction Names,characters,places,andincidents either are the productof the author’s imaginationor are used fictitiously Anyresemblance toactualpersons,livingor dead,events,or locales is entirelycoincidental

Copyright©2023byElayna R. Gallea

Allrights reserved. Nopartof this bookmaybe reproducedor usedinanymanner withoutwrittenpermissionof the copyrightowner exceptfor the use of quotations ina bookreview For more information,address:hello@elaynargallea com

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Cover designedbyElayna R. Gallea

EbookISBN:978-1-998219-01-8

PaperbackISBN:978-1-998219-00-1

Hardcover

ISBN:978-1-998219-02-5

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Pronunciation Guide

Hellodear readers,

Welcome back to Eleyta! This is part of a fantasy world, and I have included this pronunciation guide in case you find it useful. (But as always, please feel free to ignore me and pronounce the wordsasyouseefit.) After all,thebeautyofreadingisthatweall createworldsinour minds.

Names:

Kinthani: Kin-tha-nee

Marguerite: Mar-grr-ee-te

Estrella: Es-trey-uh

Ciro: See-row

Montquartier: Mon-kar-tee-yay

Triboulet: Tree-boo-leh

Phyrra: Fie-rah

Brollet: Bro-leh

Zephyra: Ze-fie-ra

Koleta: Koh-leh-ta

Gods:

Kydona: Key-doh-na

Ithiar: Ih-thigh-ar

Isvana: Is-vah-nah

Places:

Ithenmyr: Ih-thin-meer

Ipotha: Ih-poh-tha

Eleyta: Ill-ee-tah

AGame of Love andBetrayal Of EarthandFlame

Acknowledgments

Aboutthe Author

AlsobyElayna R. Gallea

Treasuredtakesplaceinahighfantasysettingthatcontainsviolenceinseveral differentforms. Italsocontainslanguage,death,assault,sexism,blood,andmaturesituations.

Previously in the Binding Chronicles

WelcomebacktoEleyta!IamsoexcitedyoudecidedtojoinSebastianandLunaonthethirdandfinal partoftheir journey.

Beforewebegin,Ithoughtitmightbehelpful toremindyouoftheeventsofTormented(ofcourse, feel freetoskipthisifyoudon’tneedthereminder).Ipromiseyouwon’thurtmyfeelings.

We ended Tormented withLuna and Sebastianvowingto kill QueenMarguerite after she tried to murder our heroine.Andhonestly,goodfor them.She’squitehorrid,isn’tshe?

Other points ofnote: Luna is the Sunwalker,andMarius is the harbinger.We will explore more of what this means in this book. Additionally, Marius is in a coma, and he’s being cared for by the SecondOrder ofIsvana’sChosenOnes.

During the tournament, Isvana visited Luna in a “dream” and gifted her a seed. That’s probably goingtobeimportant,aswell.

Well,let’sgettoit!

Laughter Might Not Be the Best Medicine

ust keep her safe,” Sebastian muttered gruffly in his sleep. He shivered, his shoulders were tense, and his breathcame inshortbursts. His fists grasped atthe cold stone floor servingas our makeshiftbed.Hetossedhisheadback,moaning.Fear wasaheavymisthangingintheair.

“Shhh,”Iwhispered.Puttingmyhandonhisshoulder,Irubbedgentlecircles.Sebastianwaslying beside me, stretched out on the ground. We’d found refuge in this cave just before the sun rose. We were near the back, away fromany stray sunlight that might find its way in. “Go back to sleep. You needit.”

His eyes didn’t open. He didn’t argue with me. I kept rubbing, eventually moving from his shoulderstohisbackuntil hisbreathingevenedout.Hefell backasleep.

Asighofreliefescapedmylips ina whoosh.Ileanedagainstthe wall anddrew mycloakaround myself. Sebastian had insisted I wear the garment in case I got cold. His request was silly since vampires did notfeel the temperature inthe same waymortals did. Still, Ibroughtit. Ididn’thave it inmyhearttodenyhim.Notafter whatwe’dbeenthrough.

The weather was atrocious. The flakes were so numerous Icould barelysee more thana few feet fromour restingplace. Icicles the lengthofsmall childrendripped downfromthe cave entrance, and an unnatural inky stain coated all the trees. Death and darkness had come to the Eleytan forests, and theyweren’tleaving.

Leaning over, I brushed a lock of black hair fromSebastian’s temples. His eyelids fluttered, but he did not wake again. Good. It had taken me days to convince himI would be alright if he rested. Evenanolder vampire like himcouldn’tforgo sleep entirely. Iwas practicallymortal inthatregard. AchesandpainshauntedmewhenIworkedmybodytoohard,andIstill requiredregular rest.

Eight days had passed since Queen Marguerite’s latest attempt to murder me. Eight exhausting days fleeingthroughthe endless snowywoods, where we didn’tstayinone place longer thana night. Eight days where I alternated between laughing, which was unpleasant, and crying, which I hated evenmore.

Several things inmylife were unpleasant. Not onlywas I plagued byblood tears, but I also had the misfortune of hearingvoices. ThankIsvana, the goddess of the moon, I didn’t hear the voices all the time. Whenever I traveled through the Void the dark shadows that allowed some vampires to movefromoneplacetothenext theyspoketome.

The voices called me the Sunwalker, and they begged for my attention. I wasn’t sure what they wanted,buttheydidn’tleavemealone.

Thatwas strange, too. Ishouldn’thave beenable to walkinthe sun. Usually, thatglowinggolden orb was deadlyto mykind. Itburned vampires fromthe inside out, reducingthemto charred husks of

themselves.

Notme.I’dtestedmyhypothesis,muchtoSebastian’s horror anddismay,anditwas true.The sun didnothurtme.Ihadstoodbeneathitswarmingrays,andnothinghadhappened.

Needlesstosay,Iwasnotatypical vampire.

Istretchedoutmylegs,tryingto finda comfortable seat.I’d give justaboutanythingfor a cushion rightnow.Although,asorebottomwastheleastofmyproblems.I’dfeltoffsinceSebastianandIhad sharedpower throughwhatthequeenhadcalledsoul sharing.

Mychestwas abnormallytight, and everybreathprovided insufficientair. Evennow, the queen’s dark,murderous gaze was searedintomymemory.Her snarl as shetriedtoripoutmythroat,the utter violence that radiated off her as she tried to kill me, haunted me. Waking and sleeping, I couldn’t shakethememories.Iwasinastateofperpetual unrest.

Sebastiansnored, flinging his armover me. I was glad he was sleeping his wings had faltered last night during our flight, which frightened me and was the critical point in my argument when I convincedhimtosleep.Unfortunately,now,Iwasbored.

This cave was empty, cold, and there wasn’ta bookinsight. Iwas notbuiltfor the outside. None ofthis was particularlydelightful Ipreferredlibraries over forests,books over people,andreading over hiking.

Our currentsituationmeantfindingliterature was the leastofour concerns. SebastianandIhadn’t even had the time to try soul sharing again, having focused all our energy on getting away fromthe queen. Shadowingwas a good method of travel, but it didn’t meanwe could go anywhere. We were limited to places we’d already been. On top of that, much of the Four Kingdoms was experiencing significantupheaval thankstothedarkness,soour travel optionswererather…limited.

Movingwithextreme care soas nottowake myslumberingprince,Ireachedover him.The small claypot I’d brought fromthe cabinwas onthe other side of Sebastian’s rather impressive, muscular form.Ilifteditgingerly,holdingmybreathasIbroughtitcloser.

Sebastian murmured something unintelligible, his arm locking around me as he drew me tight againsthim.Puttingmyfinger inthesoil,Ifrowned.Itwastoodry…or atleast,Ithoughtitwas.

When Isvana gave me the seed, she neglected to give me directions on how to care for it. To be fair,theentiredream-that-wasn’t-a-dreamhadbeenstrangeinmorewaysthanone.

Staringatthe soil, Itried to decide whatto do. Ididn’twantto drownthe plant, butIcouldn’tlet it die. I’d just have to be careful. Pursing my lips, I dug out a canteen of water from my bag. Unscrewingit, I held the lid inone hand and tipped the canteenover slowly. Afew drops landed on thesoil,whichinstantlydarkened.

Iadded a few more and putthe water awaybefore examiningthe plant. Itwas small, barelymore than a stem and a few leaves, but it perfectly matched Syndra’s description. Four triangular leaves and tiny berries the same color as the sky. If only the witch hadn’t sold us out to the People of the Night, perhaps she could have assisted us. Butshe was dead. Myfamilywas dead. Julieta was dead. Sowehadtofigurethisoutonour ownbecausetherewerenoother options.

Everything surrounding the plant was shrouded in mystery. Marius, my little brother and only remainingfamilymember,hadbeensickhis entirelife.TheWastingIllness struckhimatbirth,andno one hadbeenable tohelphim. He was a halfling.His mother was a Fortune Elf,andour father was a human.

Theywere bothdead now, too. His mother’s blood should afford hima longlife… ifhe survived longenoughto Mature. Usually, that tookplace around twenty-five years ofage. Consideringhe was inacomarightnow,thatdidn’tseemlikely.

On top of all that, Marius was also the harbinger. Of what, we didn’t know. There was a prophecy,butintruepropheticnature,itwaslessthanhelpful.

Runningmyfingers over the little leaves, Irepeated the priestess Zephyra’s words as ifdoingso wouldhelplifttheshroudofmysterysurroundingthem.

“Whenthe harbinger is born, the Sunwalker will rise. Witha bond thatspans blood and time, the two shall awaken, united inpurpose and resolve. The red moonwill rise…” I paused, groaningas I struggled to remember the restofit. Whywere prophecies so long? Iwas good atmemorizingthings, buteventhiswasastretch.

After a moment, I picked it back up. “On that day, they will join forces with the Wielder of Shadows to confront the Black Rose, whose deceptive radiance conceals her malevolence. Only by vanquishingthedarknesscanthenew erarise,usheringinabrighter futurefor all.”

Isighed.Hearingitoutlouddidnothelp.Theprophecywasstill justascrypticasever.

Why were all prophecies so confusing? For once, I’d appreciate it if someone sat me down and toldmewhatwouldhappennext.Alittleguidancewouldn’thurtanyone,wouldit?

Agiggleroseinmythroat,andIputtheplantdownbeforeIaccidentallyhurtit.

Propheciesandvampiresandawickedqueen.

How wasthismylife?

Soon, the giggle gave wayto full-onlaughter. Itbubbled outofme like fizzyFaerie Wine thathad beenshakentoohard.Despitemyeffortstostopit,mymirthfilledthecaveandechoedoffthewalls.

Withinmoments,Sebastianshifted.

“What’s so funny, Princess?” His voice was groggy, and my stomach twisted in shame. I woke himup.

Sebastianrolledover,hishandlandingprotectivelyonmyhip.

Thatwasalsoanew development.

Ever since we tapped into the Tether and soul shared, Sebastianwas always reachingfor me and touching me. Even while flying, his hands brushed against mine constantly as though he needed to reassurehimselfthatIwasthere.

NotthatIminded.

Everytime his fingers danced across myskin, and his lips brushed mine, sparks ignited between us.Helitafireinme,andIcouldn’timaginemylifewithouthim.Hecompletedmeineveryway. “Iwasjustconsideringour…situation.”Ishrugged.

He studiedme for a momentbefore pushinghimselfupanddrawingme againsthimina gianthug. Ashisarmswrappedaroundme,Irelaxed.

This was myfavorite place inthe entire world. It was here that I felt safe, warm, and loved. As longasweweretogether,itwouldbeokay.

Iwashis,andhewasmine.

The gentle, slow lub-dub of Sebastian’s heart was a peaceful backdrop to the companionable silencestretchingbetweenus.

Eventually,hesaid,“Iwill kill thequeenfor forcingusintothis.”

“Iknow.”

His murderous declarations always delighted a deep, dark part of me. Knowing he would do anythingfor mebroughtmeanimmensesenseofpeaceandnosmall amountofjoy.

Therewasdefinitelysomethingwrongwithme.

The queen had to die. There was no other way out of this. Her actions had made it abundantly clear thatitwas us or her. Drawingmybottomlip throughmyfangs, Ishifted inhis arms until Icould

seehisface.“WeshouldreachtheSecondOrder ofIsvana’sChosentomorrow,right?”

We were flying, so our movements were somewhat weather-dependent. Shadowing wasn’t an option, as neither of us had been to our destination before. We were traveling over snow-covered forests and across mountains, working off an old map of Sebastian’s that he’d taken fromhis cabin beforeour hastyretreatintothewilderness.

Hopefully,itwasaccurate.Ifnot…

Well,Ididn’twanttothinkaboutthat.

Itjusthadtoberight.

Sebastian’s hands slipped beneathmycloak, and he drew circles onmyback. “Yes. Ifall goes to plan,we’ll arrivebeforedawn.”

If all goes to plan.

Ididn’thavemuchfaithinthat.

“Whendothingsever gotoplan?”Iasked.

Hechuckled,hishandsslippingfrommycloaktounclaspitfromaroundmyneck.

“Not often, Princess.” Sebastian pulled me onto his lap. I straddled him, and he exposed his throat.“Drink.We’ll leaveoncethesunsets.”

Ieyedhim.Iwasn’ttheonlyhungryvampirehere.“Iwill ifyoudo,too.”

The last thingwe needed was for either of us to lose strength. As a Fledglingvampire, I needed morebloodthanhim.Still,Ididn’twantSebastiantogohungry.OneofthegiftsoftheTether wasthat our blood sustained the other. Isvana ensured that Tethered partners could supply each other with whatever theyneededaslongastheyremainedclose.

Hiseyesglimmered.“You’regettingbossy,darling.”

Ismirked.“Onlyfor you.Will you?”

Heconsideredmefor another momentbeforenodding.“Yes.”

Warmth settled in my core as we shifted, positioning ourselves for easy access. We could drink fromour wrists,butwhywouldwewhenthiswassomuchmore…pleasant?

His fangs pierced my flesh moments after I bit him, and his blood’s smoky, cinnamon flavor enteredme.

As we drank, I couldn’t shake the feeling that something would go wrong tonight. I hoped I was beingridiculous,thatmyfearswerefor nothing,butaknotformedinmystomach.

Whatwaswaitingfor usoutinthesnow?

UNFORTUNATELY, Iwasright.

Everything went to hell a few hours after we left the cave. We were flying through a blizzard whenitbegan.

Apiercing, shootingpainstarted behind mytemples as thoughsomeone was repeatedlystabbing me inthe eyes. That quicklybloomed into agony, whichspread throughme like a searing, scorching fire.

Mywingsfaltered,andmybackmusclesquivered.Mylungstightened.Myheadpounded. Icriedout,thepaingrowingexponentiallyworsebythesecond.

I shook my head, which was a mistake of epic proportions. My brain slammed against my skull. Myshadowspulsedandwrithedinwarning.Somethingwasterribly,horriblywrong.

Atthe exactsame moment, Sebastiancried out. The deep, anguished sound shookme to mycore, andalarmracedthroughme.Ilookedfor himinfrontofme,buthewasgone.

The skywas empty.Clouds dottedthe expansive night,butSebastianwas nowhere tobe seen.My heartthrummedafranticbeatinmychest.

Ilookedall around,butIdidn’tseehim.

ThenIlooked down.

Astrangledscreamrippedfrommythroat.

Wrong.

Thiswassowrong.

Thatknotinmystomachwassolarge,itdraggedmedownlikeamillstone.

Sebastian’s wings should have kept himin the air, but they had failed him. He wasn’t flying. He wasn’tevenfalling.

Hewas careening totheground.

Toofast.

Myshadows pulsedinfrantic alarm,andmyentire bodyshook.Terror rushedthroughthe Binding Marklike water througha brokendam, and myblood chilled. Itwas as thoughI’d beenthrowninto a lakeofice.

Thiscouldn’tbehappening.

“Sebastian!”Iscreamed.

Agony poured through the connection keeping us together. Fire ran through me. The headache’s painful marchpersisted.Mylungsstruggledtodraw breath.

Sebastian fell faster and faster, approaching the snowy pines at breakneck speeds. He wasn’t slowingdown.

The Tether twinged in warning, and I snapped my wings together, descending as quickly as I could.Myownsafetydidnotmatter.Myhusbandwasindanger.

I called his name over and over again, desperation filling my voice. The wind stole my words, carryingthemfar fromhisears.

Still,Ididnotgiveup.

Iwouldnever giveup.

Sebastianfell headover heels,hiswingsbarelyflappingatall.Whywasn’theflying?

Tearsprickedatmyeyes. Faster,Iurgedmyself.

Shadowsslippedfrommyhands,spiralingtothegroundinanefforttocushionhisfall.

Theyweren’tfastenough.

Sebastian slammed into the ground. A sickening boom echoed through the forest. A white cloud billoweduparoundhim.

Hedidn’tmove.

Myheartpoundedinmychest,awarningineverybeat. Hurry.

I dove toward the ground. Againand again, Icalled his name. Red bloomed around his body, like inksplatter onapristinesheetofpaper.

Agonyfilledme.

Still,hedidn’tmove.

No,no,no,no,no, no

Myshadowspulsed.Myheadthrobbed.Noneofitcomparedtothestabbingpainwithinmyheart. Iwasbeingburnedupfromtheinsideout.

“Sebastian!”Iscreamedagain.

Hewasmyheart,mysoul,myother half,myreasonfor being. Ineededhim,andhewasbleedingeverywhere.

Hewas…dying?

No.Isquashedthethoughtthemomentitenteredmymind.

This couldn’t be it. We didn’t runfromthe queenjust to die inthe wilderness. If this were fate’s endingfor us,Iwouldtaketheir quill andrewritetheir storyathousandtimesifnecessary. Ineededhim.

The BindingMarkburned withthe intensityofa thousand flames, remindingme ofits presence. It wasstill there.Wewerestill Bound.Hewasstill alive,whichmeanttherewasstill time.

Ilanded onthe snow beside Sebastian, myknees bendingonimpact. Ahoarse screamclawed out ofmythroatasItookinthefull extentofthedamage.

His legs were at weird angles, and blood seeped out of him, turning the snow as red as the queen’s ruby. His wings looked strange, as though someone had held themin one hand and snapped theminhalf.

Thatpiercing,throbbingpainhoundedmerelentlessly,butIshoveditaway.

Thiswasmoreimportant.

He wasmoreimportant.

Dropping the bag with the plant beside me, I fell to my knees. “No, no, no,” I sobbed. “Sebastian!”

Hedidn’tmove.Hedidn’tspeak.Hedidn’tdoanythingatall.

Ishookhisshouldersasredtearsstreameddownmyface.“Wakeup,wakeup,wakeup.”

Thelaughter wasnothingbutadistantmemorynow.

Secondsbecameminutes,butstill,hedidnotmove.

Lifting my head, I roared at the snowy heavens. My headache worsened, but I didn’t care. We were Bound and Tethered, and I could still feel our connection, but this was… he was… his body lookedbroken.

How couldhebethisinjuredandstill bealive?

Focus, a voice inthe backofmyhead urged me. He needed me. Icouldn’tpanic. Notrightnow. I hadtobestrongfor usboth.

Hewasn’tdeadyet.

Ilifted mywristand bit. The momentmyfangs broke throughmyflesh, Imoved mystill-bleeding armtoSebastian’smouth.

“Drink,”Iurgedhim.

I didn’t know what I would do if he didn’t wake up. I didn’t even know where we were. Who would I get for help? One of the only good things about our Tether was that our blood sustained the other.

Hopefully,ifthegodscaredaboutusatall,itwouldbeenough.

Myblooddrippedintohismouth.Onedrop.Two.Five.

“Please,”Iwhispered.

At first, he did not move. Every second was an eternity as I waited for that first pull of his lips againstmyflesh.Whenitfinallycame,Isobbed.

He drank slowly, color returning to his face. His legs straightened, and his wings righted themselvesbeforedisappearingintoacloudofshadows.

“Wakeup,please,”Ibeggedhim.

Hiseyeswerestill shut.

Hottearsslippeddownmycheek.“Ifyouwakeup,I’ll trytocurbmytongue.”

Nothing.Hejustdrank.

“Iwon’targuewithyouasmuch,”Ioffered,hiccupingasItriedtostopcrying.

Still noresponse.

“I’ll even check with you before Sunwalking.” Giving up on stopping the tears, I wept freely. “Please,justwakeup.Ineedyou.”

Along, agonizingminute wentbybefore his finger twitched. Hope rushed throughme, butIdidn’t dareremovemywristfromhismouth.Hedrank,andIstaredathim.

Whenhiseyesopenedandthatobsidiangazemetmine,Icriedout.

Sebastian’slipstwitched,andhepulledhismouthawayfrommywrist.“Iamawake,darling.” Happinessfloodedthroughmeatthesoundofhisvoice.Hewasawake.Hewouldbeokay.

Hewas…

Inpain.

Mere seconds after waking, Sebastian’s face crumpled. He groaned, pressing a hand against his temple.“Damnitall.”

Atthesametime,myheadacheworsened.“What’shappeningtous?”Iasked.

He grimaced, sweatformingonhis forehead as he pushed himselfto unsteadyfeet. He rubbed his head,andhisshouldersbent.

“The queen… she’s…” He paused, drawing in a shaky breath. “She’s summoning me back to CastleSanguis.”

A Painful Summons

Queen Marguerite’s summons was a pounding, throbbing, never-ending demand as it pulsed in mymind.

Come, come, come, it called me. It was an incessant drum, its unwanted rhythm growing louder bythesecond.

Every moment I ignored my Maker’s call, a dagger stabbed into my skull. Each one struck the samespotuntil agonywasall Iknew.

My breath came in ragged bursts. Stumbling on the snow, I groaned and slammed my fists into a nearbyblackenedtree.Thebarkwasrough,andmyknucklessplit.

Idid itagain, and the painofthe summons eased momentarilybefore returningwitha vengeance. Roaring,Ipunchedthetreeagainandagainandagain.

“Sebastian!”Lunacalledmyname,butIcouldn’tlookather.

Icouldn’t stop. IfIdid, Iwould remember the Tether and that she felt the summons, too. And ifI didthat,ifIrememberedshewashurtingbecauseofme,Imightbreak.

So,instead,Ikeptgoing.Painofadifferentkindranthroughme.Thesummons quieteddown.The trunk was soon red with blood. My knuckles were a mess of broken skin filled with hundreds of splinters.Eachwas a tinystake inmyhand.Bloodpouredfromthe wound,andmyshadows throbbed andwrithed.

Anguishwasmyentireexistence.I’dnever hurtlikethisbefore. Come back, thesummonscalled,their songnever-ending. Come, come, come.

Itriedtoburythecall,butthemoreIpushedagainstit,thelouder itbecame.

I groaned, slamming my hands against the tree. When I stumbled back, two bloody prints remained.

“Sebastian,” Luna whispered. Her hand, so muchsmaller thanmine, landed onmyshoulder. “Let mesee.”

Shepulledmeback,andIlether turnmearound.Mutely,Ipresentedmyinjuredappendagesinall their damagedglory.

Luna gasped. She ran her fingers over my broken flesh and shook her head. “Why did you do that?”

“Thecall…”Igritmyteeth,breathingthroughmynose.“Ithurts.”

“Iknow.”

Her admissionwasasilver-tippeddagger piercingmyheart.

She reached up, carefullyremovinga longpinfromher hair. Usingitlike a pair oftweezers, she pulledoutthefirstsplinter.Icursed,unabletoholditin.

“Youridiculous vampire,” she said softly, studyingmydamaged hands. “Youshouldn’thave done thistoyourself.”

Another stabbingpain,another dagger inmyhead.Ididn’tspeak.

One byone, the bloodyshards fell to the ground. I focused onLuna’s steadymovements as much aspossible.Her fingersmovedwithprecisionasshemethodicallycleanedmyknuckles.

Whenthelastsplinter wasout,myskintingledandstitcheditselfbacktogether.

Come!

Thequeen’ssummonsreturnedasashrill cry.

Lunawinced.Shepressedonehandagainsther temple,andtheother grippedminetightly.

Another striketomyheart.Icausedthis.Shewasinpainbecauseofme.

Shegrittedthroughclenchedteeth,“Theremustbesomewaytostopthis.”

The Binding Mark connected us in many ways, including this. She could feel the summons, although I hoped it wasn’t nearly as bad for her as it was for me. If the gods were merciful, they wouldallow metobear thebruntofthispain.

Another stab.

Come,QueenMargueriteurged.

Squeezing my eyes shut against the pain, I focused on the feeling of my wife’s fingers against mine.

“Summonsare…special,”Isaidslowly.

“I remember.” She spoke softly, as though she knew I couldn’t handle loud noises right now. “How canwestopit?”

Another dagger tomyhead.

“Usually, one would… obeythe call.” For obvious reasons, disobeyingthe summons was rarely done.

Shesnorted.“That’snotanoption.”

No, it wasn’t. Not onlyhad the queen myMaker tried to kill mywife, but we weren’t strong enoughtofaceher.Notyet.

I’dvowedtokill QueenMargueriteCoralineAmélieMontquartier for whatshe’ddonetoLuna trussing her up like an animal and placing her in a bird cage but we needed time to prepare. We wouldonlyhaveoneshottokill her,sowehadtotimeitproperly.

Luna let go of my hand. Opening my eyes, I dropped to the ground. Letting my head fall back, I tried andfailed toignorethethrobbingsummons.

“There has to be another way.” Luna bent, picking up some fresh snow and wiping it under her eyestoclear thetracksofher bloodtears.“Wecan’tgoback.”

“No,”Iagreed.

Dropping the snow, she paced in front of me. Her mouth moved, but no words came out as she thought. I’d alreadylearned the bestwayto workwithLuna while she was thinkingwas to lether be. She’dshareher thoughtseventually.

Minutesslippedby.

Everyso often, whenthe queen’s call was especiallypersistent, Luna pressed a hand against her templeandwinced.All inall,shewas takingthis alotbetter thanme.Blackspots edgedatmyvision asthepainedgedonbeingtoomuch.

I was a warrior, a master of the shadows, and a renowned killer. I should have been able to handlethis,yetasimplesummonsfrommyMaker wastakingmedown.

Hatred for the queenboiled inme. Ihad never pushed the summons this far. Inthe past, whenthe

queencalled,Iobeyed.Iwasher weapon,andsheMademetodoher bidding,nottoaskquestions.

Butthatwas before Luna. Before Iknew whatitmeantto experience true, all-encompassinglove. Before,myexistencewasgrayandblack.Now,Isaw everythingincolor.

Luna was everything.Iwas meanttoprotecther,andhere Iwas,incapacitatedwhile she marched infrontofme.

A black wisp slipped from her hands, wrapping around her arm like a bracelet. The cloak I’d madeher wear billowedaroundher,andshetappedher handagainsther thigh.

Several more minutes passed before Luna turned around. “We’re a few hours from the Second Order,right?”

Another shooting pain. “I think so.” I clenched my fists and winced, hating the next words that cameoutofmymouth.“ButIcan’tfly.”

It physically pained me to admit such a weakness, but with the agony of the summons, I was moments away from exploding. There was a very real chance I would fall from the sky. My next landingprobablywouldn’tbeascleanasthisonewas.

Lunachewedonher lip.“I’dgogethelp,but…”Sheglancedather wrist.

“TheTether,”Isaid.

Italwayscamebacktothat.Ciro,thepriestwhohadmarriedus,hadtiedustogether unbeknownst toeither ofus.For themostpart,LunaandIwereusedtohow theTether worked.Itwas our lifenow, andweadapted.

Thecursereareditsuglyheadandcomplicatedmatterseverysooften.

Likeitwasrightnow.

Luna stared at me for a long moment before she bent, picking up her bag from where she’d discarded it earlier. Slingingit over one shoulder, she offered me her hand. “Well then, Sebastian, it soundslikeweonlyhaveonehope.We’ll havetorun.”

Whydidthosewordssoundlikeadeathsentence?

ON A GOOD DAY, I enjoyed running. I found solace in it, even. Not as much as flying that was my favoriteactivity.Butusually,Ilikedit.

Right now, Idespised it witheveryfiber ofmybeing. This exercise was infinitelymore difficult withapounding,shooting,pulsingpainrunningthroughone’shead.

Every time my feet met the snow-covered forest floor, a responding burning ache came fromthe summons. It took everything I had to focus on moving one foot in front of the other. My lungs tightened,myheartraced,andmymusclesprotestedeverymovement.

This wasn’t normal. This wasn’t me. I was the strong one. The one who pushed through everything.Therock.

Now,Iwastheoneholdingusback.

I’dpromisedLunaIwouldkeepher safe.I’dvowedtoprotecther fromthedangers ofthis world, but now I was endangering her. I was the reason we were here, in the wilds, instead of flying. It wasn’tsafe.

The land was eerily silent, without the occasional bird’s call or wolf’s howl. Something was wrong. I felt it in my bones. Over three hundred years, I roamed these lands of snow and ice. Until now,Ihadnever encounteredsomethinglikethis.

Thequeen’sFortuneElveswereright: darknesshadfallenonEleyta.

Ihad no idea where itcame from, butitwas dangerous. The whisper ofmyshadows was darker than ever, and a heaviness fell upon me. I’d never been one to put much stock in Fortune Elves, but thatwouldchange.

Come back to me, thesummonscalledonceagain.

Idartedaroundathornyblackbush,shakingmyheadtoclear thepain.

Somethingwasvery,verywronginEleyta.

Another dagger to my head. This one was stronger than the last. I cried out, stumbling over a blackenedroot.

Worrypounded throughthe BindingMark. Luna slowed to a joguntil we were side-by-side. She reachedout,puttingher handonmyarm.“Areyouokay,Sebastian?”

Ibreathedinthroughmymouth.“Fine,”Ilied.

No mind reading was necessary to know Luna didn’t believe me. Her brows came together, and sheglancedsidewaysatme,her mouthpinchinginafirmline.

Still, I wouldn’t be the reason we stopped. Not here, where the monsters roaming these woods couldstumbleuponus.

I was the damned prince of this realm. Shadows bowed to me. People quaked whentheyheard I was near. Death was my calling. They called me the Prince of Darkness for a reason. A summons wouldnottakemedown,especiallynotwhenmywife’ssafetywasontheline.

I couldn’t forget what Phyrra, my spymaster, had told me before the fight. Someone was causing chaos inEleyta byMakingFledglings and releasingtheminthe wild. Perhaps some ofthe People of the Night hadn’t been in the temple that night, or maybe someone else was the root of this trouble. Either way, whoever was doing it needed to be stopped. Few things were more dangerous than a newlyMadevampirewholostcontrol.

Keeping that in mind, I remained alert. Every cracking branch, every gust of wind, and every crunchofsnow mademyearsprickasIlistenedtotheforest.Itdidn’tmatter how muchpainIwasin; Iwouldnever stopfightingtokeepLunasafe.

EvenifitwasthelastthingIever did.

THE MAP we were followingwas incrediblyunhelpful. Whatshould have beena few hours inthe air took far longer on foot. By the time the first streaks of dawn painted the sky, we had slowed to a steady,briskwalk,movingaroundblack,fallentreesandleapingover frozen,dried-upriver beds.

“Damn,”Iswore.Ihadother,morechoicewords,buttheydidn’tseemconducivetothesituation.

In the distance, the white stone of our destination was barely visible through the trees. We were close. It was an hour or two away at best. But the sky was changing. The night slowly gave way to day,themoonslippingaway.

If there was ever a moment for the sunnot to rise, to cede its place to the moonjust for one day, this was it. We were so close. If I closed my eyes and concentrated, I could hear the faint whispers fromthe abbey. It screamed safety. I wanted that for Luna. After being on the run for over a week, I neededtoknow she was okay,especiallywiththe never-endingsummons pulsinga painful beatinmy head.

Part of me knew it didn’t matter where we were; we’d never truly be safe until the queen died.

She was the reasonwe were indanger, after all. Butputtinga roofover Luna’s head feltimportant. I wantedtogivethattoher.

Luna might have miraculously been able to walk in the sun, thank Isvana for that blessing, but I was not gifted in the same way. The sun was not kind to me. It burned. It killed. I could not travel duringtheday.

Mydecisionwasmadeeasier whenLunayawned.

I stopped, myeyes sweepingthroughthe forest, seekingshelter. There weren’t anycaves nearby, butI’dfindsomething.

There.

“This way, darling.” GivingLuna a gentle tug, Iled her toward anenormous fallentree as tall as me. It was hollow, and even from here, the cave-like qualities of the rotting wood were visible. It wasn’tmycabin,butthelogwouldprovideadequateshelter whilethesunwasup.

Luna followed me without argument, which only confirmed her exhaustion. She would have told meoffifshehadanyqualms aboutthis.Aquiet,docilewife,shewas not.Iadoredthatabouther.She saw myexterior appearanceandwasn’tputoff,wasn’tafraid.

Layersofsnow andicesatatoptheblackenedlog,andfrostdustedtheinside,butitwasoutofthe sun. Ientered, droppingto the ground and pullingLuna withme. She rested her head onmyshoulder andgingerlywithdrew theclaypotfromher bag.

The plant, ifit could be called thatwhenitwas little more thana stemand a few leaves sticking outofthe soil, was still alive. Thatseemed almostmiraculous, consideringthe events ofthe pastfew hours.

Come! the summons shrieked, and I winced. Cold sweat beaded on the back of my neck. It was gettingworse.

Luna grimaced, burrowing her face against my tunic. “This is going to be a long day,” she predicted.

Verylong.

“Trytogetsomerest,love.”Ibrushedher hair awayfromher faceandkissedher softly.

Shenoddedsleepily,her eyesalreadygrowingheavy.“I’ll domybest.”

I wrapped my arms around her. “I’ll watch over you.” The constant, pulsing pain of the queen’s call would not let me rest, even if I wanted to. It was designed to continue to summon the vampire until theyhadnochoicebuttorespond.“Sleep.”

Shedid.

It Was Not Easy Being Queen

Myshadowssanganever-endingsongofdeathanddestructionastheypulsedthroughmyveins. Usually,theybroughtmeasenseofpeace.

Notanymore.

Peacewaslonggone.How couldIfeel anythingakintothatwhenmyworldwasfallingapart?

Curlingmyfingers around the nearestvase, Ipulled backmyarmand threw the painted porcelain againstthewall.

Itshatteredintoathousandbluepiecesthatscatteredall over thefloor.

I turned to the two Favorites standingagainst the wall. Their faces were pale, and theytrembled likethecowardlymortalstheywere.

“Cleanitup!”Ishrieked,gesturingtothemess.

They hurried forward, the red silk they wore doing nothing to conceal their bodies underneath. Theybent,pickinguptheshardsonebyoneandplacingtheminanearbybin.

Thesightofmycompliantpetsdidnothingtoeasethefurypoundingthroughme.

“Faster!”Iordered.

They obeyed, picking up piece after piece. After a few minutes, blood poured freely down their hands,makingaredmessofthings,buttheykeptworking.

MyFavorites always obeyed me. Theyunderstood who Iwas and whatmypower meant. Eachof themhadchosentoserveme.Tobefair,itwasthator death.

Butthey’dchosen.Theyunderstoodmypower.Theyknew whowasinchargeinEleyta.

Unlike him.

Anger was a thicksoup inmyveins, bubbling, frothing, burning. Everytime Isummoned myson, and he did not obeymycall, the anger grew hotter and hotter until it threatened to consume me from theinsideout.

Ithrew another vase.Athird.Afourth.

The groundwas a mosaic ofshatteredart.Blue,green,yellow,pink,andred.Apervertedversion oftherainbow.Ihatedthat,too.Thesedays,Ihatedeverything.

“Pickthemall up!Everylastpiece!”

More Favorites hurried into the roomto help the others. Soon, all twelve of themwere on their knees.Notasinglehandremaineduncutastheycleanedupthemess.

Their delicious human scent filled the air, and I breathed in deeply. My stomach rumbled, and I pickedupthefaint,tantalizingscentoffear beneaththeir pain.

Iwouldfeedsoon.Notyet,though.

Technically, I didn’t need blood at all. I couldn’t remember the last time I slept, the last time

mortal achesandpainsranthroughme.

ButIlovedblood.Icravedit.Desiredit,even.Bloodandpower wereall Icaredabout.

Myfingerscrawledtotherubyaroundmythroat.“Keepgoing,”IcommandedtheFavorites.

Theydidnottalkback.

Dropping into a red velvet settee, I gripped the jewel in one hand. Reaching for my magic, I summoned my wayward son. There was no response. Where was he? I’d sent soldiers to his cabin, butheandthatbarely-Madefemalewerelonggonebythetimemyguardsarrived.

I had no idea where Sebastian had gone. Even more frustratingly, he wasn’t the only one who’d vanished. The castle was mysteriously empty of the soldiers who favored my son. Guards had disappeared overnight after the fight to the death, the blonde mind reader was nowhere to be found, andthatspymaster ofhiswasgone.

Mylips twisted into a sneer. IfSebastianthoughthe could hide fromme, he was wrong. I’d given himeightdaystoreturnwithhistail betweenhislegs,butmygracehadrunout.

Iwouldkeepsummoninghimuntil hehadnochoicebuttorespond.

Itwasthat female he married. She poisoned his mind and turned himagainstme. Before she came into the picture, Sebastianwas the perfectweapon. He was everythingIever needed ina son. He did whathewastold,killedwhenItoldhimtokill,andlistenedwhenIgavehimorders.

Hewas perfect.

AndthenCirohadtogoandTether mysontothat…that…. human.

Butshewasn’thumananymore.

No,Sebastian Made her insecret.HadIknown,Iwouldhavekilledher onsight.

Now,theywantedmythrone.

Myshadows were restless serpents writhinginme.Irefusedtogive intotheir call,though.Iwas better thantheshadows.Better thanprimal vampiricurges.Iwasthebest.All ofthiswasbelow me.I should have been enjoying my reign as queen, but instead, I was fretting like a simpleton over my missingson.

This was all her fault. I clenched my fists, my nails biting into the tender flesh of my palms. I would destroy that once-human bitch, just like her family and the people of Rivin before her. I’d never beensosureofanythinginmyentirelife.

OneoftheFavorites criedout,her distress pullingmeoutofmythoughts.Marianne’s brows were furrowed,andacutthatwasseveral incheslongranacrossher wrist.

Itiltedmyhead.“Oh,dear.”

Blood poured like a river fromthe wound, streamingonto the ground. The Favorite swayed. “My Queen?”

“Thatlookslikeithurts.”

Marianne’sgazedroppedtoher wrist.“Itdoes.”

“Hmm.”Istaredather dispassionately.“Pity.”

Theother elevenkeptworking,notdaringtostop.Mariannepaled.“Q-q-queenMarguerite ”

Her next words never came. Her eyes rolled back in her head, and she collapsed on the floor. Withinmoments,her once-brownhair wasredandmattedwithblood.

Weak.Mortalswereso,soweak.That’swhyIsvanaandIthiar putvampiresincharge.

Isighed.“Guard!”

Avampireshadowedintotheroom.“Yes,Your Majesty?”

It was a shame. Marianne was beautiful for a mortal, and she was pleasant inbed. She’d beena Favoritefor over fiveyears,whichwaspracticallyarecord.

Now,shewasdyingandofnousetome.Somuchfor that.

“Getridofher.”Ipointedtothefallenhuman.

“Ofcourse.”TheguardtookMarianne’sarmandshadowedher outoftheroom.

Theothersdidn’tevenblink.

For alongmoment,theclinkingofporcelainwastheonlysound. Icountedmypets.

“Damn,”Imuttered.

Eleven.Gods,Ihatedunevennumbers almostas muchas Ihatedhumans.Whatwas Igoingtodo? I could kill another just to level things out, but that would leave me missing two Favorites. Unacceptable.

I’dhavetofindasuitablereplacement. Isighed.

Justanother problemonmyplatethatwouldhavetobedealtwith.

Sending out another summons, I waited for a response. It never came. My gods-damned prince wasignoringme.

How darehe?

Ihissedandredtingedmyvision.Itwasthe Tether.Itall camedowntothatcursedmagicrope. My fingers tightened on the ruby until the hard edges dug into my skin. Did Ciro know what he was doingwhenhe spoke the Tether intoexistence? Didhe know aboutsoul sharing,or was he trying tobeanass?

Itdidn’tmatter.

Cirowasdead,andSebastianandLunawereTethered.

Only one path would truly save my throne and set me free from this route I’d been placed on againstmywill.“I’mgoingtokill themboth,”Iproclaimed.

Elevenlifelesspairsofeyesliftedandmetmine.Noneofthemsaidathing.

Iyelled,“Continue!”

Soundlessly, they went back to work, picking up endless shards of porcelain with their bloody hands.

Sebastian used to be the perfect weapon, but now he was useless. Less than useless. He was a problem,andI despised problems.

The next weapon forged from my blood would learn early on what would happen if they went againsttheir queen.

Deathwastheonlypunishmentfor thatcrime.

Ihad a massive listoftasks. Problems thatneeded to be solved. Lessons thatneeded to be taught. Peoplethatneededtobekilled.

Itwasnoteasybeingqueen.

After Sebastianand the Fledglingescaped, I’d sent everyone home. The fae who’d come for my birthday, the witches who did not live here, even most of the vampires. Castle Sanguis was far emptier thannormal,butthequietdidnothingfor mymood.

Nothingwouldhelpuntil mydaughter-in-law wasdead.

Eventually, the Favorites were done. Theystood ina line, waitingfor mynextcommand. All had cuts, their blood joining Marianne’s on the floor. Those crimson drops, that proof of their mortality, senttrillsofdelightthroughme.

Ieyed myprecious pets. Some, like Marianne, had beenwithme for years. Thatwas a longtime for a Favorite. Mypets so oftengot… dull. Lifeless. Their bodies shutdownafter theybecame mine,

and theywere usuallyuseless after a few months. Aspecial brand of Persuasion, mymagic kept the Favoritesentirelytiedtomeineveryway.

Notall mypetswereold,though.Afew ofthem,likethegirl fromthehunt,werenew additionsto mycollection.

They were my only solace in this difficult time my only peace while I sorted out the mess that wasmykingdom.Dealingwiththedarknesswasonething,butanerrantsonwasanother.

To saymyplate was full was puttingit lightly. I was busyeveryhour of everyday. And now, on topofeverythingelse,Ineededtofindanew Favorite.

Whatwasaqueentodo?

Frigid, Frozen Woods, and Staked Vampires

The pounding, pulsing pain of the queen’s call was never-ending. It was the last thing I remembered as Ifell asleep and the firstone thatgreeted me whenIclawed mywayoutofmy nightmareandintoreality.

Groaning,Irubbedmythrobbingtemples.Itdidn’thelp.

Itwas onlythenInoticed how incrediblycold Iwas. Strange. Ihadn’tfeltlike this since before I wasMade.Ithoughtvampireswereimpermeabletothecold.Ihadwitnessedseveral makingdubious fashionchoices inthis snowyland. I was arguablyoverdressed for the weather, at least byvampiric standards,butIwasfreezing.

“Luna.”Sebastian’svoicewasroughandinsistentashebrushedahandover mytemples.

Myteethchattered, myfangs makingawkward workofthe action, and Iattempted to formwords. “W-w-what’sgoingon?”

Iopened myeyes. Myvisionadjusted to the darkness, and Itookinmyvampire’s concerned face ashepeeredatme.

“It’ssnowing,”hesaid.

Itwas always snowinghere. Ipushed myselfup, and myeyes widened. WhenIhad fallenasleep, snow had dusted the ground. Now, the entrance to the log was more than half covered in the white substance.

“T-t-thatlookslikemorethanjustal-l-littlesnow.Therem-m-mustbeatleastthreef-f-feet.”

Atleastthecoldwasdistractingmefromthepoundingheadacheofthesummons.Wouldthequeen never stopbeckoningustoreturn?

Sebastianpressedahandagainsthisforeheadandgrimaced.“Therewasablizzard.”

“Ic-c-canseethat.”

Hegatheredmeinhisarms.“Thesnow hasstopped,butthetemperature ”

“D-d-dropped,”Iinterrupted,finishinghissentencefor him.

Why didn’t he seem to feel the cold as much as I did? It probably had something to do with everythingelse thatwas notquite normal aboutme. Or maybe he was justbetter athidingit. IfIwas this cold now as a vampire, I couldn’t imagine how this would have felt as a human. I probably wouldhave frozentodeath.Iscowledatthe thought.Atthe same moment,a shootingpainranthrough myhead.

Thistime,evenIcouldhear thefaint, Come,thataccompaniedthecall.

Sebastianswore,andsweatbeadedonhisforehead.

“We need to move.” He pressed his hand against his head, wincing. “The snow is goingto make thingsdifficult.”

Of course, it would. That didn’t surprise me inthe least. So muchfor arrivingat the abbeyinan hour.Atthispoint,itseemedlikewe’dnever makeit.

Sebastianhandedmemybag.“Iwateredyour plantbeforeputtingitaway.”

Mylipstiltedupinafrozensemblanceofasmile.“T-t-thankyou.”

His mouth pinched into a frown, and his eyes searched mine. “You need to eat, Luna. It’ll warm you.”

Ishookmyhead.“Id-d-don’twantto.It’ll weakenyouf-f-further.”

Fightingthesummonswasexhaustingme.Itmusthavetakenall hisstrength.

“I’mslightlyinsulted byyour beliefthat it’ll be too muchfor me.” He smiled, but the expression was strained. When I didn’t respond, he added, “You forget, Luna, I ammuch older than you. I fed yesterday.”

Webothdid.

“I’ll be f-f-fine,” Ilied. Mybodytemperature was dropping. Was Idying? Could vampires freeze todeath?Iwasn’tsure,butIdidn’twanttobethetestsubject.Iwas endeavoringtokeepmyresearch outoftherealmoflifeanddeathexperiences.

Sebastian drew me towards him. “You won’t hurt me your blood runs through my veins, strengtheningmefar morethananythingelse.Please,drink.”

How could I say no to him? Especially when his crisp scent flooded my nostrils, and my core tighteneddespitethecoldrunningthroughme.

“Fine,”Iwhispered,givingin.“Will youdrinktoo?”

Hiseyessearchedminefor amomentlonger beforehenodded.

“G-g-good.”Iranmytongueover thetipofmyfangs,extendingmyarmbeforebitinghiswrist.

Sebastiangroaned, lettingme drinkfirstbefore he pierced myskinwithhis fangs. Itdidn’tmatter how manytimeswedidthis.Everysingletimehebitme,Imeltedinhisarms.

I would never admit it, but he was right. His smoky, cinnamon blood warmed me far faster than anyfire ever had. Strengthranthroughme, and the sharp, bitter edge to the air was gone bythe time I finished drinking. He lifted his mouth from me, his eyes still closed and his chest heaving as the aftereffectsofour feedingranthroughhim.

“Better?”heaskedafter amoment,openinghiseyes. Inodded.“Yes,thankyou.”

Another pulsingwave came throughmyhead. Sebastiancursed, slamminghis fistinto the side of thelog.

Ifrowned,cuppinghisface.“CanIhelp?”

“No, love. We can’t do anything.” His eyes were heavy. “She won’t stop calling for me, and I won’tgotoher.Let’sgettotheabbey.”

“Maybethey’ll beabletohelp?”

“Maybe,”hereplied.

ButIcouldseeinhiseyeshedidn’tthinkso.

The pounding, pulsingpainputa damper onour spirits, and we leftthe shelter insilence. Mybag rhythmicallytappedagainstmyhip,theweightoftheplantwelcomedaswetrudgedthroughthesnow. There would be no runningtonight the powder was far too highfor that, and the throbbingsummons wereagonizing.

Instead, we moved slowlyand methodically. We stuckas close to the trees as possible, where the snow wasn’tashigh.Bothofuswereinagreement.Wecouldn’tgettotheabbeyfastenough.