Sailing to the ground in one smooth movement, as though the distance was nothing, Sebastian landed on the snow in an agile crouch.
Gods, that was impressive.
My core tightened at the sight of my husband’s show of skill. The feeling was quickly doused, however, when a rustling sound came from further in the forest. Sebastian looked up, raising his finger to his lips.
I nodded, slowly moving down until I was lying across the rough, brown bark. Wrapping my limbs around the branch, I hugged it tightly.
Hiding up here was not exactly ideal, but I needed to stay out of sight. Sebastian didn’t want to tell Rhain about the Tether, so we didn’t have any other options.
It wasn’t long before a moonlit black blur weaving through the forest caught my eye. Sebastian didn’t seem at all concerned. His posture was relaxed as he leaned against the base of my tree.
I tried to do the same. Still, I held my breath as the blur approached, coming to a skidding stop in front of Sebastian.
A beat passed before an entirely unexpected sound came out of Sebastian. Helaughed, stepping forward and wrapping the blur—who was now no longer a blur but a vampire with tanned skin like mine—in the one-armed hug that seemed to be natural to all males, human or otherwise.
“Rhain,” Sebastian said warmly, his voice echoing through the forest. “It’s been too long, brother.”
He was being… kind.
Like my husband, Rhain was not dressed for the weather. He wasn’t even wearing a cloak, despite the snow falling through the trees. The newcomer stepped back, leaning against a nearby tree and mimicking Sebastian’s relaxed posture. “I got your message and came as fast as I could.”
“Did you go to Whiterose?” Sebastian asked.
“It was as you said,” Rhain replied. His voice dropped, and he said something that I couldn’t quite catch. “… Everything is still covered in ash, but there are signs of life among the destruction.”
“Damn.” Sebastian continued to curse, each word filthier than the last. When he seemed to run out of things to say, he turned back to his friend. “I wish it weren’t so, but the People of the Night are back.”
“I was afraid of that,” Rhain replied, reaching into his pocket. I narrowed my eyes, but I couldn’t see what the other vampire held in his hand. “I also found this. It seems like you might catch them if you hurry…”
The wind howled, and I didn’t catch their next words. Sebastian took the mysterious object, tucking it into his pocket. “What else do you have to report?”
Earlier, Sebastian told me Rhain was one of his spies. He had many of them spread throughout the kingdom. That didn’t exactly surprise me.
One didn’t become the Prince of Darkness without having eyes and ears everywhere.
“There is one other thing,” Rhain said. The air thickened and the spy took a step away from Sebastian, raising his hands in the air. “Just remember, Bastian, I’m only the messenger.”
My stomach twisted at the ominous tone of the spy’s voice.
“What is it?” Sebastian growled.
Rhain drew in a deep breath. “There are rumors circulating through Eleyta.”
“And?”
“They’re about the new princess.”
My eyes widened. People were talking about me?
An animalistic snarl came from Sebastian as shadows gathered around him. His wings snapped out of the darkness, and he was nothing more than a blur as he charged Rhain.
A loud crack sounded, and snow fell all around me. By the time it settled, Sebastian had pinned Rhain by the throat against the nearest tree.
“Tell me everything,” the vampire prince growled.
Memories of my own near-death experience flashed through my eyes, and I tightened my grip around the tree branch. The pounding of my heart was so loud I could barely hear anything else.
Rhain clawed at the arm pressed against his neck. “Gods-damn you, Bastian,” he choked out. “If you kill me, you won’t know what people are saying.”