She looked around the library as if just remembering we were still in public. “Can we continue this conversation in private? There’s something I want to ask you.”
Curiosity ran through me as I thought about what Luna might have to say.
“Of course.” Signaling to Tristan, I waited for him to peel off the wall where he stood guard near the entrance, coming towards me. “Send for some food for my wife and have it brought to our rooms.”
“Of course, Your Highness.”
He left in a blur, the library door slamming shut behind him. Lacing my fingers through Luna’s, I pulled on my shadows and brought us back to our room.
Our feet landed on the stone floor, but I didn’t let go.
“What did you want to talk about?” I asked, rubbing my thumb over our joined fingers.
Luna chewed on the inside of her lip. “Do you remember the witch we met at the ball?”
Furrowing my brows, I raked through my memories of that night. We had spoken to dozens of vampires, but there was only one witch that I could recall.
“The redheaded one taking part in the expedition to the northern villages?”
“Yes, that’s the one.” Luna paused, her lips tilting down. “Syndra. I know her.”
I tilted my head. “But she said you had just met.”
“I don’t know why she said that. I was confused then and I still don’t understand. I didn’t contradict her right away because, well…”
“We didn’t know each other,” I finished the sentence when her voice trailed off. “You didn’t know you could trust me.”
“I was wrong, you know,” Luna said quietly. “I can trust you. Syndra is an Ipothan witch, and I met her when I visited my brother.”
“Marius, right?”
A sad smile lifted her lips. “Yes, that’s the one. He’s my only brother, and he’s sick.”
“I’m sorry.”
Luna lifted a shoulder. “He’s been like this his entire life. Ever since he was born, a strange illness has plagued him. No matter how much he eats, he can’t seem to gain weight. He’s always been frail. Smaller than others his age, and more susceptible to other illnesses.”
I raised a brow. What Luna was describing sounded an awful lot like the illness afflicting the human villages near the Black Sea.
“I’ve been looking for a plant,” Luna said. “Syndra said it grows in the north, and it might be a cure for his illness.”
“I remember she mentioned that.” Puzzle pieces fell into place, and my eyes widened. “That explains your interest in botany.”
“But it’s turning out to be a fruitless endeavor. None of the books have the plant Syndra described. I can’t help but feel like it’s out there, though.” Luna paused, her brown eyes searching mine. “I thought that maybe…”
Her voice trailed off, and she pulled her hand from mine as a flash of apprehension came through the Binding Mark.
“Maybe what?” I asked softly.
“Maybe we might leave the castle and go look for the plant ourselves? I really want to find this plant. I know we’re Tethered, otherwise, I would go on my own, but—”
“Is this why you’ve been so quiet?” I raised a brow as intense relief flooded through me. “You’re worried about your brother. This isn’t… you haven’t been silent because of what I said at the inn?”
Her eyes widened. “Which part? The part where you said you loved me or the one where you described how you would destroy anyone who came after me?”
I meant every word.
“Both? Either one?” I said. “It would be great if we can discuss them and clear the air between us.”