Doing as Sebastian asked, I brushed and braided my hair before pulling out a comfortable black pair of leggings and a warm, long-sleeved tunic from the wardrobe. By the time I was dressed, a knock came on the door.
“Are you ready, Luna?”
“Yes,” I called out.
Sebastian opened the door, gripping the doorframe as he studied me. I did the same, my mouth opening and closing as my gaze swept over him.
His brows furrowed. “What?”
“You look like a warrior,” I whispered.
Shadows flowed around his legs, drawing the light from the room. His wings were flared, with wisps of darkness floating around them, and a sword hung from his hip. As he turned, I caught sight of twin daggers strapped to his thighs.
I had never seen him with a weapon, let alone three. That sight alone sent skitters up my spine.
He held out a pair of knee-high leather boots. “Put these on, Luna.” His voice was gruff and his eyes were dark. Violence emanated from him, and I knew this was not a male to be trifled with.
Taking the boots from Sebastian, I walked past him, ducking beneath his arm and sitting on the edge of the bed.
Pulling the boots on over my calves, I asked, “Where are we going?”
He turned, looking distracted as he ran his hand through his hair. Based on his rather disheveled appearance—at least as disheveled as this impossibly beautiful male could be—this wasn’t his first time doing that tonight.
“Somewhere I wish I wasn’t taking you,” he said cryptically as he shoved my cloak and gloves in my direction.
I pulled them on. “Do you care to elaborate?”
A tense moment passed between us.
“Sebastian?” I looked up at him, pulling the hood of my cloak over my head.
His hands were clenched into fists at his sides, and anger came off the vampire prince in waves.
“The place we’re going is dangerous. It’s somewhere you should never have to go.” Pulling on his own gloves, he glared at the mark of our Binding on his wrist as if it had personally insulted him. “Isvana only knows that if it wasn’t for this gods-damned Tether, you wouldn’t be coming within a hundred feet of this place.”
Fear took root in my belly, and a cold sweat broke out on my neck.
“What are you saying?” I forced myself to remain calm, to ignore the flutter of foreboding blooming in my stomach. “Where are we going?”
Sebastian met my gaze, and the darkness in his eyes shook me to my very core.
“We are going to the place in Castle Sanguis where the worst of the worst go to rot.” Tugging on a cloak roughly, he scowled. “It isn’t fit for any female, let alone my wife.”
Shivers ran down my spine at his hard tone. Sebastian moved towards me, his hand landing on the hilt of his sword. His other hand reached out for me, and I slipped my fingers in between his as shadows slipped out from beneath his skin. The darkness filled the room, brushing up against us both.
My husband leaned in so close, I could feel his breath on my cheek. “We are going to the one place I never wanted you to know existed. But this Tether has us backed into a corner. Now, we have no choice.”
My heart raced and my hands grew clammy in my gloves as a cold sweat broke out on the back of my neck. “Sebastian, you’re scaring me.”
“Good,” he hissed as the shadows sucked the last bit of light from the room. “You should be afraid. There is no room for anything but fear in this place.” He paused. “We are going to Ravenwood Dungeon.”
My gut twisted, and my knees shook. I had never been to a dungeon, but this was one form of research I would have been happy to never conduct.
Releasing his grip on the hilt of his sword, he pulled me into his arms and wrapped his wings around me. “Hold on tight. Whatever you do, whatever you hear or see, Luna, don’t let go. Follow my lead.”
With that final warning, the shadows swallowed us whole.