SEBASTIAN
Of all the things I hated about Castle Sanguis—and there were several—the dungeons were at the top of my list. Neither the sun nor the moon ever reached the hundreds of silver-lined cells below the castle.
Most of the dungeon’s occupants were vampires, but there were others who called these pits of hell their home. Elves of all kinds, werewolves, and even a few fae were imprisoned in Ravenwood Dungeon.
It was a punishment worse than death itself.
I knew that, and yet, I was willingly taking Luna into this horrible place. She clung to my neck, her arms wrapped around me in a hug as her breath warmed my neck. I tightened my wings around her, holding her close to my chest as I directed my shadows.
As soon as my feet came in contact with the worn cobblestones in the entrance of the underground prison, the faint echoes of screams filtered through the stone walls. Four pale purple sconces did just enough to illuminate the horrible conditions of Ravenwood Dungeon without being anything close to an adequate amount of lighting.
My eyes adjusted to the darkness, but still, my shadows remained. They hid us from prying eyes, giving Luna’s breathing time to steady after moving through the shadows.
The room wasn’t empty. Four vampires, three males, and a female sat around a table rolling a pair of dice. They chatted, their backs to us as they studiously ignored the sounds coming from the prison.
A steady stream of high-pitched screams echoed through the stone walls, accompanied by low, keening wails. Perhaps the most disturbing of all was not the screams—those were understandable in a place like this—but the high-pitched cackle that ran above it all like a disturbing harmony. The guards laughed among themselves, even as a scream came from the depths of the prison.
Luna shuddered against me, but her breath had steadied. Not wanting to remain here a moment longer than necessary, I loosened my grip on the shadows. Drawing them back into myself, I kept my wings tight around my wife.
“I should have all of your fangs removed for this,” I barked. “Since when does guarding the dungeons involve playing games?”
At the sound of my voice, the four vampires jumped to attention. The dice clattered to the floor and one of the males turned, his red bun flopping as he dipped in half, bowing hastily. “Oh, Your Highness, we didn’t know to expect you.”
“I can see that,” I growled. “What are you—”
A laugh came from behind me, and I snapped my head to the side just as a blonde vampire waltzed into the space. “Why is it so tense in here? You’d think someone died…”
Her voice trailed off as her eyes landed on me.
“Hello, Valeria,” I growled.
The blonde vampire stopped, her black eyes wide as they swept over me. “Prince, I, uh… is that a human, sire? Is bringing her down here a… wise decision?”
The audacity of this vampire. Recently returned from a mission in Ithenmyr, Valeria had somehow grown even more petulant than she had been before she left. Gareth, the Captain of the Guard, had assigned her to guard duty, hoping the assignment would help her remember her place.
It didn’t seem to be working.
Snarling, I tightened my grip around Luna as I hid her within my wings. “Do not question me,guard, or you will be relieved of your duties and find yourself as a more permanent resident in Ravenwood Dungeon.”
The other vampires took very large steps away from their co-worker. For her part, Valeria dipped into a low bow. “My deepest apologies, Your Highness. It was never my intention to insult your sensibilities or your intelligence, sire.”
“And yet, you did.” I snapped.
Luna chose this exact moment to let go of my neck, and I justknewshe was itching to open her mouth and say something that would probably verge on snarky. That was the last thing we needed right now.
“We are here to see the newest prisoner,” I ground out through clenched teeth.
A beat passed, and none of them moved.
“You,”—I glared at the female vampire—“unlock the gates.”
“Yes, Prince.” She jumped to her feet, her curly black hair bobbing as she hurriedly grabbed a ring of keys from the hook on the wall.
Luna chose that moment to turn around as a flash of curiosity came through the Binding Mark. Pulling my wings away from Luna just enough so she could see, I placed my hands on her shoulders and glared at the vampires.
If any of them spoke against my wife, I would rip off their heads. It appeared as though they understood because none of them said a word.
“As for the rest of you?” Pausing, I waited until all their eyes were on me. “Do your gods-damned jobs or you’ll find yourselves at my mercy.”