She liked him.
Maybe she even more than liked him. Was it possible to fall in love with someone she’d only known for a short while?
A few months ago, Vivienne would’ve said no, but now…
Now, she was fairly certain that was exactly what had happened to her.
It was official: Vivienne was the worst bodyguard ever to walk the planet. She was supposed to keep the prince safe, and she’d gone and fallen in love with him instead.
She probably should have been upset about that realization, but she wasn’t. How could she be when she’d gained something far more valuable than employment?
Did he feel the same way? Was this what he had meant when he said he didn’t want anything between them?
She’d have to ask him… later. When they were alone.
Between the dragon’s warmth and the heat from the prince at her back, sleep was calling her name. Her eyes slipped shut, and she drifted off to the land of dreams in the arms of the man she loved.
“Wake up, Viv.”The murmured words pierced through the veil of sleep as warm air brushed against Vivienne’s ear.
She blinked open her eyes, a smile spreading across her lips as she took in the halfling leaning over her. His arm was still banded around her middle, and he held her close.
“Did you sleep well?” he asked.
“I did.” Vivienne hadn’t realized how tired she was, but she’d clearly needed to rest. She felt as if she’d slumbered for days and not hours. Usually, she didn’t require so much sleep, but she must have been exhausted from healing earlier. “Thank you for holding me.”
The prince’s voice deepened, and a low chuckle rumbled through him. “It was my pleasure.”
Her core twisted at his words, and her heart fluttered.
She really was in love with him.
Her heart warmed, and her smile stretched into a grin. She’d been alone for so long, but finally, she had someone else.
Vivienne twisted around in her seat, eager to share her new revelations with the prince, when the tall spires crowning Castle Sanguis rose above the horizon. It was beautiful, but before she could appreciate it, her gaze dropped to the valley.
Concern spiked through her. Confessions of love would have to wait.
A small army dressed in black fighting leathers stood in formation on the snowy grounds outside the castle. There had to be at least two hundred soldiers. A few of them carried weapons, but most of them were empty-handed.
The vampires didn’t require mortal tools like swords and daggers—theywerethe weapons.
Shadows curled around hands and feet. Dark wisps formed swords, whips, and battle axes. Others chose to keep their darkness in its natural form, and black ribbons floatedaround them.
At the front of the group, standing in a position of power, were two vampires. Their very presence was captivating, and Vivienne couldn’t look away, even if she wanted to.
The king and queen demanded attention as power and strength ebbed off them in waves. Midnight wings fanned out behind them, matching the night sky and their obsidian crowns.
Like the rest of the army, King Sebastian and Queen Luna wore fighting leather. Unlike the other vampires, theirs were tailored and clearly made for the royals.
Silver lined the king’s garments, as if the night itself had been woven into his clothes. The queen’s leathers were a mix of night and day. Golden threads ran through her black leathers, and it was like shards of sunlight had been drawn out of the sky and placed in her outfit.
Shadows draped the king and queen in cloaks of darkness capable of shrouding them from sight at any moment. They made the other vampires, even with their gods-given beauty, look like mere mortals.
Standing to their right was a beautiful woman with dark skin and long braids that reached her waist. The spymaster was conversing with the royals, but when she looked up and saw the descending dragon, she said a few words before speeding away in a vampiric blur.
Vivienne glanced at Marius over her shoulder. “Do you know what’s going on?”
He shook his head. His brows were furrowed, and his lips pinched in a line. “I don’t. It’s almost as if they’re preparing for something.”