She frowned, worry niggling at the back of her mind. Preparing for what, exactly?
The dragon roared, the powerful sound echoing through the night, and they landed. Snow billowed up around the fire-breathing creature, and he stretched out his wings on either side of him. The dragon tiltedhis head, his amber gaze catching Vivienne’s, and she could’ve sworn there was a twinkle in his eye.
Marius dismounted with ease, and he put out his hands to catch Vivienne as she followed suit. Thatthingbetween them hummed as he placed her on the ground. His hands left her hips, but he laced their fingers together before she could mourn their lack of connection.
Vivienne had been touched more over the past few days than her previous century of life, and she was only now starting to realize how alone she’d been. She had no close friends, and even her romantic experiences after her Making had never lasted longer than a night or two.
Her body and soul were both starved for touch.
She leaned against Marius, his warmth seeping into her as shadows pooled on the ground a few feet from where they stood. Every touch, every moment with him was filling a hole in her life she never realized existed. She never wanted to let him go.
Moments later, two forms stepped out of the darkness.
The royals stood tall, shadows swirling around them both. There was something regal about the way they moved, as if the darkness was an intricate part of their beings.
King Sebastian’s gaze fell to where Vivienne and Marius’s hands were joined. A muscle in his jaw flexed, and she could’ve sworn that more shadows flooded the night. Before the king could say anything, Queen Luna darted forward. Vivienne barely pulled her hand from Marius’s before the queen hugged him.
“You’re back.” One of the queen’s wings curled around her brother as if she needed to touch him to confirm he was really there. “Thank Isvana.”
“Lulu.” Marius grinned and kissed the queen’s cheek.
Once, she would’ve found moments like this awkward, but nolonger. She was just relieved to see them reunited. Everyone was safe. Everyone was happy.
It would be okay.
The king cleared his throat and looked over at the dragon. “Thank you, Xander. We appreciate your help.”
The beast, still in its enormous form, stomped a foot. Vivienne interpreted that to mean, You’re welcome.
Stepping away from her brother, the queen smiled at the dragon and thanked him, wishing him and his family well. Once they’d dealt with this, she said, they’d love to have him back.
The dragon roared, presumably in agreement, and flapped his wings. He rose in the air with the speed and grace of an animal much smaller than him, and it wasn’t long before he had disappeared from sight.
The royals turned to them, and any lightness that had been in the air dissipated.
“Please tell me you were successful,” the king said, a trace of urgency in his voice.
Marius patted the sheath on his thigh where he’d stored the dagger. “We were.”
“Thank the gods,” the queen exhaled, slipping her hand into the king’s. “Things have been bad. While you’ve been gone, the First has been advancing.”
Something about the queen’s voice had Vivienne’s heart clenching. She stepped towards Marius, brushing her fingers against the back of his hand.
The prince’s fingers twisted through hers, and he tugged her closer as he asked, “How bad is it?”
Shadows darkened the king’s eyes. Right then and there, Vivienne knew whatever he was about to say wouldn’t be good.
He confirmed her suspicions momentslater.
“The First has been tearing a path through Eleyta. People are dying and going missing every single night.” The king clenched his free hand into a fist. “She’s killing our people, and she needs to be stopped.”
His last words were little more than a growl. A reminder of the king’s strength. His anger.
The queen nodded. “We have soldiers searching for her, but?—”
A cry rose from the forest, cutting her off.
“Your Majesties! The First is here!”