Sebastian and Luna shared a long look, one that Marius instantly recognized. The royals engaged in silent communication, an entire conversation occurring in the span of a minute.
Luna gestured to Marius, and the king loudly sighed. She raised a brow. He groaned. She put her hands on her hips and scowled.
“Fine. You can come with us,” Sebastian said begrudgingly, breaking their silence. “But you’ll stay out of the way.”
Marius was so happy to be included, he didn’t even put up a fight.
Death has Been Here
Half an hour later, Marius stood beside his sister in the hallway outside his room.
“Ready?” Luna asked.
She’d changed into fighting leathers, braided her hair, and donned boots that came up to her knees.
Marius was dressed similarly, although he also wore a heavy, fur-lined black cloak across his shoulders. He ran his fingers over the hilt of his dagger, grateful that Phyrra had retrieved their blades from the humans and returned them earlier in the week.
“I am.” Marius bounced from one foot to the other, eager to leave. “Did you have a chance to talk with Sebastian about Vivienne?”
Luna shook her head. “Not yet.”
Damn. Even with all his excitement about leaving the castle, he could never forget about Vivienne. “She can’t stay down there, Lulu. This wasn’t her fault.”
He refused to let his bodyguard rot in prison for his mistakes.
“I promise I’ll talk to him,” she said.
Talking wasn’t enough, but it was a start.
Before Marius could push his sister further, Sebastian finished giving orders to several soldiers and came to stand next to them. He smiled lovingly at his wife, slipping his hand into hers.
“You look beautiful, darling.”
Luna blushed, her lips tilting up as she pecked him on the cheek. “Oh, stop.”
The king shook his head, brushing his thumb over her knuckles, and whispered, “Never.”
They gazed at each other, as if they’d forgotten about Marius’s presence.
He groaned. “I’mrighthere,” he reminded them.
Sometimes, it felt like the two royals forgot the rest of the world existed.
The queen’s flush deepened as she turned towards him. “I know.” She smiled at him, her left hand still in her husband’s. “Are you ready?”
“Absolutely.” Marius flexed his fingers, took a deep breath, and put his hand in his sister’s right one.
A familiar jolt of power ran through him, a reminder of the old prophecy.
“Hold on,” Luna said.
The warning was unnecessary. Marius wasn’t a vampire, but he was used to traveling through the Void. There were only two rules: don’t let go and try not to be sick.
He nodded, and a moment later, Castle Sanguis disappeared as shadows swallowed them whole.
Marius shivered as they entered a realm of darkness. There was no life in the Void. No light. There was nothing at all. It was silent, save for his steady breaths. It didn’t matter how often he traveled through here; he never quite got used to the sensation of being in a place of nothingness.
Time didn’t really exist in the Void. Seconds or hours could’ve passed before the shadows lifted, depositing them in a snowy forest.