So she wouldn’t fail. That’s all there was to it.
They would procure the vial and the dagger, and then they’d kill the First. Marius would get his adventure. Vivienne would keep him safe. Everyone would be happy.
It sounded simple, but she didn’t think it would be easy. She wouldn’t give up, though.
Tracing the crumbling wall with one hand, she reminded herself of her boundaries as she slowly advanced. The darkness was thick, and a hum filled the air, seeming to come from all around them. This was a strange place, and the sooner they left, the better.
Vivienne turned a corner when a grunt came from behind her. Marius’s fingers spasmed on her shoulder, digging into her leathers.
“Prince?” she asked, coming to an abrupt stop.
He swore. “My foot. I slammed it into something.”
“Can you walk?” she asked, alarm pulsing through her as she glanced at the sky. Dawn was drawing even closer.
The rising sun was a warning. Sunrise, like time, waited for no one. Not even vampires desperately need of a resting place.
He grunted again, and his grip on her shifted as he tested his foot before exhaling.
“Yes, I’ll be fine. Keep going. We need to find shelter.”
Vivienne moved more carefully after that. They went through a hallway, which opened into a large room. The only distinguishable piece of furniture was a glowing stone table. A strange light came from within, piercing the snow gathered over the top.
It felt wrong, and Vivienne practically ran out of the room.
They kept going, dawn chasing them deeper into the ruins.
Every so often, the crumbling wall disappeared. She fumbled for a few steps, the prince’s presence never faltering behind her despite his injury, until she found another set of structural remains to guide them.
They passed through more rooms. More piles of stones. More darkness.
The sky grew even lighter. A bird chirped somewhere in the distance.
The hum remained. Was it coming from beneath them? She wasn’t sure. All she knew was that time was ticking, and they had minutes, maybe less, to find shelter.
Vivienne’s heart was a racing horse making a concerted effort to escape her chest. “Come on,” she muttered, moving as quickly as she dared.
She couldn’t die now. That would be absolutely ridiculous. She hadn’t spent a century serving in the royal army only to meet her final death because of an untimely sunrise.
They turned another corner, and then…
“Thank Isvana,” Vivienne exhaled.
The darkness remained, but she could make out the remnants of three walls and an overhang that stretched across half the room. The structure had seen better days, but at this point, something was better than nothing.
They ducked beneath the makeshift roof and pressed their backs against the wall. Vivienne slid down until she was sitting, placing hersword across her lap. The prince followed suit, his pack hitting the ground with a resoundingthud.
She tucked herself in a corner, her gaze locked on the sky as the first rays of sunlight stretched their deadly fingers across the horizon. They reached for her, but she remained in the shadows.
Safe.
Her chest heaved, relief coursing through her veins. That had been far too close.
Even though the immediate danger was gone, Vivienne wouldn’t let her guard down. Not in this place where old magic reigned and black shadows covered the ruins from sight.
But at least she’d live to see another night.
Vivienne turned to the prince and whispered, “How’s your foot?”