Troubled (The Binding Chronicles #4)

33. More than She Bargained For

More than She Bargained For

W hat a day.

That was the first thought that went through Vivienne’s mind when she landed in a heap on cold stone. The second was that Death Mountain had earned its name for a reason, and the sooner they left, the better.

The stone floor sealed up the moment they fell through it, providing them a small reprieve from the nightmarish events of this day. The spider-bear was screaming, banging its pincers on the ground above them.

She understood its frustration.

It had probably been excited to have a meal for the first time in the gods-only-knew how long, and now, that chance was gone.

Vivienne rolled over on her side, her sword still in her grip, and groaned as her muscles ached in protest. She needed a long, hot bath. Preferably with bubbles and candles. She would soak for hours, letting the water absorb all her aches. It might not wash all the pain away, but it would help.

Opening her eyes, she cataloged the space where they landed. The ceiling was bare, but the glowing mushrooms were back. They lined the walls, their green glow illuminating the space.

They appeared to be in a hallway. A path led to their right, and to the left, there was nothing but rock.

Vivienne’s gaze swung over to the prince, who had landed beside her. He’d fallen on his side, probably in an effort to protect the vial inside the pack. Blood trickled down a cut on his cheek, but he had no other visible injuries. Doubtlessly, he’d bruise from that fall.

His brown eyes blinked open and roamed over her.

“Are you okay?” she asked breathlessly.

“Fine.” He pushed himself up onto his elbow and winced. “A little sore, that’s all. You?”

“Same.” Compared to the pain she’d been in after the rocks ripped through her, this was nothing. “You got it, right?”

A smile slid across the prince’s face, the incredible sight lighting up the room more than the glowing fungi. He sat up, gripping the obsidian dagger in his left hand. “I did.”

He held it out so she could examine it, though he was careful not to bring it too close to her. Could he feel how the air pulsed around the dagger, warning her away from the beautiful, deadly blade?

“It looks… sharp.” She didn’t dare get too close.

He chuckled, sheathing the dagger before holding his hand towards her. “Yes, it does. Ready for one last run?”

Even now, he was eager for adventure. Of course, he was. She was beginning to suspect that the halfling would never turn down an opportunity to explore the world, no matter how dangerous it was.

The thought didn’t bother her, though. That’s just who the prince was. Taking away his eagerness to explore would be stripping him of his personality. She couldn’t imagine a greater travesty.

Vivienne huffed a hoarse laugh. “I guess.”

She sheathed her sword and slipped her hand into Marius’s. His skin was so much warmer than hers, as if it was embedded with coals. She leaned against him, letting his warmth seep into her. It was so much better than the dragon’s heat. So much more comforting. So much more hers .

Marius smiled down at her, brushed his lips over her forehead, and then they were off.

Leaving Death Mountain was surprisingly uneventful, considering all the problems they had encountered on their way in. They followed the winding hallway, which descended in a spiral. The path was smooth, and the mushroom lights were bright.

Running downhill took significantly less energy than the initial climb, and the unnatural chill in the air soon disappeared. The wind blew past, carrying the scent of snow, and she smiled.

The end was near.

“We’re close,” Marius said. “I can feel it.”

Renewed energy filled Vivienne, and they took off in a steady sprint. It wasn’t long before the path widened, and the exit appeared. She slowed long enough for Marius to run ahead and confirm night had fallen. Once he called back that the course was clear, she ran out in a blur behind him.

The moon’s silver glow was bright as she exited the mountain, and she nearly cried out at the comforting sight. It was like curling up beneath a warm, familiar blanket after many nights on the road.

Inhaling deeply, Vivienne filled her lungs with the familiar scents of Northern Eleyta. Snow flurries fell leisurely, coating the nearby spindly pine trees with a white coat. This far north, tree trunks never grew very large. They had to battle with the elements for life. The fact that they even existed in such a cold place seemed miraculous.

The green dragon was sitting near a cluster of trees, his spiked tail resting on the ground. Even the knowledge that they would be riding the fire-breathing beast again didn’t tamp down Vivienne’s relief that they were out of Death Mountain.

As if he had known that they would need them, Xander had brought them each a change of clothes. Vivienne changed behind a nearby tree, grateful to leave her shredded garments behind, and once they had changed, Marius held her hand as she climbed onto the dragon’s back.

They reclaimed their positions from earlier, and once Marius wrapped his arms around her, the dragon took off.

Vivienne wasn’t scared this time. Maybe it was because they’d succeeded on their quest, or maybe it was the prince at her back, but either way, she smiled as they took to the skies.

She shut her eyes and relaxed without prompting, letting Marius’s heat envelop her. Something thrummed deep in her chest at the contact. It had been there since she woke up in the mountain with his wrist in her mouth.

This wasn’t a true bond—both Bindings and Tetherings required far more blood and ceremony—but there was something between them that hadn’t been there before.

A sense of peace, rightness, and belonging.

It was odd. Even though this quest had been far more than Vivienne had ever bargained for, she would do it all again. Not because she particularly enjoyed almost dying but because of the man behind her. Because of the moments they’d shared, the truths they had confided in each other, and the way he made her feel.

Marius had a gift of making everything, even nearly dying, interesting. She hadn’t known a single day’s peace since they first met, but it surprised her to realize that it didn’t bother her. On the contrary, there was something enjoyable about living on the edge. For decades, her life as a soldier had been a monotonous cycle of duty, schedules, and endless training.

With Marius, there was no telling what would come next. Every time she tried to predict what he would do, she failed miserably.

And she… liked that.

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—they were the 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 floated around 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.”

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 tilted his 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. That thing between 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 no longer. 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, Y ou’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 moments later.

“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!”