Page 11 of Luna Rising

I should have killed Cassius when I had the chance, I thought, regretting the decisions I had made in the Cursed Realm.

“Is anyone trying to stop him?” I asked.

“The Zodiac Fae Council is monitoring all known doorways. The problem is the unknown ones.” She grimaced as if really not liking what she was about to say. “They’re no match for him. If they’re lucky, they won’t catch him.” The grudging compliment made her smack her lips like the words left a bad taste in her mouth.

I understood how she felt. Mat was extremely powerful, not to mention old. He had walked this earth for centuries, and he knew spells that were forgotten or forbidden over time. Unlike the rest of us, he had never died and been reborn. He knew our entire story. His extensive knowledge gave him an advantage. Not to mention, he could only die by his own hand.

“Is he bringing Cassius here?” I asked.

Winter blinked, surprised. “I just assumed so. Why? Do you not think he’ll want to keep Cassius close?”

I shrugged. “Maybe. But I think there’s a possibility Mat will take him to one of the other realms and hide him there.” It was what I would have done. Sure, keeping Cassius nearby made sense, but hiding his descendent in another realm made it harder for anyone to find and kill the boy.

An itch started at the base of my brain, like one of my past selves was trying to tell me something. Winter and I had taken Cassius to the Cursed Realm for a reason. That was a memory I desperately wanted to see.

“You know him best. What do you think he’ll do?”

To my knowledge, Winter had only endured a few dreams. Still, once upon a time, Nicasia must have known him well.

She sucked in air and filled her cheeks like a chipmunk. “I don’t know. Either way, it feels like a loss. We can’t explore eleven other realms. And if he brings him here, Mat will make it damn near impossible for us to reach Cassius.”

Silence stretched between us briefly while possibilities spun in my head and regret churned in my belly. I could’ve ended this. My guilt would have been worth it.

I jumped when Winter’s warm fingers touched my arm, proving myself the least aware vampire ever.

“We made the right choice, Zara.” She brought her other hand to her chest and patted her heart. “I feel that in my soul. However many lifetimes ago we took Cassius to the Cursed Realm instead of killing him. I trust past us. Back then, we clearly knew more than we do now.”

I nodded, agreeing with her point. “I need that memory.”

Winter turned shy, blushing when she said, “What if you drank my blood?”

I leapt away from her and shook my head so hard that I got a little woozy. “Don’t even suggest it. It’s too risky. You’re too important. Ewan won’t like it.” My stream of consciousness spewed from my mouth.

Winter sighed. “With all do respect, fuck Ewan. We need that memory. One of us is drinking the other’s blood. Since you’re the vampire, it just makes sense for you to be the drinker.”

I pursed my lips, my senses suddenly on high alert. “I won’t bite you.”

“Okay. What if I put it in a cup? You can drink it alone at your leisure. No risk involved.”

Tempting, but also not. I wanted her blood, especially now that she’d offered it up, and the memory was clutch. But it also meant another version of me would join the collective and I already had way too many voices in my head.

“I need some time. A few days, at least. I just… it’s… I….”

Winter shook her head. “You don’t need to explain yourself. I get it. Do you want me to drink your blood?”

Yes. No. Maybe?

It felt selfish to ask her to do this for me. As she so aptly pointed out, I drank blood to survive, making me the obvious choice.

“I will,” Winter said. “Let me help, Zara.”

“No, I can’t. Not with this.” I pierced her with crimson eyes. “A few days, that’s all I ask.”

She twisted her hands in her lap, uncertainty clouding her expression. “Are you sure?”

I rolled my eyes. “You’re the one who said I should be the drinker.”

“Yeah, well, I dated I serial killer, so my judgment isn’t exactly great.”

---