Page 48 of Shadowbound

“Ashamed?” I frown. “Why would you be ashamed?”

“Because I let him fool me.” Her lovely mouth twists down at the corners. “I allowed myself to believe that he loved me and I genuinely loved him. Until…”

She trails off and is silent so long that I squeeze her hands gently to urge her on.

“Until?” I prod gently.

“Until the night he tried to Drain me.”

She looks really upset now, and I can see how much it must hurt her to talk about this. I tell myself I won’t push for much more, but I need to understand her.

“Drain you? As in, take your blood?” I ask, because that fucker Kraven has fangs too, even longer than Sylvanna’s.

She nods.

“And my magic. At the same time. I barely escaped him and got back to my tower before I collapsed.” She shakes her head. “It took me months to recover. I had to break the Bond between us when I ran from him and it was terribly painful because we’d shared blood multiple times. And it wasn’t just the physical pain, it was the feeling of betrayal…of knowing he was just using me to get what he wanted…” She shakes her head again and I can see that her lovely eyes are bright with unshed tears. “I was such a fool,” she says in a low voice.

“It’s not foolish to let yourself love,” I protest. Rising to my feet, I gather her into my arms. At first she resists but then she comes to me and lets me hold her.

“I never should have trusted him. I should have seen through him,” she whispers against my chest.

“It’s hard to see when love is blinding you.” I know a little something about this, I think. I’m definitely blinded when I’m around her. But I know Sylvanna would never betray me the way Kraven hurt and betrayed her. She’s too honorable.

Sylvanna sniffs and swipes at her eyes.

“I knew I might have to deal with him. I just had no idea that he’d taken over the Court. And the Queen…” A tear rolls down her cheek and she wipes it away. “My poor Queen—I never should have left her!”

“Is she unwell, then?” I ask. The haggard old woman on the throne looks nothing like the other sleek, sophisticated NightBorn I’ve seen so far. Mentally, she definitely seemed to be losing a step.

“Unwell?” Sylvanna gives a bitter laugh. “She’s more than unwell—she’s magically addicted to that damn Glass of Distraction that Kraven gave her and it’s sucking her dry! Do you know she’s only five years older than I am?”

“What?” I can scarcely believe this. Sylvanna and I are of an age—at least I think we are. And there’s no way the NightBorn Queen is only five years older than either of us.

But Sylvanna is nodding.

“Yes, she’s one of my dearest friends and I abandoned her to Kraven. But I never thought the Glass would get such a hold on her! The last time I was here, she could still put it down and walk away from it!”

“You can’t blame yourself for what happened to her,” I object. “You were recovering from that bastard’s betrayal. He nearly killed you last time.” I curl my hands into fists. “But I can promise you, sweetheart, he’s never going to get a chance to try that again.”

“Alaric, I am not your ‘sweetheart’—I’m your Mistress,” she says, but a small smile plays around the corner of her mouth and I know she appreciates my words.

“Yes, Mistress,” I say and bring her hands to my lips so I can kiss them and show my reverence. “I just want you to know, I’m here to protect you. I won’t let that fucker get anywhere near you.”

“We need to worry less about Kraven and more about getting into the Queen’s private collection of artifacts, so that we can rescue The Heart of the Eclipse,” she says. “If we can activate it, it will put things right.”

“Activate it?” I frown down at her. “But how? And how will it ‘put things right?’ I was told by my GodKing that the Heart would obliterate Nocturna and grant immortality to the one who wields it.”

Sylvanna shakes her head.

“I think your GodKing has gotten some wrong information. The actual prophecy of The Heart goes like this:

“The Heart when lit will put things Right

The Heart will balance Day and Night

The Heart will end the ceaseless Strife

The Heart will bring abundant Life.”

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