“Can it be cured?” she asked, her voice quieter now.
Lucius shrugged. “I don’t know. I’ve never thought about it. There are no stories of cures.”
“You’re different from a normal vampyre because of your elemental power,” she interrupted. “Vampyres can barely tolerate the sun, yet you wield the same heat.”
He flipped his hand over, summoning a small flame. The flickering light reflected in his eyes.
“What if the fire keeps you alive?” Tavia continued. “You’re warm when you should be cold. You can walk in the sun without burning.”
“If we sit here fantasizing all day, nothing will get done,” he said, his voice softening as he closed his fist, extinguishing the flame. “But know this, pretty dove—if I could make it go away, I would. There are so many things I miss.”
Their eyes met, and Tavia decided they both needed fresh air.
Wiping her mouth with a napkin, she stood. “I need to get outside of this house. How about you show me where we’re going tomorrow?”
Lucius nodded. “A tour of the city? Splendid.”
He moved gracefully past her to the front door.
“Thank you,” he said quietly.
“For what?”
“It’s been a long time since I’ve had a real conversation.”
“Well, you were stuck in a coffin for decades,” she teased.
He laughed. “True. But anyone could have found me. I lucked out that it was you.”
As they stepped outside, the heaviness of the conversation dissipated in the warm afternoon breeze. Even though the winter months were approaching, the cloudless sky warmed the air around them.
Lucius looped his arm around hers and began walking until he snapped his fingers, hailing a passing carriage.
The driver stopped.
“Good morning,” Lucius said. “It’s my wife’s first time in the city, and we’d like to tour the Lord area.”
“Oh, plans for the Masquerade?” the driver asked, tipping his hat. “Sure. Hop on in.”
Lucius opened the door and held out his hand for Tavia, who took it and stepped into the carriage. She sat on the bench, and Lucius sat next to her. The space was tight, their legs resting against one another.
He relaxed back, and Tavia peeked out the window as the driver set off down the road. She had heard about the Golden City from her mother. Out of all the lands, the Golden City was the epitome of wealth and culture. It was the one place where the different races were somewhat aligned.
It also held the grand temple where the Scepter Knights—special warriors of light—lived and trained. The cascade of colors between the courts dazzled her. The vibrant red and orange roofs blended with the roads, and each court had its own unique theme.
The human court, filled with warm browns, greens, and earthy tones, contrasted sharply with the fae court, which boasted bold reds and yellows. The driver turned off the main square, heading into a different court.
She never thought she would come to the Golden City, not even when she had stolen enough coin to get her parents out of the forest and closer to the village. But she had always wanted to. She had wanted to see the world, to experience everything she had only read about in silence.
Lucius allowed her to soak in every breathtaking sight as the carriage slowed to a stop in front of alarge, gated estate. A guard stood at the high golden gate, blocking the entrance. Beyond the gate, a cobbled road led to a massive mansion surrounded by neatly trimmed shrubbery and gardens.
Since it was on Lucius’s side of the carriage, Tavia leaned over him, peeking out. He slid back in his seat, giving her more room to view the estate. She had so many questions, but when she looked up at him, a softness in his gaze silenced them.
“That’s beautiful,” she said.
And suddenly, she wasn’t sure if she was talking about the estate or how his emerald green eyes sparkled whenever he looked at her. If she hadn’t seen him actually feed, she would never have known he was a vampyre.
His pale skin matched his silver hair—a common trait among the moon fae, a race that lived in the royal fae castle. There had always been a moon fae on the throne. It was their way.
