“Is Claire with her?” I asked Dina, now fully dressed and ready to find my sister.
“Yes. She’s stayed with her since we got home, never leaving her side.” I smiled at that.
“What room?” I still hadn’t seen half of the castle and with my weak and aching body, I was in no mood to get lost.
“I will take you to her,” Severin said, taking my hand in his. “Dina, could you please ask Joel to bring food to Astrea’s room? I believe Felix would like to eat there.” He gave me a look for confirmation and I nodded with a soft smile.
“Of course,” Dina smiled, then left the room ahead of us to search for Joel.
I followed Severin’s lead, eager to finally see Astrea awake after all these years.
We entered a part of the castle I’d yet to explore, another wing, it seemed. This place truly was huge. We stopped at a closed door; Severin knocked softly before Claire’s voice called out for us to enter.
Severin stepped aside and gestured for me to go first. I eyed the still closed door. Why was I so nervous? This was my big sister. Yes, I did fear she would resent me for leaving her in a cursed coma for five years, but would she truly do that? Had this time apart caused me to forget her kind and forgiving nature?
Breathing in, I allowed my worries to leave my body as I exhaled. Still holding Severin’s hand, I opened the door and instantly met my sister’s eyes.
“Felix,” Astrea’s voice croaked. Tears were already falling freely from her green eyes. They matched mine, both in color and in how teary they were.
Letting go of Severin, I rushed forward, crushing her in a tight hug. She was sitting on the bed, weak from the curse, but strong enough to hold me tight, like she, too, would never let go. We stayed like that for a while, sobbing into each other’s shoulders, not daring to release one another in fear of this being some cruel dream.
I finally had my sister back.
“I’m sorry,” I whispered, my voice trembling. “I’m so fucking sorry, Rea.”
“Shh,” she soothed, her voice just as affected as mine. “I don’t blame you, Felix. Claire told me everything. I hate that you had to do all that.”
“I would’ve done it again,” I admitted. “Anything to get you back.”
“Oh, my brave Felix.” We cried some more, too raw to speak for a few minutes. It was rather healing, letting those years of fear, of not knowing if I would ever talk to her again, ease out of me. I didn’t trust the coven, not one bit, so even with my payments, I had this fear lingering in the back of my mind, that maybe they would never release her. But now that fear was gone. The Silver Lock coven would fight us again, I was sure of that, but at least Astrea would fight with me this time.
Joel came in with our lunch, his expression softened when he saw our tear-streaked faces.
“Thank you, Joel,” Severin said, closing the door as Joel left us again. I’d completely forgotten my vampire bonded, or soon to be bonded. Could I call him my betrothed? Fiancé? No, that seemed weirdly formal and not at all serious enough to explain what we were to one another.
“Rea,” I began. “I want you to meet Severin.” I gestured for him to come closer, holding out my hand for him to grab. He did, smiling warmly at me and then my sister.
“It is nice to finally meet you,” Severin said.
Astrea gave him a shy smile, then me a knowing one. “So, this is the man Claire has told me about?”
I groaned. “What did she tell you exactly?”
Claire snickered and Astrea’s smile widened. “Oh, just something about you being fated and all lovey dovey.”
Severin’s smile was proud and blinding, like he just got the best praise ever handed his way. I couldn’t help but smile up at him. He was so happy that I was his, or soon would be. I had never even dreamed of finding someone as perfect as Severin.
“We are fated, yes,” I replied, smiling softly at Astrea. “But we’ve yet to bond.” Something I was waiting eagerly for. Somehow his scent had only gotten more enticing to me, like my body was starving for more of him.
Astrea waved that off. “I’ve read enough about fated bonds to know you’re already attached, even without the bond in place. Just don’t rush it. Fated bonds are sacred and should be treated as such.”
That surprised me. “You know about bonds? I had no idea you were interested in those?”
Astrea blushed. “I um, always dreamed of someday finding my own bonded, so I searched the libraries and found out what I could about them.” I refused to look at Claire as Astrea spoke about fated bonds. That had to hurt my best friend to hear, after all, they would never be fated. Everyone knew humans couldn’t be fated to witches.
Severin, being oblivious to Claire’s hurt feelings, asked with excitement, “Did you learn anything useful from them?”
Astrea beamed, her excitement matching Severin’s. “Several things! Like what it’s supposed to feel like when you meet your fated, and how the different species know for sure. Like with vampires, you taste your fated and justknow. Werewolves scent their fated and justknow.”
