On the third path, he played cards with Vivienne and Felix. The groom said something Marius couldn’t hear, and Vivienne laughed. Gods, that sound waseverything. He knew right then he would do whatever it took to hear it again and again.
In the fourth vision, a redheaded elf was chatting with Luna. The two women were laughing as young children chased the queen’s cats around the throne room.
Marius picked up another path. And another. And another.
When he put the last path on the ground and reached within himself for his magic, he felt lighter than ever. Each future was different, but they all had one thing in common: they were good.
Tugging on those silver strands that were as much a part of him as his mortal blood, he grinned as the silver planes disappeared.
Marius drewin a sharp breath as he returned to his body. His fingers curled around the velvet armrests of his chair, and he breathed in the cool scent that meant his vampire was nearby.
They weren’t Tethered and they didn’t need to remain in the same space, but Marius hadn’t wanted to leave Vivienne’s side since she woke. She seemed to agree because even though they hadn’t outright discussed it, they’d both been living in his room in Castle Sanguis and sharing his bed.
They hadn’t done anything other than share a few kisses, what with her healing after the Binding, but neither had strayed far from the other. Every time he woke, he rolled over to ensure she was still there, still breathing, and still Bound to him.
“Well?” The vampire he loved was perched on the edge of their bed and staring intently at him. “What did you See?”
Gods, she was stunning. She must’ve showered while he was walking the silver planes because her damp red hair hung in an intricate braid across one shoulder. She wore black fighting leathers that hugged her curves, harkening back to her outfit the first nightthey met.
Her skin had returned to its normal shade, and her red lips were calling to him. Her wings were fanned out behind her, her leathers made to accommodate them. The black appendages were perfect, lacking all evidence of the trauma they’d endured in Death Mountain.
He still couldn’t believe Vivienne had Bound herself to him. It was an honor he didn’t deserve, but he would become worthy of her attention and love if it was the last thing he did.
After all, they’d be together for an eternity. Bindings meant that vampires only required a single Source, and it would also extend his lifetime to match hers.
He couldn’t think of anyone else he’d rather spend eternity with. This was such a far cry from where he’d been a short while ago, sneaking out of the university ball to stop the First on his own. He never would’ve believed thatthiswould be the end result of his adventure: in love and Bound to a powerful, stunning vampire who was his better in every single way.
He was the luckiest man in all the Four Kingdoms.
Marius stood and crossed the room, sitting next to her. “I Saw many things, and they were all good. There wasn’t a trace of darkness in sight.”
Vivienne exhaled, her shoulders loosening. The curtains were drawn, night was still a few hours off, and a Light Elf orb flickered, casting her in a violet glow. It only added to her beauty.
“Thank Isvana.” She reached for his hand and traced his markings. “How are you feeling? Did walking the silver planes drain you?”
He paused, considering the question. Walking the silver planesshouldhave drained him. After all, the act had never been easy. And yet, as he searched within himself for that well of magic that was his birthright, he found it brimming with silver as if he hadn’t touched it.
“I feel fine,” he told her.
If anything, he feltbetterthanbefore.
“Really?” Vivienne’s eyes searched his, and it was like she was seeing into his soul. Her fingers tightened on his, and a smile stretched across her face. Her wings fluttered behind her, which was absolutely adorable. “That’s incredible.”
“It is.” He leaned close, his free hand landing on her thigh as he kissed the corner of her mouth. She inhaled, the sound going directly to his core. Gods, he loved this woman. He whispered against her lips. “It must be the Binding. Thank you.”
It was an added benefit that he hadn’t considered.
She opened her mouth, probably to say something, but he swallowed her words with a kiss.
He’d only intended for this to be a quick embrace. A peck, nothing more. A show of gratitude for the way that she’d changed his life for the better in so many ways.
His intentions didn’t prepare him for the softness of her lips, the bitter aftertaste of the coffee she must’ve had while he was walking the silver planes, or the moan that slipped from her as their mouths fused.
They kissed, and he lost himself in the embrace.
His heart raced, and warmth ran through him as he swept his tongue across the seam of her lips. She parted them willingly, and he ran his tongue over the tip of one of her fangs. Even when they’d kissed before, he hadn’t dared touch them.
But now?
