Marius had to figure out a way to save his bodyguard. Not only because he’d dragged her into this, but because something deep within him twisted at the thought of a world existing without Vivienne’s fierceness.
The moment he was better, he would find a way to help her.
With that thought in mind, he took the cup and tossed the liquid back in one gulp. He grimaced. A bitter aftertaste accompanied the floral flavor, and the medicine was strangely viscous as it slid down his throat.
Shuddering, he leaned back and rested his head against the pillows.
Odette took the empty cup and smiled. “You should rest, YourHighness. The medicine will combat your fever, but sleep is always the best medicine.”
The witches who’d looked after him as a child had always said the same thing. Marius had grown to hate sleep almost as much as he hated being confined to bedrest. But he couldn’t deny that exhaustion was pulling at him.
“He’s going to be okay, right?” Luna released Sebastian’s hand and came to stand beside the bed.
“He will, Your Majesty.” Odette collected her things and slipped them into her pockets. “I’ll check on him tomorrow, but I don’t foresee any issues.”
Luna exhaled and shuddered, shutting her eyes for a moment before reopening them. “Thank Isvana. And thank you, Odette.”
The witch dipped her head, and a few minutes later, she slipped out of the room.
The door was barely shut before Luna turned to the king. “You will not execute the bodyguard yet.”
Yet.
The last word echoed through the room, and tension strummed in the air between the two vampires.
A long moment passed before the king jerked his chin. “For you, darling, I will stay my hand.”
For the first time all night, Marius felt like he could breathe.
“Thank you, Lulu,” he whispered, his head growing heavier by the minute. “This wasn’t Vivienne’s fault…”
His voice trailed off as his sister turned to face him once more. Her shoulders were rigid, and shadows curled around her hands.
“How could you do this?” Luna’s voice trembled, and she bit her lip. “I… you… we thought you were dead.”
Pain, even more than she’d shown in the throne room, flashed through her gaze.
Marius whispered another apology, pushing himself up and reaching for his sister’s hand. To his eternal chagrin, she stepped away from him and moved against Sebastian, her back resting against his chest. The king’s hands landed on her shoulders, steadying her.
“I just… I can’t apologize enough.” Marius gripped the comforter. “I didn’t think it through.”
The words weren’t sufficient. They’d never be sufficient.
Luna sniffled, and gods, it was an awful sight. “Clearly.”
He twisted the material. “I?—”
“No, Marius,” she murmured. The quiet tone of her voice was somehow worse than if she was shouting at him. “When you vanished, everything else stopped. We combed the area for you until moments before the sun rose. Then, during the day, the High Ladies and their mates searched for you. At night, we looked for yourbody.”
She broke off into a shuddering sob, burying her face against the king’s chest.
Each word hurt more than the last.
“I never meant to cause you pain,” Marius whispered.
It wasn’t enough. He knew that. He just couldn’t force coherent sentences out of his mouth. Not right now. Apologies piled up on the tip of his tongue, fighting for dominance.
I’m sorry that I was so stupid.
