Moonlight Prince (Vampire Girl #4)

He blinks slowly, letting my words sink in. Then he nods and adjusts our bodies so that he's leaning over me again. "Are you sure, Arianna? There's no going back from this."

I pause, my hand falling to the gentle curve of my stomach. "Will it hurt our baby?" I don't want to wait, but I will for her.

"No. Our child is already part vampire and will not be hurt. But you need to be sure… for yourself."

"I'm sure. I'm ready to take the Blood Oath. I'm ready to become one of you. And with us both carrying the blood of the Fae and vampire, we can be a unified force of unity for all of our people."

He nods, and I sit up. "What do we need to do?"

"It's a blood exchange." He bites his wrist and holds it to my mouth.

I place my lips against the blood and feel a sharp prick against my neck.

And then it begins.





EPILOGUE


"I love you, Arianna Spero. I love you."

—Fenris Vane—



I shouldn't be this nervous.

But still, here I am, shaking in my silk and satin white dress, like a fall leaf about to face winter.

I'm surrounded by opulence, in a dressing room the size of a large apartment. Carved wood accented with silver and gold furniture create an elegant, warm vibe, and everywhere there are flowers in full bloom. Yami is sniffing a bouquet recently brought in, his eyes closed as he inhales deeply.

I haven't seen Fen since this morning after our hunt. Being a vampire has taken some getting used to, but now… now I relish the moments running free in the woods with my husband. Shortly after we were both whisked away for matters of state, and planning.

I can handle the politics. The party planning is another story.

This is the first moment I've had alone in the last six hours, and I decide to follow Yami's lead and breathe in the smell of fresh flowers.

It's stunning to me that it's already been a year since the night Fen and I said our vows under the starry sky beside the river. This is our anniversary, but it's also so much more.

It's the day we celebrate with family, friends, and our kingdoms.

It's the day we come together in the eyes of all who know us.

I'm lost in thought when the door to my room cracks open, and Kayla walks in. "They're here," she says with a grin.

My pulse quickens in excitement. "Bring them in, please."

Kayla is dressed in stunning layers of gold and silver and looks as much like a bride as I do. I'm determined to follow the human tradition of tossing the bouquet, and I'm totally going to cheat and use magic to make sure Kayla catches it. She and Tavian are next in line for this particular dance, if that sparkly ring on her finger is any indication.

Kayla smiles at me and her phoenix preens on her shoulder. "You look beautiful. But you're missing something."

She sets down a golden box and opens the lid. "A proper queen needs a proper crown. One of her very own."

My eyes fill with tears when I see it. It's stunning. Gorgeous. It's gold and silver, inlaid with gems that sparkle in the firelight. The design has an elemental feel to it. And in the center is a stone that glows with a soft silver light. A light I've seen before.

"I harvested the metal and gems from both Inferna and Avakiri, and for the center stone…"

"You used the guardian's heart. The moonlight steel." My father's heart.

She nods. "I thought it fitting, and that he would approve. You have done the impossible. You have defeated the Darkness that ensnared this world, and you have brought peace between the vampire, Fae and Shade. You are the unifying force of our world. He gave his heart because he saw into yours, and it was worthy. It always has been."

Now the tears are flowing, damn it all.

She takes the crown from me and places it on my head, securing it with ribbon and pins, then leaves me alone with my thoughts and my dragon.

I turn and look in the mirror. The mirror I fought to have in all the realms. Travel is now allowed. Mirrors are no longer banished.

My sparkling midnight hair is pulled into a myriad of braids and woven together with silver ribbon. My eyes are lined with dark kohl, making the green pop. My lips are stained dark berry. And my dress is beaded with rhinestones and pearls.

I look like a bride.

I look like a Queen.

The peace Kayla speaks of is still in its infant stage. There is still unrest in many parts of Inferna and Avakiri. There is still infighting, prejudice, hate. Lifetimes of segregation and war will not end in a year. Or even many years. But we've made a start. We've reshaped the government of Inferna. Made slavery illegal in all realms. Made non-consensual feeding illegal. Created a new commerce and labor structure to support fair compensation and at will employment. It required a lot of reading and studying and bringing non-technical ideas from my world to this one to see how we might do things differently. And it's still a work in progress. I'm new to this. So is Fen. But we have surrounded ourselves with wise counsel from both the vampire and Fae, and we work daily to make sure every voice is heard.

I turn when I hear the door open and throw myself into the arms of the two people standing there.

Es and Pete wear smiles as big as mine as we hug.

"Girl, you look ah-mazing!" Es says in her southern way.

Pete nods. "Never looked better, Princess. Or should I say Queen?"

"You can just say Ari." I hold each of their hands, afraid if I let go they'll disappear. "I'm so glad you could come. I've missed you both so much."

"We wouldn't miss this for anything," Es says. "Besides, Pete's been dying to see Varis again and pick his brain. That poor Fae is going to be begging us to go back to our own world by the time this celebration is over."

I laugh at that. "I'm sure Varis will be excited to have his most enthusiastic pupil back. Fen and I are so busy, he has to practically kidnap us to continue our training. And there always seems so much to learn, even after all this time."

Es looks around the room, then frowns. "Where is she? Where is my godchild?"

"Ah, your true motives have been revealed. You came for the baby above all. Confess."

"I came for all of you. But yes, that little one is high on my list."

As if on cue, the door opens again, and Es screeches.

"The little angel has arrived," I say, my heart growing bigger every time I lay eyes on my child. She's dressed in gold and silver, with a bow on her head. Her eyes are blue with green flecks, and she's the most amazing thing I've ever seen.

And seeing my mother holding her—that makes everything I've endured to get here worth it. My mother, who no longer limps, who no longer suffers any pain, who chose to stay on this world to be closer to us and help with her granddaughter… it's all too perfect. My heart can hardly hold the joy I feel right now.

I take the baby from her and Kayla tsks from behind everyone. "Careful she doesn't spit up and ruin your dress before the ceremony."

"Oh hush," I chide, as my mom slips a cloth over my shoulder. "Es, Pete, this is Princess Aya'zee, my daughter. Aya'zee, these are two of your godparents."