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Dani came in and glared at the trash bags she’d taped to the windows. Light shone at the seams, but it wasn’t enough to hurt her sister. “By Lucaindrion’s saggy left nut, you’re okay!” She marched over to the bed. “I was so fucking worried about you.”
Ash still felt weak and groggy after her daytime deadness, so she had a hard time following Dani’s logic. “First of all, don’t ever say that again. Where the hell did you learn that?”
Dani shrugged. “Apparently, it’s a thing with dragons, but it’s not Luca’s saggy nuts they’re talking about. It’s some long-dead ancestor. I asked.”
Ash laughed. “What? Ancient testicles are an expletive for the dragons?”
Dani nodded. “Seems so.”
“What the literal fuck?”
Dani grinned. “I love it when you say that. It implies the existence of imaginary fucks, so my world is complete. Visualizing them floating around, invisible, just waiting to dive-bomb some unsuspecting person. Imaginary little stealth fucks.”
“You have too much time on your hands.”
Dani shrugged. “I am a weapon of mass confusion. You are just immune.”
Ash laughed and shook her head to clear the fog. “Why were you so worried? What happened while I was asleep?” She stretched and examined her limbs, but nothing seemed out of order.
Dani pointed at the windows and her hasty blackout curtains. “Dude, you caught on fire! The ring’s protection must have worn off. I was scrolling through Facebook, and you burst into fucking flames like Ghost Rider.”
Ash chuckled. “You are the best sister anyone could ask for. I don’t see any damage, so I guess you put the fire out.”
“Of course. You know I have your back.” Dani showed Ash her phone. “I mean, I took a picture first, but I totally put the fire out.”
Ash shook her head. “Like I said, you’re the best. So, what’s on the agenda for today?”
“Zia went to spend a few days with her daughter. She said she would be back on Tuesday. She left some vampire cheat sheets for you. Eiko is out gathering ingredients for a big spell and will come back tomorrow. It’s just you and me today.”
“Thank fuck for that. It’s been insane. It’s nice to be just us for a while.”
“Did you have anything you wanted to do while we’re here? I Googled a bunch of tourist shit about the peninsula. Did you know the US leased it from the twenties until the eighties? Do you think that’s what made Luca want to go to America when he was exiled?” Dani asked.
“We’ll ask him after the coronation,” Ash said, trying not to be devastated that she wasn’t at his side during something that important.
“Oh, my God, I almost forgot. Eiko left you something. Don’t move!” Dani ran out of the room and returned with a large hand mirror. “It’s spelled to let you watch the ceremony. Everything starts at sunset, which is in about five minutes.”
Ash’s eyes shimmered with grateful tears. “Thank you for not letting me miss it,” she whispered, eagerly staring into the mirror to catch sight of Luca.
“Wouldn’t. It’s killing you not to be there.” Dani settled in next to her sister.
The view was centered on Luca as if an invisible camera hovered near him. She felt an overwhelming rush of love when she saw him, tall and handsome in his regalia. He seemed to be alone in a side room and Ash smiled fondly when Mikhail entered carrying a large box, which he set on a table. He opened the box and stepped aside, revealing the crown within.
Luca’s eyes widened with dismay as he remembered that crown on Nikoli’s brow before and after the madness. It was a masterful piece of art crafted from gold, etched with intricate designs and studded with all kinds of jewels. He’d always thought it was beautiful, but it was also terrifying, given the responsibility it represented.
“It looks heavy,” Luca mused, reluctant to approach the table. His apprehension was so clear that Ash wondered if they should be watching such a private moment. She didn’t turn away, however.
Mikhail chuckled. “You think you know, but you cannot imagine. You can only comprehend the weight through experience. I wanted you to see this to remember what the head under this crown is capable of and to tell you that you won’t be wearing this one.
“I will not let you start your reign bearing the weight of the other’s mistakes. This crown is tainted. The next era of the Therian empire deserves a new symbol for a fresh start, so I commissioned something for you.”
Luca sighed. “Oh, thank the gods! The thought of wearing that has plagued my nightmares for decades, and it’s been a constant worry during these past few days. I can’t tell you what a comfort that is. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome, son. Thank you for allowing a foolish old man the opportunity to right so many wrongs.”
Mikhail took the crown with him and left Luca alone for a few moments of quiet contemplation before he went to the throne room. He looked at the faint shimmer in the air that was Eiko’s spell broadcasting the day for Ash and smiled. “I wish you were here, Ash, but you’ll be by my side when we’re done. I love you.”
Luca navigated the halls to the throne room, which looked very different than it had when he and Viktorija returned after Nikoli’s death. He mingled with the throng that was waiting for the ceremony to start.
