Queen of Darkness WATTPAD VERSION [Inter-Universal Protectors: Book 3]

6

Tara had been trying to sleep for what felt like hours. 

She'd tried different positions, taking her clothes off, putting them back on, kicking the blanket away, and pulling it back over herself as a sudden chill overcame her body. She even spent a good half hour laying on the floor with two heavy blankets wrapped around her as protection from the cold bite of the stone. After discovering that a cup of warm milk also achieved nothing, she have up. Tara tossed the blankets aside, retrieved a cloak, and begun to wander.

The castle she had come to call home was eerily empty at this hour. It was far from surprising. Tara guessed it was well past midnight.

A shiver made her pull the cloak tighter around her form. It was strangely cold tonight. Maybe that sudden change was what made sleep so difficult. She shook her head. No way it was that simple.

She soon found herself wandering the castle's gardens. While they were lovely to walk through during a calm day, their true beauty could only be appreciated during the night. That was when it came to life. White flowered she hadn't bothered to learn the name of glowed as though they were made of soft starlight. A mix of blue and purple flowers had golden dust drifting around them. They looked like small bugs, but she knew that it was really pollen.

Tara was under the spell of its beauty. She would have a garden like this wherever she ended up. Once all the drama of this world was over. It would be the most amazing garden filled with so many flowers. There would be floating flowers and glowing flowers and dancing flowers and normal flowers. There would be a mixture of vines and trees and bushes around everything with the occasional stone in between for her to sit on and watch everything grow. Actually, no. A gazebo would work better than the stones. She always wanted a gazebo.

"Tara?"

The spun in surprise at the sound of her name. She hadn't expected anyone else to be awake at this hour, let alone to be wandering the gardens as she also did. It took her eyes a moment to adjust after looking at the glow of the plants and pollen. "Liam?"

Her Advisor slash Second in Command nodded. "Can't sleep?"

She shook her head. "You?"

He huffed a laugh in answer, beginning to turn away. "Walk with me?" he asked.

Tara was so overcome with shock at seeing him that she said "Sure."

The pair wondered down one of the many stone paths within the garden. They didn't speak. Had no desire to. They only looked around, both enchanted by the garden. Tara found herself shivering as the temperature continued to drop. Without question, Liam placed an arm around her. She was pulled against his side. She leaned into his warmth, the shivering beginning to slow.

"When do you leave?"

She looked up at him.

"When do you leave this place, Ta?"

She shrugged. "After we managed to track this new Ruler, whoever that is."

"And if said new Ruler turns out to be worse than you?"

She shoved him playfully, knowing there to be no offence in the question. "We can cross that bridge when we get to it."

They were silent for a while. Tara thought the conversation to be over.

"You going alone?"

"Probably," she said.

Liam nodded slightly against her head. The motion made warm flood through her. Even more so when his hand lowered to grip her waist.

"Why?"

"Curious," he said.

They both knew it was a lie but neither called attention to it as they continued to walk. A few minutes later and they came across a stone bench in front of which was a small pond. Glowing fish jumped and swam here and there, trying to catch each other. Tara used her power to replace the cloak with a blanket. She pushed it around Liam's shoulders. Even so, he continued to holder her at his side.

"Liam?"

"Yes."

A breath. "If I were to ask you to come with me when I leave, what would you say?"

Liam pretended to think over his answer. "I would say . . . Yes. Why?"

"Curious."

He huffed a laugh.

Tara glanced up at him. "Do you want to come with me when I–"

"Yes." He took one of her hands with his free one. "I would come with you anywhere."

There was no need to fake her smile.