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I balked. “Why would the Witch Kingdom have a temple to a vampire god?”

“I didn’t say she’s a vampire goddess. Just that we revere her while you all have shunned her for the past few centuries.”

Ironic. The undying creatures worshiped death, while the mortals forsook her.

“Are you really going to go to her temple in the marshes? Whatever the Black Grimoire is, you’re not a witch. It’s useless to you.”

“Weare going to the marshes,” he said, like it was a forgone conclusion.

I blinked at him. The past few days, we’d been in a domestic stasis, tinkering, talking. I hadn’t considered… no, I hadn’t let myself consider what would happen after.

“You’re healed enough now. We leave tomorrow.”

Chapter Twenty

Raphael, for all hisdisappearances in our time at the cabin, hadn’t bothered to steal another horse, which meant I was back to riding on Alphonse with him. He had, however, picked up a choice few cards, including one that enchanted the horse’s legs to be able to handle the wet terrain.

Since he couldn’t cast the cards himself, surely that meant he’d expected me to come with him. Imperious vampire.

But I went with him anyway. I couldn’t stay in Apante after Raphael had just killed the highest-ranking members of the Apante Monastery, which was the only place that could shelter me. My next best hope was to follow himnorth, and once he accomplished his goal, convince him to deposit me in a village where I could build a life undetected. Eventually, the king’s men would likely find me, and I’d need to run and find somewhere new or be caught, but I didn’t have a better option yet.

He rode with uncharacteristic gentleness. Whether it was because of the marsh’s terrain or that he had some lingering concern about my wellbeing… it was easier to believe the former.

We reached the temple a few days later. There was no mistaking the sight. Buried in the depths of the marshes was a temple perhaps half the size of the Monastery and a third as tall. It was made of shiny black stone that had withstood the elements. Even covered in years of vines and shrouded in mists, it radiated power. Something in me felt compelled to see the inside in a way I hadn’t felt at the Great Library or the Monastery.

Another puzzle.

“You’ll wait here,” Raphael declared, dismounting from Alphonse with ease.

“I most certainly will not,” I retorted. “And let an ogre have me for lunch?”

“You don’t have enough meat to entice an ogre to expend the effort.”

I looked around dramatically. “Ah, yes. Because ogres in the marshes have so many options, they’re picky about which weak little humans they snack on.”

“There’ll be traps. It’s too dangerous.”

I frowned. “You sound like you’ve been inside before.”

A beat. “I have.”

So it wasn’t luck that led us so easily to the temple. Still, why? Were things so different hundreds of years ago that vampires ventured into the Witch Kingdom for temples?

Or was it from his life… before?

“Then you’ll keep me safe,” I countered. “You’re the one who’s constantly been saying I’m safer with you than without you.”

Raphael hesitated. Indecision warred inside him—he obviously wasn’t used me challenging him on his plans. Especially not me asserting any kind of trust in him. But I did trust the vampire—to a point. And more than that, I wanted to go inside that temple, the way a child wants to run down a long, empty corridor.

And I really didn’t want to find out which of us was right about ogre preferences.

I could see the moment I won him over. “Step where I step. And don’t touchanything,” he warned while helping me off the horse.

I rolled my eyes and followed him inside.

The temple was dark.

There was barely any other way to describe it. Despite the aged appearance, inside was all sleek black stone.Unnatural, glistening stone, all one piece rather than blocks, as though the temple had been carved from onyx.