Page 118 of Queen of the Crimson Throne

“We were not honest in our intentions in seeking you out.” After their hospitality tonight I couldn’t lie to them. I refused to drag things out for longer than I needed to.

“What do you mean?” Malina questioned.

“We were told by Astria when we found the journal we either needed to take them for ourselves or destroy them,” I said before I could stop myself.

Sila’s eye darted to the journal where it rested on the table.

“I’m not going to destroy it,” I added.

His eyes shifted back to me, all the kindness leeching out.

“So you’re going to take it?” There was an edge to his voice now.

“No.” I kept my voice calm. I felt Luka’s gaze boring into the side of my head. “I’m leaving the journal with you.”

“Lennox, are you sure that’s smart?” Luka warned under his breath.

“No, but it’s the right thing to do.”

I moved towards the table, picking up the journal, and bringing it to Silas, taking his hands in mine as I placed the journal in his hands. “This journal belongs to your family. It deserves to stay with your family. No matter what Astria might say—the best way to keep these journals safe is to keep them with your family.”

“Thank you.” Silas’ eyes shown with sincerity.

I gave him a tight smile, forcing myself to turn toward the door before I could go back on my decision, not even checking to see if Luka followed behind me.

The warmth left my body with every step I took from the home.

“I can’t believe you let them keep the journals,” Luka called after me, his boots crunching on the snow.

“You let them keep them?” Luce’s voice rang out through the silent forest.

“You don’t understand.” I quickly filled Luce and Declan in on the events in the cottage.

“So what?” Luce pressed. “Just because they were a nice family doesn’t mean they should keep the journals—Astria said to destroy them, or did you forget that tiny detail?”

“I didn’t forget it,” I snapped. “Those journals were important to them—they will keep them safe.”

“You don’t know that,” Declan argued.

I glared at the two of them, the silence coming from Luka was getting louder and louder by the second.

“For once can you let me do the right thing—the decent thing?” My voice rose an octave. “Those journals mean so much to them—they deserved to keep them. They will keep them safe.” I refused to take that one thing from them. That journal had been the bane of my existence for months, but it was theirbeacon of hope. I wouldn’t take it from them for my own selfish gain or the selfish actions of Astria.

“Goddess above, you’re stubborn.” Luce crossed her arms over her chest.

“Lennox did the right thing.” Luka came to stand at my side. “There was no way we could have taken those journals from them.”

“It’s not like I don’t believe you.” Luce huffed. “But you’re bearing the wrath of the Goddess, not me.”

“The wrath of Astria is the last fucking thing I’m worried about.”

“You could have at least taken the paper with the notes about the spell and destroyed it,” Luce argued.

I felt around in my pocket, my hand closing around the folded up square of paper in my hand. I held the square between me and Luce. “For your information, I did take the important notes. If you’d stop arguing with me for a minute I could have told you that.”

Luka’s head whipped in my direction. “When did you take that?”

I shrugged. “I slipped it in my pocket when we left to go outside. There was no fucking way I was leaving that information in their hands.”

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