Page 189 of Queen of the Crimson Throne

“I’ll kill her,” she murmured under her breath. “I’ll slit that bitch’s throat for this.”

Panic flared in Luciana’s eyes as she took in Lennox.

“Lennox no!” The witch warned, but she was too late. Lennox flung out her arm towards Adreona, a spear of ice flying through the air.

Before the ice could touch the female, it melted to a puddle on the floor. Lennox’s brow wrinkled, but she tried again, only for the same thing to happen.

“If only you would have listened to me, you insolent child,” Adreona growled. “Your magic is useless against me.”

Despite Adreona’s warning, Lennox tried again, throwing out her hand, but nothing came from her fingers.

“This place puts a damper on your magic, rendering it all but useless.”

We all turned at the sound of the door opening behind us again. Guards filtered into the room, each of them guiding a restrained Dhampir into the chamber.

There had to be close to twenty Dhampirs being led into the room. Dread settled low in my gut.

“I’ll make you a deal, High Queen.” Her voice slid down my spine like a snake. “Make it out of here alive and I’ll let you all go.”

“Fuck,” Nico swore.

We knew how to take down Dhampir, but this many, without any magic…

For the first time, I thought we might not make it out alive.

“The deal was I bring you the journal and I get my sister back.”

Adreona raised a dark brow, “I have the journal and youhave your sister back. I never said anything about you making it out of here alive.”

I looked at Lennox, but her gaze was fixed on Adreona, determination written across her features. I squeezed her hand three times before she looked back at me.

“We can do this,” I said, trying to reassure her as well as myself. “I love you.”

She smiled softly. Squeezing my hand back. She opened her mouth, but Adreona’s voice rose over the room before she could speak.

“Release the Dhampirs.”

Chaos erupted as the guards released the Dhampirs. The guards ran, filing back into the doors they came from as the Dhampirs roared and took off toward us.

“Help!” I turned my head toward Luciana and Nico as they screamed and ran toward us. “Our restraints!” They bellowed as they ran toward us with wide eyes. The guards had abandoned them, left them for dead with their hands still restrained. I rushed toward them, and Lennox toward the Dhampirs.

“Do you still have weapons?”

“They only took the ones they could see on us,” Nico said as I slashed my sword through his bindings.

The moment he was free he shifted into his wolf form, whatever magic was diluting our elemental powers didn’t tamper with his shifting abilities. He wasted no time ripping into a Dhampir that rushed him.

I turned my attention back to Luciana, I had never seen her look so panicked. “It will be okay,” I told her as I cut off her ties.

“I’m not so sure.” She let out a deep sigh before setting her shoulders, her eyes scanning the room. “I need a sword.” Her gaze landed on the guard lying dead on the floor. “Cover me?”

I nodded. Luce palmed the daggers strapped to her thighs before breaking into a run, me at her heels.

“On your left,” I warned Luciana. The Dhampir pounced, its claws clamoring for Luce. This one looked like the first one Iencountered after the market, its face less human than the recent ones we had encountered. It was worth a try to see if a blade to the heart would be enough to kill it. Luce kept running, I embedded my blade in the beast’s chest from behind. I didn’t look back to watch it fall as I continued after Luciana.

We made it to the guard, Luciana grabbed the sword, turning back toward me, her eyes going wide. “Look out!” She warned.

I ducked in time as a Dhampir lept for me. It met Luciana’s sword as it leaped, falling to the floor dead. “Thank you,” I breathed.

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