Page 193 of Queen of the Crimson Throne

Goddess, how long had I been asleep?

I reached my arm out in the bed beside me, surprised to find the space where Lennox should have been empty. I strained my ears to try and hear her—but the only sound in the bedchamber was the breath of someone else sleeping. Their breaths were too heavy, too deep to be Lennox.

I sat up, finding my friends in the sitting area.

Why were they—it all came back to me. “Lennox.” The pain in my chest intensified.

Lennox had given herself to Adreona to save Kara—to save us all. And I had passed out? What had rendered me unconscious?

“You’re up,” Declan mused from where he relaxed in the chair. His hair was down and loose, there were deep circles under his eyes.

“I need to go to her.” I pushed back the sheet and made my way to the bathing chamber. I had to get to her as quickly as possible.

“It’s not that easy,” Declancountered as he followed me into the bathing chamber. The large white wolf sleeping on the floor rustled, magic flashed and Nico was standing in the bathing chamber. I ignored him as I looked around for my weapons.

“We go back to the abandoned building and we get her back. Simple.”

Declan laid a hand gently on my arm, causing me to stop my search and look at him. The expression on his face sent worry scurrying about my system.

“You don’t understand, Luka. She’s not there anymore.”

Nico’s expression was a mirror of Declan’s. “We went back after we brought you back here. They cleared out the space. They knew we’d go back for her.”

I took a shuddering breath, rubbing my hand over my chest—over the spot where pain radiated.

“Luciana will scry, she will find where she is.”

The two shared a look. “What?” They were both silent. “Spit it the fuck out.” I ground out. Pushing Declan away from me.

“She tried. It didn’t work,” Nico admitted.

“Then she’ll try again.” I pushed past them back into the bedchamber.

“She’s been trying for two days straight.” Nico followed behind me. I stopped, closing my eyes against his words.Two days.I had been out for two days. Lennox had been in captivity for two days.

“She tried until her body gave out on her. She passed out a few hours ago. She thinks whatever block on magic they had on that building they now have on Lennox.”

It would have been too easy, wouldn’t it? Too easy to conduct a spell and find her and bring her back to me. Adreona didn’t want us to find her.

I bunched my hands into fists.

But I would find her.

I would rip the realm to shreds until I found her again.

73

LENNOX

I leaned my head against the cool cement of the wall of my cell.

The guard who had brought me here had called it a room, but you didn’t get locked in rooms. There was at least a bathroom. That was a luxury for the cell. And I had a table to eat the meals they brought me. Not that the meals were anything worthwhile. But at least it was food.

Adreona hadn’t called upon me since we had arrived here. Wherever here was. She knocked me out after everyone left. I woke up here. In their new headquarters.

At least my shackles had been removed.

But there was still something snuffing out my magic.

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