Page 35 of Queen of the Crimson Throne

I sparked a flame onto the piles of herbs.

“We have a better chance of it working if we all try together.” Luce reached out her hands to me and Kara.

Kara, Luce, and I all grabbed hands. Our eyes closing simultaneously as our hands linked. Luce began chanting the spell, after saying it once, Kara and I joined in, the three of us saying the words in unison.

A light wind blew around us, causing the smoke from the herbs to drift to my nose. Luce’s hand squeezed mine at the same time a burst of magic jolted through me, like a tiny lightning strike, slowly traveling from my hand through my body as I continued to chant.

We continued until the wind and the magic buzzing in my body stopped.

I opened my eyes, immediately finding Luka staring at me in awe.

I tore my gaze from his and looked at the map. The herbs still smoldered, but they had shifted to form a small circle on the map.

“It worked,” Luka whispered in awe.

We all leaned in closer to see the location the spell had revealed.

Chills ran down my arm when I realized where it was circling. “That’s the location of Hecate’s cottage.” I meet Luka’s gaze. “The one Luka and I visited.”

“Well, it looks like we’re all in for a little adventure.” Luce grinned. “I’ve never tried transporting more than one person before.”

I whipped my head in her direction. “You want to transport us all?”

“Why not? Time is of the essence here is it not? You two are not in a position to up and leave for several weeks, and based on your last experience with Hecate I doubt she’d talk to any of us.”

“So the three of us.” Luka looked between Luce and me. “We’ll go back to Hecate’s cottage.”

“No way am I getting left behind this time,” Nico protested. “I’m coming too.”

Luce shrugged. “Fine with me.”

“If he gets to come I get to come, too,” Kara added.

“So I get to stay behind while you go off on a ridiculous chase,” Declan grumbled.

“Don’t pout, bird boy, you can come too if you want.” Luce looked at him over her shoulder.

“You can bring all of us?” I questioned.

“I can’t see why not. It’s good practice.”

I sighed. I didn’t like how comfortable Luce had become with practicing Ichor Magic.

“It’s settled then, we’ll all go,” Luka said. “Tomorrow night? That way we won’t raise suspicion that we’re gone?”

We all nodded in agreement.

“Tomorrow we go back to the Mystic Court.”

18

LUKA

When we originally discussed Luciana transporting us all to the Mystic Court, it sounded like a great idea. But now, standing back in Lennox’s room as she explained to us how this would work—shouldwork—I was having second thoughts. I wasn’t too keen on the idea of traveling between time and space like a speck of dust as my body morphed to accommodate the magic.

“I don’t think we should do this,” Declan brought my thoughts to life.

“No one is making you come with, birdy, I’ve been practicing this magic for a long time—and I’m good at it. Really fucking good at it. Ichor Magic might be forbidden, but it’s not an easy magic to harness. I’ve been doing it with ease for years.” Luce looked between us all before landing back at Declan. “So either get on board or leave.” She raised a singular dark brow at the harpy.

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