Page 65 of Queen of the Crimson Throne

“Luce uses this magic all the time, I’m sure it will be fine.”

“But do you want to do it? I like the idea of being able to communicate with you while you’re in there, but don’t do this for me. I won’t let you put yourself at risk for my ease of mind.”

Ichor Magic had so many unknowns, but it was true. Luce used it all the time and it was created by Hecate… One spell should be fine. I had no intention of making the use of Ichor Magic a frequent occurrence, but I wasn’t crazy about the idea of him being out here with those creatures without a way to communicate.

“I want to do it. Being able to communicate with you while we’re in there will be helpful.”

“Okay.” He turned back to Luce. “Tell us what we need to do.”

“We will each partner up, Declan and Kara, me and Nico, and you two,obviously,” she muttered under her breath. I rolled my eyes, sass ran from the Ambrose side of the family after all.

We all listened intently as Luce rattled off the instructions. They were oddly simple for a forbidden form of magic.

“Sounds easy enough,” Nico muttered after Luce was finished. He drew his dagger from his hip and shifted toward Luce.

Luka took my hand in his, turning it over so my palm was facing up. “You ready?” I winced as he drew his dagger across my palm, the blade cool against my skin. He repeated the motion with his own hand before we pressed our palms together, our blood mingling before releasing them.

I took out the stardust from my pocket Luce gave me, removing the cork from the vial with my teeth before spitting it onto the ground. I sprinkled the luminescent substance over our palms to mix with our blood.

“Okay, now we press them back together.” I looked beside us, finding Luce, Nico, Declan, and Kara repeating the same actions.

Luka took my hand in his again, interlocking our fingers.

“Ready when you are, Sweetheart.” I swallowed, focusing on the feeling of the sticky blood marring our palms instead of the feeling of his hand in mine.

I closed my eyes, reciting the spell as Luce had instructed. My chest tightened to an almost painful pressure, my head spun as the pressure traveled to my head.

I squeezed my eyes tighter, trying to ease the pain and pressure as it continued to mount. Luce said the sensation of Ichor Magic was intense, but this—this was more than intense—it waspainful.

I gritted my teeth as the magic made its way through me.

“Breathe,” Luka reminded me, his thumb brushing over the back of my hand.

“I can’t—” I gritted. My legs shook from the intensity of the unusual form of magic working its way through my body.

“Yes. You can.” I jumped at the feel of Luka’s cool hand at my neck. His thumb brushed a line behind my ear, making me shiver despite the intense heat of the magic invading my body.

He pressed his forehead against my own. Our intertwined hands now pressed against our chests. I could feel the erratic beats of both of our hearts between us.

“Breathe Lennox,breathe.” His breath was warm against my skin. “Breathe.”

I tried, my breaths were still coming in short pants, but I focused on his voice, on where his skin touched mine until my breaths were in sync with his as I continued to mutter the spell once again.

You’re okay.

“Thanks to you.”

“Wait, you heard that?” Luka took a step back, his brows pinching as he looked me over.

I opened my eyes. “You didn’t say that out loud?”

No.His mouth didn’t move, but his voice rang clear in my mind.

“Holy shit.”

Can you hear me?I asked in my mind.

Yes.

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