Page 98 of Queen of the Crimson Throne

There. A small silver thread appeared in my mind. I surged for it. I pulled the thread, gently at first, but it didn’t move. I tugged at it again, the thread gave way to a dark hole, I tumbled into the darkness.

Screams pierced my ears, echos of screams rang through my mind rattling my brain, causing a pressure to mount in my head.

But I continued to follow where the magic led me.

Pain.

I didn’t know how, but I knew there was pain in here. It felt like the creature, the Dhampir, was being ripped apart, torn in two.

I felt like I was being ripped in two.

I screamed against the pain as it consumed my body.

I wobbled, catching myself on the table as white dots speckled behind my closed eyelids, but still I chanted as the blood continued to ooze from my palm.

I tried to open my eyes, but they resisted. The weight of them felt too great. The ground beneath me too hard.

Where was I? Not my bed, or in the library.

I tried again to open my eyes, slowly they opened a crack.

The room was dark, making it hard to make sense of anything. My throat felt raw, my tongue stuck to the roof of mymouth. Water. I needed water. I ran my tongue over my cracked lips.

Finally, my eyes opened fully, but it only made the throbbing in my head worsen. Blood was caked to my palm, dried in some spots, but sticky in others as my wound still oozed.

My wound.

The spell.

I tried to stand, gripping the table for support as my legs wobbled beneath me. I must have passed out during the spell.

Fuck.

I’d been close, I’d gotten glimpses of the creatures creation, but it wasn’t enough. I needed to try again.

I looked at the unhealed wound on my hand.

Later.

I needed food and water first. Then I would try again.

38

LUKA

I laid in bed staring at the ceiling. Every sound had me turning my attention to the door.

I knew it was a one-night thing, but it didn’t keep me from hoping she’d walk in my door again.

It had felt so good to have her in my arms again. Although now I’d crave it every night. It had been so long since we’d shared a bed, it was easy to fall asleep alone before. But now—with the scent of her still lingering in my sheets…

I snaked my hand underneath the sheets, giving my cock a long hard stroke.

I jerked up at the sound of a knock at my door.

Goddess above, of course Lennox would interrupt me the moment I decided I needed to take the edge off.

“Luka!” Lennox’s voice came from the other side of the door.

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