Page 15 of Knox
"Caelen is my responsibility. I’m the one who has to stop him."
Adrian saw the conviction in the demon’s eyes. The man was willing to risk his life in order to stop the Shadow King from taking over any more towns. "I know you can’t let Caelen conquer more of Veridia, but you didn’t have to go to him without a good plan."
Knox scoffed. "I had a plan. Maybe your author wasn’t privy to it." His gaze narrowed. "Whoiswriting this story?"
Adrian stopped with his mouth open. He wanted to give Knox the answer, except he didn’t have it. "I don’t know." The author was using an internet handle. "They go by N.N."
"What does that stand for?"
Adrian shrugged. "I can do some research in the morning if you’d like." He didn’t think that he’d turn up much because he’d tried to unveil N.N’s identity before—unsuccessfully.
"I would appreciate that," Knox said. "They must be in possession of powerful magic to be able to transcribe my life from another realm."
Was that what Knox thought was happening? That someone was writing his story down rather than creating it?
The idea was probably easier to stomach than the concept of being nothing more than a fictional character. This way, Knox might still bereal.If magic was real—which it had to be for Knox to be here in the first place.
Adrian’s head hurt contemplating that.
"I shall try to sleep again if you don’t mind," Knox said. "I don’t think that I’ll have much luck but I need to save my strength. This is a very strange world you live in."
To Knox, it had to appear that way. Adrian felt a pang of sympathy—enough for him to take a few steps closer and sit on the edge of the couch. "It might help if you turn the light off. Here, let me show you." He reached over to the lamp on the coffee table and pointed out the switch at the base. "Like this."
He turned the light off and the room was bathed in darkness. After a moment, though, his eyes adjusted to the faint shine of the streetlight coming in from outside. No one had thought to draw the curtains.
"It’s like magic," Knox mused, "but it’s not. It doesn’t feel like magic."
"It’s technology. The lamp runs on electricity. Many things in this world do."
"Electricity." Knox sounded out the word.
"It’s like lightning. Imagine you’re harvesting the energy of a lightning strike and using it to power all sorts of mechanisms."
"You caught lightning in that lamp?" The incubus seemed mildly impressed. "Can it be used as a weapon?"
A smile formed on Adrian’s face. "Not like you think, but I suppose you could hit someone over the head with it."
Knox rubbed his chin. "I see. Thank you for turning it off, in any case. Though the light was not what troubled me."
Adrian licked his lips. Should he ask? "What does trouble you?"
Knox didn’t respond immediately, as if he wasn’t sure whether or not he wanted to share what was on his mind. Somehow, his hesitation made him more human. This whole time, Adrian had viewed him only as an impossibility, a demon who could not be. He’d been so focused on his own anxieties that he hadn’t considered how difficult all of this must be for Knox.
Without conscious thought, he inched a little closer to the incubus. "You can tell me. I won’t judge." A statement Knox would likely not believe for a second if he ever got to read Adrian’s blog which dissected every decision Knox had ever made throughout his journey described inMonsters of Veridia.
Fortunately, Knox didn’t know anything about Adrian’s blog.
"I’m worried about my companions," he said. "We were separated when I was… yanked here. Either they’re facing the Shadow King by themselves or they’re stranded in this world the same as I am. I don’t know which of these possibilities is worse."
Adrian’s heart clenched unexpectedly. "I’m sure they’re fine," he said, trying to sound reassuring, though he had no idea if that was true. "Zev is quite capable and so is Lyrian."
"You know my friends?" Knox shook his head. "Of course you do."
"They’ll be able to hold their own against the Shadow King somehow, and if they’re stranded here instead they’re probably fine… just confused."
Like Knox was. Like Adrian was.
In the darkness of the room, Knox’s gaze met his and Adrian felt himself drawn toward him, wanting to be a source of comfort for the other man in a way he hadn’t wanted tobe therefor anyone since his breakup.
