Page 95 of Knox
They moved through an archway into the next room, which didn’t make Adrian any less envious. Gaming consoles of every generation lined one wall—and while Adrian wasn’t a huge gamer, his eyes were drawn to the other wall, which was covered with floor-to-ceiling bookshelves. Fantasy novels, from classics to recent releases, filled every available space. Hardcovers, almost all of them.
But before Adrian could spend too much time browsing the shelves, his gaze landed on a poster of Caelen, larger than life, dominating one wall.
This was definitely a fan’s dwelling. Or the dwelling of someone who had been a fan once.
A memory tickled at the back of Adrian’s mind. Wasn’t there someone who’d posted about helping Caelen navigate social media?
Was this their house?
But where were they?
As if in answer, a muffled sound came from behind a door at the far end of the room.
Adrian and Zev exchanged a glance before approaching the door. Zev reached for the handle, paused, then nodded to Adrian. In one swift motion, he flung the door open.
The sight that greeted them made Adrian’s stomach lurch. A young man—it had to be Malik— was shackled to the bathroom sink, his wrists raw from struggling against the metal cuffs. A gag muffled his attempts to speak. His curly black hair was tousled, and his brown eyes widened with a mix of relief and fear as he saw them.
Adrian barely recognized the man he’d seen in that picture with Caelen online.
"Jesus," Adrian breathed, rushing forward. He fumbled with the gag, hurrying to remove it. "It’s okay, we’re here to help."
As soon as the gag was off, the man gasped for air. "Thank God," he croaked, his voice hoarse from disuse. "I thought… I thought no one would find me."
Zev made quick work of the shackles, allowing Malik to move away from the sink. Technically. "Can you stand?" Zev asked, offering a hand to help the man up.
Malik shook his head. "My leg’s broken."
Adrian winced in sympathy. "What happened?"
Malik’s face contorted with a mix of shame and anger. "He seemed so nice at first," he said. "I thought… I thought he really wanted to change. We talked about the books, about Veridia. He was charming, funny…" Malik trailed off, shaking his head. "I was such an idiot. And then I saw what he was really doing. The way he was manipulating people, brainwashing them. I tried to stop him, but…" He gestured weakly at his surroundings. "This is where I ended up."
Adrian knelt beside Malik. "Caelen’s gone now," he said, forcing his voice to remain steady. "You’re safe."
The words tasted bitter on his tongue. Yes, they’d won, but at what cost? Knox was gone, and Adrian’s chest ached with the loss. He pushed the feeling aside, focusing on the man in front of him.
"We need to get you to a doctor," Adrian continued, eyeing Malik’s injured leg. "Your leg needs proper treatment."
Malik nodded, his face pale with pain and exhaustion. "Thank you," he whispered. "I… I don’t know how long I’ve been down here."
Adrian glanced at Zev, who stepped forward without a word. The Night Fae bent down, easily scooping Malik into his arms as if he weighed nothing.
Malik let out a small gasp of surprise but didn’t protest. "You’re… You’re Zev, aren’t you?"
"Do we know each other?" Zev replied, studying the injured man.
"No." Malik gave a weak smile. "But I wish you had dropped into my life instead of Caelen. You were always my second favorite." Malik’s head lolled against Zev’s shoulder, eyes fluttering as if the weight of the world finally bore down on him.
Adrian’s heart clenched at the sight. The man had been through so much, deceived by Caelen and left to rot in this basement.
Maybe it was what he deserved for helping the Shadow King, but Adrian didn’t find it in himself to judge Malik.
The man had clearly paid for his poor judgment.
At least it was all over now.
Chapter
Twenty-Three
