Finally, when my back was healed enough that I could sit comfortably—Adreona called on me again.
“It’s nice to see you again, Lennox.” Adreona smiled as she entered my cell. “It’s been far too long.”
And who’s fault is that?I held my tongue for once, the sting of her latest punishment pulsing down my spine.
“Since you are still recovering, I thought I’d decide to trya different means to motivate you this time.” She leaned against the wall, crossing her arms.
“You once asked why I aim to rid Lethenia of vampires.” Her gaze softened. “Fifteen years ago, my partner was killed walking down the street by a vampire in blood lust. They had escaped the palace dungeons, were starved for blood after being in captivity, and were running rampant on the streets, killing anyone in sight. They drained every last drop of blood from her body and left her dead on the city street, her body discarded like it was nothing.”
I swallowed the lump in my throat. “That vampire killed seven others before he was stopped. Who knows how many more he would have killed if he hadn’t been caught? In the blink of an eye, my entire life was ripped from me by a vampire. You might know something about that,Your Majesty,” she all but sneered. “My soul died with my partner. If I can prevent any more families from going through what I did, I’ll pay the price. I’ll take responsibility for the death of the vampire race, if that’s the cost of families walking the streets of Cel Nox without fear.”
“I want a better Lethenia, I want to be reunited with my love. I, like you, would do anything for them.” She nodded toward Nakul, one of the guards I now was well acquainted with. He slipped out without another word. “You gave up yourself for your sister, so let’s see how far sibling loyalty goes. What lengths would you go to for your family, Lennox Adair?”
My stomach hollowed. How had she managed to get Kara into her hands again? What about the rest of them? Did she have Luka? Had she somehow managed to capture them all?
But the figure dragged through the door wasn’t Kara or Luka.
His dark hair was longer than I had ever seen it. His dark eyes were haunted and sunken, his cheeks gaunt.
A sob worked its way up my throat as I stared at him in disbelief. This had to be an illusion, some trick of the mind.
“Hi, Lennox.” His voice was gruff, but it was still his. A voice I hadn’t heard in three years.
“Nol,” I breathed.
5
LUKA
Every time Luciana was able to find a location where Lennox might be, they were gone by the time we showed up.
I’d get my hopes up as we rushed to the location, only for them to be crushed the moment we arrived, finding the building abandoned once again.
For three weeks now, we had been chasing them all over Lethenia. There didn’t appear to be a method to their movements either. They’d jump from the border of the Lunar Court to the westernmost coast of the Blood Court and back toward the border of Alethens.
We were catching them more and more by surprise each time, though. More and more supplies were left behind in their haste each time we found them. Luce still hadn’t figured out how they knew we were coming, but she swore we were getting closer to finding them.
But none of that soothed the never-ending ache in my soul. The incessant nagging in my chest.
I felt like we were in a never-ending loop that I wanted nothing more than to get the fuck out of.
But here we were again, Luce had deposited us outside asmall coastal city in the Aquatic Court, a short ride from the capital city of Salacia.
I kicked the upturned wooden bucket across the empty room, the sound echoing through the building.
“Fuck!” I swore. I kicked another bucket, sending it careening toward the wall. “Fuck, fuck, FUCK!”
I knelt to a crouch, putting my face in my hands.A month. Lennox had been gone for over a month now, and we were still no closer to finding her. Thirty-seven days she had been gone.
Thirty-seven days.
I had no way of knowing if she was okay, that’s what gnawed at me the most. She could be hanging on by a thread for all I knew. I had a deep sense I’d know if she was dead; I had faith that our connection, if we were mates, would let me know that much. But what use was the stupid fucking mark—the title of being her mate—if it couldn’t help me get to her.
A solid hand landed on my shoulder. “We’ll find her.” Declan’s voice was determined.
“You don’t know that.” I all but shouted.
“I made a promise to Lennox, I promised her I’d reunite the two of you. I have no intention of breaking that promise.”
