Lennox’s face rippled in the new mirror in my hands as Luka shuffled into view, it had taken me a week to find a new mirror as we traveled. “After I killed Lorenzo, we sent his severed head in a box to Adreona,” Lennox repeated.
I pinched the bridge of my nose. “You stupid, reckless idiots.”
“It worked though.” Lennox tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “It spurred her into action. She can no longer be queen without Lorenzo and she started moving her troops west before the new heir arrived.”
“And why didn’t you mention this before?” For what felt like hours after our last conversation, I tried to reach back out to Lennox. I paced outside my tent with my mother. Worrying a path in the ground as I wondered what was going on. If they were alive or not.
All I received later was a short message.
There was a Dhampir attack. We’re all okay.
All except Lorenzo. Luka killed him.
Talk more soon.
-L
Since then, I’d only gotten short updates here and there, not having a mirror made communicating in detail more difficult. I didn’t question the new orders from Declan in his letters, but this was the first time we’d talked in earnest as Lennox and Luka filled me in on Declan’s meeting with his contact from the Blood Court and the full extent of their run-ins with Adreona’s soldiers and Lorenzo’s death.
“Which leads to the real reason why I needed to talk to you. Declan wants me to train to be able to use that magic during battle. Any suggestions as to how to do that? Or how to control the magic and not attack our soldiers?”
I clicked my tongue. “As far as practicing goes, practice sending out the magic and keeping control of it while not expending too much. We don’t want you to run out. With controlling it—I’ll have to think about that further. But I’ll get back to you.”
An idea sparked in the back of my mind, but I didn’t dare tell her yet. There was a large possibility it might not work. Or even be a possibility.
“How far have you gotten?”
“We crossed the border into the Blood Court this morning.”
“You’re right on track.”
“Any update on where Nico and the rest of the wolves are?”
“Last I talked to him was two days ago; they were still on track to meet us at the checkpoint any day now.”
Nico would be here soon, a happy reprieve from my time alone with my mother. As much as I tried to keep the wolf from my mind, I couldn’t keep my thoughts from wandering to how he was handling traveling with his family. I was still recovering from the impact of being around him and his family back in the Lunar Court, I couldn’t imagine Nico was feeling any better than I was about the situation with his family.
“Besides the murder of the Blood King and Adreona moving her army, any other important updates I should know about?”
“Declan has changed your end location again, with Adreona moving out of Cel Nox you will join back up with us as soon as it’s possible.”
“Where is this new location?”
“Declan!” Lennox called over her shoulder. “I’ll let him relay all the details. Be safe, Luce.”
With that, her figure disappeared and the hulking frame of the harpy came into the mirror instead.
“How’s it hanging, bird boy?”
Hours later I found myself alone in my tent after filling in my mother and the army that marched with us on Lennox’s update.
I was slipping into my role easily if I did say so myself.
I flipped through my journal, past the pages spent agonizing over the magic cancelation spell for Lennox. I was so close to perfecting it. All I needed now was to test it out.
But that would come tomorrow night. I pulled my books close, setting them on the table in front of me as I flipped open one of the covers. A thrill snaked up my spine.
Tonight, I was going to research something else entirely.
