I cleared my throat. “I got married.” I could feel Nol’s gaze on me, but I kept staring at my hands as I wrung them in my lap.
“It was an arranged marriage, one I had to fulfill because you died. He’s a vampire. I hated him at first. He enraged me. But he pushed me when no one else would. I was so lost in myself after that night, he was the one who finally brought me back to life.” I traced my finger over the swirling marks across my palm.
“It took me a long time to finally give in to him, but he never gave up on me. He waited for me. For months, he waited for me. He asked me to marry him in a private ceremony before our formal one. Just us and our friends. It was perfect.”He’s perfect.
“I wish I could have been there,” he murmured.
“Me too.”
“What’s his name?”
“Luka.” I couldn’t hold back the smile that curved up my lips. “His name is Luka.”
I rubbed my thumb over the mark on the center of my palm. “He’s my mate.” I held up my palm, letting the glimmering ink shimmer in the dim light. “This showed up after I arrived here, over my marriage mark. Adreona said the bond must have snapped into place during the events that landed me here.”
“Do you love him?”
I blinked back the tears forming in my eyes as I nodded. “Yeah, I love him.” I had gone over every detail of that night over and over again, trying to figure out what had triggered the mark. It had to have been when I admitted I loved him. Even if he didn’t get to hear it—that had to have been what triggered the bond.
“I do. I love him with my whole fucking heart.” I brushed away a stray tear with the back of my hand. “I just wish I would have gotten the chance to tell him.”
Nol took his hand in mine. “Then we better get you back to him.”
7
LUCIANA
I read the letter in my hand as Kara looked over my shoulder.
Nico had told us of their conversation with the Aquatic Kings, of their plan to spread the news of Lennox’s kidnapping, but reading Luka’s words—even if this didn’t help us get to Lennox—it would surely light a fire under her kingdom.
Luka’s words were passionate, they conveyed how much he loved Lennox and how badly he wanted to get her back. But the words were also sharp—they painted a cruel picture of the Panateia, of Adreona—how they took advantage of our selfless High Queen’s love for her sister—her love for others, for all of her people. It made it clear Luka would spare no lives who were associated with her kidnapping.
The Aquatic Kings had sent out their own statement along with Luka’s, and my mother followed suit—both declaring their support of Luka in getting Lennox back on her throne and taking down the Panateia. Soon, all of Lethenia would know about Lennox’s captivity.
I only hoped these letters would spur more courts—anyone, to join in our mission.
“I hope this helps us find her faster—thatsomeone has a clue as to where she is,” Kara mussed as she continued to read, resting her chin on my shoulder.
“About that…I was talking with Caterina—I think I have a plan.” I had brought Kara to stay with me for a few days in Arcadia while the males were staying in the Aquatic Court. I wouldn’t risk leaving her alone. If we managed to get Lennox back and something had happened to Kara—Lennox would gut us all.
“What is it?”
“When I was having dinner with her the other night, she mentioned a story she had been told as a youngling, where a witch was able to track her ex-lover.” I left out the part where the witch was tracking him to kill him for leaving her. “The witch was able to follow her lover, even as he moved.”
“A live tracking spell?”
I nodded. “If we could somehow manage to link that kind of spell with Lennox?—”
“We could track her even when they change locations,” Kara finished for me.
“Caterina encouraged me to look into the story—see if I could find the spell associated with it…”
“Let me guess.” Kara plopped in the chair across from me. “You found the spell, but it’s not just any spell, is it?”
“It’s an Ichor magic spell.”
Kara let out a harsh breath. “Okay, so that’s not ideal, but if it brings us to Lennox that’s a risk we need to take.” She met my gaze. “What are we waiting for?”
