A door opened behind me, before I even had a chance to turn, hands were clasping around me.
A hand closed around the hand holding my dagger, their thumb pressing into the pressure point in my wrist, causing my weapon to fall to the ground with a clang.
More doors opened, dozens of guards filled into the hallway, most of them dressed in casual clothing, hair disheveled as they rubbed the sleep from their eyes with one hand and grasped their weapon in the other.
It appeared I had found the guards’ quarters.
“Take her to the cells and notify Adreona,” the guard who first spotted me ordered.
I bit back a snarl as the arms holding me gripped tighter and cuffs were bound around my wrist.
11
LENNOX
The door to my and Nol’s cell clanged open, waking me from a restless sleep.
Since we had moved to this new location, they had allowed Nol and I to share a room. I didn’t know why, but I was grateful, so I didn’t question it. Anytime we were separated, I worried about him. My mind conjured up every possible thing Adreona could have been doing to him.
With him in the same room as me, I could attempt to get a little bit of sleep.
For three days now, I had been faking the spell, killing innocent vampires while Nol watched on, Adreona standing beside him, one of her guards holding a dagger to my brother’s throat.
She was infuriated each time the vampire keeled over dead, but she didn’t question me. She sent me back to my cell with Astria’s journal telling me to do better tomorrow.
I worried if I didn’t start to make actual progress, she might resume with punishments. On me or on Nol. But I’d worry about that if it came to it.
I’d stall for as long as I could while I tried to figure out a way to get us out of here.
Gettingmyself out was one thing, but now, with Nol—I wouldn’t leave him behind, so my task got a lot more difficult. If I was going to get us out of here, it would have to be while we were in Adreona’s office, while I had access to my magic.
I sat up from my mattress on the ground as Nakul shoved a cloaked figure through the door, not saying a word before slamming it shut again. The newcomer grunted as she fell to her knees, breathing heavily as the door locked behind her, dark hair falling across her face, hiding her features from me.
This new location must be short on space if they were adding another prisoner to our room.
I reached for my thigh, feeling for a dagger that wasn’t there.
I spared a glance at Nol, who somehow still slept.
Maybe that was a perk to having been a prisoner for so long. You could sleep through anything.
“There aren’t any more beds, you’ll have to sleep on the floor,” I told the new prisoner as I crossed my arms over my chest, shifting to stand in front of Nol’s slumbering form.
“I’ll fight you for it.” The female stood, a smile creeping up her face as she removed her hood.
“Luce,” I breathed.
I ran to her, throwing my arms around my cousin. “What happened? Why are you here?”
My heart hammered in my chest. She’d been caught. She wasn’t here to rescue me, she was a prisoner alongside me.
My stomach twisted.
Luce didn’t let go of my arms, she leaned in close, whispering in my ear, “Trust me, it’s all part of the plan.”
A plan. She had a plan.
I met her gaze, there wasn’t a flicker of fear or worry inher eyes. Only wide-eyed excitement and determination. I squeezed her arms tight.
