But even with my magic running through my veins, I didn’t know how to turn this vampire High Fae. Even if I had read Astria’s journal, I still didn’t know how. There were no explicit instructions. And if I made a misstep?—
“If I don’t do it correctly, he could die.”
“If you don’t try he will turn into a Dhampir, or die, so I don’t see the problem.”
“He’s an innocent!” I protested.
“He’s a bloodthirsty vampire,” Adreona sneered as she rose from her desk.
“I will not conduct a risky spell on him as an experiment,” I gritted out.
“Fine.” She moved to stand behind the male, still slumped between the two guards. “Remember, this was your choice, Lennox.”
The sound of the male’s neck snapping echoed in theoffice, followed by his body slumping to the floor with a thud.
I swallowed my scream, my heart racing in my chest as she stepped over the male.
“Every time you refuse to cooperate, there will be a consequence. Today, it was this vampire’s life. What will it be tomorrow?” She gripped my chin in her hand, her nails digging into my skin. “You will study the spell tonight, and tomorrow, you will do the spell or face the consequence. You might be the High Queen, but here you arenothing. In here, you bow tome. You are mine.” Her grip on my chin tightened to the point of pain. “Do you understand,Lennox Adair?”
“I belong to no one.” My knee met her stomach before she could comprehend my words, sending her kneeling over.
“You little bitch!” she screamed.
She reached for me, but I was faster. I grabbed her arm and twisted, throwing her to the ground as her guards rushed me.
I dodged the first male’s blow, but another landed a punch to my side. I sucked in a breath, but I didn’t let it stop me. I had been sitting idle in my cell for far too long.
The anger I had let fester—it was rushing to the surface.
Adreona crawled toward the desk, blood dripping from her nose as I landed a kick to one of the male’s sides.
“I need her alive,” Adreona panted. I landed one more punch, my knuckles cracking the bones in the male’s nose before I heeded, letting the guard behind me restrain me against his chest while the other snapped the cuffs around my wrists.
Adreona rose, wiping the blood dripping down her face with the back of her hand and smearing it across her porcelain skin.
“I will kill you when this is all over,” she breathed.
“Not if I kill you first.”
I gasped for breath as her blade embedded itself in my stomach. “Not likely.” She dug the blade in deeper; I bit my lip to stifle my scream. I refused to give her the satisfaction.
She removed the blade, letting it drop to the floor with a clang, my blood splattering across the concrete. “You might act tough now, but when I’m through with you, Lennox Adair, you’ll be begging me for mercy.”
2
LUCIANA
I was so fucking tired of these spells.
Hour after hour.
Day after day, I scryed.
When scrying didn’t work, I tried a locator spell.
When that failed I moved on to another new spell I had read about the night before while I evaded sleep.
I tried every spell imaginable to try and find Lennox’s location, coming up empty-handed each and every time.
