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Erianna shot him a look, her eyebrows pinched down to her straight nose, but she didn’t respond.
“What about Draven?” I persisted. “How do I find him? I can’t leave him. He’s my only friend.” I felt pathetic admitting it, but it was the truth.
“There are hundreds of places he could have been taken to.”
“Please,” I begged, my dignity slipping. “Help me find him. I can’t stay here for another night without knowing if he’s alive or not.”
A crack formed in the barrier of my power, allowing the energy of the room to slip in. I closed my eyes and felt a mix of sadness, pain, and curiosity in the air. I looked around and could feel it moving, like the emotion was a living thing.
Then I looked a Sebastian. The curiosity was radiating from him, and the suffering I’d felt in my room yesterday when I’d opened up was shared between Erianna, Sebastian and Zach. They all knew grief.
I tried to look away, but the feeling grew stronger until it merged with my own. I held my breath, unable to say another word. His gaze burned with uncertainty, a muscle feathering in his jaw as his relaxed expression slipped away.
“Are you okay?” Erianna asked, snapping me out of it.
I blinked twice, building my barrier back until I felt nothing but my own emotions. Their pain was tangible; there was so much aching, longing, and anguish pressed under the surface, and I wondered how they managed to walk around without crying.
“Yes.” I straightened my torso and cleared my throat. I could see him in my peripheral vision. He was still staring at me, his brows furrowed, his index finger tapping lightly against the tabletop. “I just need to find my friend.”
She sighed softly. “Maybe we could look around the city.”
“Yes!”
“No,” Sebastian barked. “Absolutely not.”
“She’ll be safe with us. You can pretend she’s your plaything. No one would suspect otherwise. Not with your reputation.”
I nodded along. “You did say I’m a guest, not a prisoner.” If he wanted something from me and insisted on making me think I wasn’t being held captive, it meant he wanted me to do whatever he was planning of his own free will. Suspicion swirled in my mind as to what his endgame was, but he gave nothing away. So neither did I.
“The order is searching for her.”
“Most of them won’t know what she looks like.”
I decided I liked Erianna. “I won’t cause a scene,” I pressed.
“I didn’t save you so you could get yourself killed,” he said darkly, glancing from me to her.
Erianna placed a hand on her hip. “The only ones that might know what she looks like are Velda and possibly Eldor. Both of which are visiting the royal court. She needs this.”
He swallowed thickly. “They’ll know to look out for a sorceress. I can feel her magic from here.”
Erianna licked her lips. “Not if we use the bracelet you got her.”
“Bracelet, as in jewelry?” I asked, thinking I must have heard wrong.
“It’s enchanted jewelry. It blocks the magic of sorcerers. They were created by Azia, the king’s sorcerer,” he clarified. “They use them to keep sorcerers taken from other kingdoms captive. However, I’ve had it tampered with, so anyone can remove it, including you.”
They’d already prepared one for me. Was this planned? I didn’t put much energy into the thought. Right now, Draven had to be my focus. He was the one who would be in immediate danger. “I’ll wear it. I don’t care.”
Sebastian shook his head. “It’s okay, Olivia. We can search for him alone.”
Hearing him say my name sent an odd sensation through me. He spoke of me as if we were old friends and not natural enemies. “Neither of you know what Draven looks like,” I blurted. “If you don’t let me go, I will find a way to escape and look myself.” Challenge burned in my eyes as I stared at him.
Erianna placed her icy fingers on my shoulder. “I won’t let anything happen to her.” When she rose, I noticed a dagger strapped to her side and a bottle of poison on the other. Her corset was armored, and her black pants were made from spandex, like the protector’s uniform from the guild. This woman wasn’t just another vampire; she was a warrior.
“Seeing as you have a death wish,” he said bitterly, “it’s better if you go with us than alone. But we look for one night only, and if we don’t find him, then we come back and that’s it. I don’t want to hear any more talk of going out in the city again.”
I breathed relief. It was something more than I could have asked for. Perhaps I should have pressed why any of them were extending any kindness or courtesy to me, but I didn’t care. “Okay, I agree. When can we go?”
