AllFreeNovel
Share Us
My polite smiles were met with upturned lips but sad eyes.
Everyone knew something I didn’t, I realized.
My mind went to Lukas first, but then logic jumped in and told me that chances were he was okay. There was nothing wrong unless someone told me there was.
But I couldn’t help the itch that started to form between my shoulder blades, especially when I made it to the door of our suite and opened it to find Avery standing there, huddled with two of our other guards.
“Hi Avery,” I said cautiously. Avery was young, all undone orange hair and shocked eyes. But he was good at his job. When he didn't greet me back, I turned to the other two.
Nothing from them either.
After a murmured greeting in return, I could have sworn I saw one of the guards push Avery toward me.
“What is it?” It was something. My mind knew it. My heart knew it.
Avery looked like he was going to be sick. It took him ten full seconds to gather the confidence to speak. “There was an explosion. One of the old mines in the Adriatic.”
Time slowed to a steady march, each second passing in a laborious cycle.
“In the north or south?” I croaked, barely able to get the words out while I found myself praying to every one of my ancestors and the Fates themselves.
“North.” Avery looked down at his hands, wringing them together. That was a sign of hesitation. Which meant he was hesitant to tell me something.
Bad news. Confirming news. Because I knew someone who was in the northern Adriatic today.
“This happened during the perimeter check?” I knew it had. But I needed him to tell me.
Avery nodded sharply.
I breathed in, hoping this was a sick dream. “Avery…”
He gave a pitying laugh. “I don’t know why they chose me to tell you this.”
“Tell me what.” I just needed to hear it. To rip off the bandage and confront a life without him.
That would do fuck all. I couldn’t even think of his name without feeling my throat close up.
“I’m so sorry.” And then Avery broke eye contact, shaking his head in disbelief.
And an explosion went off in my mind, shattering my heart with it.
Chapter 18
Lukas
I needed three things. A shower. To hug my fiancée. For people to leave me alone.
If there was one thing I knew how to do, it was deal with chaos.
Give me exploding mines any day.
Put me in front of a room and tell me to give a speech? I’d rather let a jellyfish sting my dick.
I was thankful for Daphne in that regard. She handled people so well that it let me sit back and not have to worry about not being a good enough leader.
The explosion wasn’t even that bad. It took us by surprise and caused a few minor injuries, but nothing we couldn’t handle. It was the drama of it all that was giving me a fucking headache.
Three people had already asked me if I was injured and two more called me a hero.
