Chapter 1 #2
“Now, this would be much easier if you hadn’t gone and ripped pages out of Astria’s journal.
But, alas, the most important pages seem to be missing.
” She dragged the duplicated journal to the center of the desk, flipping through the pages.
“You could have completed the spell and been back with your mate by the morning.” My heart clenched at the mention of Luka.
I would get back to him, no matter what she said.
“But you do have a habit of making things more difficult, don’t you? Now, you need to figure out what we’re missing from this spell, and you will remain here until we have successfully eradicated the vampire species.”
“Wouldn’t that mean you’re dead too? You and all your cronies?” I finally broke my silence. I wasn’t willing to reveal the information I kept hidden, if she pursued this path it would be the end for all vampires, but I wanted to test her. See how far she’d go.
“It would. But it’s a small price to pay for the better of Lethenia, don’t you think, High Queen? Isn’t that what you’ve wanted all along? What your dearly departed parents wanted? A better Lethenia?” Her lips curved into a snarl. “That is, until you went and fell in love with a vampire.”
I swallowed my rage, keeping it for later. I’d make her pay for all of this in due time. I’d delight in seeing the life leave her eyes. “Besides,” she continued. “I will not have the curse reversed on me, a perk of being a vampire who doesn’t prey on others.”
Then who did she prey on? She had to be feeding from someone. So many questions plagued my mind, but I had to be strategic; I couldn’t ask them all at once.
“If I’m going to do this for you, can you first explain to me why you want the vampire race eliminated? What about your family? Your friends?”
Her black eyes darkened, how it was even possible, I wasn’t sure.
“The answer to that question is one you must earn.”
“Then tell me how to earn it.”
Her lips curved into a smile. “I’m so glad you asked.” Her gaze slipped to the guard at my back. “Bring him in,” Adreona demanded.
The door at the side of the room opened, and two guards entered, holding a limp male between them. His clothes were worn and dirty, but he otherwise looked normal, unharmed.
“If you want to earn the answer to my question, you must simply make him High Fae.”
“I don’t know how.”
“Figure it out.” Elon unlocked my cuffs, slipping the key back into his pocket. I ran my hands over my now bare wrists, feeling my magic rushing to my fingertips for the first time in days.
I let myself sigh in relief. My magic was still in me. It was still there. There must have been a spell on my room alone to keep my magic from surfacing. The rush of it flooding my veins felt like coming home. Like my body was alive again—like it was my own once more.
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 the office, 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 are nothing. In here, you bow to me. 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.”