Chapter 4 Lennox
LENNOX
I lost track of how long I had been here.
I had tried to keep track at first.
But after they had beaten me so badly the one day I passed out, I started losing track.
Time after time, I refused to perform the spell on Adreona’s subjects.
Most days, she killed the victims in front of me.
Their losses weighed on my soul, it was partly my fault they were being slaughtered, but at least it wasn’t by my blade or by my spell.
That I could live with more than the alternative.
But Adreona quickly grew tired of my insolence. Her temper wore thinner and thinner every day I refused. I should have kept my mouth shut, but that wasn’t in my nature. If I was going to go down, I was going to go down swinging.
It didn’t take long before Adreona’s punishments turned on me.
The knife to my gut was only the beginning.
My body was now littered with scars.
Whatever means Adreona had used to extinguish my magic back in the mountains continued here, not allowing my wounds to heal themselves at the quick rate I was used to.
They’d allow me to sit for as long as possible with my wounds before healing them, ensuring they’d leave a scar.
“Something to remember us by.” Adreona had drawled as she carved her way across my chest.
They allowed the lashings on my back to bleed for two days before they started to heal. But just enough so the wounds wouldn’t kill me.
The tender flesh rubbed against my clothing, every movement causing a sting as the guards led me back down the hallway.
We were in a new location again, we had arrived here a few days ago. This was our fourth location, if I remembered correctly. I had no idea why we moved so often, and I didn’t care to ask.
I didn’t do much talking anymore.
The days spent moving were a welcomed reprieve from my daily summoning with Adreona.
Elon pushed me forward by my shoulders, making sure his palm landed in just the right spot, knowing exactly where my wounds still healed.
He had helped put them there after all.
I bit my lip against the pain as I met Adreona’s gaze.
There was a female chained to the chair already, waiting for me.
Waiting for her death.
“Any time now,” Adreona drawled, turning her attention back to the papers on her desk.
I didn’t move. Acting the same as I did every time.
I’d stand here until she got bored. Then she’d punish me.
“I’ve got things to do today, Lennox.” She sighed.
I let my lip quirk up an inch as I rubbed my hand over my now chainless wrists.
I took a deep breath, letting my magic flow slowly to my fingertips, the spell keeping my magic at bay didn’t work in here.
She wanted me to use my magic? I’d use my magic.
I closed my eyes like I was attempting a spell, moving my lips and muttering nonsense under my breath.
I opened my eye a crack, letting myself look at Adreona. Her eyes were wide as she sucked in a breath of air, her hands gripping the side of the desk.
I let myself smile, opening my eyes as I closed my hands into fists.
Adreona’s hands went to her neck; she clawed at her flesh as she tried to get oxygen to her lungs. Her eyes went wide as her gaze meet my own.
The guards looked around helplessly, trying to figure out what was going on.
Fucking idiots.
I let myself chuckle slightly. “It’s her,” Adreona gasped, my grip on her becoming loose; I had nowhere near enough power in here to strangle her fully with only my magic.
I would have liked for it to be my hands around her neck.
I’d love nothing more than to see the marks my fingers would have made.
To feel her pulse weaken under my grasp.
The sight of her struggling for breath would have to do for now.
One of the guards gripped my arm, pushing me against the wall, my face slamming against the concrete so hard I saw stars.
The cuffs were back around my wrist, cutting off my magic once again, leaving my entire body feeling cold and lifeless.
“Bring her to me,” Adreona panted.
The guards pushed me roughly toward her, causing me to stumble, my knees hitting the hard concrete floor.
The guard pulled me up by my hair until I was face-to-face with Adreona.
She slapped me, catching me off guard as her eyes burned with rage. “You’ll pay for that you little bitch.”
“I expect nothing less.” I held my chin high. I knew punishment was imminent, but it was worth it. The pain would be worth watching her struggle for breath for those few short moments.
“How are those gashes on your back healing? Hmm? Are they still a bit tender?”
I bit my lip to stifle my scream as Elon rubbed a hand across my back, pushing the fabric of my leathers into my wounds.
Adreona chuckled. “Perfect.”
“Keep her on her knees,” she demanded.
Elon’s hands were heavy on my shoulders as he forced me to stay on my knees, his hands staying on my shoulders to ensure I wouldn’t move. If I wanted to, I could move out of his hold easily, but I remained.
For now.
I focused on my breathing as they muttered around me. I breathed deeply through my nose as the cool press of the blade traveled down my spine, cutting my leathers open, and exposing my hardly healed back.
The only warning was the sound of the whip slicing through the air before it lashed across my back. I winced, biting the inside of my cheek against the pain.
I knew I’d only be able to hold back for so long, but I’d give them as few of my screams as possible.
By the third strike, I could feel the blood rushing down my back, my wounds already reopened.
By the fifth lashing, I couldn’t stop the scream from tearing from my lips.
Adreona only laughed as she struck again and again.
I couldn’t stop the tears from streaming down my face as white spots clouded the edge of my vision.
Soon. I’d pass out soon and this would all be over.
But the next strike never came. Adreona’s boots clacked on the floor. “Look at me,” she demanded.
I opened my eyes, my vision hazy as I met her gaze.
“I want you to remember this the next time you think you can pull one on me. You will never win, Lennox Adair. I want you to remember every single lashing.”
So there I sat. My hands bound and my knees pressed into the concrete, now stained with my blood, until the pain subsided enough for me to breathe normally. It was only then Adreona once again rose from her desk, whip in hand, and started again.
She’d bring me to the brink, two more lashings and I knew I’d pass out—only for her to stop once again. Returning to her desk until I had recovered enough and she could start again.
I lost track of how long I sat there.
Of how many lashings I took.
Until finally, finally, she whipped me until the darkness took over.
The next days passed in a blur.
I lay on my stomach on the bed in my room, unable to move for fear of causing even more pain to my back.
Healers came in periodically, healing me enough each time so I wouldn’t die or get an infection but remained in pain.
Finally, when my back was healed enough that I could sit comfortably—Adreona called on me again.
“It’s nice to see you again, Lennox.” Adreona smiled as she entered my cell. “It’s been far too long.”
And who’s fault is that? I held my tongue for once, the sting of her latest punishment pulsing down my spine.
“Since you are still recovering, I thought I’d decide to try a different means to motivate you this time.” She leaned against the wall, crossing her arms.
“You once asked why I aim to rid Lethenia of vampires.” Her gaze softened.
“Fifteen years ago, my partner was killed walking down the street by a vampire in blood lust. They had escaped the palace dungeons, were starved for blood after being in captivity, and were running rampant on the streets, killing anyone in sight. They drained every last drop of blood from her body and left her dead on the city street, her body discarded like it was nothing.”
I swallowed the lump in my throat. “That vampire killed seven others before he was stopped. Who knows how many more he would have killed if he hadn’t been caught?
In the blink of an eye, my entire life was ripped from me by a vampire.
You might know something about that, Your Majesty,” she all but sneered.
“My soul died with my partner. If I can prevent any more families from going through what I did, I’ll pay the price.
I’ll take responsibility for the death of the vampire race, if that’s the cost of families walking the streets of Cel Nox without fear. ”
“I want a better Lethenia, I want to be reunited with my love. I, like you, would do anything for them.” She nodded toward Nakul, one of the guards I now was well acquainted with.
He slipped out without another word. “You gave up yourself for your sister, so let’s see how far sibling loyalty goes.
What lengths would you go to for your family, Lennox Adair? ”
My stomach hollowed. How had she managed to get Kara into her hands again? What about the rest of them? Did she have Luka? Had she somehow managed to capture them all?
But the figure dragged through the door wasn’t Kara or Luka.
His dark hair was longer than I had ever seen it. His dark eyes were haunted and sunken, his cheeks gaunt.
A sob worked its way up my throat as I stared at him in disbelief. This had to be an illusion, some trick of the mind.
“Hi, Lennox.” His voice was gruff, but it was still his. A voice I hadn’t heard in three years.
“Nol,” I breathed.