Chapter 13 Lennox
LENNOX
The hours ticked by slowly as I waited for our time to come, for our escape.
And knowing Luka was so close—that was torture. It was like my mating bond could feel his proximity. My mating mark burned. The threads around my heart tugged tight.
“Not much longer now,” Luce whispered, her fingers tapping on the concrete wall.
At eight bells, we moved. Luka, Declan, and Nico will have started the fire—it would be blazing by then—pulling the compound’s attention elsewhere—away from prisoners with magic at their fingertips.
Luce would unlock the door, using the spell she’d taught me back in Cel Nox all those months ago. After that, we didn’t know what we’d face, but we’d have our magic to fight our way out.
We’d fight our way out.
Out.
After almost six weeks, I’d be free.
I’d see my family and friends again.
I jumped at the sound of the bells, they felt louder today somehow.
We were in the outskirts of Verbial, Luce had told me. The bells rang in the town square at the top of every hour, a convenient tradition for the circumstances.
I counted silently as the bells rang.
Five. Six. Seven.
I met Luce’s gaze, my heart ricocheting against my ribcage.
Eight.
Using the sharp edge of a brick, Luce sliced her hand, using her finger to draw symbols with her blood on the metal door.
Luce drew her hand back, pressing her back to the wall as the door pushed open.
I froze, my eyes trained on Luce as she balled her bleeding hand into a fist and surveyed her nails as Nakul sauntered through the doorway.
The guard eyed her curiously, quickly turning his attention from her to where Nol and I stood before his gaze settled on me.
He reached for his back pocket, and my stomach sank. “Adreona calls for you.”
I hesitated before taking a step toward him, holding out my arms.
The metal had never felt so cold as it snapped closed over my wrists.
The fire warming my blood smothered to nothing.
Nakul pushed me forward with a stern hand on my shoulder. “Just her tonight, you lucked out, boy.”
I breathed steadily through my nose as Nakul guided me through the door. I looked over my shoulder, finding Luce and Nol staring at me with wide eyes.
Go, I mouthed. Get out of here, I’ll be fine.
They had to go. They couldn’t waste this opportunity.
Luce’s eyes softened, she dipped her chin, her mouth set in a firm line. We’d been here before. She didn’t let me down last time. I knew she wouldn’t now, either.
Nol took a step forward, his arm reaching out—
The door slammed closed before I could see what he was going to do next.
I used the walk to Adreona’s office to calm my racing heart.
When I was in front of her, I couldn’t show her an ounce of weakness, no matter what I was feeling right now.
I needed my strength for whatever Adreona had planned for me.
Luce would get Nol out, I couldn’t worry about them. She would get him out.
She’d come back for me another time, they all would.
By the time Nakul ushered me inside Adreona’s office, I was calm, my emotions in check. I locked everything up tight and exchanged them for rage.
There was a woman with Adreona today, one I had never seen before, standing at her side.
The female was small, almost a foot shorter than Adreona, her skin so pale it was practically translucent. Her dark hair and eyes made her appear even more translucent. There was something about her that sent alarm bells ringing in my head.
“Lennox,” Adreona drawled. “I’d like you to meet Keziq.”
Keziq smiled softly, but her dark eyes sent a shiver dancing down my spine. “Keziq is a witch,” she added.
“A witch? Why are you keeping me if you already had a witch?” And one that would cooperate.
“You’ve seen the journal, Lennox, that’s why.
” Adreona shuffled a stack of papers. “Keziq, as powerful of a witch as she is, has not seen the spell that will reverse vampires, so unfortunately, I still need you. I sought out Keziq after I realized your brother’s magic was of no use.
She only recently started working with us. ”
Keziq scoffed. “You can’t call that male a witch, his ability is pathetic. If it were up to me, he would have been killed for his disgrace as a witch. No matter what I did, I couldn’t help him harness his magic properly in a spell. No matter how much my magic made him scream.”
I held back a snarl. “Don’t you dare talk about my brother like that.”
Keziq brushed her onyx hair over her shoulder. “I can say what I want. It’s not like you can stop me.”
My nostrils flared, but I bit my tongue. If there was still a chance I could make it out of here, I didn’t want to waste it because I couldn’t hold my tongue.
“Anyways,” Adreona drawled. “As I mentioned, Keziq is a powerful witch, the magic she uses is unconventional but delicious. Which is what drew me to her. She created the spell that eliminates your magic while you’re in your cell.
” Ichor magic, she had to be using Ichor magic if she was creating spells.
Luce was right. “But that’s not why you’re here tonight, are you, Keziq? ”
Keziq shook her head, her long black hair swaying with the motion.
“Keqiz has been doing some research for me, trying to help speed up the process of eliminating vampires. Trying to help speed you up. She’s been studying the bodies of the vampires you’ve killed while trying to complete the spell, she’s been trying to see if she can figure out what went wrong.”
My stomach sank.
“And she’s found something interesting.” I swallowed. “Keziq, do you care to share your findings with Lennox?”
“Of course.” Keziq rounded the desk. “I found it fascinating that all of the bodies I scanned, their brains had turned to mush. Nothing but puddles left of them. And their hearts—it almost appeared that they had burst. I found it strange the spell would do such a thing. One time sure, a fluke. But over and over again…”
My stomach twisted.
“When Keziq first brought me her findings, I almost didn’t want to believe her.
But the more I thought about it, I realized maybe that was your intention all along, kill the vampires, and make me think you were trying the spell when really, it was all for show.
You were never trying a spell but killing them instead. ”
Adreona took my chin in her hand. “Did I get that right?” She laughed, the sound was cold and bitter, causing a shiver to snake down my spine.
“You thought you could outsmart me. Have you not yet learned that’s impossible, Lennox?
” She clicked her tongue. “I did think it strange none of your victims turned into Dhampirs, I should have caught on sooner, that is on me.” She rounded the desk to stand beside Keziq.
“But you know what happens when you disobey my orders, don’t you, Lennox.”
Dread settled over me. I prayed to the Goddess, that stubborn bitch, that Luce and Nol had made it out.
“There are consequences. And since you appear hard to break, I’ve decided on a new method.” Her lips curved in a cruel smile.
“You refuse to do the spell because you fear for the life of your beloved vampire mate, you love that he’s a vampire, you don’t fear the monster he is. If you won’t change your mind, we’ll change it for you.”
“What do you mean?”
Keziq’s eyes blazed as she approached me, magic cracking at her fingertips.
“All those loving memories you have of your mate? I’m going to change them.
” Panic seized my limbs as Nakul pushed me to sit on the chair with two firm hands on my shoulders.
“I am going to change every last one of your memories until your hate for vampires is so strong you’d kill your mate to rid the world of those monsters. ”
“No,” I pleaded. “No.” I tried to stand, but Nakul kept me down, his grip firm.
“You can never make me hate him.” My voice broke.
Keziq cocked her head to the side as she took my face in her hands, her palms cool on my heated cheeks. “Want to bet?”
I tried to yank my face from her viselike grip, but pain slammed into me, ripping a scream from my throat and seizing my limbs.
I squeezed my eyes shut as pain radiated through my skull, causing my entire body to tremble. Pain thrummed behind my eyes as Keziq’s invisible claws ripped into my mind.
One by one, memories flashed by, like pages flipping through a book.
The story of me and Luka.
Me and Luka sitting outside, talking under the stars. The feel of his skin against mine as he slipped his hand into mine as we lay on the grass.
Pain.
The night Luka saved me from the Vanir, taking off with me in his arms as he clutched me to his chest. The feel of his lips brushing over my forehead. “I won’t let anything happen to you,” he whispered as my eyes fluttered closed.
Pain.
Waking up that first morning with him by my side, the relief at sleeping without a nightmare. The warmth and comfort of his body next to mine.
Pain.
Our first kiss in the forest. He threw me off guard as he pulled me to him and pressed his lips to mine. The entire ground threatened to crumble beneath me at that kiss. My world began and stopped with our first kiss.
Pain.
Our first night together. How perfect we fit together.
Pain.
“I’d rip the stars from the sky for you if that’s what you wanted. Because I love you, Lennox.”
Pain.
“I’ll wait for you, however long it takes.”
Pain.
“I promise you will not regret choosing me tonight, Lennox.”
Pain.
“You and me, until the stars turn to dust, Lennox Adair.”
Pain.
Memory after memory assaulted me as the pain continued, as those invisible claws dug deeper, shredding my brain. My memories.
Finally, darkness swept in.