Chapter 38 Luciana
LUCIANA
“Well, that was a fucking waste of time.” I stood, my chair creaking on the dilapidated wooden floor.
“She’s really going to let all vampires die for the sake of her own twisted mission.” Lennox slammed her fist on the table—rattling the crumbling building around us.
“We won’t let her,” Luka said as he laid a hand on Lennox’s shoulder.
“I know we won’t, but you know what that means—”
“That we’re going to start a war,” Decan finished for us. “We need to get back to Ceto and Alon and rally the forces, start marching west as soon as possible, and pick up anyone else we can gather on the way.”
Lennox chewed on her bottom lip. “I’ll need to send a letter to the courts, letting them know what the next step is, what I’m asking of them.”
Lennox paused. “Nico, Zienna, I need you to visit your family—convince them to rally with us.”
“No fucking way,” Nico protested. “You can demand them. Or Queen Elvira can demand them.”
“You know that’s not how I rule, Nico. And Elvira told me herself yesterday how much sway your parents have.” Nico stiffened. “You need to visit them yourself, they’re your family. There is a better chance they will listen to you than me.”
“She’s right, Nico—”
“Stay the fuck out of this Zienna,” he snapped.
Lennox glared at the wolf. “You will go and visit your family. You will convince them to join our army and fight against Adreona. You will not let whatever the fuck is going on between you and them get in the way of your job. Can you do that? Or do I need to appoint a different emissary?” She waved her arms around.
“I’ve got plenty to choose from, so make your choice, Nico.
You know I love you, but I will not let you get in the way of saving an entire population of people. ”
Silence followed her words, no one daring to say a word as Lennox’s chest heaved and Nico looked at his feet.
“Fine,” he grumbled, kicking at a rock, sending it crashing toward the wall.
Lennox dipped her chin. “You and Zienna will travel there this evening. Luce too. I can’t trust that you two can make it there in one piece. The rest of us will join you tomorrow after we send out letters to the courts, and I can sort things out with Elvira.”
“Luce, are you going to transport us, or are you riding on one of our backs?”
I let out a harsh breath. “I’ll transport us. There is no way I’m riding on the back of a wolf.”
Zienna gave me a mischievous smirk as she took my hand in hers, Nico taking my other hand begrudgingly, closing the circle by joining hands with his sister. I closed my eyes and started murmuring the spell.
I opened my eyes as Zienna quietly slipped her hand from mine.
“Tell him I love him, but I’m not sorry for doing this,” she mouthed before slipping her hand from Nico’s.
“What the—” Nico cursed.
I rushed out the rest of the spell before he knew what was happening.
When the spell deposited us in the forest, it was only me and Nico who fell through the magic.
“I can’t fucking believe my sister,” Nico mumbled as we walked through the trees.
He hadn’t stopped grumbling since we landed in the forest almost an hour ago—without Zienna.
“I’m sure she had a reason—”
“I don’t fucking care. She’s been trying to push me to reconcile with my family since she showed up at the wedding. This was another attempt at that.”
“She said she loved you when she let go of my hand, I think she’s trying to be a good sister.”
“Did I ask for your opinion?” He brushed past me, his shoulder bumping into mine.
I grabbed his arm, pulling him back so he was facing me. I shoved my knee into his groin, causing him to fold inward.
He groaned as he glared at me.
“Whatever the fuck is going on with you, it needs to stop. If you’re going to treat me like shit, I will not hesitate to leave your sorry ass here with no way back but to face whatever demons you’ve been avoiding for years now.”
“Luce—” he croaked.
“I’m not finished, shut up unless you want me to knee you again.”
He closed his lips, his eyes softer than they had been in days.
“We all have our ghosts, but we don’t use them as an excuse to act like an asshole to the people who care about us.
You are no exception, Nico. Now, are you ready to remove the stick from your ass and continue like a normal fucking idiot or am I leaving you here? ”
“I’m sorry.” He sighed, his shoulders dropping. “It’s just—being here—knowing I’m going to have to see—to talk to my family for the first time in years—since—” He shuttered. “It’s setting me on edge, I’m not ready to deal with this shit yet. Without Zienna there as a buffer…”
“You don’t have to deal with this shit today, but you still have to be a civil fucking person.
You can deal with whatever it is with your family when you’re ready, but today you have to see them.
You’re not doing this for you, you’re doing this for Lennox and Luka, for Lethenia.
Your High Queen gave you a job, remember? ”
“Okay.”
I placed a hand on his shoulder. “Remember, I’m here with you.” If anyone knew anything about family drama, it was me. And my mother was the queen of ignoring it.
He gave me a small smile. “That means a lot, I hope you know that.”
“Don’t let it go to your head.” I looped my arm through his. “Now, lead the way.”
Nico’s steps slowed, but he kept his mouth shut the rest of the way to where his family’s pack resided. He stopped when a clearing through the trees came into view, smoke billowing up from between the branches of the trees.
I rested a hand on his broad shoulder. “You can do this. I’m here, right by your side the entire time.
” I had no idea what had occurred between Nico and his family, but I would stand by his side regardless.
I didn’t owe them anything, but Nico had been there for me, whether I wanted him to be or not more times than I cared to admit.
And he was my friend, I think that’s what we were at least. I assumed that’s what he called us, not that I cared enough to ask.
He took a deep breath and squared his shoulders. “I can do this,” he said before continuing into the clearing.
Wolves were milling around the small village, wandering about the secluded space.
The trees had been thinned out, but a few still remained, spread throughout the small village.
All the dwellings were made of stones, looking like dens of various sizes with their domed roofs.
Younglings were scattered around, playing and chasing after one another, ducking in and out of the dens as their laughter filtered through the air.
With every step we took into the village, more eyes drew in our direction. Even the children stopped at the sight of Nico, their eyes going wide with recognition. I assumed his look was as recognizable here as it was everywhere else.
Murmurs grew as we continued, Nico’s name whispered between the wolves.
“Nico.” His spine straightened, his footsteps halting as he turned his head toward the female voice calling to him. “Nico, is that you?”
A well-aged female rose from her crouch on the ground, a horde of children surrounding her. Her brown hair had streaks of silver in it and was braided down her back. Her eyes were the same shade of brown as Zienna’s, a perfect complement to her caramel skin.
Nico’s voice was rough in his throat, “Grandmother.” He dipped his chin, continuing before she could. “I’m here on royal business, who’s the head of the pack today?”
Disappointment flooded his grandmother’s features; she took a deep breath before raising her chin. “I am the elder in charge today, everyone else is out.”
“When will they be back?”
“They’re visiting another pack, they will be back in the morning.”
Nico nodded, some of the tension leaving his shoulders. “The three of us must talk. We have important information to deliver.”
“Come inside.” She motioned toward the den behind her. “Pups.” The younglings at her feet snapped to attention. “Will you fix a meal for our guests, please?”
The younglings nodded eagerly before scattering. “You don’t have to do that,” I said.
Nico’s grandmother waved a hand dismissively before turning toward the den. “Don’t bother,” Nico said. “Wolves are a hospitable group.”
I nodded, ducking into the low door of the den, Nico’s hand warm on my back as he ushered me inside and down the stairs.
The den was larger than I had anticipated, the space bigger than the outside portrayed.
The floor was dug deep into the ground, we descended stairs until we made it to the ground floor; we had to be at least six feet below.
There was a room around the outer rim of the den, like a shelf of sorts with various items set apart and in compartments dug into the earth.
A hearth burned at the far end of the domed den, and tapestries hung from the walls in various colors, depicting wolves in various scenes.
The space was simple but homey. A kitchen with a large rectangular table took up the left side of the room, and a large couch with several oversized chairs sat around the hearth. There were two doors dug into the walls on opposite ends of the living space, which I assumed led to bedchambers.
For an underground dwelling, I was impressed.
Nico’s grandmother led us toward the sitting area in front of the hearth. She sat in an oversized chair while Nico guided us to the large couch opposite of her.
“Are you going to introduce me to your friend at least?” Nico’s grandmother said, her brown eyes narrowing at Nico.
“We haven’t heard or seen from you in over three years, and you show up out of the blue, demanding an audience without even a hello.
Not a single acknowledgment of your grandmother.
Not even a hug.” Her eyes turned glassy.
“I thought we all raised you better than that, Nico.” His grandmother blinked furiously.
Nico’s hand balled into a fist. “We’re not doing this now, not today.”
His grandmother furrowed her brows. “Fine, but we will have it out one day. I will not continue to allow you to ignore your family.”
Nico tensed, taking a deep breath before meeting his grandmother’s stare. “Luce, this is my grandmother, Diedra, my mother’s mother. One of the elders in the pack. Grandmother, this is Luciana Ambrose. She’s the heir to the Mystic Court throne.”
Her stare turned to me. “Caterina is your mother?”
“She is.”
Diedra nodded, turning again toward her grandson. “Good company you’ve decided to keep. Caterina is not one to be trifled with.”
“I know,” Nico cut in. “But lucky for me she’s fond of me.” He wrapped an arm around my shoulders, any other time I would have shrugged out of his hold, but right now I let him keep it. I had a feeling he needed me to help ground him. “She told me as such over a bottle of wine.”
I sighed. “You’ll never let that go, will you?”
“Nope,” he said, popping the p.
“I wouldn’t be surprised if my mother likes you more than me one of these days.”
“You’re with her?” Diedra asked, her eyebrows arched. “You’re in a relationship with the witch princess?”
“No,” I scoffed. “We’re just friends.”
“I’m still working on her.” Nico threw me one of his smirks that made my blood heat. “One day.”
“In your dreams,” I murmured.
He winked. “You know you’re always in my dreams, Lucy.”
I smacked his arm. “We’re in front of your grandmother,” I hissed.
Diedra only smiled. “You don’t know much of wolf culture, do you? I’ve heard my grandson say much worse.”
“Now I know where he gets it from.”
“Come in,” Diedra called out as a knock sounded at the door.
The four younglings from earlier came in one by one, each of them carrying a basket. “You can set them here.” She motioned to the low-lying table between us.
“Thank you,” Diedra said, and Nico and I echoed her sentiment before dismissing the younglings.
“Anyways,” Nico said. “We’re not here to talk. We are here on official business from the High King and Queen.”
“You’ve moved up?” Diedra started unpacking the baskets and placing the items on the table.
“If you put it that way, I’m still working for Luka, but now that he’s High King, I’ve changed locations so to say.”
“I see.”
“Are you up to date with what has been going on?”
Diedra’s eyes flashed. “You know me, us, better than that, Nico. I am fully aware of everything that has been going on in Lethenia. The attack at the royal wedding, the Queen’s kidnapping, and the things she suffered—I am well aware.
We’re not disconnected here, and besides, Zienna communicates with us.
Not everyone has extricated themselves from the pack. ”
The two wolves stared at one another, and although I wanted nothing to do with getting between the two of them, someone had to diffuse them.
“There’s more though, you’ve heard about King Arlo’s death?”
Diedra nodded. “He didn’t die in his sleep. He was murdered.” I didn’t stop there, I told Diedra everything, including Lennox’s decree for war after our conversation with Adreona this afternoon. Nico added details I had missed, and both of us answered her questions.
“This is what I feared,” she said when we were finished. “We have lived in peace for too long, I knew something had to be brewing.” She sighed deeply. “I offer my full support, but it’s not up to me.”
“What do you mean?” Nico pressed. “You’re the elder.”
“Yes, but things have changed, Nico. I gave up my role as a leader of the pack. I no longer have a desire to take charge. I only do so when necessary, like now, while your parents are out.”
Nico was stiff at my side, his back straight as his grandmother continued. “You will have to talk to them when they arrive. They will want to hear this from you.”
“Fuck that,” Nico swore. “Lennox and Luka will be here tomorrow, they can talk to them.” Diedra shook her head.
“You know they will hear it best coming from you.”
“That’s exactly what Lennox said,” I added.
“Whose side are you on?” Nico hissed.
“Your grandmother has been nicer to me today than you have lately, so I’m leaning toward hers.
” Although it was a joke, part of it rang true.
I wasn’t sure what to think of this new side of Nico I was seeing when it came to his family.
Whatever happened between them must have been even worse than I had anticipated.
Nico’s body radiated with anger.
“Remember why we’re doing this.” I squeezed his leg. “It’s not for us, it’s for Lennox and Luka, for Lethenia.”
He sighed but nodded. “You’re right.”
“Do you have a place we can stay for the night?” I asked, Diedra.
“Your old den, it’s still yours.” Nico looked up at his grandmother. “You may have tried to forget about us, but we haven’t forgotten about you.”