Chapter 67 Lennox
LENNOX
The stench of death permeated the air.
I had no idea how long I’d been fighting. It could have been days or an hour.
But my body didn’t tire.
It thrived on the bloodshed, on the promise of victory.
My sword was stained with blood, it dripped off the steel. Each step I took toward the center of the battle tainting my soul as I took life after life.
Adreona’s soldiers didn’t appear to have remorse for trying to kill me so I tried my best not to feel remorse toward them, guilt would surely come later if I made it out alive. And the Dhampirs—I pretended they were only beasts, blocked out they were once human.
“Lennox.”
Luka’s voice pierced through the sound of battle. He had stayed at my side—somehow, we had managed to stay together, fighting side by side as we made our way through the fray. “You need to do it now. We don’t know how much longer we have.”
“Cover me.” I sheathed my sword, my latest victim falling at my feet.
Luka’s arms wrapped around my waist, his fingers dusting over my hips as I reached out with my magic. I swore I could almost see it—see my magic cracking out over the battlefield, past the fallen bodies, reaching for the enemies, wrapping around their essence.
I pulled the string tight, closing my fist and feeling a slight tug, testing the connection. My magic pulled taut.
“You’ve got this, Sweetheart,” Luka’s voice echoed in my ear.
I nodded, letting his words settle.
I pulled on the string, opening my eyes as the enemies in my periphery burst into pieces, their bodies crumbling under the force of my magic.
I reached out again, continuing to crush the enemy with the simple closing of my palm.
Sweat dripped down the collum of my neck, exhaustion weighing on my limbs.
One more time, one more round and I needed to quit or risk burnout.
Burnout wasn’t an option in war.
“Fun little trick there.” My body tensed at the sound of Adreona’s voice. Luka’s grip on my waist tightening.
I called back my magic. I could end this right here and now.
Slowly, I turned toward her, Luka staying at my back as I kept control of my magic, pressing it toward her.
I could see it, the delicate roots of magic crackling across the ground. Closer and closer, it stretched toward Adreona.
Her lips were painted a deep plum, paling her already waxy complexion. Her leathers were a deep red, a drop of blood in a sea of black, pointing her out to anyone.
Stupid and reckless.
The ring in her nose glittered in the sunlight as a smile crested her lips.
I wriggled my fingers, a little closer.
“Lennox.” Luka’s voice was hardly a whisper, but there was a warning tone to it.
The roots receded as I pulled my magic back. Not yet. I reminded myself. We had a plan. We needed to cut the tie between Keziq and Luka first and then I could kill Adreona.
“I didn’t expect to run into you so soon,” I told her as I drew my hands back to my sides.
“You know me, Lennox, I do love a surprise.” Her dark eyes glimmered as Keziq appeared at her side.
I steeled my shoulders. I would no longer let that witch instill fear in me.
“Keziq has been busy preparing for this battle—for this moment—ever since she got her hands on this precious journal.”
Adreona produced the journal from her pocket and tossed it between her hands. “She was set back by your ripping out the pages, but your mate’s memories proved useful—”
“You’ll lose this war.” I summoned as much strength into my voice as I could. “Without vampires, you lose your army.”
She shrugged. “I already told you, Lennox, I don’t care. It’s a sacrifice I’m willing to make to ensure the safety of Lethenia for the rest of time.”
“Eliminating an entire population of people isn’t ensuring the future of Lethenia! It’s destroying it! There is no Lethenia without vampires! Don’t you understand that? They are a vital part of not only Lethenia’s history, but the fiber of its being!”
And Luka was the fabric of my being. I wanted to scream it. Let her know what she was threatening to take from me. But would be no use. She didn’t care about me. She didn’t care about me and Luka and everything we had overcome to make it here.
“They will remain a part of Lethenia’s history as the species that was eliminated because of their deadly nature.”
We needed to end this today.
Where was Luce? She should have been here by now.
I looked at Luka out of the corner of my eye. Luce, we need Luce.
Luka dipped his chin and winked. I’ll go find her, he mouthed.
My eyes darted to Keziq as she knelt on the blood-soaked ground.
“What will it take to stop you from doing this?” I knew there would be nothing, but I needed to distract her—I needed to distract both of them while Luka snuck away. I couldn’t do anything with Keziq still linked to Luka.
“Nothing. And besides, I already learned how futile it is to make a deal with you, Lennox Adair. Your word is worth next to nothing,” Adreona all but sneered.
She turned her attention to Keziq as she continued to prepare the spell.
Slowly, Luka started taking steps back, one at a time, until he met the trees. I didn’t dare turn my attention to see if he had disappeared.
He had to get to Luce and get started on the spell so we could finally kill this Goddess-forsaken witch.
“Do you want my crown? Because I’ll give it to you if that’s what you want. The Vanir want it—give it to them if you don’t want it.”
“As enticing as that offer is—I want vampires gone more.”
Keziq struck two stones together, sparks tumbled from the stones as she repeated her movements until she sparked a flame to light the candles surrounding her. One by one the candles lit, encasing her in a ring of fire.
“You want your death?”
“Like I said, it’s a small price to pay—besides, I will get to be reunited with my love.”
“How do you think she will feel about this? About finding out her partner is a murderer?”
“You little—” Adreona leapt for me, her nails clawing for my face. I winced as one of Adreona’s nails met skin, scratching a line across my face.
I drew my flames to my fingertips before pressing my hand to her chest. She hissed as her flesh burned. She stumbled away from me and threw out her hands.
I braced for the impact, but it never came.
Adreona tried again, thrusting out her hands, but no magic came out.
It was working. Luce’s spell was working.