“Who were they?” I muttered as I chewed my lip.
“Did you not see the faces after the lights came on?”
Confusion pinched my brow, but as I moved to glance around him, he caught my chin in his hand and shook his head. “You don’t need to see the aftermath, baby girl. It’s Elaine, Joely, Elaine’s husband, and someone I don’t recognize because they’re charred from your attack.”
Oh my fucking hell. Was it Rin?
A wave of nausea rolled through me, and I almost vomited at the thought. Lo would never forgive me. Suddenly, Lincoln's eyes flew open, and he leapt to his feet, shocking me into silence as he poised in a fighting stance with a fist raised and ready to swing. His pupils were dilated, and I could see the pulse in his neck racing as his eyes darted left and right, searching for an invisible foe.
“Linc,” I whispered when I finally found my voice again. “It’s over.”
It took a moment for his adrenaline to wear off as his breathing evened out and his tense shoulders relaxed. He eventually really took in the room before his gaze landed on Andrei and me. “What the fuck happened?”
Andrei took over the explanation as I leaned against the side of the bed, letting my head fall back as he caught him up. A smirk tugged my lips up when he ended with, “Drake was diving in front of a bullet for you until Alina saved both of your asses and fried the fucker.”
Lincoln’s head reared back in shock. “Are you serious, he did that?”
Drake appeared in the doorway, looking just as manic with disheveled hair, and deep, ragged breaths as Lincoln had when he woke up.
“Lo,” he whispered, voice cracking as his lip trembled, eyes pooling with devastation. “She’s gone.”
The pain bleeding through our bond would have brought me to my knees if I wasn’t already on them.
Chapter24
ALINA
The first morning rays broke through the window, painting stripes of orange and yellow across Drake's room. All of us were gathered here since my room was off-limits–since, you know, it was acting as a temporary mortuary.
Drake paced as the rest of us remained still, trying to keep a brave face for each other in the face of so much uncertainty. It wasn’t safe to leave the castle, so we paced and agonized in silence, waiting to hear from Lo. Drake sent out the board members we trusted to look for Lo, while we waited for the witch to get here.
Even after a thorough sweep of the castle, none of us were ready to face the darkness of sleep. Our anxieties about what was happening, and if further attacks were in store, were too heavy to be ignored.
A mixture of grief, anger, and relief flooded Drake when he saw who our attackers were. Grief over their deaths, anger at them choosing this path, and relief that he no longer had to worry about what to do with them and their betrayal.
Down in the dungeon, Silvyn was still talking about how Jeoffrey would save her. I was too emotionally exhausted to tell her that his minions had come to attack us, not free her. She was nothing more than a disposable Pawn on his own board. Everyone on his side was. I just wasn't sure how they didn't see it.
This was my worst nightmare all over again: all of the friends I’d managed to make since leaving my home were gone, and I had no idea if they were okay.
Drake’s arms wrapped around me, pulling me to his chest as his hand ran through my hair as he murmured, “She’s strong, she’ll be okay.”
I knew he was saying it for me as much as he was himself, to remind us of her strength.
We dialed Lo's number relentlessly, desperately hoping that she'd pick up and tell us where she was and if she was alright. The unanswered calls left us feeling like an eternity had passed in a void of despair, spiraling Drake and I further and further into the depths of darkness with each passing second.
We took turns trying to be the outwardly strong one for each other, but in my soul, I knew it wouldn’t be okay until we had her back with us, unharmed.
Andrei and Lincoln came back to the room and tossed bags of blood onto the bed, the latter demanding, “You guys have to eat. We have to be at our best in order to take on anything that comes our way next.”
When they’d offered me blood earlier, I’d quickly declined, feeling like my stomach was so unsettled that I wouldn’t be able to keep it down. I knew he was right, though, and I pushed off of Drake and begrudgingly sat on the bed, grabbing a bag marked animal blood.
Andrei took a few bags and crossed to Drake, clapping him on the back when he came to a stop next to him. “Come on, man. Drink them for Lo.”
With a heavy sigh, Drake took the bags and quickly sucked them down before dropping them onto the floor.
It took me what felt like an hour to get three bags down, and as I was finishing my last, my phone rang, making me choke on the crimson liquid pouring down my throat. Everyone’s attention snapped toward me, their bodies tensing as they waited for me to answer.
My hand trembled as I pulled my phone from my pocket, dread pooling in my stomach as my chest tightened with fear. “It’s Lo,” I mumbled, staring at the name flashing across the screen.
