I nodded. “Thank you.”
“Hey.” Lucian entered the kitchen.
“Hi,” I mumbled, shoving another fork filled with beef in my mouth. I didn’t like the feeling that was brewing inside of me. I knew this feeling all too well. It was like a virus that crept faster than the darkness, more like feeding the darkness inside of me—it felt green.
I kept my eyes on him as he opened the fridge, but focused on my plate again.
I guessed I’d have to make it clearer when we get back to Dragonia Academy.
Lucian kissed his mom goodnight on the cheek with a bottle of water in his hand and left. Cat’s nails clicking on the tiles followed him.
I finished my meal. Thanked the queen and apologized for this, and then I headed back outside.
ELENA
I drifted awayand woke up with a blaring siren. My heart stammered in my chest and Dad jumped out of the bed. He was on full alert, yanking me from under the covers.
Our footsteps disappeared into the lush carpet as we reached the door. He yanked it open and jumped slightly as Queen Maggie and Lucian were already waiting outside the room.
“Come,” she ordered, and we ran-walked down the corridor to their room. I kept concentrating on her loose curls bobbing on her back.
We entered through double doors as King Helmut’s voice ordered someone, and I saw the hologram of him speaking to another member of his fleet.
We passed him and walked through another room into their walk-in closet. A metal door gleamed against the wall.
She pushed a button after she pressed a sequence of buttons, and the door opened. We stepped inside. Lucian waited with my dad outside the room.
“Get inside, Lucian,” Queen Maggie ordered.
“No, Mom,” he said and walked out of the closet.
“Lucian,” King Helmut’s voice spoke from the other room.
“I’ll watch over him. Stay safe.” Dad kissed me on the cheek.
King Helmut entered with huge strides.
“Helmut please, get Lucian back here.”
“Loosen the ropes, sweetheart. Dragonia trained him well.”
Tears pooled in her eyes.
The king touched her face. “I promise, he will be okay.” He kissed Queen Maggie and then the doors closed.
She looked as if she’d seen a ghost, staring at nothing. I didn’t know what to say to her. She snapped out of it and walked over to the tiny kitchen, and put the silver kettle on a burner.
I looked around. It didn’t look like a panic room. Then again, I didn’t know one except what I saw on movies. This was posh, with white walls and wooden cupboards. There was even a bathroom with a shower in here, and a cosy bed in the corner. I bet they filled those cupboards with groceries. There was even a sink to wash dishes.
The carpet underneath my feet was lush, and the kitchen had beautiful dark tiles. A glass dining table took up half of the dining area and a soft white leather couch sat in front of three by four rows of TVs mounted against the wall.
The queen plopped on the white couch and I followed her and sat down next to her.
She switched on the TVs, and every single one of them showed a different area of the castle. I saw Dad and King Helmut dashing past one, down the corridor.
My eyes skidded over all of them.
It was so quiet as my heart stammered inside my chest.
