144

144

Lyanna’s POV.

The vision hit me hard, like a blow to the head, forcing me to stumble back from my scrying bowl. My breath caught in my throat as the images flashed through my mind. Blood. Teeth. An attack. Sophia. She was in danger, surrounded by shadows, by figures whose faces I couldn’t see.

I clutched the edge of the table, trying to focus, trying to get more from the vision. But it slipped away, as they often did, leaving only fragments behind. My heart raced as the realization hit me—this wasn’t a distant future. This was happening soon, maybe even now.

I straightened up, panic setting in. There was no time to waste.

“Ian,” I muttered under my breath, grabbing my coat from the chair and throwing it over my shoulders. I had to warn him, warn Sophia. My instincts screamed at me to move, to get there as quickly as possible.

As I stepped out of my small house in the human realm, the cool night air slapped me in the face, doing little to calm the rush of adrenaline coursing through my veins. The street was quiet, too quiet for my liking. But I didn’t have time to dwell on that. I needed to get to Ian and Sophia before—

I heard it before I saw it. A rustle, barely a sound, but enough to make me stop dead in my tracks. My senses, heightened by the magic I wielded, picked up on the danger before it was fully upon me. I spun around just as a figure stepped out from the shadows.

“Going somewhere, witch?” a voice sneered, dripping with menace.

My heart dropped. Three figures emerged from the darkness, their movements too graceful, too quick. Vampires.

I reached for the small vial of protection powder I always carried with me, but before I could move, one of them was on me. His cold hand gripped my wrist with crushing strength, and I bit back a scream as pain shot up my arm.

“Not so fast,” he hissed, his breath brushing against my ear. His grip tightened, and I could feel the bones in my wrist start to give way.

I muttered an incantation under my breath, summoning a burst of energy that flared around me like a shield. The vampire was thrown back, hissing in anger as he hit the pavement.

But it wasn’t enough. Two more were on me before I could blink. One grabbed me by the throat, lifting me off the ground as if I weighed nothing. I gasped for air, clawing at his hands, but his grip was unyielding.

“Do you really think you can escape us, Lyanna?” the one holding me sneered. “You should have stayed hidden, witch.”

I tried to summon my magic again, but the pressure on my throat was making it impossible to focus. My vision started to blur, and black spots danced in front of my eyes.

“Let her go!” a voice shouted from somewhere nearby, and I felt the grip on my throat loosen for a fraction of a second.

But it was too late. I was already losing consciousness. The last thing I heard before everything went dark was the sound of their laughter.

When I woke, I was in darkness. My head throbbed, and my throat felt raw. The air was thick, stale, and I could feel the cold, damp floor beneath me. I tried to move, but my hands were bound behind my back, the ropes cutting into my wrists.

Panic surged through me. I struggled against the bindings, but they were too tight. Whoever had taken me knew what they were doing.

I took a deep breath, trying to calm the rising fear. I had to think. I had to focus. My magic was still there, a flicker of energy deep inside me, but it was weak. The ropes were enchanted, suppressing my power, keeping me from using it to escape.

“Damn it,” I whispered under my breath, tugging futilely at the bindings again. This was bad. Really bad.

Footsteps echoed in the distance, and I froze, straining to listen. They were getting closer. My heart pounded in my chest as I forced myself to stay calm. If I panicked now, I’d be no use to anyone, least of all Sophia.

The door creaked open, and dim light filtered into the room, casting long shadows across the floor. I squinted against the brightness, my eyes struggling to adjust.

A figure stepped into the light, and my blood ran cold. The vampire from before, the one who had grabbed me outside my house, stood there with a smug smile on his face.

“Ah, you’re awake,” he said, his voice dripping with satisfaction. “Good. We were starting to worry.”

I glared at him, refusing to show any fear. “What do you want?” I demanded, my voice hoarse.

He chuckled, stepping closer until he was standing directly in front of me. “Isn’t it obvious? We want you out of the way. You’ve been quite the nuisance, Lyanna.”

I swallowed hard, my mind racing. This wasn’t just a random attack. They had been waiting for me, specifically. They wanted me out of the picture. But why?

“What are you planning?” I asked, narrowing my eyes at him.

The vampire smirked, crouching down so that we were eye level. “Don’t worry, witch. You’ll find out soon enough.”

Before I could respond, he reached out and grabbed my chin, forcing me to look up at him. His grip was painful, but I refused to flinch.

“You see,” he continued, his voice low and menacing, “we can’t have you warning your precious king and his little pet. Not when we’re so close to taking everything from them.”

My heart skipped a beat. They knew about Sophia. They knew she was vulnerable, and they were planning something—something big.

“You’ll never succeed,” I spat, trying to sound braver than I felt. “Ian will stop you. We’ll stop you.”

The vampire laughed, a cold, cruel sound. “You really don’t get it, do you? We’re already ahead of you. And soon, your little visions won’t matter anymore.”

He released my chin, standing up and turning away from me. “Enjoy your stay, Lyanna. It won’t be long now.”

With that, he walked out of the room, slamming the door behind him.

I was left in the darkness again, my mind reeling. They were planning something big, and I was the only one who knew. I had to get out of here. I had to warn them.

But how? My magic was weak, and the bindings were enchanted. Every time I tried to summon more power, the ropes tightened, cutting off my circulation.

I closed my eyes, taking a deep breath. There had to be a way. There was always a way.

I focused on the flicker of energy inside me, letting it build slowly, carefully. The ropes burned against my skin, but I ignored the pain, pushing through it. If I could just get a little more power, I might be able to—

The door creaked open again, and I snapped my eyes open. Another vampire stepped into the room, this one smaller, more cautious. She glanced at me with a mixture of pity and fear.

“Why are you helping them?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper. “You don’t have to do this.”

She hesitated, her eyes flicking to the door. “I don’t have a choice,” she murmured. “None of us do.”

Before I could respond, she slipped out of the room, leaving me alone once more.

I closed my eyes again, focusing on the power inside me. Time was running out, but I wouldn’t give up. I couldn’t. Sophia’s life—and so many others—depended on me getting out of here.

No matter what it took, I would find a way.