Page 59 of Knox

He wouldn’t survive the shame of everyone finding out that he’d been left for his little brother.

Grant opened his mouth again and Adrian braced himself for being pressed again—but then Daniel suddenly sauntered up to him, slinging an arm around Adrian’s shoulder. "There you are, darling! Your super hot boyfriend is looking for you. He seems quite lost without you."

Adrian blinked, momentarily thrown off balance by Daniel’s sudden appearance and the mention of his "boyfriend."

Grant frowned, looking between them. "Boyfriend? What boyfriend?"

Daniel looked at Grant with a mischievous glint. "Oh, haven’t you heard? Our dear Adrian has snagged himself quite the catch. Tall, dark, and absolutely delicious." He licked his lips for emphasis.

Grant’s eyes widened, then narrowed at Adrian. "Who are you seeing?" he demanded.

"Someone much hotter than the douche you stole from him," Daniel said smoothly.

Grant’s face reddened. "Excuse me?"

"You heard me." Daniel’s tone was light, but there was an edge to it. "Now, why don’t you run along and leave Adrian alone? He’s got more important things to do than listen to your pathetic attempts at an apology."

Grant opened his mouth, then closed it again, apparently at a loss for words. He shot Adrian one last pleading look, but Adrian shook his head.

"Just leave."

For a moment, Grant looked like he might argue. But then, with a frustrated huff, he turned on his heel and stalked away, disappearing into the crowd.

Adrian blew out a breath. "Thanks," he mumbled, glancing at Daniel. "For the rescue."

Daniel squeezed his shoulders again before letting go. "Anytime. That’s what friends are for." He cocked his head, studying Adrian with a hint of concern. "You okay?"

Adrian nodded, even though he felt far from okay. The encounter with Grant had shaken him more than he wanted to admit. But he couldn’t dwell on that now. They had a mission, and he needed to focus.

"I will be," he said, squaring his shoulders. "Once we stop Caelen."

Daniel’s expression turned serious. "Right. The evil hottie." He glanced around, as if expecting the Shadow King to materialize out of thin air. "So what’s the plan? How do we take him down?"

Adrian took a deep breath. "First," he said, "we need to find Knox and the others."

"That shouldn’t be difficult."

Adrian frowned, wondering what Daniel meant by his comment. But before he could ask, Daniel was already tugging him back toward the entrance hall.

As they approached, the reason for Daniel’s confidence became clear. A small crowd had formed around Knox, Zev, and Lyrian, their excited chatter filling the air. Fans pressed in from all sides, their phones out as they snapped pictures and asked questions about the fabrics of their costumes.

"They’re like rock stars," Daniel said. "You’re so lucky Knox crashed into your house."

Adrian could only nod, his mouth dry. He had been lucky, hadn’t he?

He’d been in the right place at the right time; surely that was why Knox had picked him.

But now was not the time to contemplate that.

How was he going to cut through the crowd to get to the incubus?

As if in answer to his unspoken question, Lyrian suddenly stepped forward. He raised his hands, and the crowd fell silent, their eyes locked on him in rapt attention.

And then he began to sing.

His voice was pure magic, the melody washing over the crowd like a gentle wave. People swayed in place, their faces slack with wonder as they listened.

Adrian felt it too, the pull of Lyrian’s song. It was like being wrapped in a warm blanket, all his worries and fears melting away.