Page 93 of Knox

He wanted to say more than that, but he never got to. He stumbled backward and into the portal as Caelen dragged him with him.

Chapter

Twenty-Two

"This isn’t what?" Adrian wanted to yell at Knox, but the demon disappeared before his eyes, and then the weakened portal collapsed in on itself after swallowing Knox and Caelen.

Adrian stood there, frozen, staring at the spot where Knox had vanished. The world around him blurred, sounds of battle muffled as if he were underwater. Lyrian’s voice, Zev’s grunts of effort, the roars and shrieks of monsters—all of it faded into a distant hum.

Knox had just… left. He tried to focus on anything but that, tried to rationalize Knox’s decision, but the floor felt unsteady beneath his feet; his knees threatened to give out.

Knox left.

The thought echoed in his mind, relentless and unforgiving. It didn’t matter that Caelen had been defeated, or that the portals were sealed. None of it mattered when Knox had vanished as if he’d never been real at all.

He should have known not to fall for someone from another world, for a fantasy.

"Adrian!" Lyrian’s voice cut through the haze, sharp and urgent.

Adrian turned mechanically toward the sound, seeing Lyrian trying to wave him over to a group of humans. No doubt these were Caelen’s followers who had finally snapped out of their brainwashing now that their leader was gone.

Grant was among them too, the fucking coward.

Not that he mattered now. Thinking of the people Caelen had manipulated, Adrian found something for his mind to focus on.

Daniel.

Where was Daniel?

"Come with me!" Adrian yelled at Lyrian, his voice breaking through the chaos. Without waiting for a response, he sprinted up the stairs in the entrance hall.

"Daniel! Daniel!" he called, his voice echoing off the walls. The hallway stretched out before him, and there were so many doors!

Was any of them hiding his friend?

He skidded to a halt as he heard a faint voice, weak but unmistakable, from a room down the hallway. "Adrian?"

Relief surged through him. He dashed toward the sound, flinging open the door with more force than necessary. And there, chained to a bed in a room with way too many stuffed toys, was Daniel.

He looked pale and exhausted, but he was alive.

"Daniel!" Adrian rushed to his side, eyes scanning the chains that bound Daniel’s wrists to the bedposts.

Daniel managed a weak smile. "Took you long enough."

Adrian’s hands trembled as he fumbled with the chains. "I’m so sorry it took this long. We—Knox?—"

"Save it," Daniel interrupted gently. "Just get me out of here."

Lyrian appeared in the doorway then, taking in the scene with a quick glance. Without a word, he moved to help Adrian with the chains, unlocking them with the smallest bit of magic.

Daniel winced as he pulled his wrist free but didn’t complain.

"What happened?" Daniel asked. "Where’s Caelen?"

Adrian’s chest tightened at the question. He swallowed hard, fighting to keep his voice steady. "Knox and Caelen… they went back to Veridia."

The words felt like sandpaper in his throat. He tried not to let it show how much it hurt, how the loss of Knox felt like a physical ache in his chest. But Daniel’s gaze softened, seeing right through him.