Frostbite (The Dragonian, #3) - Adrienne Woods Page 0,74

the ocean and when we reached it she got up and planted two kisses on both my cheeks. “I take it you didn’t struggle finding this place?”

“Not at all, once I told the cab driver where I wanted to go, he knew I was going to have tea with you.” I sighed. “It’s so weird.”

“What is?”

“A year ago, nobody even knew who I was, and now everyone just knows who I am.”

She laughed. “It comes with the territory of dating the prince, even if he is gone.”

I touched her hand softly. “I miss him so much. I wish this all had a different outcome.”

“You and me both,” she said softly.

“He should’ve never been there that day. He would still be alive if not for me.”

She dabbed at a tear. “And what, let Paul kill you instead? He would’ve been a living corpse if he wasn’t with you Elena. Losing you would’ve meant his death, so the way I see it, he would’ve died no matter what.”

“How can you be so nice to me? He was your only son. I was responsible…”

“Shhhh, you forget. I might be a mother, but I’m the queen of Tith too. We have to make sacrifices for the people. His mission was for Blake and we all made a vow when Blake was little that we would do anything in our power to save him from turning evil. Lucian was my sacrifice.”

“But his death had nothing to do with Blake.”

“I don’t know about that Elena, maybe it did. I’ve been thinking about that lately, but it’s not a discussion for today. We are here because I need to ask you a few questions, well actually just one.”

I looked at her with surprise.

“Are you going where I think you are going?”

Lie to her Elena! Cheng’s voice yelled in my head, but she’d given up so much and she deserved the truth. I nodded. “He found something, I know he did. I have to find out what it was.” I couldn’t tell her about my dreams. It would be weird and she would just think that I was insane.

She huffed with a slight smile. “I knew that journal would make a bit of sense to you. It drove Helmut crazy as there was nothing other than his foretelling.”

“It’s got nothing to do with Blake’s date. It’s a link to Blake but not the way we thought.” I told her what we found and that Tanya left on the 23rd of August seventeen years ago.

The queen frowned.

“Lucian was right to search for her, she knows something and that is why I believe he knew exactly what could claim Blake. I have to go and find out.”

She took a deep breath and took out a thick

envelope. “Please, take this. Keep it safe. I don’t want you guys to run into trouble and not have enough money. Pay them off if you need to but make sure you get out of that forest, Elena.”

I took the thick envelope and knew exactly what was inside. “I can’t.”

“Please, do it for Lucian. I won’t be able to forgive myself if anything happens to you.”

I sighed and nodded. “Thank you.” I put the envelope inside my backpack and had a light lunch with the queen. We talked about everything. My foretelling, and how King Helmut was doing. Losing Nora when she was literally inside his grasp made him more determined than ever to find her.

I said goodbye around three as she had a meeting to attend to.

“Take care of yourself, and I hope you find what it is you are looking for Elena. Phone me the minute you are back.”

I gave her a hug and breathed in her fragrance without making her uncomfortable. “Thank you so much for all your help.”

“You’re so welcome. Stay safe.”

Jeeves walked up to our table.

“Jeeves will take you home, and good luck, Elena.” She gave me two more kisses on both my cheeks and another tight hug before she let me go.

The drive to the Academy was silent. Jeeves didn’t say anything to me just a ‘good luck with the mission’ as he dropped me off at the Academy.

I disrobed behind a tree and flew up. I wasn’t going to tell Cheng about the money and would use it like she’d instructed me. Only when it was needed; hopefully it wouldn’t come to that.

N FRIDAY MORNING, the day of our departure, I found Emanuel in the lobby. He gave me a set of keys. Cheng’s eyes grew in alarm