Knox (Monsters of Veridia #1)

Chapter 22

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.

"He had to do it," Adrian added quickly, as if he needed to explain, to justify Knox’s actions. "It was the only way to stop Caelen for good."

Stopping Caelen had been Knox’s mission for so long. Of course he’d had to act when he had the chance.

Daniel reached out, placing a hand on Adrian’s arm. "I’m sorry, man."

Adrian nodded, not trusting himself to speak. He busied himself with helping Daniel to his feet, grateful for the distraction.

"Did Caelen do anything to you?" he asked. "Are you okay?"

"I’m… fine," Daniel said. "Really, don’t worry about me."

Adrian noticed the way his friend didn’t answer his first question, but he decided not to push. Whatever had happened here, it must have been traumatic.

The Shadow King was involved, after all.

"He’ll come back to you," Daniel said. "You know that, right?"

Adrian forced a smile and made himself nod. He wanted to believe that so badly it hurt. But this was real life. Moreover, it was his life.

Could he hope for a happy ending?

"Come on," he said, steering Daniel toward the door where Lyrian waited. "Let’s get you out of here."

Adrian and Lyrian led Daniel down the stairs. As they reached the foyer, they found Zev herding a group of dazed-looking people toward the front door.

"Everyone, please remain calm," he said. "Caelen’s influence is gone now. You’re safe."

The crowd murmured, some looking relieved, others confused. "What are you?" one young man demanded to know.

Zev ignored him, turning instead to a ginger-haired woman with tear-stained cheeks who stepped forward to address him.

"Malik is still downstairs."

Zev’s brow furrowed. "Who’s Malik?"

The woman wrapped her arms around herself. "He owns this place. Caelen… Caelen tied him up in the basement." Her voice cracked. "Oh God."

Adrian’s stomach twisted. He’d been wondering whose house this was.

Zev’s expression hardened. He glanced at Lyrian. "Keep an eye on the humans. I’ll check the basement."

"I’m coming with you," Adrian said, not for the noblest reason. It was as if he needed to know every detail of Caelen’s crimes so he could reinforce for himself that Knox’s sacrifice had been necessary, had been unavoidable.

Zev hesitated for a moment, then nodded. "Fine. Let’s go."

They made their way to a door that led to a flight of stairs going down.

The basement was nothing like Adrian had imagined. Instead of a dank, musty cellar, they stepped into what could only be described as a nerd’s paradise.

The first room they entered was clearly designed for playing Dungeons and Dragons. A large table dominated the center, surrounded by comfortable chairs. Miniature figurines were scattered across its surface, frozen mid-battle. Bookshelves lined the walls, filled with rulebooks and story manuals.

"What is this?" Zev wondered, his eyes wandering the room.

"A sort of game."

"A game?"

"I’ll tell you about it another time."

They moved through an archway into the next room, which didn’t make Adrian any less envious. Gaming consoles of every generation lined one wall—and while Adrian wasn’t a huge gamer, his eyes were drawn to the other wall, which was covered with floor-to-ceiling bookshelves. Fantasy novels, from classics to recent releases, filled every available space. Hardcovers, almost all of them.

But before Adrian could spend too much time browsing the shelves, his gaze landed on a poster of Caelen, larger than life, dominating one wall.

This was definitely a fan’s dwelling. Or the dwelling of someone who had been a fan once.

A memory tickled at the back of Adrian’s mind. Wasn’t there someone who’d posted about helping Caelen navigate social media?

Was this their house?

But where were they?

As if in answer, a muffled sound came from behind a door at the far end of the room.

Adrian and Zev exchanged a glance before approaching the door. Zev reached for the handle, paused, then nodded to Adrian. In one swift motion, he flung the door open.

The sight that greeted them made Adrian’s stomach lurch. A young man—it had to be Malik— was shackled to the bathroom sink, his wrists raw from struggling against the metal cuffs. A gag muffled his attempts to speak. His curly black hair was tousled, and his brown eyes widened with a mix of relief and fear as he saw them.

Adrian barely recognized the man he’d seen in that picture with Caelen online.

"Jesus," Adrian breathed, rushing forward. He fumbled with the gag, hurrying to remove it. "It’s okay, we’re here to help."

As soon as the gag was off, the man gasped for air. "Thank God," he croaked, his voice hoarse from disuse. "I thought… I thought no one would find me."

Zev made quick work of the shackles, allowing Malik to move away from the sink. Technically. "Can you stand?" Zev asked, offering a hand to help the man up.

Malik shook his head. "My leg’s broken."

Adrian winced in sympathy. "What happened?"

Malik’s face contorted with a mix of shame and anger. "He seemed so nice at first," he said. "I thought… I thought he really wanted to change. We talked about the books, about Veridia. He was charming, funny…" Malik trailed off, shaking his head. "I was such an idiot. And then I saw what he was really doing. The way he was manipulating people, brainwashing them. I tried to stop him, but…" He gestured weakly at his surroundings. "This is where I ended up."

Adrian knelt beside Malik. "Caelen’s gone now," he said, forcing his voice to remain steady. "You’re safe."

The words tasted bitter on his tongue. Yes, they’d won, but at what cost? Knox was gone, and Adrian’s chest ached with the loss. He pushed the feeling aside, focusing on the man in front of him.

"We need to get you to a doctor," Adrian continued, eyeing Malik’s injured leg. "Your leg needs proper treatment."

Malik nodded, his face pale with pain and exhaustion. "Thank you," he whispered. "I… I don’t know how long I’ve been down here."

Adrian glanced at Zev, who stepped forward without a word. The Night Fae bent down, easily scooping Malik into his arms as if he weighed nothing.

Malik let out a small gasp of surprise but didn’t protest. "You’re… You’re Zev, aren’t you?"

"Do we know each other?" Zev replied, studying the injured man.

"No." Malik gave a weak smile. "But I wish you had dropped into my life instead of Caelen. You were always my second favorite." Malik’s head lolled against Zev’s shoulder, eyes fluttering as if the weight of the world finally bore down on him.

Adrian’s heart clenched at the sight. The man had been through so much, deceived by Caelen and left to rot in this basement.

Maybe it was what he deserved for helping the Shadow King, but Adrian didn’t find it in himself to judge Malik.

The man had clearly paid for his poor judgment.

At least it was all over now.