Chapter 18

XANDER

I sat in the council room, my mind racing as I tried to come up with a plan for how Daciana and I would talk to Donavan about his current misbehavior concerning Adriana. I had just sent Aiden to the dungeon, knowing full well that the warrior would be locked up for a long time. But as I sat there, lost in thought, Daciana burst into the room, her eyes wild with panic.

"Xander," she panted, "have you seen Adriana?"

I hadn't seen Adriana since the previous night. My heart skipped a beat as I saw the panic on her face.

"No," I said, trying to remain calm. "Why? Is something wrong?"

"She's gone," she said, her voice breaking. "I went to check on her right now, and she wasn't in her room. I've looked everywhere, and I haven't seen her yet."

I had a cold dread wash over me. I knew that Adriana would surely be upset about Aiden's incarceration, but I never th