The Queen Who Fights Back (by Lily Hastings) novel Chapter 194

**A Symphony of Shadows by Evelyn Hart**
**Chapter 194**

Lionel had meticulously transformed the entire forest and training grounds into a labyrinth of surveillance, with cameras peering from every shadow and loudspeakers ready to broadcast his commands. The air was thick with tension, a silent reminder of the control he wielded over this place.

Nova, on the other hand, had made no effort to conceal her presence. It was as if she wore her defiance like armor, unbothered by the eyes that watched her every move.

For Lionel, spotting her was a mere formality. He thrived on the thrill of the hunt, and Nova was a tantalizing target. Yet, amidst the chaos of her surroundings, what truly gnawed at her was the mystery of who had sent Maxwell Blake and the other four into this treacherous web.

And then, there was Zane Morgan, complicating matters further.

‘Perhaps it was just a stroke of luck that I ran into Zane,’ Nova mused, trying to convince herself. But after the arrival of Maxwell and his crew, an unsettling feeling settled in her gut—a nagging suspicion that someone was orchestrating events from the shadows, pulling strings she couldn’t see.

Whoever it was, they likely knew about her recent escapades in Ravenport, and that thought sent a shiver down her spine.

Her expression darkened, her eyes turning somber, reflecting the weight of her thoughts.

“Ethan? Jessica? What are you two doing here?” Zane exclaimed, his voice filled with disbelief as he took in the sight before him. His eyes widened, and he could hardly process the scene unfolding around him.

His gaze fell upon the red crate, where Ethan and Jessica were just beginning to stir, their expressions a mix of confusion and fatigue.

“Ugh…” Ethan Summers groaned, his brow furrowing in discomfort as he tried to shake off the remnants of unconsciousness.

With a few tentative pats to his head, as if to reassure himself that he was indeed awake, he finally extricated himself from the confines of the crate.

He blinked rapidly, taking in the unfamiliar surroundings with a mix of awe and apprehension.

“Master!” Ethan shouted, his voice bursting forth with uncontainable enthusiasm.

Zane was a solid ally, but Ethan’s attention was solely fixated on Nova, his excitement palpable as he called out to her.

Ethan’s exuberant shout acted as a jolt of electricity for Maxwell and Hannah, who, despite their pounding heads, felt a rush of adrenaline course through them. They scrambled out of the crate in a flurry, but the moment their eyes landed on Nova—who had been absent for what felt like an eternity—they froze, their movements stalling as if time itself had paused.

“N-Novie…” Maxwell stuttered, his voice barely rising above a whisper, disbelief etched across his features.

The vibrant spark that once animated Maxwell’s handsome visage was now dimmed, replaced by the weariness of stress. His chin bore the rough stubble of neglect, a testament to the turmoil that had consumed him in Nova’s absence.

Before she returned, life had been relatively uncomplicated for Maxwell and Hannah. They had long accepted their separation from their younger sister, never feeling the void her absence created.

But now, everything had changed.

In the short span of a few months, the trio had shared experiences that deepened their bond and opened Maxwell’s eyes to just how much Nova truly meant to him.

He stood there, yearning to bridge the distance between them, yet a paralyzing fear gripped him—the fear that if he took even a single step forward, this moment would dissolve into nothingness, like a mirage.

He forced himself to remain still, rooted to the ground as if the weight of the world held him in place.

“Nova! You—” Hannah burst forth, true to her fiery nature, her voice brimming with urgency.

She raised her voice, ready to unleash her pent-up frustrations upon her sister.

But in an instant, her tone shifted, deflating from fierce to soft as if the air had been let out of a balloon.

“You…

“Why did you just leave without a word?

“Mom, Dad, and Maxwell were all so worried about you…”

Though she didn’t explicitly admit her own worries, the tremor in her voice betrayed the depth of her concern for Nova.

“Where is this place? Who brought me here? Ah!” Claire’s voice pierced the air, panic evident as she awoke, her mind racing to comprehend her surroundings.

“I was just heading home from school when someone knocked me out… Next thing I know, I wake up here,” Jessica stammered, confusion and fear lacing her words.

Jessica, with her intelligent demeanor and big-sister energy, was usually the most grounded of the group.

She stepped forward, her maturity shining through as she attempted to regain control of the situation.

“So, where exactly are we?” she asked, her voice steady despite the chaos surrounding them.

“This is the underworld,” Zane replied, his tone grave as he laid bare the reality of their predicament.

“The underworld!?” Claire nearly shrieked, her voice tinged with panic as her eyes widened in disbelief.

Claire had always been glued to Hannah’s side, often spreading rumors about Nova that did little to endear her to the rest.

Even before Nova’s return, Claire had been quick to disparage her, and now, faced with the harsh truth of their situation, her bravado crumbled.

Back at school, Claire had always avoided self-defense classes and dueling competitions, preferring to hide behind her words rather than face any real challenge.

Hearing Zane’s explanation sent her into a near frenzy, her voice quaking with fear.

“The underworld? Seriously?!

“How did we even get here?”

Claire’s eyes darted around, her mind racing as she muttered under her breath, her voice quivering with dread.

Then her gaze fell upon a group of masked men sprawled out nearby, their bodies contorted and lifeless.

“Ah—

“Why are there bodies here?!”

Claire’s voice rose in pitch, terror flooding her system as she dropped to the ground, tears threatening to spill from her eyes.

“Novic…” Maxwell called out, his voice soft and uncertain, drawing the attention of the others.

Maxwell and Hannah were oblivious to their surroundings, their focus solely on Nova. After enduring a prolonged separation, all they yearned for was to rush to her side and demand answers.

“If you keep following me, I’ll kill you,” Nova warned, her tone icy and merciless, slicing through the atmosphere like a dagger.

Her chilling words halted Hannah and the others in their tracks, a wave of fear washing over them before they could take another step.

“She just stuck a gun in my mouth! I swear, she almost blew my head off!” John blurted out, his voice quaking with terror.

“Don’t follow her! She’s a freaking demon!” he shouted, scrambling backward in a desperate attempt to put distance between himself and the danger he perceived.

John was so terrified by the murderous glint in Nova’s eyes earlier that he broke out in a cold sweat, shaking his head as he continued to retreat, convinced there was no way he was sticking around.

She had nearly taken his life!

Maxwell and Hannah had witnessed Nova take lives before, but they never envisioned she would turn her wrath on someone from their own circle.

The icy, chilling look that had flashed in her eyes was a far cry from the little sister they once knew.

She now resembled a cold-blooded killer more than the Novie they had grown up with.

Maxwell instinctively yanked Hannah back, preventing her from pursuing Nova any further.

All they could do was stand there, powerless, as Nova strode away, her crew of Blood Dolls trailing behind her like shadows.

“What’s her problem, anyway?” Claire grumbled, rolling her eyes in frustration.

“Hannah, you were practically begging her, and she still blew you off. Your sister just thinks she’s all that now!

“Didn’t I say she was trouble? See, I told you so!”

Claire was fuming, ready to unleash her frustrations on Nova the moment the opportunity arose.

Hannah kept her head down, her mind a whirlwind of confusion and guilt.

She felt the weight of her actions pressing down on her, convinced that Nova was distancing herself due to the harsh treatment she had received upon her return.

“No!” Maxwell interjected, his voice steady and resolute.

He was the only one who truly understood—just from observing Nova’s behavior, he could sense that her struggles ran far deeper than anyone realized.

Maxwell’s instincts had never failed him. “This is the world she survived in before she came home…

She must be tangled up in something enormous, and she’s terrified it will endanger us all.”

Hannah felt as though her heart was being crushed by a thousand invisible hands, the pain almost unbearable.

“So what are we supposed to do?” she whispered, her voice quaking with uncertainty.

Maxwell, ever the wise one, responded quietly, “There’s nothing we can do. We just don’t belong in this world.

“Right now, the smartest thing is to figure out how to escape and lay low at home. Let’s not drag Novie into our mess.”