20. Adrianna

20

ADRIANNA

R ustling beside me threatens to pull me from my slumber, but I cling to it like my life depends on it because I’m pretty sure it does. Dreams of flowery meadows and laughter fade with every breath I take, despite how hard I try to grasp onto them. It’s so close I can almost smell the lavender that dances in the wind. Yet the harder I fight, the more alert I become until I feel a hand on my shoulder and hear my name on a whispered breath.

“Adrianna, I need you to wake up now.”

Frowning, I try to pry my eyes open, but it proves more challenging than I expect. It takes a few attempts, but when I finally lock eyes with the man calling my name, I wish I was back asleep instead of looking at the worry that’s wormed its way into his eyes.

“Raiden?” I rasp, reaching a hand out to him. He gives me a tight smile, clutching my hand and brushing a soft kiss to my knuckles before he speaks. His usual composed look is nonexistent. His hair is disheveled, his eyes tired, and his nostrils flared.

“I’m sorry, it’s urgent,” he explains. The concern etched into his voice forces me to sit, shuffling back so I can lean against the headboard and gather my senses. Brody is awake, standing in the doorway that leads into the bathroom, and the sun peeks through the stained glass on either side of the bed.

“What time is it?” I ask, brushing my hair back off my face, and Brody scoffs.

“Too early.”

“That’s not helping,” Raiden grumbles, glaring at his friend before he looks back at me. “A little after five in the morning.”

“What’s going on?” I don’t want to ask, but there’s no avoiding it, so I may as well get it over with.

“There’s been an attack,” he blurts, shaking his head in dismay.

My eyes widen as I gape at him, adrenaline immediately thundering through my veins as I curse under my breath.

“No working in the bedroom,” Brody grumbles, swiping a hand down his face, and my stomach instantly churns, recalling our conversation last night. Guilt seeps through me as I move to get out of bed, but to my surprise he’s by my side in a flash, his hand on my stomach, holding me in place. “One exception. Just one.”

I offer him a tight, tired smile as I try to rid the exhaustion that still lingers, but it does little to shift the heaviness that weighs on me. Turning my attention back to Raiden, I wait for more, but before he can explain further, I notice something about him that makes me pause.

“Raiden, have you slept?”

He sighs, shaking his head gently. “I’ll sleep later.”

“Why haven’t you slept?” I push, worry threading through my bones as I stare at one of my men on the brink of passing out.

“Because I’m protecting you,” he offers with a tired smile. “Or I’m trying to, at least,” he adds, looking away from me.

I grip his hand tighter until his eyes find mine again. “You’re protecting more than me, Raiden,” I state, and it’s the truth. “But you shouldn’t be running yourself ragged to do it. Especially since we’ve only just begun,” I insist, but he shakes his head, already refusing to hear me like the stubborn vampire he is.

“I’m protecting them for you, Adrianna, but there’s no way I could have been prepared for this attack,” he admits, pressing the fingers of his free hand into his temple.

“What’s happened?” I ask, aware that the conversation about his dedication is far from over, but I can circle back to that later. For now, I need to listen and understand what has him torn up like this.

“Clementine.”

One word and my blood runs cold.

“What did she do?”

He clears his throat and takes a deep breath before he finds the words to speak. “She attacked Summer Oak; the entire town is in ruins. She left nothing unscathed. It’s a disaster. The casualties are still being counted and the fires are still not quite out.” Fuck. “And to top it all off, half the soldiers deserted.”

“Deserted?” I ask in confusion, and the disappointment on his face answers my question before he does.

“They believed in The Council, and now it seems they believe in her.”

“Probably because my father knew what to say,” Brody interjects, still standing by the bathroom as Raiden nods.

“Likely. Beau is gathering those that remain to see what we’re working with,” Raiden adds, but there’s a glint in his eyes that tells me he’s not done.

“What is it?” I push, bracing for impact as he wipes a hand down his face in dismay.

“They have control of the frenzied vampires.”

“Anything else?” I ask, half afraid of the answer, and he shakes his head. Thank fuck for that because I really can’t see what else could make this entire thing worse right now.

Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.

My face falls into my hands as I think, or try to, but a sinking feeling weighs heavy on my body, replacing the exhaustion that claimed me moments ago.

“How the fuck do we combat this?”

“You already know the answer to that,” Brody states, finally moving toward us, and I frown at him, waiting for further words to accompany his statement. He gives me a pointed look like I’m the one playing dumb, but my brain is too tired to focus. “We fight, Dagger. We always fight. The players on the board are forever changing, but at the core of it all, we remain the same: strong, loyal, and determined. She can build her own army, she can do whatever the fuck she wants, but she’s not ready for us. None of them are,” he insists, and Raiden nods in agreement, turning back to me with a steely resilience burning in his orbs.

“Gather everyone for a meeting. Tell them it’s urgent, and together, we’ll devise a plan.”

“I want to burn her alive. I wish I already had,” I snarl, frustration tightening my muscles as my hands ball into fists.

“You can do whatever you want to her. We just need to act with precision. The fight isn’t over yet, Adrianna. It’s barely just begun.”