22. Adrianna

22

ADRIANNA

T he reflection that stares back at me this morning is nothing like the one from last night. The heat, the passion, the desire; it's no longer written all over my face. Instead, my lips are pursed, my eyes are narrowed, and my shoulders are stiff.

If I could hit the rewind button and lose myself in the moment again, I would. Unfortunately for me, I have classes to attend.

"Ready?"

My gaze finds Kryll in the mirror, a soft smile on his lips as his eyes rake over me from head to toe. "I'm as ready as I'll ever be," I murmur, turning toward him as I try to alleviate the weight pressing down on me.

The second I'm beside him, he pulls me in, pressing me against his side in a half hug that warms me all the way to the bone.

"Are you sure? You seem tense, and we all know Brody fucked the tension out of you last night." The knowing smirk on his face makes me lower my gaze, hiding the heat in my cheeks.

"Honestly, I'm fine. The tension is probably because a simple day of classes feels weird at this point. In comparison to everything else we've had going on, it should be a breeze. What could go wrong on campus with a few lessons and a meal here and there, right?" I bounce on the balls of my feet, plastering a smile on my face, and he takes the opportunity to kiss my temple before guiding me into Raiden's lounge area.

"Don't jinx yourself," he says with a grin, giving my arm an extra squeeze, and I hum in agreement. That'd just be the cherry on top of everything else.

Cassian, Raiden, and Brody are all dressed and ready for us. I find myself frozen in place as I take each of us in, soaking in the fact that there's a room draped in red, green, brown, purple, and gray cloaks, yet so much emotion and feelings, too—not of the angry, war-inducing kind, either. Despite our different origins, our unity signifies everything our kingdom needs and deserves. It's a beacon of hope among every single person that the origins can come together and overcome any bad blood.

The L word keeps being tossed around casually, and as much as it panics me, I know I feel it too. Saying it out loud, however, is a different thing entirely. Acknowledging it, though, it becomes abundantly clear that it's not just about us and what it means to me, it's what it signifies for the kingdom too.

We're bigger than us, we're brighter for them.

Eager to get my focus back on track, I nod toward the door. "I want to stop by the fae building and check in on Flora. It feels like forever since I last saw her," I admit, acutely aware that it hasn't been that long, but I definitely miss her presence.

"Lead the way, Dragon Princess," Kryll whispers against my ear, threatening another deep tinge to my cheeks as we pile out of the room, down the stairs, and outside into the cool morning air.

Instinctively, I draw my cloak tighter around my body, feeling the press of my blades hidden beneath my t-shirt.

"Does anyone else feel all anti-climatic this morning?" Raiden asks, hands tucked in his pockets as he keeps a step ahead.

"Oh, is this morning not all grand and exciting for the infamous vampire?" Cassian grunts, trudging a step behind him. He's been quiet this morning, no quieter than usual, but I kind of feel jealous of his natural ability to just… be.

"No, asshole, I mean, the three of us have been back on campus longer than you two pesky wolves," he grumbles, waving a hand between Cassian and me as he peers over his shoulder. "But even though you weren't here, we were all pining like losers. At the same time, you were off dealing with dickhead dads and wolves and shit. This morning feels…"

"Calm?" Brody chimes in when Raiden trails off, and he simply hums in response.

"I think you need to acknowledge what calm feels like and enjoy it. We don't need drama every day. It would be nice for us to make it a day, a week, damn, even a month or year without someone coming at us," Kryll states, and I nod. That would be nice. I'd settle for an hour, or making it till lunch at this stage.

We're quiet the rest of the walk, locked in our own thoughts as we head over to the fae building. We see a few students, and even though we get the odd look here and there, it's uneventful as we approach the doors and step inside. I slip out of Kryll's hold and take the stairs two at a time. Reaching the end of the hall, it feels strange as hell being here, even though my room is here, too.

I consider sneaking inside and taking a moment, but opt against it when I realize there's nothing in there that I actually miss. Instead, I rap my knuckles on Flora's door and wait.

And wait, and wait, and wait.

My eyebrows bunch together when it feels like an eternity has passed, and I knock again. My concern only worsens when there's still no answer.

"Maybe she's already at breakfast," Brody offers, scrubbing the back of his neck as he steps toward me. I get the feeling he's worried for me and not for the same reason as I am. Probably because I'm overreacting.

"Likely," I murmur, stepping back from her door. "Was she on campus yesterday?" I ask, my gaze skimming from Brody to Kryll and then Raiden, who all nod in response.

"She was raining Hell on us for leaving you ‘unprotected,' as she put it," Raiden explains with an eye roll.

"Unprotected?" I ask in confusion, following the four of them back toward the stairs.

"Yeah. Apparently, you should be surrounded by all of us at all times," he adds.

"Ignore him. She cares, and she was worried you two wouldn't be safe on your own," Kryll chimes in, and Brody scoffs.

"I mean, technically, she was right."

Technically, I can't argue with that.

Feeling a little more at ease, we leave the fae building and hurry over to the dining hall. I'm eager to see her with my own two eyes just to be sure. My steps falter when I walk through the double doors, the smell of bacon in the air, and there's no sight of Flora or Arlo.

My muscles tense, apprehension coiling through my body as I scan the room twice to no avail.

"Let's sit down and we can strategize, okay?" Brody murmurs, stepping up to my side before guiding me toward the center table.

I can feel eyes on us, but there doesn't seem to be anything out of the ordinary. The weirdest thing is my wolf senses are going into overdrive from all the noise. I'm sure I can hear the people chewing their food five tables away, and it's not a good vibe.

Dropping into my usual seat between Raiden and Kryll, Brody takes the seat across from me with Cassian right beside him, but the noticeable absence of Flora and Arlo makes my gut twist.

"Maybe she was in Arlo's room? They should be here soon," Kryll states, squeezing my thigh in support, and I nod in agreement.

"You're right. I'm definitely overthinking it," I mutter as food is brought to the table.

"Maybe, but nothing is a surprise around here anymore," Raiden adds, reigniting my concern as he tucks into his food casually, like he didn't add to my distress with his statement.

Fuck.

"Eat, Princess. You need the energy. If they don't show, we can hunt them down later, but I'm sure it's nothing," Kryll whispers, offering another reassuring squeeze before he digs into his food.

I stare at the stack of pancakes and bacon smothered in syrup and sigh. The niggle in the back of my mind leaves me with no desire to eat, but he's right, food is fuel, and I'm going to need it to get through the day.

The first bite is difficult, my stomach twisting in protest, but by the fifth mouthful of deliciousness, my concern calms enough to let me proceed. The moment I lift my fork to my lips with the last bite attached, my wolf senses perk up, and I know with raw certainty that the footsteps, which are getting louder, are heading our way. But more than that, I know exactly who they belong to.

I turn to my left just in time to see her palms slam on the table beside Raiden. Anger blazes in her eyes, and even though they're not aimed at me, I know the rage is for me.

"Is it true?" Each word is snapped through bared teeth as she narrows her eyes on the man beside me—the same man who doesn't even bother to look in her direction as he continues to eat.

"Is what true?" He sounds even more bored than he looks. That doesn't hide the fact that she's garnering attention like always, and all eyes in the dining hall are now turned our way.

Vallie's bullshit, in the grand scheme of things, is nothing compared to what else we may face, but she has such a way of getting under my skin that it's impossible to ignore.

"That you're fucking a half-breed."

My eyes bulge out of my head as my wolf rears to the surface. Fury consumes every inch of me, rendering me volatile as I slice my gaze to hers.

Despite my inner turmoil and the impending threat of my bones cracking because my wolf is ready to slay, Raiden sighs, completely unfazed.

"You're here for some drama, Vallie, and I'm not about it. So, fuck off." He finally glances at her and sighs the last part, but she's not done.

Far from it.

"No, Raiden. I demand an explanation," she insists, standing tall and folding her arms over her chest as she flicks a sneer my way before refocusing on the man she still thinks she deserves.

"You deserve nothing," he replies calmly, turning back to his food, which only serves to piss her off, and she's reaching for his arm in the next moment.

"How can you say that? I love you, and you're fucking some half-bred whore," she growls, and I'm up on my feet, lurching through the air in her direction.

I'm ready to slaughter her.

I'm ready to be done with her incessant bullshit.

I'm ready to bathe my claws in her blood.

Much to my wolf's dismay, hands catch me around my waist, pulling me back before I can make any kind of contact. Black ink peeks out from the sleeves of the man holding me hostage, confirming it's Kryll, but that doesn't stop my wolf from bucking in his grasp.

"Let me down. Now," I growl, my nostrils flaring as my chest heaves with every breath.

"Look at her. Such a fucking mess. Get a rein on her," Vallie says with a snort, causing me to try to rush her again, but Kryll's hold only tightens.

"You're poison, Vallie. To the bone. You're just sad because nobody fucking likes you, let alone loves you. Not for your status, not for your name, and definitely not for the person you are. Killing you, whenever that day comes, is going to be the best day of my life." The words are dark yet light on my tongue. I don't even know what I'm saying or where it's coming from, but I get the sense my wolf is way more invested in killing this bitch than I am.

"Get her out of here," Cassian grunts, and I smirk, ready to wave this cunt off, but to my utter surprise and horror, it's me that's being carted from the room.

"Put me the fuck down, Kryll. Right now," I snarl as he spins me, tossing me over his shoulder despite my best efforts.

"It's for the best, Addi. You'll thank me for it later," he promises, but the words go right over my head because they're a load of crap, just like Vallie and her shit.

I will never thank him for pulling me away from her. Over my dead fucking body. Although, preferably hers.

The audience doesn't register in my brain as Kryll stalks to the exit, and just before we step out of the room, Vallie gets the last fucking word.

"That's right, take your bitch for a walk. She needs one."