32. Kryll

32

KRYLL

I see it the moment her light dims and her body becomes heavy. Curling her farther under my wing, I don't dare shift back until Brody has us on safe ground. Not that I think something like safe ground exists anymore, but we need to be as far away from The Council as possible.

Today is… fucked. Well and truly fucked.

I don't know how we got here, but ever since we stepped through the academy gates, it's been nothing but carnage. We've been drawn to it. We've been drawn toward her . Right now, in this very moment, as we flee from yet another relentless danger, it all makes sense.

My soul is complete, even more so than when my dragon claimed her for his own. It's euphoric, tingling down my spine, through every nerve ending as the magic connects and claims me all at once. It leaves me breathless, yet disappointed because the stark reality is: their magic worked. They fated us together, a fact I can't truly wrap my head around yet. The mention of their magic taints the magic curling through my body, claiming me like a brand. I want it written all over me. I want it etched into the ink that already stretches across my skin.

She is mine, and I am hers.

Nothing and no one is ever going to change that. I will fight for her, accepting any order or command required to hold her on the pedestal she deserves. Adrianna Reagan has spent enough time hiding due to the actions of others. Now, as our connection grows stronger with every passing breath, I know it is my duty to help her get where she belongs.

On the throne.

Our surroundings settle, pulling me from my thoughts as I stare down at Addi's sleeping form. Only when I see the others take a deep breath and relax a little do I shift, managing to keep my princess in my grasp as my wings disappear and my scales return to flesh.

"Why the fuck have you brought us back here?" Cassian snarls, standing toe-to-toe with Brody, who doesn't back down under the intense glare-off.

"Where else are we supposed to go right now? The compound? That's a no . Raiden's house, or mine for that matter? Definitely not. You saw our parents back there," he grinds out, pointing his thumb over his shoulder. "Sure, the clouds with all the dragons and shit would be protective, but I didn't want to risk Addi because of the damn moon that hurt her last time." His chest heaves with every breath as his shoulders stiffen. "So, tell me Cass, where else was I supposed to fucking go?"

The echo of everyone's panted breaths is all that can be heard as his words hang heavy in the air. Glancing at our surroundings, I quickly understand Cassian's concern.

We're at the gates of the academy.

Where all this began.

But Brody's right. Where else are we supposed to go? I don't want to risk Addi in the Dragon Kingdom again. Not after last time. It's too soon.

"Addi isn't safe here," Cassian finally grunts, stepping back with a hint of defeat in his movement as Flora immediately appears at his side, placing a hand on his arm.

"I mean this in the most polite way possible, but that woman isn't safe anywhere. I guess that's what comes with being the heir of the kingdom. Danger seeks her out no matter what she does or where she goes. At least here we're in familiar territory, and she's got all of us to help." Her soothing words calm the storm threatening in my muscles, easing the tension creeping up my spine, but it doesn't have the same effect on Cassian.

"Why are you helping? I thought the fae ran from danger."

Flora steps back, surprise etched across her features as she folds her arms over her chest. It's not a surprise that Arlo appears at her side a moment later, his jaw ticking with irritation as he glares at Cassian.

"Watch yourself. You don't get to speak about being a fae when you have no clue," he bites, blindly searching for Flora's hand behind him. "The only person Flora ever has to explain herself to is herself. Well, probably Addi as well because that's important to her, but you can mind your tone and take your pent-up stress out on someone else. Anyone else, but not her." He cocks a brow at the growly wolf who simply waves him off with a grunt.

Any other circumstances, and I would pat the fucker on the back for standing up for her best friend, but right now, my priority is helping the unconscious woman in my arms.

"This whole thing is great and all, but should we actually focus on getting somewhere a little more protected?"

Cassian stares at me with narrowed eyes, as if I asked a question in a different language. "You want to go back in there?"

I shrug, but Raiden answers before I get a chance. "Brody is right. Flora too. But don't get used to it," he adds, wagging a finger at both of them as he moves to my side. He strokes a finger down the side of Addi's face with a sigh. "Nowhere is safe, but if I had to take a guess, this is where we're most likely to have the upper hand."

"You mean like when the soldiers just showed up on the other side of those gates and took her? Fucking took her, and there was nothing anyone could do," Cassian snaps back, nostrils flaring as his hands ball into fists at his sides.

"That's only because she offered herself up," I murmur, voicing the words swirling in my head.

"Whatever. If this all goes to shit, I'm not taking the fucking fall for it," Cassian grunts, storming toward the wrought-iron gates without a backward glance.

"Grumpy much?" Brody muses, trailing behind him, and I shake my head.

We can't weaken ourselves from the inside. That will only leave us vulnerable to people who wish us harm, and that's the last thing we need. We have to stand together now more than ever.

Raiden indicates for me to let him hold Addi as we follow after the stomping wolf, and I scoff, shaking my head as I carry on. "You have to share, Kryll," he grumbles with a pout, but I don't bother to engage with him and his dramatics.

As we approach the gates, Flora clears her throat, glancing at me from the corner of her eye. I tilt my head at her and she offers a tight smile. "I know there's a lot going on, which is probably why everyone's extremely aggravated, but do you think it could have something to do with the new magic?"

"New magic?"

She nods, glancing at Addi's face before sliding her focus back to me. "The fated mates. I can feel it around the five of you. Damn, it's so strong I'm certain if I squinted, I'd see it too."

My eyes widen in surprise. It takes me a moment to connect the dots. She's a mind fae. That's how she made The Council crumble back there. I hadn't considered the fated mates being a factor, but there hasn't been a moment to think.

"Possibly," I breathe, and Raiden scoffs.

"I feel like my blood is literally thrumming with every breath I take. It's definitely doing something," he states with a shrug. "But we're not all that good at talking about shit without our girl grounding us and making us see sense," he adds, earning a hum of amusement from Flora.

Joining Cassian at the gates, there are no guards spread out like usual. Only one man stands with his arms folded over his chest as he glares at me.

"Where the fuck have you been?" he snarls, making my back stiffen as my grasp tightens on Addi.

"I could ask you the same question, Beau," I bite back, furious to see him standing here so expectantly when we desperately searched for him earlier.

He frowns at me, making it clear that he has no clue what my issue is, but he thankfully lets us through the gates. Once he's locked it behind us, he finally takes note of my girl in my arms and her friends who are with us on this little adventure.

"Catch me up to speed," he orders as he waves for us to follow after him. Despite my irritation at him, I do. I tell him everything. From the fight with Vallie in the dining hall, even though I'm sure he's heard all about it, to the human-origin leader luring us off campus. His facial features don't change when I explain what The Council has done or the extra steps they planned to take with the puppet magic shit. To his credit, he just absorbs it all.

"I think that about sums it up," I state with a sigh as he continues to walk us around the grounds' perimeter. However, despite my ramblings, I'm still aware that he's not taking us toward the main academy, nor the origin buildings.

"You're forgetting the glowing part," Brody states, raising his eyebrows at me, and I roll my eyes.

"I'm pissed at him. I was withholding," I grumble, which earns me another pointed look, except this one is from Flora.

"Now isn't the time for sibling squabbles," she states, earning an amused smirk from Beau for a split second before it quickly disappears again.

He doesn't say a word like I expect him to. Instead, he waves us down a dirt path. "Follow me."

"Where are you taking us?" Cassian asks, also aware that we're on the opposite side of campus compared to our rooms.

He glances back over his shoulder, his eyes searching mine out first before he answers. "My house."

"House? Why?" I ask, acutely aware that he's never let me go to his place on campus. Some bullshit about space and the fact that he's a professor here.

"Because everything is a shitshow here, and you clearly need time since you're the center of it all," he offers, which makes sense, but it startles me that he can see that too.

As we veer to the right, following the dirt path, a house comes into view and my eyes widen.

"That's some house," Raiden states as I simply gape at it, and Beau chuckles.

"I'm a dragon prince. What else were you expecting?" he retorts, making me roll my eyes.

House is an understatement, but more so, I'm questioning how I've never noticed it on the grounds before. It's a two-story monstrosity with pointed rooftops that are segmented into wings with long, stained-glass windows. The frames are black and the walls are even blacker, with a view over a stream to the right. Even with the height, it seems to be shielded by the trees that line the dirt path.

He leads us inside, the colors not getting any lighter, and it weirdly suits my brother. He's fun sometimes, but otherwise, he's an enigma. He has layers of darkness and pent-up emotions and nobody to share them with.

The entryway has a staircase leading up to the right, with doors framing the rest of the room. He heads toward the back, waving for us to continue following him until the kitchen comes into view. It has black marble floors, black gloss cabinets, and a black dining table.

"Your eye for color is… something," Flora muses as she takes it all in and says exactly what I'm thinking.

My brother doesn't offer a response, not that she seems to mind. Instead, he double-checks that the back door is secured before leading us to the left. "There are two rooms here. Make do with them as you please. Just don't go upstairs. The bathroom is through there, and you know where the food is. The living room is the other door off the kitchen. Again, just don't go touching my shit upstairs," he repeats with a grumble before he starts back toward the front door.

"Where are you going?" I ask when it's clear he's not openly offering an explanation, and he shrugs, a tight smile ghosting his lips as he grabs the door handle.

"To cover for you."

"Cover for us?"

"Oh, you won't know. You were off on your adventure, which definitely makes sense now, but, uh… Vallie's not dead. She never was."