8. Adrianna

8

ADRIANNA

" A ddi!"

There's no time to brace for impact. Even with my name being yelled in advance, I still can't prepare for it.

A single breath and I'm knocked to the floor, the air gone from my lungs as Nora lands on top of me, squealing with delight.

If I thought the breath being knocked from me was the end of my time, the deathly grip she has on me proves me wrong. Either way, death by sister is what my tombstone will say if she doesn't relent.

My face heats, the strangled breaths doing nothing for me until Nora finally releases her hold on me just enough to plant her hands on either side of my face, looming over me with a monstrous smile.

One breath, two breaths, three.

I exhale, relief flooding my body as I glare up at my sister, but it falls flat when I see just how happy she is.

Carefree. Joyous. A fucking delight.

The complete opposite of me, and I love it. She deserves it.

"So this is what it's really like for you to have those legs working, huh?" I panic my amusement might hurt her feelings, but thankfully, she throws her head back with a laugh.

"Please, I was made purely to bring you disaster and delight. You're welcome," she sings, pushing up to her feet and offering me her hand, but before I can lace my fingers with hers, another body looms over me.

"She really was."

My smile spreads across my face, my heart racing with happiness instead of despair, which is exactly the shift I need. Taking his hand, I stand and quickly wrap my arms around his middle.

"Hi, Dad."

"Addi," he breathes into my hair, warming my bones from head to toe as he squeezes me tight.

"Was there a reason you two were rolling around on the floor?" he asks, pressing a kiss to my temple before he slackens his hold.

"I'm being disastered and delighted, apparently," I explain, using Nora's words, which makes her giggle, filling my heart with joy at the beautiful sound.

"Kryll." A woman's voice cuts through the air, pulling me from my father's embrace.

"Mother," he replies, cutting the distance between him and the ethereal queen, who stands with her arms out wide, ready to embrace her son. It's amusing watching the bulk of a guy soften in his mother's arms, but it's a feeling I experience with my father, and I know all too well how it's grounding and not weakening like I once thought.

"Oh, you brought the handful," the queen muses, releasing her son to glance at the others.

"Which one is that?" I blurt, completely intrigued, and I get my answer before she can even open her mouth.

"What? You love me more than your own sons. Don't play me like that, Mamma E," Brody says with a pout.

"I've never known a mage to be so sure of themselves when it doesn't relate to wisdom," she muses, rolling her eyes at the handful .

"I'm one of a kind. You're welcome," he retorts with a wink, strolling toward her with his arms out wide, and she hugs him just as tightly as she did Kryll.

"You're something," she mutters, the amusement clear between them, but the moment she lets him go, the jokes are gone, and our problems linger in the air.

I clear my throat, feeling acutely aware that I'm pretty much the reason we're here. No one says it, and I'm sure no one will, but I feel it nonetheless.

"Shall we discuss what's going on?" my father offers, reaching for my arm with a comforting touch.

"We should," the queen declares with a nod, eyes glancing over the five of us. "Have you eaten?"

"Not yet," Cassian answers, speaking up for the first time, and she nods in understanding.

"Then let's eat and talk," she insists, waving for us to follow after her without a backward glance.

With my father on my left and Nora on my right, I let my walls down for a split second, allowing myself a moment to bask in the true warmth of their presence. It doesn't last long, but it's enough for me to feel settled, especially after last night. A fact I must explain to my father too.

I gulp, the panic threatening to work its way up my throat, but I quickly tamp it down. I'm half-wolf. I'm not ashamed or embarrassed, and I know my father won't make me feel anything but pride, either. I just need to find the words.

The queen leads us out to the patio where I first met her, only the table is bigger, offering enough space for all of us. I settle between my father and sister, much to Raiden's disappointment. He sits directly across from me, his jaw tense and his gaze narrowed on me, but to my surprise, he keeps his mouth shut.

I make a mental note to thank him later. It's clear he's taking a rare moment to be selfless, even with something as small as me sitting with my family, and he deserves a pat on the back, at least for being a good little vampire.

I bite back a smile that curls at my own thoughts, schooling my face before anyone asks. Instead, I take in the spread of food laid out around us, watching as everyone serves themselves.

Everyone but me.

Everything Nora puts on her plate, she insists on putting on mine, explaining how delicious and amazing it all is until there's not a single inch of space left.

"You're awesome, Mamma E. Thank you," Brody declares, followed by everyone else mumbling their thanks before a comfortable silence drifts over us.

The food is as delicious as Nora promised. From fresh chocolate croissants to strawberry compote french toast. By the time I'm done eating, I'm certain I won't be able to move for at least an hour. Possibly more.

"So, what happened for you to reach out, Son?" the queen asks once everyone has placed their utensils down, and a server approaches with a carafe of coffee.

I hold my mug to my chest, the freshly brewed cup of Heaven warming my hands as I listen to Kryll explain last night's events. Despite the emotions I felt when it was all happening, I manage to detach myself from them today, which is a huge leap of progress.

"I'm so sorry you had to deal with that, Addi," my father murmurs once Kryll gets to the part where Bozzelli sent us to rest. A fact I still can't quite get over. I'm still expecting another surprise move from her. Obviously, it hasn't come yet, but it's better to be prepared than caught off guard.

"It's not your fault, Dad," I insist. He may have trained me, but it was my idea to attend the academy when the announcement was initially made years ago.

The soft smile he offers doesn't quite meet his eyes, confirming the fact that he takes the blame despite my insistence. But I'm also aware that the only person who can change his perspective is himself.

"Is there anything else?" he asks a moment later, as if my soul is burning in my eyes, revealing the last fact that Kryll breezed over.

I nod, my throat drying, and remember my earlier thoughts, steeling my spine with confidence when I meet my father's eyes.

"I unleashed my wolf." The words hang in the air, expanding between us as my father's eyes widen in surprise before his chair drags back and he drops to his knees beside me.

"Oh, Addi," he breathes, unshed tears swimming in his eyes as Nora grips my arm tight. I can't look at her, though; I don't know how much she knows. "I'm so proud of you for embracing every piece of yourself," my father adds, cutting my thoughts short as I gape at him.

I expected pride from him, but the relief that floods my veins at his acceptance leaves me speechless.

"How do you feel?" Nora asks, her voice raspy as I blink, slowly turning to face her.

"I'm not sure, but I'm not sad about it," I admit, my voice as croaky as hers as she nods, a watery smile consuming her features.

"Does Bozzelli know?" the queen asks, reminding me we're not alone, and I shake my head. "Good. Keep it that way," she states, confirming my thoughts.

A foot nudges against mine under the table, and I know without looking that it's Cassian. A tugging sensation forms in my chest, and I know it's my wolf reaching for him. I don't know how, but it's the truth.

"What do we do now?" Raiden asks, his gaze flicking across everyone at the table.

"You head back and play the game," Nora blurts, her hold on my arm tightening as she nods, a fierceness washing over her as her nostrils flare with anger. "They don't get to win. Not now, not ever." Her stony stare settles on me. "You can't let this go on. It has to end. Someone set the idea of this academy in motion because we needed a change. I don't care how hard those assholes try to hold on to the little control they have left, but you fight, Addi. You fight with everything that you are and take what's rightfully yours."

I gape at my sister as my heart thunders in my chest. I should scold her for cursing, but damn, if that wasn't the speech I needed, I don't know what is. The fire she pumps into my mind is undeniable.

"Well said, Nora," the queen agrees, making my eyes bug out of my head. There's so much in such a simple statement, and I don't want to read into it more than I should, but it's too late. I know I'm where I'm meant to be. I know the fate of eternity for our kingdom is hanging in the balance, and I know I have a role to play. I'm the heir. I want it. I need it. And her agreement with my sister feels like a degree of approval. "I think the five of you deserve a little reprieve before you succumb to the madness that is the Floodborn Kingdom," the queen offers, a soft smile on her face as she places her hand on top of her son's. "Spend the day here. Bozzelli and the academy can wait until tomorrow," she adds, and I nod instantly.

Sometimes, to find your fire, your purpose, you have to take a moment to soak in the embrace of calmness and serenity. It's a fact my father has told me time and time again, but maybe now I truly know what he means.

To be calm and collected, I can't just reach for those emotions, that state of mind, in a moment of crisis. I need to find it in the peace too.

"Thank you," I breathe, a sense of contentment fluttering through my chest. Looking between my father and Nora, emotions rise to the surface, threatening to pour out of me. For once, I consider letting my feelings show, but a thought comes to mind when I spy the smallest scar on my father's neck from where the gem was embedded into his skin.

"If you're all Aeternus dragons, why did my father say you were extinct?" It's probably a rude question to ask, but it's passed my lips before I can think better of it.

"Oh, only Kryll is blessed to be an Aeternus dragon, Adrianna." I blink at the queen, startled by the fact that she isn't the same as her son.

"How?" The word is a whisper on my lips as I look at my dragon, a smirk on his lips as he takes me in.

"Because that's what the fates chose for him," the queen offers, so matter of factly, and Brody snickers.

"Let's go," Kryll states, rising from his seat, and the others rise with him.

I smile at the queen before embracing my father and sister, squeezing tighter than usual before I fall into the safety net that is my men. Kryll leads us toward the staircase as Brody takes two steps ahead, turns, and starts to walk backward.

"So you're all special, huh?" he says with a wag of his eyebrows, and Kryll snorts.

"You already knew that, but I can show you just how special if you like," he retorts, cocking his head from side to side, and I giggle, basking in the playfulness we so rarely get to embrace.

"With your monster dick?" I blurt, quirking a brow at my dragon, whose cheeks turn pink at my words while Brody waves his hand, making everyone stop in their tracks.

"His monster what ?"