16. Adrianna

16

ADRIANNA

T he ground shifts beneath my feet, transforming the blades of grass and warm sun into a thin layer of compact snow, with thick clouds slowly drifting across the sky.

I shiver, instinctively drawing my cloak tighter around my body as Cassian steps in closer. He presses his front against my back, attempting to shield me from the icy air.

"Why would you even bring us here?" Vallie whines, stomping her foot in disbelief as her teeth chatter.

"Why would you even bother attending the academy if you're just here to ask dumb questions like that?" Professor Tora retorts with a cock of his brow, and it takes all my effort to smother my grin, but the chuckle that slips between my lips doesn't go unnoticed.

Vallie's laser-sharp gaze snaps my way. Her lip curls in disgust at the mere sight of me, and the promise of war burns in her eyes. How fun. Her mouth parts as her finger aims in my direction, but before she can utter a word, Tora continues.

"For all those actually interested in making a difference to the Floodborn Kingdom, I've brought us to Glacial Lake today because it is a part of what matters. Every town, every city, every inch of this kingdom matters, or it should, to the heir." I feel his gaze cast my way for what feels like a split second longer than everyone else, but I shake it off, not inflating my own ego that much so early in the day. "Take a look around, we're just on the outskirts, but we'll press forward, farther into town in a few moments. I recommend staying in pairs at a minimum. The snow beneath your feet is covering ice, and if that breaks…let's just say the cold you're feeling now will pale in comparison." A wicked smirk tugs at his lips as he turns away from everyone, muttering with a woman beside him as he taps away on the device in his hand.

"How funny is it that Kryll and Tora are brothers, made from the same DNA combination, yet they're so different?" Cassian murmurs, his lips brushing against my ear with every word, making me shiver at the contact.

I hum in agreement, unable to find my tongue.

Focus, Addi.

Dammit.

Clearing my throat, it takes every ounce of my strength to take a step forward, putting some distance between us. Thankfully, he doesn't follow, giving me a little space as I take in the area, as Tora advised.

I keep my movement steady and my feet shoulder-width apart, acutely aware of the ice that lies beneath me. Emptiness surrounds us, except for a tree line in the distance with a clifftop peeking down at us from the west.

Everything feels still, quiet, calm. Only the chatter from our class fills the air.

A flurry blows, whipping soft flecks of snow into the air, and it dances majestically around us. It's mesmerizing. A stark contrast to the weather we're used to. I've never been here, to Glacial Lake. Not that I can remember, at least, but my father has spoken of it many times in his bid to educate me.

I recall mentions of battles that took place here, but nothing specific comes to mind, and if I'm right, the main origin to inhabit the area is mages. The cold keeps the brain alive, and the calmness allows the mages the ability to think uninterrupted.

"It's magical, isn't it?" The whisper is one of awe, and I tilt my head to Brody, who stands shoulder to shoulder with me as he gapes at our surroundings.

"It's something," I answer honestly, not overly keen on the cold chill that's starting to cling to my skin, but it is breathtaking. The snow glistens in every direction, offering a whimsical feel to the air despite the hidden sun.

"I grew up here," he offers, making my eyebrows rise in surprise.

"You did?"

"Yeah. Until my father was accepted onto The Council, at least. Then everything changed." The thought seems to cast a haze over his eyes, the brightness dimming as he relives whatever seems to plague him.

"The forming of The Council seems to have changed a lot of things for a lot of people," I admit, earning a hum of agreement.

"I know one of my best friends is a vampire, but they're no good for the kingdom either, not when they're running rampant as they are."

My brows furrow. "It's strange. Since we joined the academy, I feel like I've heard nothing about it, seen nothing worth noting, or even felt the fear and panic like I used to when trolling the streets of the city," I admit. He turns to me with a soft smile, but before he can speak, Kryll appears.

"I said the same thing. I can't decide if it's simply because we don't have access to the media outlets like we usually would or if it's something the academy is purposely keeping from us. There's no denying that it still has to be going on. We've experienced enough of it. It can't have simply stopped altogether because they created the academy."

"I wouldn't be shocked if it had stopped exactly for that reason. It would only create the illusion that the idea of an heir is working already," Raiden muses as he decides to join us too.

Fuck…that wouldn't be the case, would it?

"I think there's more to it than that. More that involves my father," Cassian adds, his voice coming from over my shoulder, and the others nod in agreement.

"Addi told me everything, and I couldn't agree more. That man is shifty as fuck, but my mother has been telling me that the vampire attacks are still causing fear among the citizens of Floodborn," Flora chirps in, earning everyone's attention. She blushes under the steady gaze of her audience, quickly taking a step back, and Arlo's arm immediately goes around her, holding her in place.

"What use are we to the kingdom if we're not being kept in the loop about everything happening within the kingdom?" Arlo asks, making a valid point.

"Maybe it is because it's been considered that your focus should be on your studies." Professor Tora's voice cuts through the confusion thickening around us, turning everyone's attention to him as he stares at us with a cocked eyebrow, waiting expectantly for a response. Or was it rhetorical?

Before I can decipher his tone, Arlo is already scoffing at him. "Please, Professor Tora, with all due respect, an heir would want to learn everything the academy has to offer while also understanding the turmoil the kingdom finds itself in. That's exactly what would be required from our leader when the position is filled. Would it not?"

My gaze pivots between the two of them, a tinge of awe and astonishment flickering in my chest at Arlo's outburst. Who knew he had it in him? I wholeheartedly agree with every word out of his mouth, but I'm intrigued to see Tora's response.

I blink, and blink again, certain he's turned to stone as he stares at Arlo, but before I can look to Kryll with concern, his brother takes a step forward, offering Arlo his hand. "You would be correct, Mr. Zeller. Let's see to it that the lack of information is rectified going forward, shall we?"

"We should," Arlo breathes effortlessly, taking the hand offered.

Tora then stalks away without a backward glance as I turn to Arlo. "Holy fucking shit, Arlo. Who the fuck are you, and where is the quiet guy from day one?" The words leave my mouth so fast I'm certain he doesn't process any of it, but to my surprise, he smirks.

"I'm a fae. I know my place, but I also know my beliefs." He shrugs matter-of-factly, leaving me to scoff.

"You're impressive. No one ever stands tall like that to my brother. Sometimes, not even me," Kryll states, making Arlo beam with pride as Flora's cheeks turn pink on his behalf.

"Flora told you in the beginning, Addi. She's here to learn how best to support the future kingdom. I'm here because she is. I think we all silently know that when we say support the kingdom, she means you. So, you've guessed it, that means I support you too. I need to start making myself useful, otherwise, when the time comes, and you slaughter every other fucker in the academy, you won't see my value. And I can't have that now, can I?"

He says it so direct and to the point he leaves no room for doubt. As much as his words catch me off guard, I completely understand what he's trying to say; it's just taking my brain a hot minute to realize it's all in relation to me.

"That's enough chit-chat; let's begin, shall we?" Professor Tora calls out, saving me from having to come up with a response, but the smile Arlo offers me is enough to know that a reply wasn't needed or expected.

Holy fuck.

An arm bands around me, pinning my own to my sides as I'm pulled against a hard chest, and I peer up to find it's Kryll. Startled by the fact that he's the one technically man-handling me, I fall into step with him without an ounce of argument.

"If I didn't know he had the hots for his dear little step-sister, then I would have been worried he was into you," he states, not looking at me as he speaks. Which means he certainly doesn't see my jaw fall slack as I balk.

What the fuck?

"You're insane, you know that? I don't know why it would matter to you anyway," I mutter, my body tensing from head to toe as the words part my lips, and he snickers.

"Of course not. That's why your heart rate kicked up a notch as you lied. Please, Princess, carry on," he muses, peering down at me through hooded eyes.

My lips twist. I hate being called on my bullshit. It's irritating because there's no denying it.

Shaking out of his hold, like the petulant child that I'm pretending not to be, I hurry my pace, falling into step with Flora and Arlo. They both look at me in amusement, but I give them the stink eye and focus dead ahead instead of acknowledging any of it.

"The water we're walking on is the central point of Glacial Lake. In the warmer months, it draws in so much wildlife that mages use their abilities to put a sound bubble over the area. That way, the beauty and nature don't become a distraction to their otherwise peaceful and quiet life," Tora explains, throwing his hands out in magnificence at our surroundings.

"That's true," Brody hollers without prompt, making a small grin touch the corners of my mouth.

The lady walking beside Tora throws her arms out, murmuring a soft chant under her breath before the ground moves beneath us, but this time, the surroundings don't exactly change, we just grow closer to the clifftop.

Standing beneath it, I crane my neck back, staring up dauntingly at the peak. Snow doesn't glisten from this angle. It's dark, with an air of danger as jagged icicles dangle in our direction. One falls at the opposite end to where we are, hitting the ground with a thud, making it rumble beneath our feet as shards of ice cascade in every direction.

Holy fuck.

"I don't think it's safe here," someone in a cream cloak states, taking a nervous step back, and Professor Tora shakes his head.

"It's not safe anywhere."

"It's definitely not safe when a student kills people for the fun of it." The barked words come from Vallie, freezing me in place as I turn to find her stare already settled on me. My tongue flicks out over my bottom lip, adrenaline skimming over my skin as I anticipate whatever is going to come next from the psycho bitch.

"Miss. Drummer?—"

"No, Professor Tora, I refuse to pretend as though everything is okay when that cunt killed my father. I deserve vengeance, and she deserves to die."

"But—"

"Watch out!"

I don't know who calls it, but my gaze darts up and I see the ice tumbling down at an insane speed toward me. Not just me. Flora and Arlo too.

Shit.

My heart lurches, lodging in my throat. Without thinking, I shove at Flora, sending her straight into Arlo, and the pair of them hit the deck, sliding through the snow just as I hoped. Before I can consider joining them, the ice hits the ground exactly where they stood a moment earlier, crashing through the ice beneath my feet.

Plunging into the ice-cold water, my body stiffens. My muscles instantly ache from the tension, almost overriding the shock of the chill that seeps down my bones. Panic sets in, the weight of the water pushing down on my shoulders as I will my body to move.

I need to raise my arms and kick my feet, but it's easier said than done.

I'm locked in, coiled tight. My mind may be alive, but my body…it's preparing for the worst.

Blinking up at the world above me, I consider the fact that this is the end, but it's as if my subconscious laughs at me. When I go, it will be more painful than this.

As the fleeting thought enters my mind, something falls into the water, beelining straight for me. I can't see with all the bubbles, but a moment later, hands grab my waist, tugging me toward the light.

Certain it's the afterlife that awaits me, I choke on my first breath as I'm wrenched from the icy depths of Hell and thrown onto snowy land.

"You're okay. You're okay, Addi. Everything's going to be okay."

The words of reassurance are barely audible over the sound of chattering, which I acknowledge a moment later is my damn teeth. It hurts to breathe. It hurts to move. It hurts to fucking think.

"She'll pay for this. She better fucking pay." The snarl comes from Raiden. I know that for certain, even if I can't see him.

"W-w-who?"

My body racks with pain, but I manage to slip the stuttered words past my lips. It's so quiet that I'm certain he hasn't heard me, but after a beat, I feel his breath against my skin.

"Vallie will pay for this. I swear it, Adrianna. She'll pay."