17. Adrianna

17

ADRIANNA

I shiver. I'm not even cold. It's just my body reminding me of the pain it's been put through at the hands of Vallie.

Fucking Vallie.

Fucking ice.

Fucking Glacier Lake.

Remind me never to go there again.

Rising from my bed, the sheets tousled since I've spent the rest of my day nestled in their warmth, I pace back and forth in front of my window. I'm fine now. I was fine soon after it happened, but no one would hear it.

Bed rest, as ordered by Professor Tora.

The smug look on Vallie's face as I was carted away will forever be imprinted in my mind until I seek my revenge. My father would tell me to calm down, not react or show emotion, but we're long past that now.

Kryll brought me back here, and thank goodness it was him because anyone else would have forced their presence on me. Not him. No. He heard the sincerity in my voice and respected my space, like always, giving me time to heal alone. How that man is a virgin is beyond me. I don't think I'll ever understand.

That was then, though, and this is now.

I'm going insane.

Staying on campus, surrounded by people like Vallie and Bozzelli, who are hell-bent on making my life difficult, is suffocating. At this point, it's more than making my life difficult; they want to write me off altogether.

I plant my hands on my hips, sighing with irritation when my gaze lands on the crimson roses that are still perched on my desk.

Fuck.

That's enough. I need to get out of here.

With my mind made up, I know exactly where I want to go. Changing into a black pair of joggers with holsters fastened around my thighs, I tuck a loose black tee into the waistline before clipping my dagger-lined waistcoat over the top. Satisfied, I lace up my combat boots and opt for my black cloak. With the hood perfectly secured over my head, I make my way outside.

The sun set almost an hour ago, leaving the shadows free for me to roam as I avoid everyone else on campus and head for a route off-site. I can't go for the usual gates, of course; they wouldn't allow it. Not at this time, and simply because of who I am, so I take the jogging path like usual, spying the small break in the barrier walls that work as armor for the campus.

I press my back against the brick wall, peering around every inch of space around me, making sure no one is watching before I heave myself up to where the wrought-iron bars are twisted out of place. I'm surprised to find there's no additional magic noticeable in the air, and when I glance over the other side of the wall, I see the little river that runs along to the main entry gate.

Jumping, my fall is silent, but I still press my back to the wall, holding my breath to make sure I haven't attracted any attention. A beat passes, and no guards come looking, so I take that as a win and head along the perimeter.

When I near the cobbled bridge that offers access to the academy, I connect with my magic, both air and water. Letting it run through my veins, I part the slow-flowing river and use the air around me to lift me off my feet, just an inch, as I glide to the other side without a sound.

Slipping behind a tree, I glance back toward the academy to see four guards patrolling the area. Each of them is none the wiser to my presence. Grinning in success, I don't waste time hanging around. I get the hell out of there.

My feet carry me on their own accord, my body melding into the City of Harrows with every corner I turn. Every step earns me a clearer breath, a lighter weight against my shoulders, and a sense of relief I didn't realize I was chasing.

The academy may be what will lead me to the future I'm fighting for, but it's also the main source of pain that's trying to destroy me in the process.

I don't stop until I hear the chime as I open the door and step inside. Familiar scents tingle at my nose, making me groan as one of my favorite people comes into view. She smiles as her gaze tracks over me from head to toe, not in the least bit startled by me bolting through the door like that.

"I thought I might be seeing you, kid. Take a seat. I'll bring it over." She smiles softly at me like there's something she knows that I don't, but I let it slide as I make my way to my usual spot in the back. I try to avoid the other customers' curious stares, but their eyes linger longer than necessary. Thankfully, once the whirlwind dressed in black slips into her seat, hiding from everyone, they quickly redirect their attention. "Soda. Your steak will be a few. Everything okay?"

Pulling my hood down, I smile up at Pearl, but the way her eyes crinkle tells me it wasn't all that convincing. "That's great, thank you. I'm good, how's business?" The small talk tastes like acid on my tongue, and she knows it.

"I'll take that as a no then," she muses, winking as she sashays back to the kitchen.

Called out for what feels like the thousandth time today, I frown down at my soda before taking a few gulps, attempting to wash away the problems that trail after me despite my best efforts.

A shadow casts over my table a few moments later and I tilt my gaze up to give Pearl a pointed look before she can say anything else, but it's not her that I find.

I gulp, wetting my dry lips as I stare up at my unwanted guest.

His dark, pensive stare is locked on mine as he pulls out the chair across from me and fills it in one swift move.

"Ah, what are the chances of my stalker being here too?" I cock a brow at him. "What are you doing here, Raiden?"

Gone is his academy-issued red cloak. Gone is any cloak at all. Instead, he's dressed in a deep-blue suit with a crisp white shirt underneath. The top button is undone, making him look even hotter than is necessary.

"I could ask you the same question, Adrianna. You're supposed to be resting." His words are murmured; curious, yet demanding.

"I don't have to explain myself to you," I grumble, focusing back on my soda so I can't allow myself to be distracted by him, but his voice still manages to vibrate through me, even in anger.

"Don't have to explain yourself? No one's asking you to. I get you have this cute sense of independence, shit, you rock it, but I literally had to watch you fall into that icy water today, Adrianna. I am not okay."

"Imagine being the one doing the falling," I retort, immediately hating how I sound. I can sound like a bitch, that doesn't faze me, but acting like the world revolves around me, my feelings and emotions, fuck, that doesn't sit right. "I didn't mean that," I quickly add, shaking my head dismissively as I continue to avoid his gaze.

"You can mean whatever you want, Adrianna. I don't care, but we're not leaving Pearl's until we've hashed this shit out."

My eyes snap to his, my nostrils flaring in annoyance. "I'd rather we didn't."

"I'd rather I didn't give a shit, but here I am," he says, lifting his hands in defeat.

"No one asked you to." I sink my teeth into my tongue, hating that I just did it again. It's hard. He instantly makes me defensive, and I'm madder than mad right now with him.

"I'm well aware. Now. Can we get to the groveling part? This silent treatment is causing us nothing but issues."

"You? Grovel?" I mock, lifting my hand to my chest, but all he does is shrug.

"I don't know how, but for you, I'm willing to try just about anything." His words hang in the air like a sunkissed promise, making my stomach clench.

"Why?" I breathe, revealing my intrigue more than I should.

"Why?" he repeats, just as Pearl appears with two plates. Two. That woman knew. Dammit, Pearl.

"Is there an echo in here, Pearl? I've never noticed it before," I smart as Pearl purses her lips, hiding a knowing smile, but the moment she glances at Raiden, her features soften.

"Be nice to him. I don't know what he's done, but he's been glum this past week," she explains, placing our plates in front of us, and I scoff.

"He put my family in danger," I blurt, pointing an accusatory finger at him.

"Ah, dammit, Raiden," Pearl hisses, shaking her head. "I know what they mean to her. There's no way I can save you from her wrath," she states, lifting her hands in surrender before backing away without another word.

"I'll take her wrath. It's better than her silence," he hollers, loud enough so the other customers can hear, and I glare at him.

"You want my wrath?" I growl, my frustration rushing to the surface.

"Hit me."

I feel the sting against my palm as I connect with his cheek before I even realize I'm moving.

"Not literally," he grunts, placing his palm over the reddening spot as I quickly retreat. "Do you feel better?" he asks, rubbing at it as I roll my lips.

"No, your jaw is made of steel," I mutter, curling my fingers together in my lap.

"Thanks," he says with a smirk, preening as though it's a compliment.

With my eyes narrowed, I sigh, focusing on the food in front of me instead of the devilish vampire intruding upon my brooding.

"Carry on being mad at me," he murmurs, and I shake my head.

"This isn't a joke, you know."

"I'm well aware."

"Are you though?" I stab my fork in his direction, avoiding actually making any contact as he takes a mouthful of his food.

"I fucked up. Royally. I had no idea I was being followed, otherwise I would have never allowed any of that to happen. I wouldn't have risked your snarky sister or your father either."

My head rears back. "Snarky sister?" I bite. No, he fucking didn't just say that.

"Don't give me that look. I'm half certain she's got a sharper tongue than you." He gives me a pointed look and it, along with his words, instantly deflates my anger.

"That's accurate." I agree, stuffing my face with food before I can say something half nice.

Raiden scrubs at his neck nervously, looking down at his plate like it may hold all of the answers. I can't help but watch him. The slight mess to the front of his hair, the pinch at his eyes, the twitch to his fingers. It's all…not the usual Raiden. When he finally glances back at me, I expect him to call me out for catching me staring so intently, but instead, a dam seems to break, and his eyes soften so painfully that my heart lodges in my throat.

"You're making me…"

I wait, and I wait, and I wait, but this man does not continue his sentence. "I'm making you what?" I rasp, desperate to know what else rests on the tip of his tongue.

He shakes his head, making my chest tighten as I realize just how much the distance I placed between the two of us hurts me as well.

Fuck.

"You're making me see past the end of my own nose," he mutters with a sigh, and my eyebrows pinch in confusion.

"What does that mean?"

"It means I've spent my whole life with one thing in mind…me."

I scoff at the well-known fact everyone is aware of. "Okay."

"And now you," he adds, sending a shiver down my spine.

"Me."

"You make me consider how things would affect people that aren't me. By people, I mean you."

I feel light-headed, lost to his words, but I naturally shift to tamp down his affect on me with the humor I'm eager to hide behind.

"Aww, you're growing," I joke, hearing the patronizing tone to my voice, but he doesn't acknowledge it.

"Growing? I feel like I'm falling."

"Falling?"

"For you."