2. Adrianna

2

ADRIANNA

T he fall back to my knees feels like the longest route to relief, so much so I'm certain my knees will never collide with the floor, but to my surprise, the impact jolts through my bones reassuringly.

"Addi!" Nora yells, edging closer to me before her hands reach for my face. Her delicate, soft thumb grazes my cheek with a warm comfort that resembles the embracing glow of the sun on a perfect summer's morning.

It settles the warring rage inside of me as I blink up at her. The weight of the world still rides on my shoulders, there's no shifting that right now, but I need to channel every ounce of my being into protecting my sister. It's all I've done for as long as I can remember, but for the past few weeks I've done it from afar, and now, she's right in front of me, making any threat toward her feel even more imminent.

Taking a deep breath, I do it again, exhaling slowly as I sense four sets of eyes burning into my back. The smell of burnt flesh lingers in the air, making me cringe, especially when I see the distaste washing over Nora's face.

"Are you okay? Are you hurt anywhere? What happened?" I fire off, running my hands over my sister with a renewed sense of urgency as her wellbeing becomes my sole focus.

"I'm fine, Addi," she murmurs, but it doesn't stop me checking her to be sure. Once I've patted every inch of her body and inspected her mobility aid, coming up with nothing more than a scuff to the wood frame and the ratty knots in her hair that falls around her face, there's nothing to report. Thankfully. "See? I told you," she insists, giving me a pointed look, but instead of having its desired effect, it makes me grin.

"I've missed you."

"I mean, we could have met under better circumstances, but yeah, I guess I've missed you too," she breathes with a shrug, making my eyes narrow, and it's her turn to grin at me.

She's a witch. My witch. Her and my dad are?—

"We need to find Dad," I whisper, feeling the color drain from my face as another level of panic tingles across my skin.

"They separated us," she admits, looking down at her lap, twisting her fingers, and I can feel the helplessness seeping from her.

Reaching for her arm, I give it a comforting squeeze, but it falls flat. "That's not your fault, Nora. We just have to find him."

"We can help," Kryll states from behind me, his tone slightly off, but when I glance over my shoulder, I can't get a read on him.

The four of them are standing together, no podium holding them in place like before as they observe Nora and me. "We're good," I grunt, rising to my feet as I dust off my pants.

Exhaustion clings to me. The fact that I have faced a trial, endured Vallie's vampire bite, and been healed by a mage isn't lost on me, yet my day is far from over after the mess that has unraveled here.

"Don't be petulant, Adrianna," Raiden starts, and I whirl around to him so fast the world continues to spin around me even after I come to a halt.

Jabbing a finger in his direction, I snarl at him. "Fuck you and fuck your petulance."

His jaw opens, and I instantly produce a ball of fire in my hand, aimed and ready to launch it at him if he so much as breathes wrong. To my surprise, he takes the warning, raising his hands in surrender as he quickly slams his mouth shut.

I glare at him, turning my anger toward Brody, Cassian, and Kryll as well, making sure they don't give me some bullshit either.

Satisfied, I turn my attention back to my sister. "Are you okay using me?" I ask, and her lips twist in concern instantly.

"Are you?—"

"Don't ask questions you already know the answer to," I interject, aware that I have no clue how much time we actually have. It earns me a disgruntled glare, but she sighs, nodding before she holds out her hand.

I place my palm against hers, wrapping my fingers around her dainty wrist as I feel the familiar warmth rise between our touch. Her eyes fall closed as her lips part, and a ghost of a smile touches the corner of her mouth.

"What is she?—"

"Shut. Up," Brody bites, interrupting Cassian's question as I try to block them all out, but I don't miss the sense of awe oozing from him.

"I can feel him," Nora breathes, my chest tightening with apprehension as I wait for more. She nods slightly, more to herself than anyone else before her eyebrows pinch together. "He's in some kind of cellar. He's not far, I just can't?—"

"There's a small set of cells down in the cellar here," Brody states, and Nora's eyes widen as she releases my hand.

"Take us."

I look back at Brody, who nods in response. He inches toward the door, scrubbing at the back of his neck as he peeks his head out to check down the hallway.

"It might be better for me to use my magic to transport us in case there's someone waiting for us. We have no way of knowing if your father has anyone standing guard over him," he explains, and indecision wars inside of me.

I can either make it there on foot, with no certainty who I might bump into, or let him transport us there, unsure of what we will immediately walk into. Neither option sounds better than the other, apart from the fact that the transporting will be quicker.

Fuck.

"Transport us," Nora answers for us, making my eyebrows rise as she purposely avoids my gaze. I want to give her hell, but we don't have time, and realistically, it's the right option.

"You transport them, we'll use our speed to?—"

"We don't need you as well," I grunt, glaring at Raiden, who waves his hands in frustration at me.

"You'll get what you're fucking given," Cassian grunts, speaking for the first time in what feels like forever, but I don't have the time to deal with his level of assholery right now.

Ignoring his remark, I place my hand in Nora's again as Brody steps toward us. He offers me his hand, a hint of uncertainty dancing in his eyes, but I ignore it, focusing on what needs to be done.

Before I can take a breath, the ground shifts beneath me, and a moment later I find myself in a dark and eerie space. It smells damp. The sound of dripping water rings around us, but it's quickly over trodden by the echo of a grunt in the distance, followed swiftly by a gurgled cry before silence falls over us again.

"What was that?" Nora asks, concern twinkling in her eyes.

"That was the unwanted wolf taking care of the security protecting your father," Cassian grumbles, appearing at the end of the hallway we're in.

"I'd say thanks, but I believe my sister didn't ask," Nora retorts, and I have to bite back a shit-eating grin at her sass as a grunt vibrates from the wolf in question.

I'm certain he's biting his tongue because if it was me who had spoken, he would be a snarling mound of fur and fangs. My sister, however, isn't blessed with the same grace as I would have been. It's almost impressive.

"Uh, follow me," Brody offers, cutting through the silence as he steps down the hallway toward Cassian while I assume my position behind Nora's wooden aid.

It feels nice pushing her, even though I know it drives her insane. It always has. She's too independent for any of it, but I love to be needed, especially by her. Anything for her.

"Did you miss the part where I said I took out the security detail on him? I already know where he is. You don't need to guide them," Cassian snaps, shaking his head in disbelief, making Nora snort back a laugh.

"Which one is the guy causing you stress in your life?" she asks as I hurry us down the hall, ignoring the bickering coming from Brody and Cassian, and I scoff.

"Only one?"

She laughs, head thrown back and straight from her stomach.

"That sounds about right for you, Addi."

She's going to be the death of me.

I glare at the back of her head, refusing to give her the satisfaction of a response.

Turning the corner, black wrought-iron bars come into view, outlining a row of five cells. Kryll and Raiden are waiting on the other side with four bodies at their feet while my father stands, mouth agape, in the center cell as he stares at Brody. The mage in question mutters a chant under his breath and after a few seconds, a clang echoes through the air from the cell door as it creaks open. Whatever magic was binding the steel closed is gone.

"Addi. Nora," he breathes, rushing toward us.

I'm in his arms a moment later, feet swept off the floor as he pins me to his chest. I feel his fingers tremble at my back as I wrap my arms around him, taking the strength I know he's offering before he slowly places me on the floor. He repeats the same motion with Nora, holding her tight and filling my heart with an overwhelming amount of love that only the two of them can offer me.

"Are you both okay?" he rasps, and when I turn to give him my full attention, I notice how drained he looks.

"We're fine. What did they do to you?" I ask, taking a step toward him, and a defeated sigh passes his lips. "Dad," I insist, knowing the look on his face all too well.

"I've been blessed with a gem," he murmurs, pointing at his back, and I frown in confusion.

"An amethyst? Dad, you can?—"

"Not an amethyst, sunshine," he explains, shaking his head slowly. Not an amethyst? What the fuck else is there? He must sense my impending question and slowly turns, revealing an aquamarine crystal penetrating his flesh.

"What does that do?"

"Addi," he breathes, turning to face me with the most solemn look I have ever had the displeasure of witnessing in all of my life, and I've seen some looks.

"Dad. Spit it out."

He shakes his head, peering at Nora.

"Dad, whatever it is, you can tell us," she adds, proving the strength in her that so many tend to overlook.

His eyes continue to Brody, Kryll, Cassian, and Raiden, unsure whether to continue with them present or not, but their knowledge does nothing to the outcome of whatever that thing does.

"Just say it, Dad."

"The curse of the aquamarine is controlled by a dragon. An Aeternus dragon that no longer exists. It renders me powerless unless one was to magically reappear in the Floodborn Kingdom to remove it from my flesh."