21. Adrianna

21

ADRIANNA

T ora disappears with the mage without any further guidance, and I shake my head in disbelief. Of course he would give us nothing to go on. It's irritating right now, but my subconscious takes on my father's voice, reminding me that if I were the leader of the kingdom, I wouldn't get a heads-up either.

Damn.

"What now?" Raiden asks as everyone floats between the gathered students to form the groups previously assigned. I sense Vallie getting closer, but I keep my stare fixed on my preferred vampire.

"Now, we reach the top," Kryll states, like it's simply going to be as easy as that, but something in my gut promises the day will be more eventful than a casual stroll up a snowy mountain top.

"With no abilities," Raiden grinds back, irritation seeping from him.

I take a moment, centering myself as I focus on my magic, but all I feel is…nothing.

Fuck. That little speech wasn't just for show then.

"Apparently," Kryll confirms, still downplaying the inconvenience of it all.

"This is a joke," Raiden gripes, nostrils flaring in irritation, and as much as I agree with him, this mindset isn't going to help get us anywhere.

"It's life," I state, rolling my shoulders back as I shake the negativity off.

"I can't do anything," he continues, making me roll my eyes.

"Oh, you big baby, you're going to be just fine," I chuckle, trying not to jab his eyes out in frustration, and thankfully, my words seem to relax him a little, even if he's still pouting

"What's this whiny fuck complaining about?" Cassian grunts, appearing at my side, and Kryll scoffs.

"What do you think?" he retorts with his eyebrows raised.

"Fangs is probably sad because he can't use his pokey peggys," Brody muses, nudging him with his shoulder, which only makes his pout grow tighter.

"Don't call me Fangs, and my teeth are deadly. Remember that," he grunts, straightening his cloak as he stands tall.

"Are you always this mean to my Raidy? You're lucky he doesn't kill you. It's not like you all don't deserve to be dead!" Vallie exclaims, cocking her hip as she glares daggers at me.

My hands ball into fists at my sides, rage brimming through my veins as I take an instinctive step toward her. I'm more than happy to finally address this bullshit with her, but Raiden beats me to it.

"I'm not your anything. You're lucky I don't kill you ," Raiden snarls. "Now, take a step back because these groups might be predetermined and out of my control, but that doesn't mean I want you in my proximity," he adds, turning a dark stare her way. His jaw ticks as his teeth bare, and I hate how good he looks.

Clearing my throat, I take a step back, aware of Flora grinning at me from my left. She definitely caught my instinctive reaction, but if I avoid her stare, I won't have to acknowledge it to her.

"Well, it looks like we're doing this as a giant group because I'm not leaving you in danger," Cassian states, cutting through the vampire stare off to meet my gaze.

Vallie snickers. "Would you look at that? The princess needs an army to defend her. You didn't give my father the same grace now, did you?"

This bitch is so dumb. My fist forms again, and this time I'm ready to smash it into her face, but the second I take a step toward her, Flora speaks, halting my rash decision.

"You're just salty no one's defending you, Vallie."

"Listen here, you little?—"

My fingers are around her throat in the next breath, choking off the bullshit about to come from her lips.

"Please, finish that shit that's about to spew out of your mouth so I have a reason to remove your tongue and slap the shit out of you with it. You're going to make my goddamn fucking day." My teeth grind together as I snarl at her, my fingers flexing against her flesh as I ready my free hand to give her face the pounding she so desperately deserves.

Hands clamp on my arms, restricting my movement before I'm dragged back a step. My hold falls slack and I drop my grip on the heinous bitch.

"Adrianna, we would never allow you to get your hands dirty when we're right here," Raiden murmurs against my ear, a hint of delight and humor in his voice as I watch Vallie shrink under his unspoken threat.

"You're all ridiculous," I mutter, shaking out of his grip. Tightening my cloak around my body, I dart for Flora, who falls into step beside me, Arlo right beside her, as we head toward the bottom of the mountain range that peaks into the clifftop.

The quicker we get off this damn thin ice, the better.

Wordlessly, the others follow us, and after a few minutes, I heave a sigh of relief when the snow thickens beneath my feet. Looking up at the top of the cliff, I shiver, the chill in the air growing harsher as I start up the slight incline.

Flora rubs her hands together, blowing warm air against her reddening fingertips.

Was it this cold yesterday?

Damn.

Pressing my lips together, I continue forward, refusing to be defeated by the cold weather, but it doesn't stop my teeth from chattering and my ears from aching.

"Hey, are you cold?" Cassian asks, drawing my attention to where he walks a step behind me.

I open my mouth, ready to deny any such thing, but before I can stop my teeth from rattling together, Kryll is at my side, pulling me in close against him. His warmth envelops me, easing the building tension in my muscles just enough for me to exhale a short, steamy breath.

"I'm hot-blooded. Stay close," he breathes, his voice completely unfazed by the temperature. Maybe this is what Tora meant by staying close to him.

Glancing around the entire group, I notice the fae, mages, and humans shivering just like me. My gaze lands on Cassian, who must see the realization in my eyes.

"All wolves and shifters, share your warmth with those beside you. Fae, mages, and humans," he grunts, barking out his command.

"No thanks," Grant grunts, continuing to make an issue out of every little thing, even as his lips turn blue.

"We make it there as a team, or we don't make it at all. Get over yourself," Cassian retorts, not even bothering to glance in his direction.

The students gathered from our three groups follow Cassian's command as he wraps his arm cautiously around Flora while a wolf girl does the same to Arlo.

"Does anyone have a good sense of direction?" I ask, nestling deeper against Kryll's chest, soaking in his heat enough to be able to bear the icy climate.

"Sense of direction? All we have to do is get to the top of the cliff. It looks pretty straightforward to me," Brody states, offering me a confused smile, and my eyebrows furrow.

"What do you mean? There are trees everywhere." I look toward the steep incline, reconfirming the snow-topped pine trees.

"What are you talking about? It's a clear path," Kryll murmurs against my hair, and this time when I shiver, it's not from the cold.

Frowning, I start to question whether crazy is something else to add to my personality list until Flora clears her throat.

"I see the trees," she breathes, but it doesn't offer much comfort when I see others gaping at us in confusion.

"I see them too," Grant murmurs, lips pursed as he nods toward the incline.

"Me too," rings out from surrounding fae and human members of our group.

"Are you sure? There's nothing here at all," Raiden states, taking a few steps ahead of everyone.

"Wait," I holler, waving my hand. "There's one right there."

I've never seen someone roll their eyes as dramatically as he does before he continues on his path like I didn't just warn him. Two seconds pass, and right on time, he slams straight into the tree I told him to pause for, stumbling backward as he grasps his nose.

"What the fuck?" he grunts, glaring at the offending tree, but I get the feeling he still can't see it.

"Okay then. Fae and humans lead the way, but the shifters, wolves, and vampires need to stay close to keep them warm; otherwise, we're never going to make it through this invisible fortress," I declare, heading for the treeline before anyone can decline my order.

Stepping between the pines, the world grows darker, the bleak, pale sky shrouded by the looming treetops. Thankfully, the silence that blankets us is comforting and calm despite the fact that Vallie leaves me on a level of high alert in a way that only she can bring out in me.

Seconds turn into minutes which morph into hours, until a bright glow slips through the trees ahead. "Is that a clearing?" I ask, glancing back to where Flora waivers a little, but Cassian keeps her propped up, warm, and moving. I owe him a thank you later, but for now, I need someone to confirm I'm not seeing something else.

"I think so," Arlo breathes as Flora smiles.

I will my body to move faster, but the altitude doesn't make it any easier, so my pace remains the same. Moving through the opening, I heave a sigh of relief at the clearing in front of us that stretches all the way to the peak of the mountain.

Everyone gathers, staring at the snowy expanse that stretches between us and our end goal. We're so close. The major uphill graft is behind us and now we're into the homestretch.

Relief has my muscles relaxing as the remaining tension leaves my body.

"How do we get around that?" Kryll asks, pointing a finger at the clear path ahead of us.

"Get around what?" I murmur, hearing the same lacing of confusion in my voice as I had hours earlier.

"That." He gulps, tilting his head slightly as he analyzes something I clearly can't see.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," I admit, instantly disliking being the one at a disadvantage.

Grant shakes out of the warmth of the shifter keeping him above freezing, glancing back and forth across the space as he searches for something he can't see either.

"Shh," Raiden snarls, taking a step toward Grant, but he stops himself from going too close.

"Why?" Grant grunts, glancing back with a frown etched into his forehead.

"There's a?—"

An almighty roar burns through the air and I whip my head around, searching for the source, but I come up empty.

"What is it?"

"A fucking dragon," Raiden breathes, his words a mixture of nerves and awe.

"There are eggs," Kryll mutters, his eyebrows pinched in concern as he looks between the open space and me.

"It's okay. Go."

I nudge at his arm, encouraging him toward the issue. He offers me a tight smile before carefully stepping forward, and Cassian quickly wraps his free arm around my shoulders, holding me close to Flora.

"I can't see anything, can you?" I ask Cassian, and he shakes his head.

"Raise your hand if you see the dragon," Kryll states, turning back to look at us from his spot beside Raiden, and I watch as every vampire and shifter raises their hand.

Fuck. This trial is really making us work as one and lean on each other.

"Wolves, double up on the fae and humans so the shifters and vampires can guide us around whatever the hell we're up against," Cassian grunts, his nostrils flaring, and I quickly realize he hasn't been able to see anything so far. He's had to put his trust in others, just as the other wolves have, and I'm sure it's eating away at him.

"Everyone, follow the outer path. That includes you, asshole," Raiden orders, directing the latter at Grant, who rolls his eyes at him but eventually obeys.

Raiden and Kryll take off ahead, leading the way and making sure everyone stays back. I can't decide how I feel about being led blindly around a dragon protecting its nest. It sounded ferocious.

Curling into Cassian, I take a deep breath as his warmth bleeds into me.

They make us walk out wide, and when we slowly begin to come away from the edge leading toward the treacherous depths below, hope blossoms in my gut. We just need to get past this damn?—

"Ahh, oh shit." The yelp makes me pause, and when I search out the sound, I find Grant flailing his arms at his side.

"What the fuck is he doing?" I murmur, confused as to why he's rocking as if he's on the edge when his feet are firmly on flat ground.

"Oh, don't be so dramatic," Vallie grumbles, stepping toward him with a huff. She raises her hands and pushes against his chest, making him scream as he falls. It's slow, excruciatingly slow, and when his back hits the snow, he slips across the glistening surface off toward the center of the empty space.

"Fuck," Kryll grunts as another roar rattles through the air, making my bones stiffen in fear.

I blink, watching in horror as Grant flies through the air once, twice, three times. Blood gushes everywhere, staining the pristine white snow as everyone gapes in horror.

My instinct to react is halted by the fact that I can't see the danger. That doesn't matter to Cassian as he bands his arm tighter around me and takes off running to where Raiden and Kryll start waving to everyone.

There's no saving Grant. He's gone, and if we don't move, more will join him.

The strain and struggle to move quickly, with Cassian and Flora holding me back, is too much to bear, and I slip out of his hold. "Run with her, you'll be quicker," I state, and Cassian shakes his head.

"I'm not going anywhere without you," he grunts, refusing to see past me.

"I'm fine, I'll be fine. Take her," I yell, taking off ahead before he can say another word. The peak is almost beneath my feet when Grant's body finally falls limp. The quiet that echoes around us lasts a whole four seconds before another screech rents the air.

"Run!" Vallie screams, and everyone cries out, running as fast as they can, despite the climate toward the peak of the mountain top that tapers off into a point.

I'm panting and out of breath as I all but fall into Raiden's arms when I reach the top. In the blink of an eye, the ground shifts, and the air warms around me, revealing the campus.

"Well done," Professor Tora declares from behind me as more and more students from our oversized group fall through the magic that draws us back to the academy.

I land with a thud on my ass, along with Raiden, as we both try to catch our breaths. I watch as his fangs extend and his eyes go wide with relief, and I quickly use the moment to check in with myself, too.

My worry dissolves as I feel my magic tingle through my veins, and I sag with a mixture of relief and exhaustion as I let the warm afternoon sun cast down on me.

What the fuck was all of that? Invisible trees? Invisible dragons? What else could there be out there that we haven't faced yet? It can't get worse, can it?

My mind is spinning with the insanity of it all. Working as a team, seeing everyone have different strengths over one another, swirls something inside of me, something that awakened a part of me I was too afraid to consider.

Something I need to explore.

My wolf.