49. Raiden

49

RAIDEN

B londe hair, smoky eyes, blood-red lips, and a sensual black dress.

Four descriptions, a handful or so words, but put it all together and you get the captivating woman before me, yet they do nothing to convey just how fucking beautiful she is.

Stunning doesn't come close, either.

Alluring. Attractive. Gorgeous. Elegant. Exquisite. Pretty. Ravishing. Sexy. Divine. Dazzling.

Ten more words, and still, none of them are good enough.

Her bedroom door clicks shut behind her and I elbow my way forward to grab her hand, lacing our fingers together before I tug her to my side. The corner of her mouth tips up, amusement dancing in her eyes as my tongue sweeps over my lips.

All I want is to pull her in the opposite direction, slip behind her bedroom door, and block the rest of the world out as I get lost in her. There's a strange…feeling in the air this evening, one that's only grown thicker this past week. The quicker we get this over with, the better.

Heading down the stairs and into the night air, I take a deep breath, willing the cool breeze to deflate the semi trapped in my pants, but with Adrianna at my side, there's no chance of that.

Mindlessly, I lift her knuckles to my mouth, ghosting my lips across her skin, and she sighs.

"Are the media going to be here again?" she asks, immediately invoking a memory of the last ball we attended. My gut twists, recalling the moment I slipped from Adrianna's side to head inside with Vallie in hopes of easing the stresses that surrounded us. I scoff. It did nothing. Nothing at all.

"I imagine so," I admit, turning to look at her with my eyebrows raised. "Want me to hide you?" I offer, but she shakes her head.

"There's no point. They'll find me regardless."

"That's the truth," I mutter, earning a sound from her lips that's a mixture between a huff and a laugh.

A sense of high alert sweeps over us as we all head toward the impending doom that awaits. Quicker than I would like, the red carpet dazzles in the distance. Without a word, she tugs her hand from mine, rolling her shoulders back as she stands taller, like she's ready for battle. I let her go, slipping my hand to the small of her back as she takes a step ahead, presenting herself as the leader that she is.

Media lines both sides of the red carpet, and every pair of eyes whip her way the moment she nears, forgetting the other students who held their interest a moment earlier.

"Princess Adrianna Reagan, how are you surviving the campus?"

"Have there been any threats against you?"

"Where is your father, Adrianna? Tell us."

"Is it true you're now the princess of the dragons?"

"Where is the prince of the dragons?"

They all try to speak at once, making my eyes narrow as I assess each and every one of them. Adrianna, however, tilts her head from side to side, smiling at each of them demurely before she saunters down the carpet without a fucking word. Her head remains high, chin up, and smile plastered in place. It takes me a second to move after her, but a quick shove from Cassian resumes my march forward.

I storm the carpet, ignoring everyone and everything except the sway to Adrianna's hips as she slips inside without a backward glance. She really shouldn't be allowed to be this fucking hot and sinful. I can't handle it. Every member of the media is fixated on her, snapping pictures and throwing more questions, even though she's no longer here. I wonder if they realize the presence of greatness they're in when she's around.

Following her inside, I find her hand again, and she laces her fingers with mine. Brody swoops in on her other side, draping his arm around her shoulder, and she relaxes between us.

"We won't be separated this time," Cassian grunts, rounding on us to give us all a pointed look, and I nod. There will definitely be no separating this time.

Thankfully, as we step into the ballroom, I notice the difference between tonight and the last. There aren't large tables set out with our names organized by origin. There's a buffet to the left, an open dance floor in the center of the room, and a podium along the far wall. The guests already in attendance mingle in the remaining space around small bar tables.

It's better yet worse all at the same time.

"Something feels off," Kryll states, acknowledging exactly what I feel as Adrianna hums in agreement.

"Yeah, something isn't right."

"You feel it too?" I ask, my hand clenching tighter around hers, and she nods. "What are you catching that's setting you off?" I'm intrigued to know what's knocking us all off-center.

"Not here," Brody murmurs, guiding Adrianna off to the small alcove to the left, and we all follow after them. Flora and Arlo included.

It's a rather tight squeeze, but we all nestle in. Cassian and Kryll are watching the crowd around us, but I set them aside and keep my gaze locked on the hot fucking fae that infiltrates my nightmares and my dreams all at once.

Brody chants under his breath, and Adrianna watches his lips move until a grin spreads across his face, earning a smile from her sweet mouth too.

"My father is here. He keeps nodding his head for me to follow him," Brody states, keeping his back to the rest of the ballroom, and Cassian scoffs.

"My father is here. He's pretending I don't exist, but that's worse than his demands. That means he's up to something and he doesn't want me to get a read on him."

Wolves.

All fucking assholes.

They're no damn better than vampires, even if they like to think they are.

"My mother is always here, but she's not standing with my father," I say with a sigh, not bothering to look away from my girl. "Which means she'll be with Vallie's uncle, hanging off his every word and up to no good," I grumble.

Vallie is watching us, which means whoever her uncle is, he's up to no good too.

"Wait, wait, wait," Flora blurts, waving her hands to get all of our attention before she taps her ear.

I frown, along with everyone else, the sound of jazz music ringing in my ears before I hear it.

"Kenner," I rasp, glancing at Cassian, who nods in acknowledgment.

"Repeat the plan, Bozzelli."

"Is that really necessary? We've been over this enough times."

"Not with me, you haven't. Let me hear it."

"Fine. The plan is for me to announce the immediate trial, which will allow you time to slip away and set up by having the students give surprise speeches."

"And then?"

"And then the trial begins. You can gather the students you want, and no one will be any wiser."

"Excellent, and then we'll have the luxury of the future fated mates under our control. Make it happen, Bozzelli."

"You're a genius, Kenner."

Fuckers.

I can't decide who sounds more cunning. Bozzelli will have definitely been the one who looked the most smug, but Kenner will definitely have been giving her a run for her money.

"They're talking about us," Adrianna states, confirming what I'm sure we're all sensing.

"How do they expect us to fall under their control?" Cassian bites, his jaw tight with anger, and Brody sighs.

"Because when fated mates are linked, they're in a weakened state immediately after," he offers, pinching the bridge of his nose as I smash my molars together in irritation.

"Which means?" I give him a pointed look, my question going unheard until he finally lifts his head up.

"Which means they would have time to cast a puppet spell."

"A puppet spell?" Adrianna repeats, frown lines forming between her eyes. I want to sweep them away, but I know they'll only return over something else the moment I do.

"I've heard my father talking about it. It basically places you under the control of the one casting the spell, and there would be nothing we could do about it."

"Fuck that," Kryll blurts, squeezing the back of his neck in anger as his nostrils flare.

"What he said," I add with a nod, my gaze finally flicking to the rest of the ballroom as I try to observe the situation from all angles.

"We can't let them win," Cassian grinds out, and Adrianna stands taller, channeling her inner goddess as she nods once. Firm and decisive, like a queen.

"What can we do?"

Brody looks her dead in the eye, nibbling at his bottom lip before he speaks. "There may be something."