10. Addi

TEN

Thankfully, I caught the tail end of the students from my class making their way to the next stop on our timetable, but my inability to focus meant the kingdom class went straight over my head. I learned nothing but the feeling of eyes burning into my head from all angles.

It seems it's very much the general practice so far for the students to be seated by their last names, earning me the honor of being placed between Brody and Kryll again. Thankfully, neither of them attempted to talk to me, but that didn't mean I couldn't feel their assessing eyes on me.

I could sense it when I first got here, knew it before the academy opened, but the clarity is undeniable: everyone sees the fae as weak. Even the humans glare when they can, an air of defensiveness surrounding them, as if they're ready to fight, and I can't help but wonder if everyone has forgotten that fae do have the ability to channel magic.

The professor talks, addressing no one in particular, as I continue to get lost in my own mind. There's no point trying to waste energy on this class at this stage. It's almost over, and I'm in no position to retain anything.

Instead, my thoughts trail back to how much the fae are underestimated. The elements are our best friends, a part of us more than anything else in the world, but no one seems to care about that.

Water. Air. Fire. Earth. Mind.

We led the kingdom for so long because we could, because we had the strength and capability, until the ground was shattered beneath our feet and we were left pained, heartbroken, and in need of time to heal. Love destroyed it, nothing else. That's something we can all fall victim to. Well, not me. That's never in the cards for me.

I will never offer out my love to anyone. Not when the ramifications of it have destroyed our kingdom, our people, our hope. Never.

Instead, my focus is on my magic. Each fae is born into an element. That's where we pull our strength from while replenishing it, too. King Reagan and every member of the royal bloodline harbored the ability to connect to every element. Otherwise, you dedicate yourself to the one element that runs through your veins and grounds you.

Earth. Water. Fire. Air. Mind.

It's a piece of you. Of who you are and who you shall forever be. It courses through your veins along with your blood, connecting you to your surroundings and the kingdom around you.

Standing barefoot on the ground for an earth element is like resetting your heart. Water fae take to any form of water at every opportunity because it completes them. Fire burns deep inside the red-hot faes, yet I've been told they're usually some of the sweetest people. Air fae bring chaos in the most beautiful ways possible. Storms and destruction. That's who you have to watch out for. Mind fae, however, face some of the hardest challenges. Shutting off from the world takes years of practice and learning boundaries even longer, but seeing the joy come when they sense inner peace and calmness is practically euphoric.

To someone of a royal bloodline, touching base with each of those magics is something chartered off the scales.

The bell rings, pulling me from my thoughts, and I rush to my feet, making sure to step out of the room and walk swiftly down the hall and make my way outside. I'd rather not be accosted again so soon. The sun beams down on me as I step out into the fresh air and slow to a stop, heaving a sigh as I soak it in.

My stomach grumbles, reminding me that it's lunchtime.

"Finally, lunch. I'm starving," Arlo states, coming to a stop beside me with Flora.

Thankfully, neither of them have asked about earlier, and honestly, I wouldn't even know how to describe it. I haven't been tempted to look at my arm yet, but I can do that in my room later.

"Food? I feel like we only just had breakfast," Flora mutters, and the reminder of this morning's events makes my muscles clench. To the point I'm considering whether it's worth going or not.

As if sensing my thoughts, Flora places her hand on my arm. "Do you want to get food and eat outside on the lawn? It's so nice out here," she offers, a soft smile on her lips, and I find myself nodding before I've actually considered what she's saying.

There's a glint in her eyes. I know she's getting a read on me. She really does remind me of Nora in so many ways, but I can't start breaking that down on day one. It will only bring my emotions to the surface, and I don't need to deal with that. I have to remain impassive, focused, and not let my feelings and friendships get in the way of anything.

If that's even what this is; friendship. It's not really something I'm all that familiar with.

Before I can waste too much time deciphering it, I fall into step with Arlo and Flora as we head for the dining hall. We manage to slip inside, load up our trays with food, and make it back outside unaffected. As we get comfortable at one of the picnic benches out on the lawn, I let my body relax a little, letting a calmness wash over me.

None of us speak, the three of us all content to enjoy our food, the sunshine, and the fresh air. A few other students slowly settle in at the other tables but pay us no mind. Once I'm done eating, I tilt my face to the sky, enjoying the heat against my skin as I try to envision the future I want, but the idea is quickly cut off when I hear commotion from across the lawn.

"Why am I not shocked that she's involved again?" Flora grumbles as I pry my eyes open to seek out the source of the noise.

Vallie.

She really is well-versed in causing drama it seems. Not only with fae, though, which is a fact worth noting. This time, she's causing chaos with a human girl.

"She definitely has a penchant for drama," Arlo states, and I hum in agreement.

"It's annoying as fuck," I admit, watching the scene continue to unravel.

The human girl is sitting at a table with a few other people, none of whom are offering to interject on her behalf, while Vallie hovers over her, finger wagging in her face. She has a mini freaking army of vampire followers behind her too. All girls. All feasting on the frenzy she stirs.

Hopeful that Vallie will leave her alone soon enough, I reach for my drink, but the moment my water bottle touches my lips, Vallie reaches for the girl's throat, lifting her off her seat, the girl's feet dangling in the air as she makes a point of showing her strength.

She continues to snarl in her face, gasps echoing around the lawn as the human girl struggles to get out of her hold. No one at the table with her considers that now might be the time to interject and I can't stand it any longer.

Pushing to my feet, Flora's hand grabs mine on the table. "What are you doing?" Her eyes are wide, panic contorting her face as I shake my head.

"I'm not just going to sit here and watch her treat people like that," I bite out, my anger aimed at the dramatic vampire continuing to cause a stir.

"Why deal with drama that's not yours?" Flora pushes as I slip my hand from hers, but there's no time to respond when an almighty scream reverberates around us.

I take off toward them, watching in horror as Vallie sinks her teeth into the human's throat. Crimson stains her cloak a moment later as I increase my speed, but I'm going to have to connect to my magic if I want to bring this to a stop now.

Without slowing my pace, I focus on the ground beneath Vallie's feet, letting my magic sink into the earth. Vines rise, thick and fast, twisting around Vallie's legs and climbing to her torso before she even realizes it.

The girl lands with a thud, but I don't stop my magic from consuming Vallie until her arms are pinned to her sides, holding her in place.

She screams, her friends squealing along with her, but the noise becomes like static in my ears as I drop to the ground beside the human girl, whose cries are burning into my brain. The pain is clear, the terror enough to haunt us all.

Sweeping my hand over her face, she's warm to the touch, tears streaming down her cheeks as the two puncture wounds at her throat continue to spill blood onto the grass beneath her.

"I need a mage who can help. Now!" I holler, not caring that Vallie is still causing a scene. She fucking started this. When no one immediately appears at my side, I glance around the space, noting everyone watching me from a distance. "I said I need a fucking mage," I bite, irritation getting the better of me. My eyes lock on Brody's as he stands with Kryll, Cassian, and Raiden. He's a mage. "Can you help?" I blurt, and he simply shrugs, not moving an inch.

"Release her!" one of Vallie's little followers screams, pointing down at the annoying vampire who is struggling against the vines to no avail, but I pay her no mind as I look around at the entire lawn, making eye contact with as many people as possible while the human girl continues to cry out in agony.

"Why the fuck is anyone here if you're not going to help each other? The whole point of this damn place is to do just that. If you're going to attack each other and lord your origins over one another, then we're never going to change. Our kingdom will never grow, and we will stay in this state forever. This is our kingdom! If we aren't going to save each other, then who will?"

Silence greets me, causing even more unnecessary distress as I turn my full attention back to the girl. "It's okay. I'm going to help the best I can," I promise, pressing my palm against the puncture wounds, and causing her to cry out a little more. Dammit. "I can help with the punctures, but the burning through your veins isn't going to leave for a couple of hours."

I hiss as a hand lands over mine, stilling me.

Murmured chants echo in my ears as the screaming from the injured girl quiets. Slowly, slipping my hands from between the hand and her throat, I tilt my head to see which mage actually stepped up. I'm floored when I find it's Brody.

I gape at him, my pulse ringing in my ears as I watch him heal the poor girl beside me. He's not checking the wound, though, his eyes are locked on mine, holding me in place as my heart rate finally slows from the thunderous pace it was at.

It takes me a few seconds to realize his lips are no longer moving, and a second later, the girl slowly rises to sit up. I tear my gaze from his, blinking rapidly to shake myself into the present, and find the girl staring up at me in surprise.

"Thank you," she rasps, her hand wrapping around her throat as she gulps a few times. "Thank you. Both of you," she repeats, and I scramble to figure out what to say in response but come up blank as I turn to gape at Brody again. My throat thickens with emotions I don't want to address when a voice bellows around us.

"Miss Reed. Office. Now. And release Vallie from your magic immediately."