17. Raiden

RAIDEN

Akiss of amethyst.

A fucking kiss of amethyst.

What is this shit?

She's a goddamn princess. Bozzelli should be worshiping the ground she walks on, not torturing her. And make no mistake, that's exactly what it is: torture. Why would something like that even exist on academy grounds?

Truthfully, this kind of thing shouldn't be a surprise. Shady moves are classic for The Council and everyone in their grasp. Shit, the revelations about Kenner holding the damn queen on the compound should say enough. Especially when Cassian confirmed they knew all along. The capabilities of those in charge here will be off the scales, and there's nothing we can do about it.

I want to go back there and tear Bozzelli to shreds, but that would have the opposite effect than what I would desire.

Fuck.

We're here to find the perfect heir of our kingdom, not this.

Peering at Adrianna, I can't seem to shift the tightness building in my chest. Her skin is pale, her shoulders slumped, and her steps short and sluggish. She's a shell of her usual self. I bet if I said something to piss her off right now, I wouldn't get her usual snark I desire so much. I'd be lucky if she even waved me off, but my bet would be on no response at all.

She probably needs to get in bed and rest, but my grandmother used to always go on high alert when I was unwell. If I were as white as a sheet, she would be at my side the entire time, but instead of tucking me under the covers, she would have me out in the garden, playing, exerting energy, and remaining present.

"You can sleep when you've shown me how strong you are,"she would say, and now I find myself in her shoes, eager to watch this fae girl prove her strength, despite the obvious.

The pathway becomes shaded as we slowly walk along the trail. The trees loom tall above us, and when I glance toward Adrianna, her eyebrows are pinched. Thankfully, she speaks before I can question it.

"Why do I always end up here with one of you?"

Glancing around, I realize we're in the spot where I first saw her, where she first unleashed that wicked tongue and put me in my place despite my efforts. The fallen tree lingers to our right, and I head toward it, eager for her to sit down.

"It's clearly our special place," I muse, and she scoffs. "Just don't get too sentimental over it," I add, aware my harsh front is slipping.

"Why would I?" she questions, cocking a brow at me.

I clear my throat, peering at her before fixing my gaze straight ahead. "Girls are strange with semantics like that. Don't give me that look, I'm just stating the facts," I add when she starts to glare.

Thankfully, she softens it with an eye roll, and I relish in the spark of her usual self rising to the surface, even if it is only for a split second.

She sits with a sigh, her head slumped forward as her eyelids close.

Taking off my red cloak, I drape it over the stump and take a seat beside her. Despite my eagerness to keep her present, I give her a few minutes to relax and come down from the walk.

I still can't wrap my head around seeing her like this. Maybe I should get the others, but a part of me wants to keep her all to myself. She doesn't need more people falling over themselves when she's not at her full capacity. Not that I know what any of this means for me.

She's the enemy, a fae, a fae princess, but a fae all the same.

I should hate her, now more than ever, just like Sean said when he tried to attack her earlier, but I can't. I was drawn to her before, but now? This is something else entirely.

A groan slips from her lips as she leans back, rolling her neck in an attempt to rid her limbs of the ache.

"Okay, let's focus on your magic so you're not consumed with the pain," I murmur, rising to stand before her. She looks up at me through her lashes as though she wants to punch me in the dick. She's struggling. If I can see it, she is most definitely feeling it. Distraction. That's what she needs. "So, you pretended to rock the earth magic for a while, and I've seen you use your air abilities, but you're going to have to rank all of your royal skills for me so we can figure it out."

"I'm not telling you any of that," she grunts, wiping a hand down her face.

My nose scrunches in confusion. "Why?"

"Giving you my abilities in order of my skill level only serves to reveal my vulnerabilities," she states, leaving me to gape at her.

"No, it doesn't."

"How so?" She looks at me like I'm insane, and I shake my head.

"You have access to all five magics a fae can harness. There's nothing vulnerable about that." She raises her eyebrows but still doesn't offer the information. "How about you don't tell me that then, but you rank yourself out of ten when compared to your usual abilities."

She purses her lips, considering her options as she always does before giving me a subtle nod. Her jaw ticks and a vein pulses at her temple when she pushes up onto her feet. I almost retract my offer to help her. She's not up to it, but life isn't fair and neither is this. She has to push through whether she likes it or not.

I open my mouth to encourage her when her gaze whips to mine. "Please just stop talking. I'm trying, and I don't need you dictating to me what should be done," she snaps, the warning clear in her eyes.

Snarky as fuck. I like it.

"Whatever you say," I reply, lifting my hands in surrender.

It's not lost on me that she interprets every action as a negative, but I don't correct her. Not if it fuels that fire burning deep inside of her.

Closing her eyes, she takes a deep breath. Nothing happens for a beat until the discreet sound of something stretching comes from below me. I look down to see vines protruding from the ground, inching toward my feet.

I take a step back, wagging my finger at her. "Not again," I grumble, earning a small smirk from her. I haven't forgotten the last time she did that when I was sitting at the table with the guys. I was ready to chase after her when she got up and sauntered off, but found myself rooted to the spot.

"But it's fun," she grumbles, giving me puppy-dog eyes, and I shake my head at her.

"How does it feel compared to usual?" I ask, continuing to dodge the vines until she finally relents and allows them to slip back into the ground.

Her lips twist as she thinks before she turns her back to me and moves toward one of the small flower beds lining the small wooded area. She crouches down, stroking her finger over the pink petal, and I watch as it brightens under her touch.

"Honestly, it's maybe like a seven. Usually, I would be able to keep the vines silent, but they probably heard the stretching noise at the damn academy," she grumbles, dancing her fingers over the surrounding flowers before rising back to her feet.

"Seven? We can work with that."

She hums in agreement, but disappointment dances in her eyes as she looks at me. "Maybe take a step back for this one," she murmurs, making me frown.

"Why?"

"You don't have to. I'm just being polite," she breathes as her eyelids fall closed again.

Without warning, the wind picks up around us, and I instantly realize she's focusing on her air magic. She's right. I definitely should take a step back for this one. I've been on the wrong end of her force before. I'd rather not experience it again.

The trees bow from force, and a few leaves fall to the ground, but the pinch between her eyebrows tells me she's not happy. When the magic stops, the breeze comes to a halt and her eyes open, the disappointment in them is stronger than before.

"Four," she croaks before clearing her throat and turning away from me once again.

This is bullshit. Absolute bullshit, but what pounds in my head more is the confusion over the fact that I want to make this better for her. I'm not a helper. I don't aid those who need it. I'm selfish, and I like it that way.

Clearing my throat, I pull myself from my thoughts. "Next."

"I need a minute," she grumbles, hands on her hips as she looks down at the ground. Her back is still to me, and that only makes the confusion inside me go haywire.

"You haven't got a minute," I grunt, and she whips her face to me with a glare.

"I'll have what I fucking well need."

"And if someone is attacking you, what are you going to do then?" I fire back, arms wide as I take a step toward her.

"The only person here who could attack me right now is you."

"That's not what I'm talking about and you know it." I shake my head, taking another step toward her. "Do you think Bozzelli is going to go easy on you now that she's weakened your abilities?"

Silence greets me as her gaze continues to darken. I'm very aware I'm fucking this all up right now, but I can't seem to stop myself. My instinctual reaction is to push everyone away, especially when they're getting under my skin as much as she is.

I shouldn't be out here helping her. I shouldn't be doing any of this.

She needs to rest, and I need some space. Something has shifted in my head and I can't think straight.

"If you can't get on with it, then let's call it quits," I bark, challenging her, and her nostrils flare with anger and irritation.

Good.

She stomps toward me, gaze fixed on mine in a way I've never seen before. It lasts for a solid five seconds before her face falls slack and horror dances in her eyes.

She takes a step back, and another. Despite my need to put distance between us, I inch toward her.

"What's going on?"

She shakes her head, turning away from me as she rushes toward the pathway as quickly as she can. It's barely a power walk. She's so weak. Keeping up with her isn't a hard task. Meeting her on the path, I reach for her arm but walk around her instead of tugging her to face me. I'm not sure if she'd tumble to the ground if I handled her too harshly right now.

"Talk to me, Adrianna," I grind out, noting the pain in her eyes isn't subsiding.

She slams her eyes shut, blocking me off, but she doesn't try to shake herself free from my grasp.

"I think I'm broken," she rasps, and I'm certain her chin wobbles slightly, but it lasts only a split second, not long enough for me to confirm or not.

"You can't be broken, Adrianna. You're incredible." I don't know where the words come from, but I wish they would return to their source.

"You're full of shit," she grumbles, and even though a part of me agrees with that statement, I find myself stating the complete opposite.

"No, I'm not."

She shakes her head, finally stepping out of my hold, and I let her go. "I was a lowly fae a few weeks ago. Now I'm incredible. That's the biggest bullshit I've heard in a long time," she points out, and all I can do is shrug.

"I didn't see your worth then," I offer, the truth spilling from my lips once again, and I don't like it.

"You mean you didn't know I was of royal blood. Is that it?"

"Maybe."

It's not true. It's so far from the fucking truth, but it seems I'm on a mission of self-destruction.

"At least you're honest," she mutters, and I sink my teeth into my bottom lip, refusing to correct her.

She yawns as her eyes fall to the ground, a sigh parting her lips a moment later, and I feel it in my bones.

"You need to rest."

"Maybe."

Wetting my lips, I consider my options. They're limited, and as much as a part of me wants to take off and be selfish like usual, I can't. "Can you handle me moving you?" My question lingers in the air. There's something going on with her that she doesn't want to discuss with me, and right now, I don't want to hear it. Even if it's the key to me being the heir of the Floodborn Kingdom, I don't want it. "I'm going to take your silence as a yes," I state when she gives me nothing.

My hands fall to her waist and she tucks herself in against my chest. I feel her tense in anticipation before I take off. I try to make it as fast and smooth as possible, and a moment later, we're outside her bedroom door.

I make sure she's steady on her feet before I take a step back.

Glancing at her door handle, I point to the item resting there. "There's a rose."

"There always is." She turns to take it, running her fingertips over the petals.

"Always?"

"I'm collecting them. This is rose number four," she explains, her words having a whimsical undertone.

"You're keeping them?"

"They call to my magic; of course, I am," she retorts as if it were obvious, and I nod.

She looks up at me with a sleepy edge to her gaze and I reach up to stroke my thumb across her cheek.

"What are you doing?" she asks, and I shake my head.

"I don't know." My gaze flickers between her eyes and her pouty lips.

We're still close, chest to chest, with our breaths mingling between us. My heart rattles inside me, a feeling I'm not all that familiar with unless it stems from adrenaline, but this is different.

I inch closer, despite my head screaming for me to turn away and run. She doesn't move, so I eliminate another. And another. And another. Until the heat of her lips is pressed against mine.

Warmth dances between us as I bask in her energy.

It's everything.

It's too much.

It's intoxicating.

Overwhelmed, I disconnect, taking a huge step back. So far, my back almost presses against the wall behind me as I blink at her.

I nod, and she nods too.

I don't know what the hell is happening, but it seems I've forgotten how to function.

Clearing my throat, I take a side step toward the staircase.

"I'll be seeing you," I blurt, instantly regretting it as a small smile curls the corner of her lips.

"I'll be seeing you too."