2. Adrianna

ADRIANNA

The strong arms banded tightly around me fall slack, giving me enough space to squeeze my daggers in my fists. But before I can use the leverage, another set of arms close in around me.

We're traveling at supernatural speed before I can bark my anger at the new person man-handling me. Unfortunately for me, I'm distracted by the nausea that curls through my stomach, taking me hostage and leaving me at the will of the man pinning me to his chest.

Even with my back pressed against him, I know exactly who it is. The world shifts around me, my secret exposed and raw, yet the familiar scent flutters at my senses, shooting a sharp vision of a chiseled jaw and perfectly styled black hair into my brain.

Raiden.

Of course the vampire comes after me first. Despite the sickly burn up my throat as my insides threaten to spill, I still berate myself for not being prepared for his onslaught amongst the madness. But in my defense, laying eyes on my mother, who disappeared without a trace so many years ago, has left me completely off-kilter.

Vomit tickles the back of my throat and I'm certain I'm going to puke, but as suddenly as the initial thought enters my head, we stop. The strong arms around me disappear a moment later and Raiden takes a step back. My vision is blurry, my balance completely off, and as much as I want to glare at him, I'm left to fend off the effects of gravity. My arms flail at my sides as I fall backward and my mouth opens, but not a single word comes out before I slump into a chair behind me.

I grip the armrests like my life depends on it, silently relieved there is something to break my fall, but it does nothing to aid the nausea still churning in me. My chin drops to my chest as I try to rid myself of the feeling by taking a few deep breaths, completely aware that I'm alone with the vampire at the top of my foe list.

Once the feeling starts to subside, my mind whirls to life, unsure what fact or revelation to clutch onto first, but I have to put all of that aside and deal with the problem at hand.

Looking up through my lashes, I instantly frown when I don't spot the vampire where I last saw him. Stiffening in the armchair, my fingers curl around the material as I slowly lift my head, trying to listen for anything I'm not seeing, but I come up empty.

I peer around the room, lips pinched, as I vaguely recall the space from the only other time I was here. Raiden's room. I passed through here when I stormed from his bedroom with a tattered shirt and the aches and pains from the duel Leticia subjected me to. The plush leather sofa sits across the room, a huge television on the wall, and there's even a mini kitchenette in the far corner opposite the doorway to his bedroom. The crown jewels of the room, however, are the huge arched windows that look down over the campus like he's tall and grand, above it all.

At least I'm back on campus and not in some dark and dingy lair he might have, but it's still too far away from the wolf I want to get my hands on.

Retribution is necessary. Avenging my sister… paramount.

Rushing to my feet, the room spins around me and my arms begin to flail again.

"Sit your ass down, Troublemaker, you're only going to make it worse."

I snarl at Raiden as he steps into the room with measured steps and a cloth in his hand. Standing taller, despite his command, I wag my finger at him. "You know nothing about me, asshole. Don't tell me what to do." I'm acutely aware that my finger isn't quite as aimed at him as I would like it to be, and the way he cocks his brow confirms it. Fucker. "I would be fine if you had just left me there. It's your fault I'm close to puking my guts out," I add, my hand instinctively clutching my stomach as it rolls at the words leaving my mouth.

"Are you done?" he asks with a sigh, giving me a pointed stare, and my eyes narrow at him.

"No."

Another sigh, paired with his lips pursing in distaste, escapes him. "Spit it all out then. The quicker you finish your ranting, the quicker we can get to the good stuff."

Good stuff?

There is no good stuff.

My nostrils flare, anger getting the better of me, and my hands clutch the handles of two daggers strapped to my chest.

"This is exactly why you're a dangerous troublemaker," he states, waving a hand at me. "Always quick to be vicious with those little blades of yours." He strides toward the sofa and sits with purpose, holding his hands out wide in a show of surrender. "How about you sit the fuck down, chill the fuck out, and we'll go from there?"

"Wait, do you think I'm going to discuss what just happened back there… with you?" I scoff, my pulse ringing through my ears in disbelief as my jaw sits agape.

"I don't think. I know." His voice turns harder, the promise etched into his words.

I really don't need this shit on top of everything else. Pinching the bridge of my nose, I take a few deep breaths before peering around the room in search of the best possible exit plan I can muster.

As if sensing my thoughts, Raiden clears his throat. "There's no escaping, Troublemaker. We're going to talk. Then, you can leave."

I scoff again. "Do you really expect me to believe that you're going to just let me leave once we're done talking?" I know he thinks I'm a dumb fae, along with the rest of my origin, but he can't truly think we're that dumb, can he?

Another pointed look, and this time, it's paired with his hands clenched together. "I swear it. If I wanted you dead, I would have done it already, regardless of who or what you are." I gulp at the truth in his words, but I'm quickly overwhelmed by the resilience that forever burns through my veins. "Before you start another rant about how strong and brave you are, I'm sure you would put up a good fight, but let's cut the bullshit and discuss what the fuck just happened back there."

Do I need to go over everything that happened? Yes.

Do I need to get my ass back there and kill that fucker? Definitely, yes.

Does this asshole need to be involved in any of that? Absolutely not.

As I begin shaking my head, I can tell he already senses my refusal, and he cocks a brow at me. "What was that about your sister?" I instinctively take a step toward him, my shoulders tensing and hands balling into fists, and he grins. "Touchy subject, as I guessed. What's that about?"

I purse my lips, my breaths coming in short, sharp swells as I rack my brain over his approach. He's asking about my sister first. Not my heritage. That doesn't make any sense at all.

Clearing my throat, I force my body to relax. "I'm not discussing my sister with you."

"Why is that?" he pushes, my body desperate to eliminate the distance between us so I can fucking hurt him. "Adrianna?"

He's trying to kill me. He's trying to fucking kill me with words alone, and it's going to work.

"Don't call me that," I rasp, my chest so tight that I'm almost certain I'm going to implode.

"Why? It's your name, your birthright."

So he did hear it. I know he did, but hearing the confirmation from his lips makes my body ache with tension. My secret is out there. It was always going to be, eventually, but I was hopeful it would be on my terms. Once my strength and willpower had proven my worth. When the crown was back in my possession. But alas, I'm powerless to the strength of the darkness that wreaks havoc on our kingdom.

I need to get out of here. I need to get as far away from these four walls as possible so I can think and process by myself. I take one step toward the door, and he's crowding my space in the next breath. His fingers wrap around my upper arms, pinning me in place.

If he knows my secret, there's no need to hide myself or the powers anymore.

Sinking deep into my core, connecting with the air around me, I take a deep breath and thrust my hands toward him. The air whips around us, blasting him into the wall beside the door with a grunt. A sigh of relief passes my lips as I feel the tingles of my magic I haven't touched since I arrived here.

Raiden's effortlessly back on his feet within a blink of an eye, hands clenched at his sides as he glares at me. "I'm trying to help you, Adrianna. Use your royal magic on me one more time, and I'll consider that a declaration of war."

"Help me? Why the hell would you want to help me?" He's lying; he has to be.

"What was Kenner referring to when he was talking about your sister?" He repeats the same question from earlier, making my teeth grind together in agitation.

"I'm not discussing her with you," I snap, eager to get the hell out of here, but his threat of war feels far too real for me to act without caution.

"Tell me about your ears then."

"No."

"I've got all night, Adrianna. Do you want this discussion with just me, or would you prefer we wait until the others finally figure out where we are, and then we can have a group chat?"

Fucker.

"I'll tell you about my ears, and then you'll let me leave?"

He assesses me for what feels like an eternity. What he's considering, I don't know, but eventually, he nods. "Tell me, and I'll let you leave, but you're going to have to be prepared for further bargains down the line."

I don't know what that's supposed to mean, and I should probably ask, but truthfully, I just want to get the hell out of here as quickly as possible.

"Fine," I grumble, folding my arms over my chest so I can discreetly wrap a hand around a dagger. Just in case. "The night the castle was overthrown, my father?—"

"King Reagan," he interjects, eyebrows raised as he waits for me to clarify.

"King Reagan," I repeat, the words heavy and pained on my tongue. "Gathered me and… gathered his children and took to the secret passageways. He had fought as hard as he could, used his magic until there was no chance for him to regenerate it in time, and declared that saving his beloved daughters was his top priority." Silence falls over us as I try to find the right words, but recalling the events of that night causes more pain than I care to admit. I've packed it away for so long, wearing my untipped ears with pride regardless, but it still hurts to remember the feelings that ran through my body, the smell of earth and singed plains, along with the taste of copper in my mouth. "My father?—"

"King Reagan," he corrects again, and I glare at him.

"King Reagan or not, he's still my father, and I'll continue to refer to him that way," I snap, anger consuming me once again.

He shakes his head. "He is your father in the comfort of your own surroundings. In public, in conversation with any soul not in your immediate bloodline, he is King Reagan. Addressing him as anything else is, at best, a display of your poor knowledge of the ways of our kingdom. At worst, it could be interpreted as outright contempt for our traditions and way of life."

My brain freezes. His words aren't acid or lecturing; he's being… helpful? I can't be certain.

Fuck.

Shaking my head. I focus back on the story. His proximity isn't aiding my thoughts. "King Reagan told us to hide in the caverns as we awaited our transportation, but we were overwhelmed by a pack of wolves. He told me to keep my eyes closed and sing my favorite poem in my mind to fight off the pain and panic, so I did, just as he had always taught me, even at such a young age. I didn't see the faces of the attackers. I barely felt the slice along my ears until we somehow made it to safety." The rest threatens to spill from my lips, the inability to correct the damage that had been done, both to me and to Nora, but I quickly shut it all down and clear my throat.

"That's not as gruesome as I thought it was going to be."

Asshole.

"Fuck you. Are we done?" I snarl, inching toward the door. He doesn't move at first, eyes narrowed on me as he considers his next move. I've played his game long enough. My irritation is at an all-time high, and if he doesn't get his shit together and let me leave, a war between us will be the least of his worries.

My magic thrums to the surface, ready to act, but as I step within an inch of him, he moves to the side, clearing my path. I grab the door handle and swing it open so fast I can barely breathe, but his parting words stay with me far beyond exiting his room.

"Don't forget, Troublemaker, you're going to tell me everything I want to know. Unless you want this little secret to get out."