20. Adrianna

ADRIANNA

"Hey, are you okay? I saw you take off this morning and I was a little worried." I pause my chewing to peer up at Flora, whose eyes dance with the same concern she speaks of. "I wasn't purposely being nosey. I just saw you through my bedroom window," she adds, and Arlo rolls his eyes beside her.

Finishing off the food in my mouth, I clear my throat. "I'm fine. I was just starving."

She takes the seat across from me, Arlo taking his usual spot too. It feels weird sitting at this table when the assholes who continue to dominate my life aren't here. I considered sitting elsewhere, but yet again, in the grand scheme of things, where I eat my food isn't at the top of my priority list. I have enough drama. That won't be added to it.

I'm sure they'll make their appearance soon enough, though. The dining hall is starting to pick up.

"I didn't see you for dinner last night," Flora says, cutting into her pancakes, and I nod.

"Yeah, I slept through it."

"Slept?" Arlo quizzes, brows knitted in confusion as he peers at me.

"I was exhausted," I answer with a shrug, which only seems to intensify both of their stares.

"Does it have something to do with Bozzelli?"

I pause, fork halfway to my mouth as I look her straight in the eye.

"What makes you say that?" The words aren't much more than a whisper. I feel like I can't breathe.

She shrugs, but I can sense the worry in her tense shoulders. "She summoned you, and this is the first time I've seen you since."

I consider that fact, recalling the moment the dean stormed in and ordered me to her office. There was no Professor Fairbourne this time. There was no buffer. But more than that, I realize I never actually got to have my lunch yesterday, so it's been practically twenty-four hours since I last ate. No wonder my stomach feels like a bottomless pit this morning. I can't stop eating. I won't tell either of them that this is my second plate of food.

"You don't have to answer, I just?—"

I wave her off, interrupting her unnecessary backtracking. "Oh, it definitely has something to do with her. I just can't stop shoveling this food into my mouth," I admit, repeating the motion with the fork loaded with egg and bacon.

"A girl after my own heart," Arlo sings, hand on his chest, making me grin.

"A girl nowhere near your heart."

In slow motion, the three of us turn to see Raiden glaring down at Arlo like he's about to rearrange his face. We definitely don't need any additional issues today, so he can calm himself down real quick.

Brody taps the irritated vampire on the shoulder before taking his seat across the table from me. The rest of them move in silence, and a second later, I have Raiden on my left, Kryll on my right, and Cassian still giving me the silent treatment.

Excellent.

I frown at their lack of food trays, but not even ten seconds go by before plates are placed in front of them, piled high with food. I roll my eyes at the servers, who saunter off just as quickly as they came.

Of course they get their food served to them.

"Are you excited for ball prep this morning, Dagger?" Brody asks with a grin before he takes a bite of his breakfast.

I shake my head. "Nope." The P pops with way more sass than I expect, but I like it.

"Why?" His eyes narrow as he searches mine, but I turn my attention to Raiden. It's like he knows exactly what I'm asking without me saying a word because he nods a moment later.

"The fact that you know what I'm dealing with should be answer enough," I respond, earning a confused look from Flora.

"You're right, it is, but ball prep isn't physical. It's all slow dances." He wiggles his eyebrows suggestively at me and I roll my eyes again. "Perfect. Has she been this grouchy the entire time?" he asks, peering at Flora beside him, who grins.

"She's hungry. When a girl is hungry, she turns hangry real quick."

"Hangry?"

"I'm not hangry," I grumble, shoveling more food into my mouth as she snickers.

"You definitely are," Kryll interjects, and I turn a deathly glare in his direction.

"Nobody asked you."

He raises his hands in defense before turning his attention back to his plate. He doesn't look at any of the guys, just his plate or me, when he's giving me hell. What's that about? Come to think of it, Cassian seems stabbier than usual with the fork in his hand too. And Raiden… damn, I'm sure if he could move any closer to me, he'd be in my lap.

There's definitely a weird vibe between them, but that's probably to my advantage. Hopefully, they can use that to ignore me—well, everyone except Brody, who is grinning across the table at me.

I can still sense Flora and Arlo staring at me in confusion since they have no idea what I meant when I answered Brody. I make a mental note to explain it to them later. For now, I need all of the food I can get.

The weight of the gem doesn't feel as intrusive today as it did yesterday, but its presence is still there. Trying to put it to the back of my mind, I finish my food and down my water, ready to get on with the day.

As I push my chair back and stand, something collides with my back, knocking me forward. I brace my hands on the table to break my fall, wincing at the pain emitting from where the amethyst is buried deep beneath my skin.

Turning to see what the hell is going on, I catch a set of fists pounding into the table beside me before I can connect them to their owner.

"I challenge you to a duel."

Fuck. Me.

Sighing, I finally meet her gaze, and I have no clue who she is. Her brown hair is tied in a low ponytail and she's about three inches taller than me. Obviously, she's a wolf; the call for a duel signifies it, but the green cloak she unties and lets float to the floor confirms it.

"Who the fuck is this bitch?" I bite out, in no fucking mood to be dealing with any of this.

"I'm your worst fucking nightmare," she snarls, making me laugh as I turn to face her, but the second I do, she takes a step back, moving around the table so she's standing at the end closest to Cassian.

"Haven't you seen the company I keep? It doesn't get worse than this," I state, waving a hand at Brody, Kryll, Raiden, and Cassian.

Brody scoffs in shock, completely offended, while I spot the corner of Kryll's mouth curling up in amusement. Cassian, however, is glaring the bitch down while Raiden gives him the death stare.

I glance at Flora, who is watching with wide eyes as the drama unfolds in front of her, while I'm certain Arlo is going to pull out a bucket of popcorn at any moment. I wonder if their lives were this manic back home.

Shaking my head, I focus on the obstacle appearing before me.

"This isn't a joke to me. I want a duel. Now. I declare it," the wolf spits, hands clenched at her sides as she heaves each breath through her nose.

Smiling, I let my shoulders relax. "Of course you do. Where do you want me to lie down, or can I tap out while standing up?" I ask, more than ready to lose the title of Cassian's… what even am I?

"Like fuck will you tap out," Cassian snarls, eyes narrowing on me, and I smirk.

"Don't give me any of your shit right now. If you can't see, I'm dealing with enough already." I wag my finger at him before turning my attention to my new little challenger. "Where do you want me?"

"Right here, right now." A wicked smirk takes over her face as she sizes me up, thinking of all the ways she can break me down.

Sighing, I nod in agreement, ready to get this over with. She takes a few steps back, inching past Cassian to where there's a little more space, and I follow after her. But when I get within an inch of Cassian, he grabs my wrist and pulls me against him.

"You're not throwing this challenge."

"Watch me," I bite, keeping my eyes fixed on the girl before me as a crowd begins to gather and murmurs become full-blown conversations at my expense. Again. At least I won't have to worry about this the next time a duel is called. Maybe next time, I can be a spectator instead.

His grip on my wrist tightens. "Not if I give you something you want in exchange."

"What could you possibly have that I would want?"

He whispers into my ear, making me pause as my heart races insanely fast in my chest.

Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.

Tugging my arm from his hold, he thankfully lets me go. I take measured steps toward the challenger as I consider his words, drowning in the offer as I try to decide my next move.

Dammit.

Why does he have to do that? I had a clear path out of his life. Why doesn't he want me to take it? I don't understand. I don't have time to figure it out as another wolf climbs up onto the table next to me.

"Let the duel begin," she yells, a round of cheers echoing through the dining room.

The challenger charges at me without a single moment to waste. I can't decide what to do until she's too close, and I find myself knocked off my feet and hurtling toward the ground. My back slams harshly against the floor, burning up my spine and aggravating the amethyst, wreaking havoc on my magic.

She bares her teeth at me as she snarls, raising her fist, but before she can reach her intended target, my face, I land my own punch at the side of her neck, making her lose her balance.

"Bitch," she spits, cupping the reddening area, but I don't wait around for her to react as I roll us. Bucking my hips and bracing my shoulders, I effortlessly switch us around so I'm hovering over her.

She may have a height advantage over me, but she definitely doesn't have the muscle I do.

The crowd boos around us, unhappy I'm showing some kind of advantage, and it's truly unfortunate for them, because I'm taking this bitch down whether they like it or not.

"I'll kill you," she growls, punching me in the side of the head, but my weight over her doesn't shift as I rear my arm right back and connect with her face a second later.

Blood instantly coats my knuckles, sprouting from her nose, but that doesn't stop me from raising it again. Ready to repeat the motion, I frown when a hand locks around my waist, holding me in place and preventing me from hitting out again.

"What the fuck?" I grumble, glancing over my shoulder to see Raiden.

"What's the answer now?" he asks, making me frown. My chest falls and rises rapidly as I try to contain the adrenaline running through my veins.

"What do you mean?"

"She's not dead, and she can't tap out, but she sure as shit is knocked out cold."

I turn, looking down at the girl once again to find her completely out of it. Shit. He's right.

"This is bullshit," someone from the crowd hollers, and a few murmur their agreement as Cassian slowly stands from the table, stepping closer to us with his hands casually tucked into his pockets.

"I declare Adrianna Reagan the winner."

"I'd rather you didn't," I grumble under my breath as Raiden pulls me from the injured girl.

My body tenses as if he's going to take off speeding through the corridors, but to my surprise, he keeps a slow pace until I'm at the entryway, where he places me down on my feet.

"What did he say to make you change your mind?" he asks, lifting my chin up so I meet his gaze, but I shake my head.

"It doesn't matter." I try to take a step back, but he follows straight after me.

"It does, Adrianna. I want to hear you say it," he breathes, running his thumb over my bottom lip.

I can't think with him this close, nevermind breathe, yet the words part from my mouth anyway.

"He offered information on my mother."