32. Adrianna
ADRIANNA
Ican’t tell whether it’s Heaven or Hell, having the four of them standing before me. Hell, because I know they’re going to come with drama and a headache. Heaven, because holy fucking shit, what is this level of hotness burning bright before me?
Where to start the discreet admiration?
Brody slips the corsage over my wrist as I admire the pale gray suit that molds to his body so epically that my core tightens. I’ve seen this man naked, I’ve felt him inside me, but damn, the muscles that are wrapped in expensive fabric are next level.
“Thank you,” I murmur, watching the grin spread across his face, but his eyes don’t meet mine; they’re too busy running over my body from head to toe.
“Don’t thank him. He’s making up stupid rules that don’t count,” Raiden grumbles, shoving his friend aside, and I hear Flora giggle from beside me. I give her a pointed look, but it does nothing but make her laugh louder.
She’s in trouble later.
Bringing my attention back to the stalker vampire who seems to be everywhere I turn, I give myself a second to absorb his ridiculously chiseled and handsome looks. He’s dressed head to toe in black—suit, shirt, shoes, tie—everything.
He looks like a mafia leader out of one of those movies I’ve seen. He has that same edge about him in real life. Maybe he is a part of something insane like that outside of the academy.
How would I find out?
Shaking my head, I look past him to where Kryll stands with a smirk teasing the corner of his lips. He’s wearing a tailored navy suit that reveals how broad his shoulders really are. His shifter cloak has been hiding a lot of him, that’s for sure.
Black ink curls up his throat and across his hands, leaving me to wonder how far they go. His white shirt is open at the top and there’s no tie in sight, which only reconfirms the shifter that he is.
An irritated growl comes from the asshole at the back, drawing my attention his way as he folds his arms over his chest, glaring at me with an intensity that makes it hard for me to breathe.
His suit is almost an exact replica of Kryll’s, but he’s wearing a pale blue shirt with a navy tie and tan shoes. Even pissed off, he looks sinful in all of the right ways, which only serves to irritate me more. “Are we moving or not?” he snaps, pursing his lips as he turns for the fountain.
Brody rolls his eyes at him, offering me his arm, but I shake my head. Raiden does the same and I smirk as I sweep between them both, opting to walk alone.
“Such a loner. Are you sure you’re not a shifter?” Kryll muses as I pass him, falling into step with me without offering me his arm.
“I know my ears are lacking, and my magic is somewhat contained, but it’s all still there,” I reply.
“Are those combat boots under there?” Brody hollers, and I peer over my shoulder with a grin.
“You shouldn’t have expected anything different,” Arlo adds, making Flora chuckle as she clings to his arm.
“How would you know what I should and shouldn’t expect from her?” Raiden grunts, turning a deathly stare Arlo’s way, forcing me to stop in my tracks.
“Leave him alone.”
Dark eyes turn my way. “Have you fucked him?”
I rear back in horror, my chest clenching at the accusation on his tongue as anger builds inside of me. “I don’t answer to you, but to save Arlo from your bullshit, no, I haven’t,” I snap, offering the man in question an apologetic look, but he shrugs with a grin as if it’s not needed.
The energy around us is tainted with agitation, but I embrace it, letting it remind me where I am and what I’m walking into. Which I don’t actually have a clue about. Other than the fact that there will be food and dancing, everything else is a mystery, but I know people from the outside world will be there, and that leaves me on edge.
We walk the rest of the way in silence, groups of other students joining us as we continue along the path. Everyone looks completely different without their academy-issued cloaks. I can’t tell who is who. You can’t differentiate an origin tonight, and I like it.
As we round the corner, the entrance to the main academy building comes into view, but it looks nothing like it usually does. Everything is so… grand. A red carpet has been roped off, leading in through the double doors, while photographers stand on either side, snapping pictures of everyone.
Fuck.
I hadn’t considered the media would be here.
Nerves spike through my limbs until a hand lands at the base of my spine.
“Let’s go, Princess. Two loners together can get through this madness, right?”
I peer up at Kryll, nipping at my bottom lip, and before I can think better of it, I nod.
His hand remains in place, a warmth I didn’t know I needed as we near the masses. Students ahead of us stop and pose for pictures, enjoying the attention as I look for an alternative entrance, but I come up empty.
“Your brother doesn’t have a secret access point so we can avoid all of this, does he?” I ask hopefully, looking at Kryll again, who gives me a grim smile.
“I wish.”
Entering the ball suddenly seems like an even more ridiculous task as we wait for everyone to have their moment in the spotlight. Nausea burns in my throat as I step up to the rope, next in line.
“Do we have to stop?”
“We can try and just keep walking,” Kryll offers, leaning closer to whisper in my ear, and I shiver.
“Or you could use your shifter speed to bypass it all,” I offer at the same time someone calls out next.
Too late.
Fuck.
Plastering the best smile I can muster on my face, which feels more like a grimace, I let Kryll guide me along the red carpet. He keeps our pace calm and collected, even waving a time or two, but never drawing to a stop. We’re three-quarters of the way through when my hope for a peaceful passing is shattered.
“Wait. That’s the princess. It’s Princess Adrianna!”
Murmurs increase quicker than we can make it to the door as the photographers rush to block my path. The red carpet disappears beneath their trampling feet, creating a wall of flashing lights as I remain stunned.
“Smile for us, Princess.”
“What happened to your ears, Princess?”
“How are you finding the academy, Princess?”
“Princess Adrianna, where’s your father? Your sister?”
Lights flash, igniting the panic in my veins as Kryll moves his hand from my back and wraps it around my waist, tugging me into his side, attempting to shield me from the chaos.
“That’s enough of your incessant shit, don’t you think?” Raiden declares, stepping in front of me to block me from view even more.
“She’s the princess. The kingdom has a right to answers.”
“The kingdom didn’t give a shit about her for the past sixteen years, but now your questions need answers?” he retorts with a deadly scoff, making my eyes widen.
I don’t want him to fight battles for me. That’s not what this is, but the more I hide between him and Kryll, the weaker I’m going to look. I just need a damn second to adjust to it all and to remember everything my father taught me.
Clearing my throat, I look up at Kryll with a nervous smile. He frowns, but understanding flashes through his eyes. His hold on me slackens and he takes a step back. I place my hand on Raiden’s arm, making his gaze snap to mine.
Thank you, I mouth before stepping around him.
“Princess.”
“Princess Adrianna!”
“Princess!”
I wave my hand, halting their calls as I take a deep breath. “Good evening. I hope you are all having an enjoyable time so far,” I breathe, my hands slightly trembling at my sides as I look directly into the video camera ahead. “I’ll happily offer you a smile in a moment as you initially requested, but to address other matters that were brought to light first, my ears were damaged when I was small and forced to flee my home. My family is of no relevance to my attendance at the academy, and I don’t believe their whereabouts are required.” Clickers and shutters go off around me, making it hard to focus, but I picture that I’m on the mat in combat class, circling my prey. “You do have a right to answers, but I don’t have them. Not with words, at least. I’m here as an attendee of the academy, just like everyone else. My answers will come in the form of action, which I believe is exactly what the kingdom needs.”
Running my hands over my dress, I plant a hand on my hip, jut my chin up, and make myself smile like I mean it. Lights flash, and more questions are hollered, but I block them all out as I give them two whole seconds of this fake-ass shit before turning toward the doors.
I feel the tendrils of freedom surround me as I step into the corridor, relief flooding me until the shrill voice of the most irritating person on campus announces her presence.
“Why the hell are you walking in with her?”
Reluctantly, I turn to find Vallie pointing a blood-red nail in my direction. Her dress is black, and if she weren’t such a bitch, I’d say she looked pretty, but she is a bitch, and I’m petty as fuck, so I refuse to admit it.
“Vallie, please do me a favor and fuck off,” Raiden grunts from behind me, his hand falling to my waist, and my spine stiffens at the contact.
She cocks a perfectly arched brow over my shoulder. “Raidy baby, my daddy is here, and once he sees…” Her words trail off, making me frown, but I sense a shift in the man at my back before he steps around me.
“Move,” he grunts, pointing at her, and a wicked smile spreads across her face as she peers back at me. “I apologize,” he murmurs, glancing down at me, and I frown.
“For?”
He sighs heavily. “For this,” he breathes before stepping up to her side and entering the grand hall with her.
I stare after them, a mixture of disbelief, horror, and jealousy coursing through my veins.
“What just happened?”
“Vampires are… complicated,” Brody states, stepping to my left as Kryll appears to my right.
“Oh, I thought you were going to say assholes,” I joke, but the laughter doesn’t come.
“That too,” Cassian grunts, walking around us.
A soft hand strokes down my arm from behind and I turn to see Flora staring at me with concern etched into her eyes. “Are you okay?”
“I’ll be okay,” I answer, unsure what I’ll actually be okay with, but I attempt to compartmentalize it all for now. I need to survive this shit. I can worry about everything in more depth later.
Moving into the grand hall, where music plays softly in the background, I try to take a deep breath and ease the weight on my shoulders.
“Name, please?”
I look at the attendant, startled, but quickly realize they’re here to guide us to our seats. Thankfully, Flora answers for me and Arlo, collecting our table number before we saunter through the room.
Gold tables, gold chairs, gold drapes. Everything is so luxurious and over the top, but the white tablecloths, chair covers, and floral centerpieces manage to mellow it all out a little. Chatter is high as we walk through the room, the excitement and buzz back in the air.
As we make our way to the table, I focus again, no longer distracted by all the pretty gold things; I realize that even without our origin cloaks, we’re still segregated.
Shifters with shifters.
Mages with mages.
Wolves with wolves.
Humans with humans.
Fae with fae.
Vampires sit with vampires, like Raiden, right beside Vallie, which makes my nostrils flare and anger rush to the surface, but I push it back.
“Here we are,” Flora murmurs, pointing toward the table in front of us. A woman’s face lights up at the sight of her, and she rushes to her feet.
“Flora!” She wraps her in her arms tightly as Arlo embraces the man beside her.
These must be their parents.
Even I have the fun of watching them now. Great.
“Princess Adrianna, it’s an honor to meet you,” Arlo’s father says, tilting his head in a show of respect. I quickly wave my hand for him to stop.
“Just Addi is perfectly fine. It’s lovely to meet you too,” I reply, and he smiles at me as Flora’s mother steps forward to stroke a hand down my arm.
“I’ve heard such wonderful things about you. It’s lovely to meet you,” she gushes, her smile so genuine it warms my soul. “Come, sit. Food will be served soon and then we get to dance,” she exclaims excitedly.
Flora rolls her eyes at her mother, but I find it endearing. Taking my seat, I glance around the room, and I hate the fact that I instinctively pinpoint where Brody, Kryll, Cassian, and Raiden are.
What’s even worse is when I locate each of them, their gazes are already set on me.