Page 127 of Brutal Birthright

His gaze swept over the sight before him. Bouncing rapidly to take it all in.

Rows upon rows of students lined both sides of the floor, and at the far end there was a raised platform erected. At the head of the room stood Belle, in her role as Guardian, and she was flanked by other dignitaries from across the realms by the look of it.

He could see his brother Lachie standing off to one side, with eyes only for Belle.

Rowan was seeing the scene in front of him, but his mind couldn’t reconcile the details with how he’d left them all as they’d returned through the portal.

It had only been moments before that he’d witnessed Belle in the grips of the dark magic she’d used to fight off Fiadh. With his own eyes, Rowan had watched blackened veins spread throughout her body and then seen the moment she was hurled back through the chasm by Brigid’s magic.

It was barely minutes ago that he’d been wrestling to hold his brother back from getting himself killed… wasn’t it?

To look at them both, they seemed different.

As if an inordinate amount of time had passed.

Rowan’s heart began to beat triple time.

His fingers curled into fists.

Ice flooded his veins.

Why hadn’t he been able to find Oriana?

Standing to one side of Belle, the familiar figure of Ruby was shaking the hand of the vampire, Etienne, and awarding him what looked like a parchment scroll wrapped in gold and a medallion of some kind she was proceeding to affix to his suit. Niall, of course, stood barely two paces behind her.

Rowan was about two seconds from razing this academy to the ground in order to find his girl when the mood in the ballroom shifted.

The bloodsucker headed across to the far side of the stage, and the applause that had rippled around upon seeing him receive whatever presentation had been handed to him simmered down to a hush.

Ruby was speaking now, addressing the gathered students, but it was the shadowy outline just off to the side of the stage that had Rowan’s every ounce of attention.

Words washed around him that made his body break out in a cold sweat. Realisation began to sink into his awareness, leaving him light-headed.

“Next, we are delighted to present to you our top graduate into the elite of the Astrals. This year has been one of immensely trying and difficult circumstances, and no one here today is more proud of what this incredibly talented individual has achieved. Please, can everyone join us in an Astracadia salute as we celebrate Oriana.”

She stepped forward out of the shadows, and Rowan could hardly breathe.

Long black hair was swept over her shoulder to one side. A charcoal-coloured dress with long fitted sleeves hugged her figure, while ornate gold and jewelled flowers sat atop her head. Oriana moved onto the stage as if floating there.

Rowan’s pulse thundered in his ears so loud it drowned out the cheering and whistles from the students gathered. The entire room was a crescendo of noise and celebration.

Meanwhile, dread filled his stomach.

This year?

Their graduation ceremony?

It wasn’t fucking possible.

Before he knew what was happening, his feet were carrying him up the aisle down the centre of the makeshift auditorium. With each row of students he stormed by, whispers started to roll like a wave of thunder building behind him.

Fuck.

His eyes bored into his little faerie, the love of his entire fucking life, and the beating heart of his world.

And the sickening realisation filled him that this ceremony should not be happening now.

Not when it was only a moment ago in his mind that he pulled her from Fiadh’s clutches.

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