Page 20 of The Kingdom of Ruin

My stomach grumbles, reminding me that it’s lunchtime.

“Finally, lunch. I’m starving,” Arlo states, coming to a stop beside me with Flora.

Thankfully, neither of them have asked about earlier, and honestly, I wouldn’t even know how to describe it. I haven’t been tempted to look at my arm yet, but I can do that in my room later.

“Food? I feel like we only just had breakfast,” Flora mutters, and the reminder of this morning’s events makes my muscles clench. To the point I’m considering whether it’s worth going or not.

As if sensing my thoughts, Flora places her hand on my arm. “Do you want to get food and eat outside on the lawn? It’s so nice out here,” she offers, a soft smile on her lips, and I find myself nodding before I’ve actually considered what she’s saying.

There’s a glint in her eyes. I know she’s getting a read on me. She really does remind me of Nora in so many ways, but I can’t start breaking that down on day one. It will only bring my emotions to the surface, and I don’t need to deal with that. I have to remain impassive, focused, and not let my feelings and friendships get in the way of anything.

If that’s even what this is; friendship. It’s not really something I’m all that familiar with.

Before I can waste too much time deciphering it, I fall into step with Arlo and Flora as we head for the dining hall. We manage to slip inside, load up our trays with food, and make it back outside unaffected. As we get comfortable at one of the picnic benches out on the lawn, I let my body relax a little, letting a calmness wash over me.

None of us speak, the three of us all content to enjoy our food, the sunshine, and the fresh air. A few other students slowly settle in at the other tables but pay us no mind. Once I’m done eating, I tilt my face to the sky, enjoying the heat against my skin as I try to envision the future I want, but the idea is quickly cut off when I hear commotion from across the lawn.

“Why am I not shocked that she’s involved again?” Flora grumbles as I pry my eyes open to seek out the source of the noise.

Vallie.

She really is well-versed in causing drama it seems. Not only with fae, though, which is a fact worth noting. This time, she’s causing chaos with a human girl.

“She definitely has a penchant for drama,” Arlo states, and I hum in agreement.

“It’s annoying as fuck,” I admit, watching the scene continue to unravel.

The human girl is sitting at a table with a few other people, none of whom are offering to interject on her behalf, while Vallie hovers over her, finger wagging in her face. She has a mini freaking army of vampire followers behind her too. All girls. All feasting on the frenzy she stirs.

Hopeful that Vallie will leave her alone soon enough, I reach for my drink, but the moment my water bottle touches my lips, Vallie reaches for the girl’s throat, lifting her off her seat, the girl’s feet dangling in the air as she makes a point of showing her strength.

She continues to snarl in her face, gasps echoing around the lawn as the human girl struggles to get out of her hold. No one at the table with her considers that now might be the time to interject and I can’t stand it any longer.

Pushing to my feet, Flora’s hand grabs mine on the table. “What are you doing?” Her eyes are wide, panic contorting her face as I shake my head.

“I’m not just going to sit here and watch her treat people like that,” I bite out, my anger aimed at the dramatic vampire continuing to cause a stir.

“Why deal with drama that’s not yours?” Flora pushes as I slip my hand from hers, but there’s no time to respond when an almighty scream reverberates around us.

I take off toward them, watching in horror as Vallie sinks her teeth into the human’s throat. Crimson stains her cloak a moment later as I increase my speed, but I’m going to have to connect to my magic if I want to bring this to a stop now.

Without slowing my pace, I focus on the ground beneath Vallie’s feet, letting my magic sink into the earth. Vines rise, thick and fast, twisting around Vallie’s legs and climbing to her torso before she even realizes it.

The girl lands with a thud, but I don’t stop my magic from consuming Vallie until her arms are pinned to her sides, holding her in place.

She screams, her friends squealing along with her, but the noise becomes like static in my ears as I drop to the ground beside the human girl, whose cries are burning into my brain. The pain is clear, the terror enough to haunt us all.

Sweeping my hand over her face, she’s warm to the touch, tears streaming down her cheeks as the two puncture wounds at her throat continue to spill blood onto the grass beneath her.

“I need a mage who can help. Now!” I holler, not caring that Vallie is still causing a scene. She fucking started this. When no one immediately appears at my side, I glance around the space, noting everyone watching me from a distance. “I said I need a fucking mage,” I bite, irritation getting the better of me. My eyes lock on Brody’s as he stands with Kryll, Cassian, and Raiden. He’s a mage. “Can you help?” I blurt, and he simply shrugs, not moving an inch.

“Release her!” one of Vallie’s little followers screams, pointing down at the annoying vampire who is struggling against the vines to no avail, but I pay her no mind as I look around at the entire lawn, making eye contact with as many people as possible while the human girl continues to cry out in agony.

“Why the fuck is anyone here if you’re not going to help each other? The whole point of this damn place is to do just that. If you’re going to attack each other and lord your origins over one another, then we’re never going to change. Our kingdom will never grow, and we will stay in this state forever. This is our kingdom! If we aren’t going to save each other, then who will?”

Silence greets me, causing even more unnecessary distress as I turn my full attention back to the girl. “It’s okay. I’m going to help the best I can,” I promise, pressing my palm against the puncture wounds, and causing her to cry out a little more. Dammit. “I can help with the punctures, but the burning through your veins isn’t going to leave for a couple of hours.”

I hiss as a hand lands over mine, stilling me.

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