Page 26 of The Kingdom of Ruin

I take a moment to even out my heart rate as I approach, noting both Cassian and Kryll seated on the edge of the fountain behind him. Perfect, he brought an audience.

I’m slightly surprised Brody isn’t?—

“Phew, I thought I might have missed it. Proceed.”

There he is. I really should have known he wouldn’t be far behind.

His voice echoes from behind me, slightly breathless from running as he smiles wide, slipping into the gap between Cassian and Kryll at the fountain. When we don’t instantly proceed, he waves his hand encouragingly.

Give me the strength to handle this guy. Hot damn.

I can feel eyes on me, and when I peer over my shoulder, I find everyone glancing our way as they pass, slowing their pace. They’re probably expecting another dramatic scene involving a fae, but I think I’ve given them enough of that today.

Eager to get this over with, I turn back to Raiden with a sigh. His brown eyes cut to mine, his jaw tightening like my presence causes him issues, but he was the one to insist on this. “Fire away, Fangs,” I grumble, nodding for him to proceed.

His eyes narrow, his nose crinkling with distaste. “Fangs?” he spits as Brody snickers.

I shrug, plastering a smile on my face. “I think it suits you.” He’s plotting my death. I can practically see it in his eyes. His knuckles are white at his sides as he continues to assess me, not actually getting to the point of any of this. “You wanted to talk, but you’re not saying much.”

“There are too many eyes,” he snaps, glancing over my shoulder.

“That’s not my problem. You chose the location, remember?” I’ve never met a man who glares so well in so many different ways.

“Tell me it’s fun getting under his skin,” Brody hollers, a giddiness dancing in his eyes, and I have to press my lips together to bite back the smile threatening to take over my face.

“Don’t rile him up any more than he already is, asshole,” Cassian grunts, elbowing the blond menace while his gaze lingers on me.

“But she knows what I’m talking about,” Brody insists, pulling me from the stare-off with Cassian.

Squeezing the bridge of my nose, I take a deep breath, attempting to count to ten slowly and calmly, but unless he’s actually going to say his piece, the stress inside of me will not subside.

“Are we done here, or…”

“We’re not fucking done,” he snaps, anger vibrating from him.

He takes a step, and in the next breath, my feet are off the ground. The world moves around me at a speed I can’t even explain, and I think I’m going to be sick. Everything comes to a standstill a few moments later, but no sooner do my feet touch the ground than my back is slammed against a hard surface.

I’m disoriented, slowly taking in my surroundings as the world continues to tilt beneath me. Blinking repeatedly, I finally realize where I am. We’re in the forest, in the spot where I first saw him and Cassian. My back is pressed against a tree while Raiden looms over me as menacing as ever.

“What the fuck?” I yell, disbelief flooding my body as I glare at him.

“Too many eyes.”

Too many eyes? Too many fucking eyes? He thinks that’s a good enough excuse?

“Don’t fucking do that,” I bite out, prodding his chest with my finger as nausea continues to swirl in my stomach.

“I’ll do what I please,” he retorts, with that air of superiority only a vampire can exhibit.

“A little warning wouldn’t go amiss,” I push, refusing to give in as I straighten my cloak and smooth my hands over my t-shirt. Taking a deep breath, I meet his glare with a challenging stare of my own. “Please, give me the almighty speech you’ve been preparing so I can get the hell out of here.”

He looks up to the sky, eyelids falling to half-mast as he mutters under his breath. It’s irritating, and I’m about to tell him that, but his glare lands on my face again a moment later. “Do you cause such a scene everywhere you go?”

“That’s not really any of your concern.”

Right now, my head is too scrambled to confirm whether the issues are emanating from me or them, so I’m neither confirming nor denying at this stage.

He scoffs. “You’re making it really hard for that to be the case.” He steps closer until we’re chest to chest, revealing his height advantage. “When I’m crowned the heir, I’m going to have to prove I can handle people like you.”

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