Page 30 of The Kingdom of Ruin

The professor presses her palm against her chest, right where her heart is. “It’s devastating that so many of you feel this way. Not all love is like August and Constantine’s,” she insists, the latter name like acid through my veins at the mere mention of it. “August was unfortunate. Without a strong network around him, for himself and his two beautiful girls, he was helpless to the fall.”

“Where are they now? There’s never been any record of the king or his family after their fall,” a mage asks from the other side of Raiden, making my heart race wildly out of control in my chest.

“No one knows, and I think that’s best. They deserve peace and serenity in this life. They’ve been through enough pain and suffering.”

“We all have, and we’re the ones mending everything back together while he cowers away and hides,” Raiden barks, slamming his fist on the table with more force than is necessary, which only serves to spike the anger coursing through me.

The professor looks at him with a sadness in her eyes that I feel down in the pits of my soul. “You know nothing, vampire. Nothing but what the world has offered you. You wouldn’t survive a day in my shoes, or any other fae’s for that matter. Everyone has pain, every origin has a trauma that consumes us, but don’t ever pass judgment on those around you that you know nothing about. It won’t serve you well, and it’s certainly not a trait I would expect to find in our future heir. Would you?”

The room is draped in silence as I gape at her in awe.

Fuck Kryll being my favorite person; it’s her.

FIFTEEN

ADDI

Idon’t know how I’ve made it to lunchtime without being approached again by Brody, but here I am, gathering my trash with what almost feels like a successful smile on my face. Sure, he’s continued to press his knee to mine for the rest of the morning, but there’s been no other interaction, and I’m counting that as a win.

Two-one. To me, of course. Not that I would ever tell him that. Imagine Brody with the awareness of a challenge in the air. That would only double his efforts. I know it. So, I’m focusing on pretending he doesn’t exist until he, eventually, leaves me alone. I already feel like it’s working.

“I’m excited to have our first incantations and potions class next,” Flora muses with a smile, and I nod in agreement.

“It’ll be good for us to be able to implement things without requiring a mage all the time,” Arlo states, stuffing the last bite of his food into his mouth.

“I mean, we’ll likely need them from time to time, but I think it’s going to be good for us to have a general grasp of it,” I add, trying to see it more practically. Just because we’re taking the classes doesn’t mean we’re going to excel at it like the mages do. Their abilities are in their blood.

“Are you always so logical?” he asks as we rise from our seats, dropping our remnants in the trash as we head toward the academy doors.

I’m about to confirm that I definitely am as logical as possible when my brain isn’t scrambled, thinking about guys, but I don’t get to open my mouth before someone grabs ahold of my arm. I freeze, spinning defensively toward whoever has the balls to touch me right now, only to find a guy I don’t recognize.

Instant assessment tells me he’s a human and not one from my classes.

“Yes?” I bite, staring down at where his hand remains on my arm. He quickly releases it, clearing his throat as he takes a step back, leaning against the picnic table behind him.

“Thank you for saving my sister,” he murmurs, making me frown.

“Sister?”

“Yesterday,” he clarifies, and understanding dawns on me. I don’t really know what to say, so I offer him a simple nod instead. I didn’t help her for praise or attention. I helped her because it was the right thing to do. Like we all should. A thought strikes me, and before I can weigh out whether to say it or not, I blurt it out.

“Where were you?”

His brows furrow as his head rears back. “I’m sorry?”

“When it happened, where were you?” I repeat, watching his eyes widen as he rubs his lips together nervously.

“I was here.” The admission is quiet, a lot softer than his appreciation a moment earlier, and I think we both know why.

I size him up. He’s not small by any means. He’s stacked, taller than me, with bulked-out muscles and a mean jawline that I’m sure can look menacing when tense. He’s here because he’s ready to face everything the kingdom is up against—or as ready for it as a human can be.

“And you did nothing?”

“I—”

I wave my hand, cutting him off before he starts stammering like a fool, making sure the disappointment is clear on my face.

“I don’t want your thanks again. I want you to stand your ground. That's what we're all here for. Are you here to be the heir or to aid?” He simply gapes at me, eyes darting around as he tries to come up with some kind of answer. “Because you did neither of those things yesterday. Consider that. Consider what a leader or an aid to a leader would do when someone is in need. One that isn’t catty among bitchy women.” I exhale, letting the tension that quickly consumed me dissolve as I sigh. Turning away, I find Flora and Arlo smirking at me and I shake my head, but before I leave, I glance back at him with a softer touch to my eyes this time. “I am glad she’s okay, though,” I add before sauntering away.

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