Page 55 of The Kingdom of Ruin

She scoffs, looking up at the ceiling helplessly. “Tell me about it. I’m a mind fae, and I can’t get a damn read on him since I taught him how to shield at twelve.”

“Damn, past Flora did future Flora dirty,” I state, and she chuckles.

“Right?”

We laugh for what feels like forever, the weight on my shoulders easing a little. I feel lighter, and it wasn’t even my problems we were discussing. It’s strange to me that she just laid all that out for me, and her words from earlier replay in my mind.

“I agreed to a date with Brody so he would strengthen the ward on my room. Apparently, the one we were taught isn’t strong enough to withstand mages,” I admit, and she gapes at me in surprise. “I know.”

“How did the date go?” she asks, a wistful romantic glint in her eyes.

“Well, I involuntarily dueled with a wolf named Leticia. I won, but the prize…is going to be more of a mess than I was already in,” I admit, looking away from her.

“A duel. Damn, Addi, they’re?—”

“Serious, I know. It was more serious than I realized, but at the time, I was in the moment and desperate to defend myself.”

“What were you dueling over?”

That’s the worst part. Saying it out loud feels like setting off a ticking time bomb, but I take a deep breath and blurt it out before I can change my mind. “Cassian Kenner.”

“Shut. Up. The most eligible wolf on campus?”

I frown at her as I shake my head. “No, he isn’t.”

“Yes, he is,” she insists, sitting up to turn toward me. “His father is the elusive asshole who put the Kenner pack before all else, and his son left to be here.”

“How did you know that?” I balk. I didn’t know until I was right there watching everything unravel.

“You need to pay better attention to the gossip around us,” she states, shaking her head, and I sigh.

“That sounds like more hard work than I’m willing to commit to,” I say, and she chuckles.

“I’ll focus on the gossip. You focus on keeping yourself out of any danger.” The pointed look she gives me keeps my lips sealed shut as I nod.

She’s right, that much is for sure. But why does that sound easier said than done? Since I’ve stepped foot on campus, all I’ve done is wind up in some kind of trouble.

TWENTY-SIX

ADDI

Having a friend who isn’t Nora is weird, but comforting. I feel protective over her, but not in the way I would be if it was Nora walking with me to the dining hall right now. The thought alone steals my breath. I would be practically feral. But Flora doesn’t feel like a direct connection to me like Nora does. I have to trust that she can handle herself, while I would have Nora under my arm, throwing death glares at anyone who even considered looking in her direction. Trouble or not.

We spent the rest of yesterday watching the entire first two seasons of The Office—all twenty-eight episodes. We were so addicted that Arlo showed up when the sun had gone down with pasta dishes for dinner.

Again, she slammed the door in his face, and I get the feeling that something more is going on between them. It’s not my place to pry, though. If she wants to tell me, I’m sure she will. That seems to be the balance we have between us, and I like it, so as eager as I am to know, I’m not rocking the boat.

“You’re definitely getting looks from at least four different groups of wolves,” she murmurs as we walk past the water fountain at the end of the individual origin pathways, and I grimace.

“Great.”

“I’m not getting a read that they’re pissy over anything, more an air of intrigue,” she adds, hoping to put me at ease, but it doesn’t change anything inside me.

“Well, if that’s all it is, they’ll go away soon because there’s really nothing to see here,” I grumble, running my hands over the gray cloak that screams I’m a fae at everyone.

“You’re funny.”

My eyes narrow as I turn to her. “You’re mean.”

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