Page 39 of The Reign of Blood

“How does it feel compared to usual?” I ask, continuing to dodge the vines until she finally relents and allows them to slip back into the ground.

Her lips twist as she thinks before she turns her back to me and moves toward one of the small flower beds lining the small wooded area. She crouches down, stroking her finger over the pink petal, and I watch as it brightens under her touch.

“Honestly, it’s maybe like a seven. Usually, I would be able to keep the vines silent, but they probably heard the stretching noise at the damn academy,” she grumbles, dancing her fingers over the surrounding flowers before rising back to her feet.

“Seven? We can work with that.”

She hums in agreement, but disappointment dances in her eyes as she looks at me. “Maybe take a step back for this one,” she murmurs, making me frown.

“Why?”

“You don’t have to. I’m just being polite,” she breathes as her eyelids fall closed again.

Without warning, the wind picks up around us, and I instantly realize she’s focusing on her air magic. She’s right. I definitely should take a step back for this one. I’ve been on the wrong end of her force before. I’d rather not experience it again.

The trees bow from force, and a few leaves fall to the ground, but the pinch between her eyebrows tells me she’s not happy. When the magic stops, the breeze comes to a halt and her eyes open, the disappointment in them is stronger than before.

“Four,” she croaks before clearing her throat and turning away from me once again.

This is bullshit. Absolute bullshit, but what pounds in my head more is the confusion over the fact that I want to make this better for her. I’m not a helper. I don’t aid those who need it. I’m selfish, and I like it that way.

Clearing my throat, I pull myself from my thoughts. “Next.”

“I need a minute,” she grumbles, hands on her hips as she looks down at the ground. Her back is still to me, and that only makes the confusion inside me go haywire.

“You haven’t got a minute,” I grunt, and she whips her face to me with a glare.

“I’ll have what I fucking well need.”

“And if someone is attacking you, what are you going to do then?” I fire back, arms wide as I take a step toward her.

“The only person here who could attack me right now is you.”

“That’s not what I’m talking about and you know it.” I shake my head, taking another step toward her. “Do you think Bozzelli is going to go easy on you now that she’s weakened your abilities?”

Silence greets me as her gaze continues to darken. I’m very aware I’m fucking this all up right now, but I can’t seem to stop myself. My instinctual reaction is to push everyone away, especially when they’re getting under my skin as much as she is.

I shouldn’t be out here helping her. I shouldn’t be doing any of this.

She needs to rest, and I need some space. Something has shifted in my head and I can’t think straight.

“If you can’t get on with it, then let’s call it quits,” I bark, challenging her, and her nostrils flare with anger and irritation.

Good.

She stomps toward me, gaze fixed on mine in a way I’ve never seen before. It lasts for a solid five seconds before her face falls slack and horror dances in her eyes.

She takes a step back, and another. Despite my need to put distance between us, I inch toward her.

“What’s going on?”

She shakes her head, turning away from me as she rushes toward the pathway as quickly as she can. It’s barely a power walk. She’s so weak. Keeping up with her isn’t a hard task.Meeting her on the path, I reach for her arm but walk around her instead of tugging her to face me. I’m not sure if she’d tumble to the ground if I handled her too harshly right now.

“Talk to me, Adrianna,” I grind out, noting the pain in her eyes isn’t subsiding.

She slams her eyes shut, blocking me off, but she doesn’t try to shake herself free from my grasp.

“I think I’m broken,” she rasps, and I’m certain her chin wobbles slightly, but it lasts only a split second, not long enough for me to confirm or not.

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