Page 76 of The Reign of Blood

“Here are the menus for you to take a look at,” Pearl states, placing the worn leather before Arlo and Flora, who murmur their thanks. “Addi,” she adds, turning to me. “I have a call for you.”

“A call for me?” I repeat, confusion dancing through my veins.

She nods, pointing toward where the phone stands beside the coffee machine. Panicked, it takes everything in me to keep my steps measured and calm as I approach it like an explosion about to go off.

Bringing the device to my ear, I take a deep breath. “Hello?”

“Do you go everywhere without your cell phone?”

I look around, eyes wide with fear. “Where are you?” I rasp, chest tightening.

“Come find me.”

29

ADRIANNA

The call cuts off just as quickly as it began, the tone echoing in my ears as my mind goes on high alert. Sweeping my gaze around the restaurant once more, I don’t catch anything out of the ordinary. I need to leave right now.

Discarding the phone, I take a few steps toward Flora and Arlo, but the moment I have their attention, I start backpedaling toward the door. “I need to go.”

“Go where?” Flora asks, confused. Her gaze runs over me from head to toe, searching for an answer to my sudden urgency, but she won’t find it.

“Just…if you’re not here by the time I get back, I’ll assume you’ve gone back to the academy,” I answer, nodding, more to myself than them. I press my shoulder against the door, the little chime echoing out as Flora calls my name.

“Addi, wait!”

I give her a soft smile, hoping like hell she’ll understand eventually, but there’s no time for that now. Slipping through the door, I pause a moment to take a single deep breath as the fresh air hits me.

My heart races as every single one of my senses hones in on where I should go first. Where to look. Wiping a hand downmy face, an idea comes to mind, and before I can second guess myself, I take off.

Fixing my hood, I make sure to hide my face, keeping my head down as I hurry through the cobbled streets. The narrow passageways extend into wider spaces, busy with people, and I try my best to keep pressed against the wall.

When I reach the square, the crowds become thicker. Shouldering past a few people, I hear grumbles of complaints, but I don’t pay any attention to them. My mind is focused and I won’t be distracted.

Eventually, cobbled ground leads to well-trodden paths, and the high walls protecting the City of Harrows dwindle down, leading to a smattering of trees. I know the nook I’m looking for—straight ahead, beside an oak tree and a bramble bush.

Dirt kicks up around me as I hurry my steps, looking over my shoulder a few times to make sure I’m alone. I can see the tendrils of magic twinkling off the bramble leaves and I don’t waste any time slipping through the net.

A squeal bursts around me the second I’m through the veil and I drop to my knees, falling into open arms. I cling to the blanket in her lap as her hands press into my back, holding me as close as possible from this angle.

Each breath fills my lungs further, and with each second, I feel whole. With every inhale, each cell in my body becomes more in tune with hers. That is until I peer up and meet her gaze. Her round face, button nose, and her infectious smile come into full view.

“Fuck, Nora. Don’t do that.”

“Language, Addi.”

I peer over my shoulder to where my father is standing, an eyebrow raised at the cuss falling from my lips.

“Don’t give me that, Dad. I was scared,” I retort, still unable to control my heart rate as it threatens to burst from my chest.Glancing around, the telltale surroundings come into view. The trees are lush and green, the flowers in full bloom, and the yellow dirt path that leads around the outskirts of the City of Harrows toward home.

This is our secret passage. My father’s magic at its finest, offering us some kind of solace among the madness that has haunted us for as long as I can remember.

A smile ghosts over his lips as he takes a step toward us. “It’s good to see you.”

I rise, slipping into his open arms as we meet in the middle. “It’s good to see you both too. What are you doing out here?” I ask, squeezing him once more for good luck before I refocus the majority of my attention on Nora.

My sister avoids my gaze as my father clears his throat. “You mentioned your plans to Nora last night, and once she gets an idea in her head…” His words trail off.

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