Page 79 of The Reign of Blood

Watching her with her family is like seeing an entirely different side to the cryptic woman who consumes my every breath. At Heir Academy, she has an ice princess vibe about her. All standoffish and harsh, but it seems beneath all of that, she has the ability to melt into a puddle at the sight of her loved ones.

What an odd feeling that must be. It was strange to see. It’s like they all actually care for one another. There is no backstabbing, no personal gain, nothing.

Just a man and his two daughters.

Not even a king with his princesses.

It is just a wholesome family.

I don’t know how I feel about that. I hate her, yet I’m drawn to her. It’s exhausting, but I can’t seem to stay away, no matter how hard I try.

“Where are you going?” I repeat when she proceeds to ignore me.

“None of your business,” she hollers over her shoulder, adjusting the hood on her cloak so it shields her face from sight. She did it earlier, too. It’s a natural move that looks as though she’s done it one thousand times.

“If it’s to the restaurant, I already made sure Flora took your bag,” I state, and she pauses in her tracks, whirling around to face me with another pinch of anger knitting her brows together.

“You did what?”

“A simple ‘thank you’ would suffice.”

“For who?” she gasps, exasperated, as she throws her arms out wide.

“For me.” Another flare of her nostrils, another dose of irritation, another shade darker to her green pools. “Your sister looks like you,” I acknowledge, which somehow has the opposite effect of what I’m going for.

“Don’t talk about my sister.” The snarl is harsh, raw, and real. I like it.

“Why?” I can’t stop myself from pushing her further, amused as her lips set in a thin line.

“I’m not doing this with you,” she grinds out, taking a step back, and I shake my head.

“You’re not doing much with me, and it’s driving me insane.” The truth parts my lips against my will, but I can’t take the words back now.

A sickly sweet smile draws across her face, the venom already on the tip of her tongue. “I’m a lowly fae, remember? The trash. That’s how you put it, isn’t it?” She plants a hand on her hip, waiting for my response. I roll my eyes.

“You’re dramatic, and we’ve already been over this,” I state, as tired as I feel revisiting this conversation. I wish we could put it behind us already, but something tells me a woman like Adrianna Reagan isn’t going to forgive and forget my stupid comments as effortlessly as I would like.

“Go away, Raiden,” she says with a sigh, turning away from me once more as she takes the first turn onto the city’s cobbled streets.

“I’d rather we went to eat,” I retort, keeping a step beside her, but I don’t miss the telltale sound of her stomach grumbling as we start through the crowd of people trying to survive the mayhem around us. “See,” I insist, stepping to her side so I can point at her. “Besides, Pearl is expecting you back,” I add, making her stop dead in her tracks again. A few passersby grumble at the inconvenience, but if she notices, she doesn’t acknowledge it.

“Why were you near Pearl?” she snaps, eyes frantically searching mine.

“Are we going there or not?” I ask, getting bored of this constant struggle against doing something as simple as eating.

“I don’t want to go anywhere with you.”

“So you keep mentioning, but she’s waiting,” I repeat, raising a brow at her, which has the opposite effect on her gaze as it narrows further.

“Have you done something to her?” Her head rears back a little, the panic in her eyes flickering with anger as she awaits my response.

“Why would you say that?”

“With the way you’re saying that?” she grumbles, waving her hand at me.

Shrugging, I nod for us to carry on walking. “Then come and find out.”

Her finger jabs against my chest. “If you’ve hurt a single hair on her head?—”

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