Page 78 of The Reign of Blood

“I love you too, Addi.”

Reluctantly, I lean back, and my father takes me into his arms again, rocking me from side to side like he always did when I was a child.

“Please be safe; with everything going on right now, we know it’s dangerous for you guys.”

“We know, don’t worry. The veil is in place, and it serves its purpose,” my father promises, and I nod.

“Before you leave… Fairbourne… can I trust him?”

My father stares deep into my eyes before he presses a hand to his chest, right over his heart. “With your life.”

My father doesn’t say those three words very often, so I know them to be true. I nod again, a stronger sense of hope and determination swooping through my body. “Let me watch you guys go.”

They offer me a smile before my father grabs the handles on Nora’s wheelchair and starts down the trail. Once they reach the bend in the distance, they glance back, offering me one more wave before they disappear from sight, taking a piece of my heart with them.

I take a moment to stare at the empty spot they occupied seconds ago, but they don’t return. I need to get a move on anyway. With a sigh, I turn, ready to step through the veil once more, when I startle at the shadow casting over me from the last guest in the world I would expect right now.

“That was a cute family reunion.”

“What the fuck, Raiden?”

30

RAIDEN

My gaze bores into hers, an array of emotions flickering over her features. Emerald green eyes delve deep into mine, trying to search for fuck knows what, and there’s the smallest crinkle on her nose, confirmation that despite her harsh tone, she’s panicked.

Reaching out, I capture a loose blond curl between my finger and thumb. The softness reminds me of the summer days when I was a child, running my grandma ragged in the back garden as the sun beat down on us.

“What are you doing here, Raiden?” she repeats, her nostrils flaring as her hands ball into fists at her sides.

“The same thing as you,” I reply with a shrug, making her eyebrows rise.

“I can’t imagine so,” she snaps, folding her arms over her chest with her fingers still curled as if she might take a swing at me at any moment.

“You came here, so I came here.”

It’s as simple as that. I expect it to ease the tension seeping from her limbs, but it only seems to make her stand taller before me.

“Wait, have you been following me?” Her brows touch her hairline now, eyes still flicking over mine like the truth will be revealed if she manages to stare long enough.

“You’re saying it as if it’s a bad thing.”

“It is a bad thing,” she retorts, pointing her finger at me, and I shrug again.

“Not from my perspective.”

“And what perspective is that?” She juts her chin up, glaring at me with a new level of wrath.

It’s not a difficult concept to grasp. I’m surprised she can’t see it already. “You’re a target. I have a vested interest in keeping you alive. That interest won’t last long if you’re dead now, will it?” I grumble when she doesn’t magically seem to garner an understanding of the situation.

She scoffs, shaking her head at me. “You’re unbelievable,” she mutters under her breath.

“That doesn’t sound like a thank you,” I state, slightly turned on by the way her lips thin and her eyes darken.

“You won’t be getting one,” she declares before turning toward the small veil that’s nestled between the oak tree and shrub behind us. It’s nicely hidden, that’s for sure. I would never have known it was there if I didn’t witness her stepping through it with my own eyes.

“Where are you going?” I ask, hot on her tail. I’ve been following her since the moment she stepped off campus grounds. I’ve spent the entire time hiding in the shadows, so it’s refreshing to not have to focus on that now.

---