Page 93 of The Reign of Blood

Her eyes are a little glazed over, her gaze off to the side, and I frown. “Hey, are you okay?”

She startles at my presence, even though she just knocked, before shaking her head and clearing her thoughts. “Oh, yeah, sorry, this was leaning against your door,” she murmurs, her voice softer than usual as she offers me a long-stemmed red rose.

“Huh, twelve,” I muse, taking it from her grasp to quickly add it to the vase. They all stand tall and pretty, the petals delicate and soft.

“Aren’t you creeped out?” she asks, frowning at them until I step into the hallway and close the door behind me.

I shrug. “I was at first, but they’re too pretty for me to stay mad,” I admit, and she shakes her head. The color comes back to her face a little, but it still doesn’t feel like she’s her usual self. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

She sighs, chin dipping to her chest. “Dammit, Addi, I just?—”

“There you both are. Ready for food?” Arlo hollers from halfway up the staircase. He rubs his lips together nervously as he scans his eyes over Flora, who quickly tucks a loose tendril of hair behind her ear, nodding.

There’s a weird vibe between them, one I can’t decipher, but as we move closer to him, I can sense that he’s the cause of her dismay this morning.

We head downstairs in a strange silence that I have no control over as I make eyes at Flora. The sadness that dances beneath her lashes is like a swift punch to the gut. Whatever is troubling her involves him, and she needs me to step up and be the same kind of friend to her as she is to me.

“We need a girls’ night,” I declare as we reach the bottom of the stairs, and Arlo takes off to open the front door for us.

“Hell yeah, we do,” she says with a gasp of excitement, squeezing my arm as she tries to contain the buzz the offer has given her.

“I can organize the hell out of it or?—”

“Please, I’d rather you didn’t. I’ll handle it. Your attendance will be exactly what I need. Are you free on Friday?” she asks, her voice a few octaves higher than moments ago, and it feels like it’s at least giving her something to focus on.

“I’m free whenever you need me.”

“Friday it is. It gives me time to prep,” she explains, linking her arm through mine as we head along the pathway to the main academy.

“To prep?” I question, concern starting to make itself known as I peer at her, and Arlo scoffs.

“Oh, you have no idea what you’ve signed yourself up for.” He grins, winking at Flora, which makes her cheeks stain pink.

“It’ll be fun, I promise,” she confirms, and I nod.

“I don’t doubt it.”

The silence that drapes over us for the rest of the walk is a lot more comfortable, even though there’s a strange sort of distance between them. If she wants to tell me about it, she can, if not, then I’ll be here for whatever else she needs. It’s about time I repaid the favor.

Stepping into the dining hall, my gaze drifts to the table in the center of the room, where Cassian, Raiden, Brody, and Kryll are already seated. I join Flora and Arlo at the food station,opting for my usual eggs and bacon, before heading toward the four assholes that cause a stir inside of me one way or another.

I take my newly assigned seat between Raiden and Kryll, giving the vampire on my left the cold shoulder as Kryll turns to me with a soft, nervous smile.

“Hey, how are you?” I ask, feeling completely awkward as my tongue peeks out to sweep along my bottom lip. It does nothing to quench the dryness forming, and my throat tightens with every swallow.

“He’s fine. Why do you ask?” Raiden interjects, answering for him, and I frown. Turning to him with a deathly glare and a finger pointed in his direction, I huff.

“I’m not talking to you.”

Before I can whip my head back around, his eyebrows gather in confusion. “You just did.”

Semantics. Asshole.

I roll my eyes and turn back to my plate, peering at Kryll out of the corner of my eye, who smirks as he shovels a fork full of food into his mouth.

“Why aren’t you talking to me?” Raiden pushes, but I ignore him, tilting my face to Kryll again.

“Kryll,” I start, ready to ask him again, but he cuts me off.

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