Page 105 of The Hunt of Night

“What? You love it,” Beau retorts with a raised eyebrow, and Kryll snickers.

“You’re right. I do.”

Meredith stares at them with hearts in her eyes, a sense of adoration that I feel when I stare at my father. Kryll is loved. Wholeheartedly, for the right reasons, and not because they want to use him.

Not like Brody, Cassian, and Raiden’s families. There always seems to be a task for them to complete at the hands of their parents.

The thought of them, and the mention of Bozzelli, has me antsy to get out of here.

Standing, Kryll’s hand slips from my thigh, but he quickly laces our fingers together.

“I guess it’s time to face the music,” I state, and Meredith’s eyes narrow.

“There should be no music to face. I will?—”

I wave her off with a tight smile and a shake of my head. As nice as it would be for Bozzelli’s bullshit to be nipped in the bud as soon as possible, that’s not how this works, and I know it. Instead of leaning into her aid, I take a deep breath, taking a moment to meet the eyes of everyone at the table as I savor the harmony of this moment before the chaos begins.

“Thank you, but truly, if we want to win their game, we have to be in the thick of it and playing along.”

41

ADRIANNA

Kryll cups my cheek, the awareness that our moment is over, our space away from reality brought to a sudden halt, hangs in the air around us.

“Do you want me to fly us down or?—”

“No flying for you, asshole. There’s a high chance of an audience awaiting your arrival,” Beau interjects, forcing a sad and irritated smile to my dragon’s face as he nods in understanding.

I desperately want to run back inside the palace and find my family. The goodbye didn’t sting as much as it usually does, but seeing Nora with a new lease on life makes my heart clench with joy. I want to witness it all with her, and I will once I’m done with all this bullshit. When I’m done winning back my crown.

Without a word, the world shifts around us, and a moment later, we’re standing in Beau’s office. A heavy weight settles on my shoulders at the change, but the knowledge that I’ll see my men soon makes it all worthwhile.

My men.

I scoff at myself. Those words in my mind feel bizarre, and I’m still on the verge of denying them, but something tells me I don’t have a choice.

“Let’s go, lovebirds,” Professor Tora states, waving for us to follow him, and it’s insane how swiftly his name shifted in my thoughts with our arrival. His walls are up, his softer side buried away as we head out into the hallway, following him through the corridors until we step outside.

The moment we do, a gathered crowd halts our tracks, and all of their eyes turn our way.

He wasn’t wrong about the audience.

“Excellent, the ethereal prince and princess have joined us.” Bozzelli’s voice cuts through the air, tightening my chest with the way she says it.

Instead of giving her a piece of my mind and worsening whatever is about to come our way, I squeeze Kryll’s hand tight, my knuckles whitening as we join the crowd. Movement catches my attention, but a blink later, Raiden, Cassian, and Brody surround us.

I exhale, unaware of the breath that was lodged in my throat, but with their close proximity, I feel stronger. Which is insane because it’s awkward as fuck with everyone staring at us.

“Now that everyone is present, it’s important I share the latest news with you,” Bozzelli states, running her hands over her pastel lilac suit jacket. “The decision has been made to lockdown the academy.”

My eyes widen as gasps and protests ring out around us.

“Is it because of this bitch?” Vallie growls, finger pointed in my direction from where she stands on the other side of the crowd.

“I wish it was,” Bozzelli grunts with a sneer. “I wish it was because some were off fighting frenzied vampires or because they were traveling to the land of dragons, but alas, it’s because it seems we have had some unwanted guests on campus. The lockdown is in place to protect you, not discipline you.” Herteeth are clenched for every word, her anger and despair aimed right at me, and I take it.

“This is because of my mother and Kenner,” I mutter, and Kryll nods.

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