Page 47 of The Hunt of Night

Kryll, Brody, and Cassian.

They each quickly try to shield their emotions, masking their harsh expressions with a soft grin, but it’s too late. I saw. It’s almost creepy to see Cassian smile like that; it’s so unnatural it makes me cringe. A frown rests on his face at all times. I can’t adjust to this. At least Brody and Kryll have experience with their lips twitching upward.

“What are you doing here?” I ask, opting to ignore their poor acting.

“Making sure you’re okay,” Kryll explains, swiping an inked hand through his red hair, and I grin.

“I’m fine.”

A snicker comes from behind me. One look back, and it’s clear Raiden is loving this. “Yeah, but he flies past your window every morning and had a real shock when he saw me lying beside you,” he offers, making my jaw fall slack as I almost drop my coffee in surprise.

“You do what?” I squeak, turning back to the shifter in question, who blinks at me in shock before glaring at the vampire over my shoulder.

“Ignore him,” he growls, baring his teeth, but I think I’m entitled to more information with regard to this.

Before I can push for more, someone’s cell phone goes off, and luckily for Kryll, it’s his.

“Fuck,” he grunts, glaring down at the device as he takes a step back, giving Cassian the opportunity to edge forward and take his place.

“Hello? Yeah…Yeah…Okay…Yeah, thanks, asshole.” He ends the call, sighing as he tucks his cell phone away.

“What’s going on?” Brody asks, a sense of uncertainty drifting from him like he can tell something’s going on.

“That was my brother. A heads up that there’s going to be another practice trial today.”

Damn. Already? I haven’t recovered from the last one, and I’m barely making do after yesterday, but the kingdom waits for no one, and that includes me.

“Are you going to be up for it after yesterday?” Raiden asks, immediately behind me, his fingers gliding down my spine with a sense of comfort as he looks down at me with worried eyes.

“Of course.”

“If you’re not?—”

“I am,” I interject, refusing to bow down or look weak in front of anyone. Including them.

“Can I check?” Brody asks, eyebrows rising in hope before I shake my head.

“You already did when you healed me yesterday, remember?” I give him a pointed look and his gaze drops to the floor in defeat.

Raiden clamps his hand on my shoulder, giving me a little shake as he clears his throat, spreading a wide smile across his face.

“It’s fine. She’s fine. It’s all fine because we’re sticking together this time.”

20

ADRIANNA

The walk to the open field for our first class feels like the longest walk of my life. It might have something to do with the fact that Flora is right beside me, a knowing smirk on her lips as she glances at me out of the corner of her eye, but I choose to ignore it.

Anything that involves me and these Krypto assholes has her preening like a peacock. I’m quite sure my life has become a new television show for her at this stage. Who needs a subscription to watch the drama unfold when it’s right here for free?

Professor Tora stands tall as we approach the gathering students, observing the crowd who seem no wiser to what is coming today. Our luxury is the heads-up he gave Kryll, but he didn’t offer any specifics or any kind of hint or tip to prepare us for the madness. Just that it was happening. It counts for something, I guess; I’m just not sure what yet.

Vallie stands across the crowd of students, smirking in my direction as her friends giggle around her. Anger vibrates through my body, pleading with me to retaliate, but I know deep down that biding my time will be worth the rage I feel right now. It has to count the next time I respond to her because she sure as shit isn’t taking the hint.

She bounces back quicker than a damn ping pong ball, and I’m done with it.

“Miss Reagan, a moment,” Tora barks, making the murmurs and conversations in the group dwindle to nothing as all eyes fall my way.

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