Page 8 of The Hunt of Night

I wipe a hand down my face, trying to piece together how on Earth I can make it better when I had no control over it going wrong to begin with.

“How do we get past this?” I finally ask, hating that I have to, but I don’t think I’ve ever felt this helpless in my entire life.

“There is no getting past anything,” she retorts without skipping a beat.

I look to Cassian, hoping for help, but all I find is the asshole standing with his arms folded over his chest as he watches us intently, a ghost of a grin on his lips.

Fucker.

Turning back to Adrianna, I startle when I realize she has taken off again.

“Adrianna,” I yell, but she doesn’t stop, sauntering through the gates of Heir Academy in a flurry, and I rush to keep up. “Adrianna,” I repeat, and I hear her scoff.

“Raiden,” she retorts with an irritated tone.

This is bullshit.

Thankfully, the guards manning the gate pay us no mind, but I would still rather not have an audience. I wait until she’s farther down the pathway before I try again, acutely aware that Cassian is maintaining a slow stroll behind me.

Asshole.

“Adrianna.” Nothing. “Princess Adrianna,” I repeat, trying a different tactic, and to my surprise, she whirls around with fire burning in her eyes.

“No. That doesn’t work for you,” she snarls, aware that I’m trying to replicate whatever her father did to get her to listen.

“Adrianna,” I try again, dropping the title this time, but all she does is shake her head. When her eyes settle on mine, they feel void of everything, and it leaves a sickly feeling burning in my throat.

“How about you save yourself the effort and keep my name out of your mouth.”

“I have to say, this is far more fun when it’s not me getting this shit for a change,” Cassian muses, coming to a stop beside me, breaking the moment.

I turn to glare at him, but he simply shrugs, unaware of the helplessness he’s stoking inside of me. Looking back towardAddi, my chest tightens. “Where the fuck did she go?” I growl, earning a snicker from the asshole wolf I hate to call my friend.

“How about we head back and figure out what the fuck just happened while we give her some space to wrap her head around things?”

Since when did this fool start talking any kind of sense?

Fuck.

He might be right, though. Maybe she just needs a minute to think and realize that nothing I did was intentional. I am sorry it happened, but I’m not sorry I followed her.

Fuck.

Maybe I should have said sorry to her. It’s too late for that now.

Sighing, I turn back to Cassian, who seems way too calm for my liking. “Fine, let’s head back to my place and start with the secrets some of us were keeping,” I grunt, stomping toward the pathways that lead to the origin buildings.

“You mean Brody?” he asks, and I scoff at his stupid question.

“Unless there are any other secrets I’m not aware of?”

5

BRODY

An uncomfortable tingle burns down my spine, reminding me of the shit that just went down and the mess that is yet to come. I pace back and forth, wearing down the grass beneath my boots as my knuckles turn white, anticipation clinging to me.

Kryll only let me bring him so far, and he’s been gone for what feels like an eternity while I’m left here to simmer in my thoughts, in my mistakes, in my betrayals.

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