Page 74 of The Fate of Eternity

I take my first slice as she sighs, getting comfortable in her chair before she speaks. “It happened in the night,” she admits,lacing her fingers together nervously in her lap until Arlo moves to the seat beside her and intertwines them with his own. When it seems like it’s too much for her, Arlo clears his throat.

“They stormed her room in the middle of the night. You would think the fact that I was there would have helped, but I was incapable of doing anything against them. The human origin professor came in, so we didn’t realize what was going on until we found ourselves captive.”

Fuckers.

“Did they?—”

Flora shakes her head, waving me off before I can finish speaking. “They didn’t do anything to us. They didn’t even bother to bind us or anything. The only fae they’re worried about magically is you, which worked in our favor eventually, right?”

“Why didn’t you attack them straight away so you weren’t taken prisoner?” Cassian asks, making me glare at him.

“What the hell is up with you?” I blurt, clearly sensing some animosity from him, and he shrugs.

“No, it’s okay, Addi. He’s only asking because he cares about you, and I get it. That’s why I stayed, and it’s exactly why I didn’t put up a fight. They were going to get you there regardless of whether I stayed or not, so I wanted to be of use when the time came, even if the chances were slim,” Flora states with a shrug as Arlo pulls her into his side.

“Don’t make me warn you again,” he states sharply, eyes fixed on Cassian, who ignores him.

Whatever this is, it needs fixing.

“I’m sorry any of this happened to you, Flora,” I breathe, the truth flowing from my lips as she shakes her head at me.

“Don’t you dare apologize. None of this is your fault.”

She squeezes my hand in comfort, drawing a smile to my lips as a door swinging open echoes from down the hall. Kryll is thefirst to move, skidding to a halt by the door as his brother walks in.

His eyes take us all in, assessing us individually until his gaze settles on mine. “I’m glad you’re awake.”

“Me too,” I retort before he turns his attention to his brother.

“We’ve got a situation.”

My spine stiffens at his statement, locking me in place as everyone else waits with bated breath too. Kryll curses under his breath, rubbing at the back of his neck. His gaze flickers to me for a brief moment before seeking out Beau again.

“Ah, shit. She hasn’t been awake all that long. We haven’t told her about that yet,” he states cryptically, and if I thought my spine was stiff before, that was nothing in comparison to now.

“Told me what?”

All eyes turn to me, and Kryll’s face shows a hint of guilt as he braces for impact, but the flourish of someone else entering the room pulls my attention away from him.

I know who it is immediately from the lilac outfit she’s wearing, but the crinkling of her eyes and pursed lips give her away too. She plants her hands on her hips, her eyes drilling into mine before she speaks.

“Then the pleasure of telling her is mine.” Her shoulders stiffen as if she needs a moment to say the words too, and I start to think the worst. My father? Nora? Fuck. It’s on the tip of my tongue to tell her to get the fuck on with it when she finally does. “Vallie isn’t dead, but she needs to be.”

36

RAIDEN

“You’re going to have to slow down if you want us to hear a word you’re saying,” I snap, irritation coiling through my veins as Bozzelli marches out of Beau’s house just as quickly as she arrived.

Adrianna was the first to move, her jaw slack as she chased after the woman. It feels dumb now, not telling her at the first opportunity, but in my defense, I’m trying to figure out all of this fated mates shit because my body feels completely out of whack.

I don’t know what I expected. I don’t think any of us did. Yet here we are, confused again, but at least this time, the five of us are together. Extra footsteps confirm the addition of Flora and Arlo.

Everything unraveling around us is the polar opposite of what I expected academy life to be like. This shit happening so quickly in succession has thrown us, but we will rise above it. Today, we plan and strategize. We need to use our allies to get ahead of The Council. Fighting against the tide of this madness isn’t an option. We have to adapt and survive.

My steps falter, my gaze shifting to Adrianna as she keeps one step ahead of me, forcing herself to remain at Bozzelli’s side.

Is this what her life has felt like? No breaks, no coming up for air, no understanding which way is up?

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