Page 99 of The Court of Truth

A yelp.

A cry.

A burning inferno.

I watch, mesmerized by the swirling fire until it burns so bright it’s almost purple.

The desire to keep going is strong, but I take a deep breath and shake my hands out at my sides, drawing my magic back to reveal a mound of ash before me.

I sway and consider a moment to catch my breath, but there’s no time for that. My family, my friends, my kingdom, they need me now more than ever, and I know exactly where to go.

All I have to do is dig deep, connect with my fated mates, and the bond will guide me there.

54

RAIDEN

“What are you all waiting for? Let’s go,” Adrianna’s voice calls out as I slip back into the present. Nora’s eyes meet mine, panic vibrant in her wide pools.

I shake my head subtly, squeezing her hand in silent support that I hope works. Slowly spinning on the spot, I make eye contact with each of my brothers, sending the concern I feel into our bond, hoping they can feel it too.

“Go where?” Arlo asks, clearly not aware of the realization I’ve come to.

The Adrianna suit sighs. “To find them.”

“We’re not trying to find them. We want them to find us in a safe and secure location,” he insists, but she’s already shaking her head before he finishes.

“That hasn’t worked for us so far,” she states, waving her hand dismissively, making Arlo turn to the rest of us with his jaw slack and his eyes pleading.

He thinks one of us might be able to talk some sense into her, but if my gut is right about who this is, there will be no reasoning with her at all.

“Nothing has, but our plan was solid,” I insist, taking the reins, which earns me an eye roll as she pinches the bridge of her nose.

“You’re making this difficult.”

“How do you figure?” Cassian asks, stepping closer to me. I can see it in his eyes, the distrust as bright as the stars that gleam in the dead of night.

Irritation tightens Adrianna’s jaw as she glowers at Cassian. “I’m the queen. You’re supposed to follow me without question, but that’s all I seem to hear. Questions, questions, and more damn questions.”

Brody steps toward her, hands raised as he tries to defuse the situation. “Dagger, you chose us as your council to keep you grounded.”

“It’s Queen Adrianna,” she snaps through clenched teeth.

This definitely isn’t Adrianna.

She might have been a pain in my ass on more than one occasion, but she has never been this insufferable.

Running my tongue over my bottom lip, I search the group. I don’t know what course of action to take. Whether to attack or play along. But every moment we waste on this cheap knock-off is another moment we don’t know whereourAdrianna is.

My eyes lock on her father’s. August is already staring at me with narrowed eyes, the confusion clear on his face too. I shake my head. Back and forth. Once. Short but precise. And in that one move, he understands.

Panic flares across his features, but he quickly schools them, bracing his hands behind his back as he strolls around the outskirts of the gathered group. Adrianna, or whoever she is, doesn’t seem to notice as she continues to ramble about how we should all listen without question, but I tune her out.

My focus is on August, and rightly so, because he stops behind Adrianna, assessing her for a few moments before his eyes widen. A moment later, his stare penetrates mine as he slowly lifts his hand and taps the back of his neck.

“Gem. Butterfly kiss,”he mouths, I think? The specifics aren’t important; it’s just the confirmation that we’re right, and if there’s a gem attached to her, then there’s no way we can attack.

It could still be Adrianna before us, with someone else controlling her.

---