Page 30 of The Court of Truth

It’s on the tip of my tongue to jump to my sister’s defense, but to my surprise, her head dips and she nods. Of all the people I expected her to listen to, Raiden wasn’t one of them.

Without a word, she spins on her heels and heads for the back door. I take a step to follow after her, but my father shakes his head. “Give her a moment, Addi. Raiden was right with everything he said, but that doesn’t make it any easier for her to digest.”

I sigh, wiping a hand down my face as the vampire in question eliminates the remaining space between us to envelop me in his arms. No words are needed, just his embrace. After a few seconds, someone clears their throat, making Raiden sigh before he takes a step back, reluctantly handing me off to Brody.

My mage's fingers twist in my hair, pinning me to him as he breathes me in. A ghost of his lips at my temple and I’m shifting again. This time, I’m wrapped in my wolf’s arms, the embrace brief before he leans back, gripping my chin and peering down at me.

“Maybe next time you think about slipping outside, you don’t do it in secret,” he states, and I frown.

“I was with Kryll.”

“I’m aware, but we were only alerted something was wrong when she yelled.”

My mouth moves, but no words come out. Thankfully, Kryll comes to my defense. “I don’t think any of us expected that to happen.”

“Maybe we need to start expecting the worst,” Cassian grumbles, and I can’t disagree with him. This is all insane. But more importantly?—

“What did you mean when you said dark magic?” My attention falls to my father.

He’s looking up at the moon as if it holds secrets he’s desperate to learn. A heavy sigh passes his lips before he turns to me. I brace for his words, the look in his eyes making it clear they will be a blow I’m unprepared for.

“Long before Clementine was secured in the kiss of death, imprisoned in the amethyst, she was stripped of her magic.” I gape at his words, eyes so wide they burn as I try to take them in. “That didn’t stop her, though. Nothing would stop her penchant for power. Dark magic was an old wive’s tale. Until it wasn’t. Until it was in her grasp, and the first thing she did with her new magic was kill our mother.”

Fuck.

“And that was dark magic? Her being here but not actually being here? I blasted her with my magic and it bled right through her,” I rasp, mind swirling with the reality that there’s another layer of knowledge I wasn’t aware of.

“Astral projection is one of the most complex abilities to master, and it is only possible with the tainted dark magic she continues to wield.”

17

ADRIANNA

“Are they burnt? We should have used magic,” Nora grumbles, a pout taking over her face as she stares down at the atrocity before us.

Desperate to keep her spirits up, I reach for one, gulping with panic as I try to find something positive to say. “No they’re just…strong?” It’s a question, not a statement, and we both know it.

Dammit.

“They’re supposed to melt in the middle,” she whines, breaking a cake apart to find it just as rock solid inside as it is outside.

Yeah. There’s no redeeming them at all.

Nora’s bottom lip wobbles and I snap my fingers before I can think about anything other than her disappointment. My focus is set on the cookbook we’ve been working from, but this time, instead of taking the hands-on approach, I use the alternative set of instructions for magic users.

My air magic perfectly weighs out the ingredients and mixes them together. The concoction instantly looks different, and I chance a glance at Nora to see a smile back on her face. It’s the push I need to continue, and a moment later, I’m embracing my fire magic to bake the chocolate cake we’re trying to indulge in.

A squeal bursts from her lips a moment later as I step back. Tentatively reaching for a knife, I offer it to her and a coy look washes over her face. She nips at her bottom lip, eyeing the fresh batch that billows with steam on the countertop.

“If you don’t do it, I will,” my father calls out, reminding us of his presence, and it’s the push she needs.

She sinks the silver through the middle of the cake and we watch in delight as chocolate oozes from the center.

“Yes!” She fist pumps the air, her joy infectious as we swiftly plate up three cakes, saving the rest for the others.

As I sink down at the table with Nora and my father, a calmness I haven’t felt in the longest time washes over me. If I close my eyes, it almost feels like I’m back on the farm, like my time at the academy hasn’t begun yet.

A heaviness weighs down on my shoulders as I realize how much has changed in such a short span of time.

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