Page 97 of The Court of Truth

It’s a command. One I’m tempted to stick my middle finger up to him for, but there’s something about the strain in his eyes that makes me pause.

Running my tongue over my bottom lip, I glance around the small group. Addi is a few yards away, tapping her chin in thought as everyone else stands around waiting for her next decision. But when my eyes snag on Cassian’s, he nods, so subtly, I’m sure I’ve made it up, but I give in to my gut and turn back to Raiden.

“I need a pulse point,” I breathe, keeping my voice low this time so he doesn’t get any grouchier. He offers me his wrist and I stare deep into his eyes, wanting to be sure he’s okay with this before I do it. When he all but thrusts his wrist against my fingertip, I relent.

The vein beside his pulse protrudes, making me fumble a second, but the moment I let my mind magic run free, it’s impossible to step back.

There’s darkness.

So much fucking darkness, it’s almost eerie.

No one’s mind should be this dark.

As if sensing my confusion, I’m instantly flooded with vision after vision. Every single one of my sister. It’s like a slideshow, watching as an asshole of a vampire falls in love with the lowly fae. It’s beautiful, really, but I might need therapy when I see his trick with the roses to break past the spell cast on her room.

He’s relentless, that’s for sure.

I’m ready to get out of here, confused why he wanted me to invade his mind to begin with, when a trail of red rose petals leads me down a small narrow path.

He’s waiting at the end like a creeper and I shake my head at him in confusion. Thankfully, he doesn’t wait around getting to the point.

“Something is going on with Addi. I can’t put my finger on it, but too much doesn’t make sense. The change of plans, the zero push back you got for coming, and the lack of death threat aimed my way feels off. Then there’s the whole weird words she’s spewing, added to the fact that she just corrected Kryll for calling her Princess, which he’s called her long before he made her the princess of dragons, it’s not right. None of this is fucking right. And if all of that didn’t make me crazy, I can’t feel her… in the bond. At. All.”

I feel like the power behind his words is enough to knock me off my feet, but I manage to stay steady as I process each and every one of them.

“When you looked over your shoulder a minute ago, when I was talking too loud. Why did you do that?”

He scrubs at the back of his neck. “Because with her wolf senses…” His words trail off, but I know exactly what he’s going to say.

“She would have heard me, but she didn’t… did she?”

He shakes his head, confirming the suspicion for both of us as I blink at him.

“Say it, Nora. Tell me what you’re thinking, what I know you’re thinking. What I know I’m thinking too.”

My breath flutters in my chest, panic making my pulse ring in my ears as I part my lips. “I don’t know how and I don’t know why, but that woman… that’s not my sister.”

“Then who the fuck is it?”

53

ADRIANNA

Second after second, minute after minute, time passes me by, and all I can do is lay here helplessly. My lungs feel like they’re going to implode from the rage that burns through my veins.

I can feel exactly where the gem presses against my skin. Every single millimeter of it.

Moving isn’t an option. All I can do is blink and breathe, but that’s not enough to set me free. I can’t even feel my magic or the connection to my bond with my Krypto’s. Nothing.

The castle is still, my home completely empty except for me, leaving my mind to spiral over so many what ifs, nausea churning in my stomach.

They must be fooled.

I must be that easy to replicate.

She must see this as a game.

I don’t know what her diabolical plan is, but once again, she has the upper hand and there’s nothing I can do about it.

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