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“Who did that?” Cassian grunts, eyes latching on to mine. I can’t tell if it’s concern or something else in his eyes, but they’re swirling with something.

“Who fucking cares?” Raiden responds before I can even consider if I want to answer or not.

I cock a brow at the irritating vampire that continues to infiltrate my life as he steps closer again, this time bringing us chest to chest.

“This is the only warning you’re going to get. Otherwise, I’ll do just as Vallie recommended and deal with the trash.” The warning is clear in his tone, but I’ve never been one to listen well.

Exhaling heavily, I rest my head back against the wall. All of this for a warning? I’m sure that could have been achieved without any physical touch, but apparently, he really wants to assert his dominance. Yay me.

“What are you warning me about, exactly?”

The desire for clarification clearly pisses him off since his nails dig even deeper into my skin, deep enough to be drawing blood at this point.

“Leave. Go home. Fae mean nothing around here, and whether you’re here to attempt to be the heir or train to be a part of their team when the time comes, you’re going to fail.”

Ah, I thought that might be what he was hinting at. “Is that all?”

“She’s not hearing a word you’re saying,” Brody states, a level of amusement in his tone as he inches closer.

“Because she’s stupid,” Raiden remarks, bringing me to the brink of my limit.

“No, she isn’t,” I grunt, internally cringing at myself for talking in the third person, but it’s hard not to when they’re discussing me like I’m not here.

Channeling the irritation, I drop my weight, managing to catch myself before my ass hits the floor. Having achieved my goal of breaking Raiden’s hold on my arm, I swoop to the left and step out of his space, acutely aware that this guy and half his friends have the benefit of incredible speed on their side. Surprisingly, none of them move.

I straighten, running my hands down my combat pants before straightening my cloak. “Thanks for the heads up. The threat wasn’t entirely necessary, but we can hopefully work on your manners in some of our classes. To clarify: your warning is wasted, your threats will go unnoticed, and anything else you can think of, I don’t care. I’m not going anywhere, and I certainly don’t care what you think of the fae people because all that matters is that I don’t fail. Ever.”

TEN

ADDI

Thankfully, I caught the tail end of the students from my class making their way to the next stop on our timetable, but my inability to focus meant the kingdom class went straight over my head. I learned nothing but the feeling of eyes burning into my head from all angles.

It seems it’s very much the general practice so far for the students to be seated by their last names, earning me the honor of being placed between Brody and Kryll again. Thankfully, neither of them attempted to talk to me, but that didn’t mean I couldn’t feel their assessing eyes on me.

I could sense it when I first got here, knew it before the academy opened, but the clarity is undeniable: everyone sees the fae as weak. Even the humans glare when they can, an air of defensiveness surrounding them, as if they’re ready to fight, and I can’t help but wonder if everyone has forgotten that fae do have the ability to channel magic.

The professor talks, addressing no one in particular, as I continue to get lost in my own mind. There’s no point trying to waste energy on this class at this stage. It’s almost over, and I’m in no position to retain anything.

Instead, my thoughts trail back to how much the fae are underestimated. The elements are our best friends, a part of us more than anything else in the world, but no one seems to care about that.

Water. Air. Fire. Earth. Mind.

We led the kingdom for so long because we could, because we had the strength and capability, until the ground was shattered beneath our feet and we were left pained, heartbroken, and in need of time to heal. Love destroyed it, nothing else. That’s something we can all fall victim to. Well, not me. That’s never in the cards for me.

I will never offer out my love to anyone. Not when the ramifications of it have destroyed our kingdom, our people, our hope. Never.

Instead, my focus is on my magic. Each fae is born into an element. That’s where we pull our strength from while replenishing it, too. King Reagan and every member of the royal bloodline harbored the ability to connect to every element. Otherwise, you dedicate yourself to the one element that runs through your veins and grounds you.

Earth. Water. Fire. Air. Mind.

It’s a piece of you. Of who you are and who you shall forever be. It courses through your veins along with your blood, connecting you to your surroundings and the kingdom around you.

Standing barefoot on the ground for an earth element is like resetting your heart. Water fae take to any form of water at every opportunity because it completes them. Fire burns deep inside the red-hot faes, yet I’ve been told they’re usually some of the sweetest people. Air fae bring chaos in the most beautiful ways possible. Storms and destruction. That’s who you have to watch out for. Mind fae, however, face some of the hardest challenges. Shutting off from the world takes years of practice and learning boundaries even longer, but seeing the joy come when they sense inner peace and calmness is practically euphoric.

To someone of a royal bloodline, touching base with each of those magics is something chartered off the scales.

The bell rings, pulling me from my thoughts, and I rush to my feet, making sure to step out of the room and walk swiftly down the hall and make my way outside. I’d rather not be accosted again so soon. The sun beams down on me as I step out into the fresh air and slow to a stop, heaving a sigh as I soak it in.