Adonia Wu

My neck weighed my body down. Buzzing muted all the voices around me, but my eyes only focused on Zian, who was standing and yelling the most aggressively.

Making out what he was saying was near impossible. Faint lines appeared at the edge of my vision. Grabbing the wall, I made a pitiful attempt to stand up, only to fall back down. Zian ran behind me, grasping tightly to my waist.

He betrayed us. I needed to remember that he was worthless to me and a coward. He was nothing and he never would be anything. But as I tried to stand firm, I found myself leaning into him.

"Whichever one of you did this will die," I finally heard him say. The weight of my body slacked against him again, this time he placed me down on a chair. "You"—he pointed a pen at a brunette man—"step forward."

The man came forward. "Yes, sir?"

"Kill whoever hit her."

"Yes, sir."

"No, stop," I whispered, grasping onto the man's hand. "Don't you dare."

"Ma'am, he injected you—"

"I'm fine."

"Adonia?" Zian knelt down in front of me, lacing his hand through my hair. "Saints." His eyes jumped around my face before yanking me toward him and embracing me.

He betrayed me. He betrayed us all.

I shoved him to the ground, suddenly feeling much stronger than before. Zian tried to scramble back to his feet, but Randa kicked him and shoved him back down.

"Adonia, what are you—"

"I think you don't understand what you just did," I interrupted, shoving his neck to the floor. "You want to die?"

There was a moment where Zian looked off to the ceiling and actually thought about an answer. Then, he said, "Not particularly."

I launched my hand to his neck, squeezing as hard as I could. His golden eyes glossed.

Kill him. I had to kill him for what he was doing—for what he was.

"Adonia, please," his voice broke. His gaze held mine for seconds before speaking again. "Please."

Kill him. Kill him. Kill—

Taking a deep breath in, I forced my hands away from his neck. Around me, people were just staring and writing on their notepads. Behind me was Celiá Austruc. Her brow was raised while her foot rapidly tapped.

"It seems," Celiá started, grabbing Zian by his arm, "like our little injection wore off rather quickly."

Injection... Zian ordered the guards to inject Randa and I, yet I didn't feel obedient. My arms moved to my own will and my mind was clear of intruding thoughts.

Zian tilted his head down, though his sight stayed on me.

"Gabriel, may I see the injections Doctor Austruc gave you?" Celiá asked.

The brunette handed a needle to Celiá.

Randa shuffled next to me. "He's being different." I hated that I knew who she was talking about. "The needle isn't correct. It's two milliliters and not four."

My breath hitched once I understood what she meant. We both turned our attention to Celiá and the needle she was holding, then eyed each other.

Randa sped forward first. She flung a fist at Celiá's face while I grabbed a clipboard from a bystander and broke it over her head. Her other hand flung up to hit me, but I bent it back and threw her against the wall.

Zian was on the ground fighting one of the other scientists. I ran next to him and pushed them off, throwing them down a flight of stairs.

Once I got Zian to myself, I kicked his back so hard he joined the other man at the foot of the staircase. When Randa passed me the remains of Celiá, I dealt a final blow and launched her out a window.

We didn't think we were welcomed anymore, so we briskly took the other flight of stairs down while the bystanders just stood there watching.

"I'll find you, Adonia!" Zian yelled after us.

For some reason, I knew he wasn't lying. I hoped he wasn't.

When Randa and I ran past the barracks of guards that weren't attacking, we slipped into a path that extended far past their lines of sight.

*~⚜️~*
Zian Austruc

It was funny how Mother practically crawled back up the entrance staircase. I didn't regret teaching Adonia how to give a good beating, especially out the damned window.

"How are you feeling now, Cadice?" I said to the voice in my head.

"You're making this difficult."

"No, I'm going to make this impossible for you," I mocked, grabbing another by her arm and throwing her on her seat. Glaring, I said to Cadice, "I'll kill you."

"I've been alive for eons. You can stop me?"

My head pulsed. Reaching for the arm of Mother's chair, I stabilized myself straight. This couldn't keep happening; I had slept in years since the incident. I grabbed the needle off the table and injected myself.

"You can't get rid of me with an injection forever, Zian. You can't get rid of my soldiers."

"Zian, get the girls!" Mother shouted from the stairs. My body shake into the chair, my fingers twisting in my hair. The pounding got stronger.

A pair of hands ran around my neck.

*~⚜️~*

Manea had a way of hiding things that I didn't appreciate. Her constant nagging at me while we slipped into the shadows drove me crazy. Thankfully, Peris was here to calm tensions between her and I.

"If this is something stupid, I'm not going to be too happy," I muttered, tip-toeing after Manea.

I could practically hear her rolling her eyes. "We're meeting up with my friend before breaking in."

"I love being a felon," I said drily. Peris glared at me before sighing and returning next to Manea. Their little love affair was pathetic to me, but if it made her happy, then I supposed I couldn't do anything but support.

And right now, I was considering letting the two of them do this alone. It wasn't too late at night, but I wasn't too fond of breaking into a museum for a stupid necklace.

The bustling streets of Entorre made my head pound. Usually I adored crowds, but knowing there were guards amongst them heightened my anxiety.

Entering to a back alley, Manea slipped her hood off and flipped her long braid over her shoulder. Maybe if I yanked hard enough I could rip it out her hard head.

"Is he here?" Peris asked.

"More importantly, who are we meeting with? I don't like surprises." I glanced at the entrance of the alley, praying to whatever higher being that no one came here.

Manea crossed her arms and leaned against the building. "He likes to be fashionably late," she stated, tapping her foot.

"We're spending the night waiting for this idiot to show up?" I groaned, rubbing my head and sitting on the ground.

Peris chuckled, going to Manea's side. "It's ironic that you say that since we waited fifteen minutes for you to brush your hair."

"Well, I'm different. We don't even know this guy."

"Speak for yourself," Manea remarked. "You'll like him, I'm sure."

See, even though I was a fairly dramatic man, I hated most people. Especially ones that always needed attention. "Doubt," I admitted.

Peris and Manea exchanged a knowing glance.

"You're late," Manea spoke into the darkness.

I looked around but couldn't figure out who she was talking to. "Um, may I ask who you're talking about?" I whispered, my anxiety increasing. I should've stayed home. Though I was only sixteen, I felt like an old man chasing around my older sister.

I jumped and nearly fell over a decomposing box. Someone dropped next to me, their breaths ragged. Hell, if I was considered dramatic, this man was theatrical.

"Had to lose a few guards." He stood up straight, easily towering over all of us. These Entorreans were known to resemble trees. "Who's this guy?"

"My brother," Peris answered, gesturing toward me. "Zian Austruc."

The man turned, an eyebrow lifting as he examined me. Perhaps I should make an effort to introduce myself. "Zian Austruc: resident engineer and occasional felon."

The man had the audacity to laugh. "He'd get along with Rysdan." Before I could ask who that was, he stretched his hand out and shook mine. "Nicholyn Holland."

"The fucking prince? No way!"

He laughed again, letting go of my hand. "I guess I am the prince."

Okay, okay, keep composure; I didn't want to completely lose my shit in front of the prince. Nicholyn gestured us to follow him out the alley, and I followed after like a helpless puppy.

Prince Nicholyn was also a felon? I supposed no one was really above the law. Him about to break into a museum made me feel much better about the felony I was about to commit.

Unless this wasn't his first felony. Man, I should consider going into the crime world. The explosives I could make...

We passed monasteries to our left. Lines of people gathered outside, waiting for their food donations. Entorre was always a fabulous country in the books I read, but seeing the rags and filth, I questioned what the hell Nicholyn was doing with us instead of helping his country.

What we were doing now must be important, then—whatever we were stealing.

A band marched through the middle of the streets, cymbals and drums being hit. Saints' Day wasn't a holiday we celebrated in Kandose, but seeing all the decorations and food, I wished we did.

"Back there." Nicholyn jerked his chin toward the far building. Candles, scepters, and gold necklaces were held by the people waiting outside. "A lady named Dialynne won the necklace during the bidding, so let's try to be discrete."

"Wait, we are risking our asses for a necklace?" Hell no. I thought we were stealing something big. Not some piece of jewelry I could get from a pawn shop.

"Zian, shut up," Peris mumbled, pulling me close behind her. The marching band to my right began their slow violin tune, somehow making my anxiety increase.

At least I'll be arrested to a depressing melody. Oh, what the hell. I copied Nicholyn's movements as we climbed over the pipelines and into the top floor of the museum. It was dark, security guards lining every corner visible.

"Zian, stay very quiet," Manea cautioned. She didn't need to tell me twice. Thankfully, I wasn't someone with asthma.

We scrambled from corner to corner, evading the guards that paced up and down their sections of the hall. My head spun as we repeated this a few times.

When I got back home, I would tell my therapist about this.

If I got back. The reality of it hurt like a bitch.

Nicholyn went out to the hall and pressed a fabric over one of the guard's mouth. Slowly, the guard sank to the ground, and Nicholyn gestured us along.

Nicholyn Holland was officially the craziest—and coolest—man I'd ever seen. Not only was he was a prince, but he was knocking these guards out like he was born to do it. He was nibble and quick, slipping into the shadows as he continued. Before I knew it, we were on the first floor of the museum in only four minutes.

We hid behind the staircase. "Why didn't we just go through the front door?"

Peris was catching her breath as Manea said, "Those were most of the security guards and backup."

"Why would anyone risk their life for a necklace?" I asked.

Apparently that must've been a stupid question, because they all exchanged a look before Nicholyn replied. "It's the Amulet of Torth."

"Great. So we're taking some dead man's jewelry?"

"Ever heard of magic, Zian?" Nicholyn said, peering his head out to check for people.

I stayed quiet, not wanting to push this topic any further. My father always told me stories of magical lands and the wars Cadice fought. Listening to his ridiculous beliefs was enough to infuriate me, but knowing he was telling his slaves the same thing drove me mad.

Peris rested a hand on my back, guiding me out. We lowered our hoods as we walked through the crowd praying to the Amulet. A woman was standing next to the display case, her gloved hand holding the door open.

"Rysdan knows what he's doing, right?" Manea whispered to us.

"Of course." Nicholyn led us to the front of the crowd. The lady, Dialynne, was swaying the necklace on her finger now. All I needed to do was reach forward and snatch it.

Nicholyn leaned down to my ear. "Watch what an assassin can do."

What did he mean—

Water fell from the ceiling, killing off the lights from the candles as it did. The room fell into darkness, then screams erupted. Hands swung everywhere.

I dove forward, remembering where Dialynne was standing. Nothing was there. Shit, she was quick.

The faint light of the exit was the only thing visible. She must've gotten out. Pushing past the Entorreans, I could see the outline of a head running to the exit.

It had to be her. Shoving more people, she was almost at the exit. Almost. The slow tempo of the violins loudened, marking how close I was.

Right before I could see her exit, I surged forward and took her right out, rolling us down the stairs and out to the streets.