83: Ada's POV

Something was wrong.

I’d been walking through the gardens with Adrian for the fourth time in a week when suddenly there was a tug on the bond. I tuned out what Adrian was saying and tuned into the bond. I tugged back, realizing it was the thread with Phoenix that was tugging. A moment later, the bond vanished. I gasped aloud, making Adrian jump.

My eyes widened as I looked at him, “I have to go,” and I ran.

I ran through the castle, starting in the throne room and making my way to the Prince's rooms. Nik and Darius weren’t there. I sent a frazzled message down the bond, begging them to come see me. I’d barely seen them since Phoenix left, which had ultimately been for the best. But now? Now I wished they would appear out of thin air and tell me *what the hell* was going on.

No one responded. I ran into the passageway that led off from their shared living space and fumbled to my own rooms. As I swung open the painting and stepped through the brick wall mirage, I gasped. Darius and Nik were both sitting on the couches in front of my fire. Their shoulders were tense, their heads both swiveling to me as I tripped and fell onto my knees on the hard floor.

Darius stood and made his way to me, offering a hand. His suit was rumpled, his hair in disarray. He didn’t look like himself. I took his hand and let him pull me up. “What’s going on?”

“Phoenix was taken,” he answered flatly and returned to his spot. He had to leave the guards behind at a designated spot, and he never returned. They reported this to us two hours ago.”

“And now the link is gone,” I sat beside Nik, looking at him, “It was there and then just—”

“Disappeared,” Nik finished, nodding, “He’s alive. You’d be in a lot more distress if he wasn’t.”

“But the question remains,” Darius leaned back on the couch, “of where the hell he is now.”

“And why they took him,” Nik added and crossed ankle over his knee, “No matter the answer, this changes a few things,” he sighed and glanced at Darius, “For starters, you need to be with one of us around the clock. You need protection.”

“Fine, I can stay with you two, but,” I held up a finger, “I think you need to train me. Let me fight against this rebellion,” I shrugged, “Let me help you find Phoenix.”

Darius and Nik exchanged looks. Nik held up his hands and nodded at Darius. I looked into Darius’s eyes. He shook his head, “It’s not safe, Ada.”

I narrowed my eyes. Was he really going to say no to this? I couldn’t let him. I huffed, “It’s even less safe to leave me incapable of defending myself if something happens to one of you,” I made a ball of ice in one hand and a ball of fire in the other, shadows billowing from my feet, “I’ve been working on my magick, but I have almost no fighting skills anymore. I’d be useless in a fight and that makes me more of a liability.”

“Then we keep you here,” Darius snapped, fingertips extending to claws, “You stay in your rooms, away from any potential fight.”

My heart thudded rapidly. Nik hissed out a breath as I leapt to my feet. I was practically screaming at Darius, spit spewing from my mouth, “Let me get this straight. You would rather lock me up than teach me how to protect myself,” I glared at him, “And you would rather reject me than risk any harm to your precious kingdom.”

He stayed calm, eyes flashing bright blue-purple. Darius remained seated, looking up at me. His voice was firm, “Yes. Is that what you want to hear me say?” his eyes flickered down to my shaking hands, “*Yes*, I would rather lock you up than give you the tools needed to kill us in the end. And *yes*, I would rather reject you than be with you if it meant saving an entire kingdom.”

I flinched, but held my ground, “And what if training me and making me strong is what could end up saving the kingdom?” The expression on his face remained flat, “What if teaching me could save your brother?” still flat, “Why are you so insistent on keeping me weak, Darius? Are you that afraid that if I’m strong, I wouldn’t need you?”

His face exploded in rage. Canines extended to fangs, cheeks became flushed, and a deep, throaty growl erupted from him. Darius leapt to his feet, hands gripping my biceps. I locked my eyes on his, setting my jaw. Despite how much his hands digging into my arms hurt, I didn’t flinch. I worked to keep my expression neutral, unfazed by his outburst.

Darius snarled, “Why do you want to fight so badly, Ada? Why do you feel the need to be strong?”

“Because there isn’t a thing I wouldn’t do to s*ave* any one of you,” I spat back, this time reaching up and shoving at his chest, “You must have me confused with your wife if you think my ulterior motives involve something that would hurt you.”

He blinked and released his grip on my arms. Nik stood behind me, “Darius, she’s had several valid points.”

Darius nodded slowly, glancing over my shoulder at his brother. His shoulders relaxed, fangs retreating. He looked down at me and nodded again, “Fine. But either Nik or I has to be with you, and only we can train you. Not a single other person involved.”

“What a compromise,” my voice was laced with venom.

Nik cleared his throat, and I turned to face him, “Take the win, Ada. He doesn’t have to give it.”

“Fine,” I sighed heavily, crossing my arms over my chest, “I guess that means the next question is: when do we start?”