Obsidian Reign - Adrian’s POV
Adrian is controlled. Calculated. Unshakable.
Or at least, that’s what he wants everyone to believe.
This exclusive scene takes place during Book 1 of Obsidian Reign and offers a glimpse into the thoughts he never says aloud, the weight he carries, the walls he’s built, and the moment Cassie begins to break through them.
This scene contains no spoilers for Book 2 and is safe to read if you’ve finished the first novel.
If you’ve ever wondered what he was really thinking…this is for you. Enjoy stepping into his world.
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Adrian
“The last group should’ve arrived by now,” Kiven drawls below me, grinding the sole of his boot into the dirt in boredom.
“They still have a few minutes, and Liam is never late. Have patience,” I muse from my spot on the porch, not taking my eyes off the road. With my hands behind my back and away from view, I allow my fingers to flex in annoyance.
I thought sending Liam to gather the students would mean I could see her sooner, but even with the punctual man, they didn’t arrive early. A small voice nags in my head, asking me why a few extra minutes even matter.
It means everything.
Zypha and the scouting team had trouble finding enough Obsidian to fill Karanos, and with the trials in a week, she petitioned that I manage the field trip instead of her. I know the task was meant as an honor, a bestowment some of the older guards weren’t thrilled by, but I had to swallow the immediate rejection threatening to spill out.
I accepted, as was my duty to the school and the students, even though the acceptance settled uncomfortably in my chest. It didn’t take me long to understand why I wished to stay at the academy so badly.
My eyes narrow when dust accumulates on the road in a cloud, whipped haphazardly in the air by the horses, and then a cart materializes into view. The rest of the guards match my stance on the porch, though Kiven knocks his shoulder into mine.
“Here comes your little plaything,” he snickers.
“What did you say?” I reply in an even tone. My icy gaze, and the dark warning within it, switches to him. He backs up quickly, bumping into the porch railing in his haste.
“Nothing,” he responds, turning to the road with a light cough as Liam pulls on the reins of the horses. The cart slows to a stop, and the officer lifts his gaze to the sky, checking his promptness with the sun’s position. It hasn’t reached high noon yet, and Liam nods to himself.
I exhale the anger, waiting for the group to file from the cart. I don’t take my eyes off Cassie as she scans the structured fields and the toiling farmers, noting everything around her. Intrigue and fascination radiate from her face. The way she always shows her emotions, regardless of what they entail, is something I envy.
The gentle breeze washes over us, lifting Cassie’s brown strands into the air. Tucking the wayward hair behind her ear, her eyes shift from the farmers to me. Color tints her cheeks, and a smile nearly teases my lips. I ignore the feeling by giving the same explanation I’ve given all week, on the farm’s purpose and what we are doing here. Once it’s over, my team advances, and we all lead a student to their predetermined destination.
As I head toward Cassie, her eyes dip to my mouth, though I’m positive I’m keeping the smile from my face. Or is my mask slipping without me noticing?
“Come with me,” I say, my voice low. If I’m smiling, then I don’t trust my voice to remain impassive. But soon, my mouth opens again, the words sliding from my lips like an exhale, not something I can control but desperately need.
“I think it’s a great idea,” she responds, eyes lifting to the fruit-filled trees. Her smile is soft, gentle, like she’s personally gifting the fruit to a family in her mind.
It was an easy choice to give her the position within the trees. After I saw her expression while outside during one of her classes, I knew she would love this. Warmth builds in my chest when she grins and accepts the basket, her finger grazing mine. Without hesitation, she grabs the lowest tree branch and hauls herself onto the limb. In the blink of an eye, Cassie reaches the top of the tree, and I leave her be.
Not because I want to, but because I don’t think I’d be able to leave her side if I kept staring at her smile.
I stay busy the entire day. Patrolling the perimeter for Obsidian, inspecting our camping spot, then circling back to the farmers. I never stop working, but I also never move in a way that puts her out of sight. For some unfathomable reason, danger is always eager to wrap itself around her. Not just from Obsidian, but from humans too.
My teeth clench when I remember her bloodied, beaten face during her match with Tala. And for her not to have gotten any consequences on top of that. I’ve always done what I’ve been told, so maybe that’s why Zypha listened to me when I proposed we get rid of Devero Hallow as the headmaster.
As the sun sets, I walk back over to her spot within a cherry tree. I call to her, but my thoughts still linger on the anger, the helplessness. To have what Cassie went through and to be told it was her fault, I never want something like that to happen again.
My back hits the trunk of the cherry tree, and I close my eyes to repress the emotions. I want to protect her, but in a few days, I’ll never see her again. In such a short time, Cassie became someone I can’t afford to lose.
I never wanted to care for someone again, because all caring ever earned was pain and relentless nightmares.
“Ready?” Cassie prompts from beside me, her voice muted and questioning.
I open my eyes and nod. Her cheeks are flushed from the day’s work, and there’s a small leaf stuck to her hair. She’s never looked more…beautiful.
“It’s beautiful.” The words slip past my tongue, and I almost bite it in response. “The sunset,” I add, cursing myself for the misstep.
“I haven’t seen one of those since my parents passed.” Cassie’s lips tilt with the memories that must be filling her, her eyes crinkling.
I don’t want to lose her. The thought whispers in my mind, the cold chill of my own past gripping my throat in sharp claws. Everyone I have loved has left me. My parents. My brother. And the worst one—Wick’s death. They stacked against me, one after another, until I had to either harden or collapse. I hardened, my emotions numbing with it.
Until Cassie, and her determination to grow stronger, melted the barrier. Unlike me, she doesn’t want to save herself. She wants to save everyone else.
She reminds me of Wick, and that’s the most terrifying thought I’ve ever had.
My mouth opens and I want to close it, but I can’t. “Cassie, I—”
“There you are!” One of her friends exclaims, reaching out to wrap an arm around her shoulders. I step back, giving them space, grateful for the interruption.
It doesn’t matter how I feel. Cassie’s decision to be a hunter is hers to make, and I won’t be the reason her dreams don’t come true.
Though when Jared runs off, I don’t stop my legs from moving me forward, positioning myself right beside her again. Everyone else ignores the guards around the farm’s perimeter, but Cassie stops and watches them closely as they methodically work to create the natural barrier around the farm.
She gasps when the first bonfire ignites, followed by the rest. She always carries herself with such confidence, I forget how isolated she’s been in her life.
“The fires help keep the Obsidian away at night,” I murmur before nudging her forward toward the tents behind the house.
She follows me, though she doesn’t do it without satiating her curiosity first. I don’t think a day has gone by that she hasn’t posed a question. She never accepts how things are. She wants to know why it's used, how it works, and how it began. Everything.
When Cassie passes the tent Emmerick currently snores in, her face crinkles in distaste, but she quickly wipes her face clean of the dissatisfaction. “You were right, Adrian. Today was a lot of fun.”
My mouth curls into a smile. “I’m glad.”
She doesn’t respond, nor does she turn to enter her tent. I pause, preparing for her to pose another question, or maybe even to request training for a few minutes since it’s been almost a week. But then her face reddens, and my eyes widen.
“Okay, goodnight.” The rushed words are barely out of her mouth before she scrambles into her tent.
It takes a moment for my feet to unfreeze from the spot, my mind whirling with reasons she would blush. Her dream of a hunter comes back, but even with the thought, another one whispers, softer, but more potent.
What would she say if I asked her to stay at the academy?
