Shattered: The Gregorian Chronicles Book Two

7: Friends of Fear

        I can't believe Kabos would try to pull something like that, Adriana thought in disgust as she led her horse back into the stable. Lucas had left to see to some other business after they had failed to take down the barrier. He's the one who broke Dawn, and now he's over here trying to convince me that she's planning something terrible. He's such a---

        Her thoughts were inturrupted by a knock on the stable door.

        "Can I come in?" James asked quietly. 

        Adriana turned around and breathed a sigh of relief. James was such a familiar figure, someone who was capable of making her feel safe and comfortable wherever she was.

        "I'm sorry." she blurted out suddenly, remembering her harsh words from earlier. "I'm sorry."

        James looked taken aback.

        "You're sorry? For what?"

        Adriana took a deep breath.

        "For being so rude earier, before Lucas and I left. I was out of line and I wish for your forgiveness."

        James smiled slightly.

        "You don't need to be so formal." he laughed, coming closer. "It's still me."

        "Exactly!" Adriana exclaimed, walking past him and exiting the stable. "It's you! You're someone who has been there for me since the second we met, and I've been nothing but sour to you in return. I'm sorry." she continued to walk around the castle, trying to hold back her tears. Nothing was going according to plan, nothing was working out. Dawn was still in the Forbidden Forest, no one could take down her barrier, Lucas was off fighting some magical being, as was his job, and Adriana couldn't get any of her thoughts to exit her mouth coherently.

        "Adriana, wait." James grabbed her arm and turned her around to face him. "I'm not angry with you."

        "Well, you should be." Adriana replied, turning and walking around the castle until she was sitting on the front steps, her head resting in her hands. "Everyone should be angry with me. I failed. I'm done for. Dawn is gone, and I don't know how to get her back, or how to prove to anyone that she's still her regular, good-hearted self!"

        James sat down next to the princess, trying to decide what to say.

        "Ad, listen to me." he finally stammered out, taking her hands in his. "You didn't fail. How could you possibly fail? You're one of the most amazing women I've ever met in my life. You're incredible. Just the fact that you were willing to go back multiple times to try and save Dawn even when she wasn't responding to you is both brave and amazing. You're a brilliant person, and I can't even begin to comprehend how you could possibly think otherwise."

        Adriana smiled sadly.

        "Thank you, James. You're a wonderful friend."

        James felt as though he had been punched in the gut. A wonderful friend? Why couldn't she see that he was more than that, that he was willing to do anything for her? What did he have to do to show her that he---

        "Oh my---"

        And just like that, the world went black.

***

        "Surprised?"

        A lithe blonde head followed the trail of smoke and fading lightning, emerging from the ashes to reveal none other than the Dark Princess.