academy with a glance, were kneeling before me, and the mountain itself seemed to hold its breath. The ancien

looked at Kael first. He had the bearing of a king even on one knee,

is hap

ed his head. "

t me to be

eve nothing until you

xpression unreadable again.

rd the dormitories, and guards rushed to secure every entrance. Within seconds, wh

ha

they're

otic

ned. "I don't think t

ter of the stone square to my feet, with black light leaking through the o

ck light answered. It rose from the crack like hundreds

ab

t, windows shattered across the nearest tower, and the academy bells rang wildly without anyone touching them. When the light faded, I

red. "It rec

id quietly. "

he students. "She's controlling it.

fists. "I didn

s vanished

d toward the professors. "Ashgrave, Wren, seal the lower chambers.

ftened. "Tak

. "Take m

place in t

ediately obj

yes. "We don't

know wha

xactly wha

is eyes off me. "We've just spent three hu

nce

hundre

im. "What did

ud, but it was too late. Ka

ped toward them, my anger growing with ever

didn

me the Sec

didn

've been waiting t

, no

ng back finally broke fr

I walked straight up to Kael. "If you're going to keep treating me like

long moment before answe

won

ngs you're saf

y life ended the momen

ned. "You don'

explai

can

rough my chest. I gasped as Lucian caught me before

as

e that

kno

n the mark beneath my collarbone, not with fear but with grief, as though h

sor

r w

to mine. "For

ced the pain. "

nd he immediately ste

ldn't

silently between the professors, and I knew

is decision

es

Vale to the

d sharply. "Ab

d sealed for three ce

ealed for

that reason

again, but instead he closed hi

ing?" "No one's allowed there." "That room i

n the professor

e ans

ward the oldest to

Ethan

ward Ethan. "F

h me. At least we wo

s of eyes following us, filled with fear, c

as if it had never existed. Only one thing remained. In the exact spot whe

, and his face lost

first time since meeting him, the co

s it?"

y ans

h he were approaching a grave. He kne

is.

ower o

p beneath the academy,