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“She had to,” Theo said hurriedly. “Blake, you should have seen him. He was like an animal. Bursting out at us with no warning, fangs bared, eyes white. His skin … Blake, he wasn’t … normal. Something’s wrong.”

“Oh, something is most definitely wrong,” Visha agreed. “And I know exactly what it is.”

Blake and I stared at her. “You do?” I said.

She nodded grimly. “The plague.”

I caught Blake and Theo looking at one another. “Plague? What plague?”

“A highblood plague.”

“Highbloods can get sick?” It was news to me.

“No, we can’t,” Visha said. “That’s why this is really fucked-up. There have been reports and rumors spreading from the outskirts of Sangratha. Just a few here and there. I thought it was all bullshit at first. Just rumors. But then,” she said and cleared her throat, “my nephew caught it. He attacked his own family.”

“It’s true,” Blake murmured. He looked at Visha. “Have you heard anything from them tonight?”

She shook her head. “Not another word.” Her face hardened. “And I don’t expect to.”

“But that’s your family’s estate. It’s not just your uncle and his family. Your mother and father and …” Theo stopped himself, seeing Visha’s face.

“Maybe they’re fine. Maybe I’ll get another letter. But I won’t fucking hold my breath.”

“This was just one student. You took him out,” Blake observed.

“Blake, she’s right. It has to be a plague,” Theo said. “There’ll be more.”

“You need to arm yourselves, and I need to get to Florence,” I said suddenly. “She’s all alone back in House Avari.”

“I need to get back to Vaughn,” Theo said. “There’s no way I’m leaving him in House Orphos by himself while this is going on.”

“No one is leaving this tower,” Blake declared, looking at us.“Not yet. Our responsibility lies here, first and foremost.We’ll get the wardens, seal off the tower, count heads, post guards, and have all of the other students stay in their rooms.They can barricade their doors if necessary.Then we’ll discuss the next move.”

Theo looked reluctant but nodded his head slowly.

“I’ll give you half an hour. Then I go find Florence,” I said stubbornly.

Thud. Something slammed against the door.

“What the fuck was that?” Theo whispered, already backing away from the entrance.

“You two get back,” Blake ordered Theo and me. “Visha, to me.” He moved towards the door as Visha flattened herself against the wall to one side, her dagger up in a reverse grip, ready to plunge downwards. Meanwhile, Theo looked around for something to arm himself with. He dragged a chair over, smashing a leg off with impressive strength, and lifted the sharp, jagged piece of wood like a club. He looked over at me and nodded, his knuckles white. And me? I had my daggers strapped to my thighs. I was ready. But for what exactly, I had no fucking clue.

Blake yanked the door open and sprang aside.

A girl in scarlettrimmed pajamas toppled through the gap. She hit the floor sideways, one arm stretched out in front of her. Blood was pumping from a huge wound in her throat. I recognized her: Marta, a Fourth Year warden. Her glazed eyes found Blake. “T–tried to … You …” Her lips had barely formed the words when her entire body went slack.

“Fuck,” Theo whispered.

“Quiet,” Blake hissed.

Two shapes loomed out of the corridor. Highbloods. Males. I’d seen them around the common room. They were Second Years. I gasped as they stepped into the light. Their skin was gray, laced with branching, blackened veins. Murky white filmed their eyes. Dried gore crusted their mouths—Marta’s blood. One of them lifted his head and sniffed, nostrils flaring. He looked down at Marta, and a hungry growl echoed from his chest.

“Let’s do this,” Blake barked as the boy closest to him began to lunge. “Vish, on me. Pendragon, stay back.”

It was sweet that he wanted to keep me out of it, but that wasn’t happening. Still, I did as he said for the moment because Visha was already on top of it. She slid in low, slashing up beneath the boy’s ribs. Blackened blood splattered with a wet, sickening sound, filling the room with a horrific smell that left me gagging.

Blake reached for the second attacker. His hand clamped around the boy’s throat, muscles cording along his forearm.With a roar, he threw the boy across the corridor where his body smashed against the wall.