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“Do you have any fucking idea what your archon is doing out there?”

“Something terrible, no doubt,” I said wearily.

Theo’s eyes narrowed. “Do you think this is funny, Regan? Do you? Do you have any idea what Viktor just made Blake do?”

“Don’t talk to her like that.” Kage stepped in front of me, his arms crossed over his chest. “If you have a problem, you take it up with me.”

Theo looked at Kage in disbelief. Then he did something I never expected him to do and shoved Kage hard in the chest. The Avari leader didn’t budge an inch—but he did snarl.

“Theo.” It was the tall blightborn boy. He darted in between Kage and Theo and tried to pull Theo back. Then to Kage he said, “He isn’t trying to start trouble.”

“Isn’t he?” Kage growled. “It doesn’t look that way to me. You’re in my house. This is the Avari Tower. Regan is under my protection. You’d do well to remember that.”

Theo scoffed. “You’d protect her? Protect our honorable head-mistress—” he said the word with bitterness “—after all she’s done? Do you even know what we’ve been through tonight? Do you know where we just came from?” He pointed at me accusingly. “We just came from fighting an entire fucking army of your Bloodguards—led by Viktor Drakharrow, I might add.”

I shifted uncomfortably. “I’m sorry.”

Theo laughed. “You’re sorry? Are you serious? Are you really going to try to say none of this is your fault? That, what—Viktor was pulling your strings? That you couldn’t help it?”

“Theo,” the blightborn boy by his side whispered. “Please.”

“Back off, Vaughn,” Theo snapped. “She has to pay for what she’s done. She’s just as much to blame as he is.”

Kage growled again—a decidedly wolflike sound this time. “You’re out of line. You’re the one who needs to back off, Drakharrow.”

“No,” I said quickly. “Let him speak. Theo’s right.”

Theo blinked. He gave a choking laugh. “I am? Really?”

“Yes.” I lifted my chin.“I’m responsible.Whatever happened here tonight, I’m to blame. I let the Bloodguards into this school.Viktor was behind their creation, but I set them up to—” I took a deep breath “—to bully and to hurt.” I closed my eyes.“Even to kill.”

“That’s exactly what they’ve been doing tonight,” Vaughn said quietly. “The halls run with blightborn blood.”

I paled. “I need to see for myself. I’ll go at once. I’ll do what I can to try to stop them.”

“Try to stop them?” Theo scoffed. “Excuse me, who the fuck are you, and where’s the real Regan?” He leaned forward and rapped on the side of my head. I flinched. “Viktor, are you in there? Is this some sort of a sick trick?”

Kage’s fist met Theo’s face before I could even open my mouth. The Drakharrow boy fell backwards onto a cot. Theo sat there for a moment, looking stunned, then he ran a hand over his face and burst out laughing. He was hysterical, I realized—none of this was like him. But then, this was no ordinary night. Once he’d started laughing he didn’t seem to be able to stop. Vaughn crouched beside him, a hand on Theo’s shoulder as his whole body shook with waves of laughter.

“Don’t—don’t you see,” Theo gasped, “don’t you see how funny it is?”

“No,” Kage said coldly. “I don’t.” He glanced at Vaughn. “Is he infected? Was he bitten?”

Vaughn shook his head. “No, that’s not it. Trust me. You’ll want to hear what we have to say.” He looked rueful. “He’s been through a lot. What with Blake becoming a dragon and—”

“What?” I interrupted. “A dragon?”

“That’s right. You going to pretend you didn’t know?” Theo accused. “That Viktor didn’t already tell you?” He hiccupped, trying to get control of the fit.

I stared at him. “Viktor doesn’t tell me anything about his true plans. If you think that he would, you’re more of an idiot than I ever took you for, Theo. He’s my archon. Don’t you get what that means? He fucking owns me.” My voice broke, but I kept going. “He owns my family. I don’t even know where my little brother is. Don’t you see that? Don’t you understand?” I stopped suddenly, realizing I’d been shouting. The entire room was quiet. Everyone had heard me. I felt my face flushing with humiliation. Then I lifted my chin. It wobbled a little, but I knew it was too late to go back. The truth was out there. Everything was coming to a head. I couldn’t hold everything together. It was all coming apart. I’d been a fool to even try.

“It’s just funny,” Theo said quietly, “to have this fucking Avari try to shut me up, when we came here to warn him.”

“Warn me about what?” Kage demanded.

Theo took a deep breath. “To warn you that Blake really did turn into a dragon. Viktor threatened to kill Medra if he didn’t do as he said. He demanded Blake wipe out the plague from the city. Blake didn’t want to, I know he didn’t. But … he flew away.” Theo’s eyes were wide with disbelief. I understood the reason for his hysterical laughter then. “Nyxaris arrived. Viktor disappeared. We have no idea where the fucker even went.”

The entire room erupted—everyone talking at once.