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Rodriguez turned to look at me. “What’s that?”

“Representatives from highblood families in Veilmar have been coming to Bloodwing demanding answers, demanding access. Expecting to retake control of this school and its administration,” I said.

“And no wonder,” Professor Vane said with disgust. “Unorthodox doesn’t begin to describe this travesty of a meeting.”

I ignored him. He was used to highbloods always being in control, always getting their own way. It was, as they would have described it, their divine right. But divine or not, that supremacy was a thing of the past. Vane didn’t understand that yet, but he would soon.

“I understand,” I continued, “that you’ve been … redirecting them, Rodriguez.”

His mouth twitched. “Yes, well, that’s one word for it.”

“I also understand that they’ve been leaving here infuriated. From what I’ve heard, you’ve managed to send them away while also making it clear that they’re no longer in charge here.”

“No one is,” Vane pointed out. “The entire school is in a state of mayhem.”

Professor Briggs rolled her eyes while Rodriguez rubbed his eyes. “I’ve merely postponed the inevitable,” Rodriguez explained. “At some point, we will have to meet with them. Once we’ve established who we should be, I mean. They are not accustomed to being told no.” He cleared his throat. “Especially not by a no-account, ill-bred, blightborn professor, as they’ve put it more than once.”

“And that,” I said carefully, “is precisely why I think you should be Bloodwing’s next headmaster.”

The room went very quiet. Rodriguez stared at me. Then he raised a dark brow. “You do?”

“Yes, I do,” I said evenly. “Although I have as much reason as anyone here to hold a grudge against you.” Not everyone in the room knew all of the reasons why that was, but it didn’t matter. Everyone was looking at us now. “No one—no one—pisses off the highblood establishment quite as much as you manage to, Rodriguez.”

A pause. Then a deep, rumbling laugh rolled out of Sankara. “She has a point. Gabriel has a unique skill set.”

“And he does it without coming to blows with them either,” Professor Stonefist pointed out. Her well-worn face twisted with wry amusement. “Which, Bloodmaiden knows, I wouldn’t be able to manage.”

Vane threw up his hands but didn’t say a word. He probably knew it was pointless.

Rodriguez gave me a look equally weary and amused. “That may be the least flattering endorsement I’ve ever received, Miss Pendragon.”

I smiled. “But it is an endorsement.”

The fact that Rodriguez didn’t turn the position down immediately told me he agreed—both with the sentiment and with the group’s agreement that he was best suited for the job of headmaster.

At least he hadn’t said no.

Chapter 7

MEDRA

The first meeting was over, and the room cleared out. Rodriguez had sat down again. He looked tired but focused. The fire that always seemed to be burning in his dark eyes had not dimmed. Sankara was still there. So were Lysander, Visha, Evie, Healer Elycia, Florence, and Professor Stonefist. Theo was supposed to have been present, but he had disappeared. Vaughn was supposed to stay, too, but I’d watched him whisper something to Rodriguez and then slip out.

“All right.” Rodriguez ran a hand over his face. “Let’s bring this meeting of the Special Circumstances Committee to order.”

Evie groaned. “Hereafter simply known as the SCC please.”

“Yes, well, I wanted to call it the Special Ongoing Circumstances Committee,” Rodriguez said, leaning forward eagerly. “In that case we’d have been able to refer to it simply as SOCC, which as you’ll note is one syllable rather than three, but—”

“Rodriguez!” multiple voices shouted.

I stood up, the tension behind my temples deepening. “For fuck’s sake, can we please talk about what really matters now?”

“Why, Miss Pendragon.” Rodriguez leaned back in his chair and folded his hands behind his head. “Are you saying you didn’t all stay back just to wish me congratulations?”

I snorted. “Look, there are some things I need to say.” I glanced at Florence, wondering suddenly how much Nyxaris had told her, how much she already knew. I’d meant to tell her sooner. Just as I’d meant to tell Blake. What I was about to say would probably come as a revelation to her—to all of them. But that couldn’t be helped now. We were out of time. Sangratha as a whole, and Blake most certainly.

I looked down at the tear-shaped drop of blood that had stained my wrist since my first day in Sangratha. Then I lifted my head. They were all expecting me to say his name. I could see Evie tensing, preparing to fight, bitter words on the tip of her tongue. “We need to talk about the Bonewood,” I said.