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He paused and turned to look at me, his blue eyes intense. “When Viktor Drakharrow shifted into his dragon, I was able to break through to Regan. I saw the room she was in—and some of the people she was with.”
“You know where she is?”
“I have a guess. I may be wrong. Based on what I saw, she’s at a fortress about twenty miles outside of Veilmar to the east.”
That was all I needed to hear. Around us, the school was in a state of upheaval. Doors were being flung open, students spilling into the corridors, their voices loud with fright and confusion. I cut through them all like a sword, moving toward the main entrance at a run. Lysander matched me stride for stride. Every instinct pulled me toward speed. Speed and teeth.
“Slow down,” Lysander said. “Slow down and think.”
“You can have one but not the other,” I said, not breaking my pace. “I already have thought. Viktor has Regan and Florence. What’s he going to do with them, Lysander?”
“He must know Regan is important to you,” Lysander said. “He must have guessed the real reason she didn’t die when she broke the vow. Florence is bound to Nyxaris. He wants leverage. He wants control.”
“Viktor was wounded. He could hardly fly. His wing was crushed. He was covered in black veins.”
“He wasn’t doing any fighting,” Lysander pointed out. “He came and got what he wanted, then he left.”
“Someone was helping him … but who? Who shot Nyxaris and Florence?” I clenched my jaw. “Probably someone from Mortis.”
“Whoever it was, they don’t matter right now.”
We burst through the main doors into the outer courtyard. The sounds and scents of spring hit us all at once: birdsong, warm air, green grass. Beyond, the road leading to the bridge spread out, and past that, the road leading around the city and out into the countryside. Maybe the spring air should have made me feel hopeful. But instead, all I could smell was death. Florence and Regan, two women Viktor wanted to break for his own ends. I thought of Regan, all fire and blood. Defiant even when she didn’t want to be—even when she shouldn’t have to be. Then, Florence. Smaller, quieter, but no less brave. Both their lives were hanging by a thread. They could die today. Or they could live to become something so much worse.
Chapter 24
MEDRA
Hours later, Blake and I clambered through the tunnels and back into the castle. Hand in hand, we walked in a daze, like people newly reborn. Blake couldn’t stop smiling at me, and I couldn’t stop grinning back. I felt like I was floating. Everything was smiles and rainbows until we turned the corner to the House Drakharrow tower and stopped dead in our tracks. Theo stood there, looking haggard, and twisting his hands like a ghost haunting a cursed castle.
“Theo!” I exclaimed. “How long have you been out here?”
“What’s wrong?” Blake demanded at the same time. “What happened?”
My heart stuttered. “Oh, gods. Is it Visha?”
Theo turned toward us, already flinching, and for a horrible second, I was sure she was dead. Then he must have seen the look in my eyes. He shook his head. “No, it’s not Visha. The healer says she’s stable. She— It’s not that.”
“Then, what?” I glanced at Blake. He looked as confused as I felt. “What’s going on, Theo?”
He bit his lip nervously. “After you left, things kind of … went wrong.”
“What do you mean things went wrong? What happened?” I demanded.
“Someone shot at Nyxaris,” he said, talking fast. “And then they shot Florence.”
I covered my mouth.
“What? Where is she?” Blake demanded. He squeezed my hand. “It’s going to be all right. We’ll go to her right now.”
“You … you can’t.” Theo was wringing his hands together. “She fell.”
A sob broke from my lips. “Theo, for fuck’s sake, tell me right now—is Florence dead?”
He shook his head. “I don’t think she’s dead.” He met my eyes, then quickly looked away. Something was wrong here. Not just with Florence. “She hit the water. And then …” He closed his eyes. “Another red dragon came out of nowhere. It picked her up out of the water and flew off with her.”
The words rang in my ears. My voice was low and dangerous as I said, “Who the fuck shot them?”
Theo hesitated. The silence stretched.
