Chapter 28
MEDRA
Are you safe?
I’m safe, I told my mother. For now.
The Drakharrow tower felt too quiet now that the screaming had stopped.
We’d gone through the entire tower, checking every room, securing it top to bottom.
Blake had stationed Fourth Years on every stair landing, and another group were convening in the common room to receive orders and work out a rotation schedule.
Anyone who wasn’t a guard or a warden was to remain in their room with the door locked and barred.
Things had calmed down a little—and yet there was still a sense of panic in the air.
All of the students had families outside of the school, whether in Veilmar or in other parts of Sangratha.
And right now, no one knew just what was going on out there.
Now we were down in the common room, and I was about to take another stab at getting Blake to let me leave.
One way or another, with or without him, I couldn’t stick around.
I had to find Florence. Theo was equally desperate; I could see it on his face.
He’d left Vaughn at the Orphos tower not knowing what was about to happen, and now he was filled with regret.
Theo and I would leave together. The House Orphos tower was closer.
We’d find Vaughn, and then we’d find Florence.
What’s happening on your end?
Oh, you know. Orcades sounded weary but also bored. Blood sacrifices and all of the usual.
Blood sacrifices? I tried to focus. That doesn’t sound good. What exactly is going on?
The typical things that happen when two fools try to break down the barricade between realms and anger a supernatural entity.
I hadn’t realized blood would be involved. Though, immediately, it made sense. Catherine Mortis was clearly an experienced necromancer, and Marcus had been studying up on sanguimancy, the specialty of House Drakharrow.
It doesn’t need to be. There are other ways.
But these idiots don’t know that. Blood magic and necromancy are their weapons of choice.
They’re all they seem to know. Watching them is like watching children throw a tantrum.
Like trying to stab a door with a knife and expecting it to open, instead of using a lockpicking kit.
Well, whatever they’ve done is really fucking up the rest of Sangratha, I replied. They’ve unleashed some kind of a plague.
The wave.
Yes, the wave. Except it’s a wave of infected highbloods, every one of them trying to kill us.
She was so quiet I thought she’d disappeared. Orcades?
I’m here.
What is it?
What you describe … a plague that spreads mindless violence. There was a similar plague once in Aercanum. In Valtain, where my father once ruled.
I felt a chill go over me. Grandfather?
Yes, your grandfather unleashed it. Purposely, of course. She sighed. Do terrible things with magic, pay a terrible price. How easily history repeats itself, even across worlds.
Except, the ones doing the terrible things don’t pay the price, I pointed out, bitterly. Ordinary people do.
Yes. In the case of your grandfather, children did.
My heart sped up. Children?
Yes. Fae children. It’s a long, sordid tale. Do me a favor and please remind me to never tell you about it sometime.
I thought for a moment. Orcades, I’m fae. Well, half. So far, the plague here has only infected highbloods. But could it infect me? Am I as susceptible as they are?
I was quick like a highblood, stronger than a blightborn. My body was physiologically different in subtle ways, from my ears to my elongated fingers and toes. What marked me as a dragon rider in this world marked me as half-fae back in mine.
It’s a different plague than the one that was set loose in Aercanum, she replied slowly. Still, yes, I suppose you’re right, and that could be the case. You’ll need to be vigilant, Medra. Make sure Florence is, too.
My blood had gradually changed my friend’s physiology. Had I made her more susceptible to this plague as well? I hoped we’d never find out.
“Pendragon!” Blake called from up ahead.
I have to go, I said quickly. But Orcades, you have to tell me. How do we stop this?
If I knew that, I’d have already told you, now, wouldn’t I, my love?
I clenched my jaw. It was the answer I figured she’d give. There has to be some way.
Only the most obvious one.
Stop Marcus and Catherine. So we need to get to where you are somehow?
Perhaps. Not necessarily. There are things at play here that I can’t explain right now. I’ll tell you more soon.
“Medra!” Theo pulled my arm before I could parse that cryptic response. “Come on. The tower is clear.” He lowered his voice. “I think Blake might let us go. But I’m sure he’s going to insist on coming along.”
Of course he would. Blake wasn’t going to let me out of his sight.
And to be fair, I didn’t want to be out of it.
We were stronger together. I nodded and followed Theo down to the mezzanine over-looking the common room where Blake stood talking to Visha.
There was a pounding at the door, and for a moment, everyone froze.
Finally, one of the wardens went to it. After a pause, she called across the room, “Two latecomers!” She opened the door, and a highblood couple practically fell in, giggling, still in rumpled finery, smelling of champagne.
They’d clearly been partying late after the engagement ball.
But then, they were highbloods, so they had no curfew.
Blake leaned over the balcony rail. “What is it?” I asked, coming up beside him.
A muscle ticked in his jaw. “Probably nothing. But …”
His gaze was locked on the girl, a petite highblood who I thought was a Third Year. She had her boyfriend’s dinner jacket draped over her sequined shoulders and was laughing just a tad too loudly at something he’d said, her fingers fluttering against his chest.
Blake descended the stairs with deceptive calm. Theo, Visha, and I followed. “Long night, Collette?” Blake said to the girl. His tone was polite, but I picked up on the current of steel that undercut it.
She jumped. “House Leader.” She gave a little giggle. “Just going back to our rooms. We’ll be more quiet, I swear. At least, we’ll try.” She smiled sweetly up at Blake, clearly a girl used to getting everything her way.
Her boyfriend, a tall highblood boy with dreadlocks, was trying to pull her towards the stairs.
Blake’s eyes slid to the boyfriend. “Run into any trouble in the halls tonight, Jareth?”
The boy shook his head—a little too quickly. “Trouble? Not at all. Come on, Collette. It’s past your bedtime.” His smile seemed slightly forced.
The girl giggled again. “Well, good night, House Leader.”
In a flash, Blake stood between the boy and the staircase. “Your hands. They’re shaking.” He grasped Jareth’s wrist, lifting it high enough that I could see the tremor. “Why is that?”
The boy’s eyes leaped to his girlfriend’s, but he didn’t answer.
Blake turned to Collette. “Take off the jacket.”
“But I’m cold,” she protested, clutching it around her more tightly.
In a blur of motion, he’d swept it from her shoulders. Beside me Theo groaned. Teeth marks marred the girl’s upper arm. The flesh was scalloped, rimmed with soot-dark veins. They’d cinched a handkerchief over it, but dark blood seeped through.
“I know it looks disgusting, but it hardly hurts,” Collette said quickly. “We were going to tell you. The strangest thing happened on our way back here …” She continued to babble as I stepped forward.
“She’s fine so far,” I murmured to Blake. “We have an infirmary. We don’t know for sure that she’s infected.”
But Blake wasn’t listening to me. His eyes had narrowed to slits. “She’s not fine. I can hear it.” “Hear it?”
He scowled without even looking at me. “Her blood is rotting.”
Jareth had overheard. He moved quickly, trying to get between Blake and the girl. But before he could make it, Visha was there, a dagger kissing his throat.
Blake moved towards Collette. “I’m sorry.” His voice was truly regretful. I could hear the pain behind the words.
I don’t think she’d even registered what he was going to do—and neither had I.
One thrust, swift and perfect, and Blake was easing her to the floor.
I stared at the girl’s body, trying to take in what had just happened, feeling morbidly grateful for highblood speed.
Jareth cried out and rushed at Blake, but Visha caught him and dragged him back.
She spoke soothingly to the boy as he collapsed onto a couch and began to sob into his hands.
Blake wiped his blade. Then he raised his voice, so the students he’d conscripted as guards could all hear. “Every new arrival will be inspected carefully first. Anyone with a bite mark is to be put in a room separate from the other injured, with guards posted at the door.”
He took a deep breath and looked over at me. I knew what he was about to say. “It’s out there. In the castle. It’s not contained. It’s spreading.”
I swallowed. “I don’t care. I’m going to find Florence.”
“And I’m going to find Vaughn.” Theo stepped up beside me.
“I’ll stay.” It was Visha. “You know you want to go with them, Blake. We can’t all leave. I’m your other Second. I’ll stay and watch over things here.” She looked between the three of us. “Bloodmaiden watch over you. Come back soon. Come back safe.”
Blake, Theo, and I slipped from the common room.
We’d made a plan: we’d head to Sankara’s training courtyard, get some actual armor and more weapons, then head on to the Orphos Tower.
House Drakharrow had an armory, but it was within the Black Keep—under Viktor’s control.
Still, the Defensive Arts courtyard had storage rooms full of equipment.
We’d bring enough to try to supply Lysander and his people with what we didn’t use.
The courtyard was on the way, so Theo and I hadn’t put up much of a protest. Also, Blake had insisted, and we knew he wouldn’t back down.