Page 176 of Gift from the Stone

“This isn’t going to end up in your favor, girl. You’re property of the Mastery and we have our orders to bring you back with us. You leave and we’ll continue to hunt. The whole brotherhood was informed of you, but only a small group of us were assigned to you until the shit you and that group pulled in Terravile. Now every one of us knows your name, face, element, and gift as a shifter. We’ll find you,” he says knowingly, but he doesn’t truly know everything.

“What have you done to the gym doors?”

“You noticed that, did you? Locking enchantments. Only I or one of my men have the ability to allow people in or out,” he boasts.

Like the prison cells but without the blocking of gifts and elements.

Idiot.

“How many of you are outside this gym?” I ask. I already know the answer. I know the chaos going on out there, but I need time. I need time to think.

“An army.”

“Call them off. Call them off and let every student and E.F. member go, and I’ll go willingly,” I swear.

My words cause Ry to thrash around and I can’t help but finally take a good look at him. There’s blood pouring out everywhere. One of his eyes is swollen shut. I can’t even see it, but the other is furious, peering at me like I’ve lost my mind.

“You have no room to order or ask for anything. We won’t be doing that.”

“Then I’ll be going now,” I announce, dropping all the men pinned to the walls on their asses, and take a step back.

“Wait,” he shouts, shooting out a whip of water that I swat away with my air.

That was close.

I thought he was just going to let me leave there for a second.

Discreetly, I blow my breath out and pause, thinking about the next few things I need to say and do to make this work.

“You’d really be willing to just leave and allow us to take all these students, kill all these E.F. members, when the only reason we’ve attacked this academy so soon is because of you?” he asks smugly, pointing his finger at me.

The thought makes me sick.

No.

There’d be no way I could do that, but he doesn’t know that. At this point, I don’t know what he knows honestly. I’ve been trying my hardest to hear into his mind, pick up the plans he’s forming, but to no avail. There’s a block, one I’m not sure if he put there or his rune did, and I can’t run the risk of his heart falling out right now. If I kill him, so many others die. The entire army he brought with him would retaliate instantly.

Ry would die. And my best friend’s heart would break. More than that, her soul would splinter.

“Maybe, maybe not. Are you willing to show up wherever the hell you’re going without me when you had the chance to take me but chose students instead? This is obviously your mission. What will that do for your rank?” I ask just as smug.

His eyes narrow on me, knowing good and well I hit the nail on the head. That’s all these sick, delusional people care about. What they can do to move up in their twisted society.

“Fine,” he grits out.

“I’m going to need a little more than fine. Release all the E.F. members in here and send the one you’re holding here to me,” I demand.

“This one is nonnegotiable. He dies.”

The air in my lungs freezes. This was not a part of my vision.

Fucking sight.

In Master Asshole’s free hand, a frozen dagger takes shape. It’s sleek and sharp, shimmering in the bright gym lights. One slice from the icy weapon will paint the floor red.

Panic grips every one of my nerve endings and my eyes grow heavy with the tears threatening to fall. My body freezes like water on the coldest winter night with the fear pulsing through me.

Master Gish’s lips twist into a sick smile as he jerks Ry’s head back forcefully and lowers the blade to his throat. My ears are ringing so loud, I can’t hear what he’s whispering to Ry, but I know he’s taunting him, talking shit. And that pushes me over the edge.

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