Page 52 of The Fate of Eternity

It can’t be for me.

That’s not possible.

Before I can think any more about it, Professor Fairbourne appears. He looks down at Vallie on the floor before his gaze travels to me. I’m only now aware of the fact that I’ve just confirmed I am half-breed to the entire audience hovering around me, but the worry I expect to come with it doesn’t register in my mind due to everything else going on.

“Adrianna, what is this?” Fairbourne tries to keep his voice even, but the surprise is evident.

“Just do your job and clean the mess up,” Raiden snarls, stepping around to block me from Fairbourne’s direct view.

Fairbourne is my origin leader. He’s not a danger to me.

Or he wasn’t.

Who is the origin leader of half-breeds?

“Mr. Holloway, stand down. Miss Reagan, come with me,” Fairbourne demands, his tone leaving no room to question him as my body stiffens.

“She’s not going anywhere,” Cassian bites, his fingers curling around my arm to keep me at his side for good measure.

“He’s right.” I frown at the voice, the girl unfamiliar to me as she steps from the crowd. I stare at her in confusion. Her eyes are locked on mine as she approaches, expressing something, but I’m unsure what. All I see is her jaw tightening before she spins to face Fairbourne, a step off from Raiden and her shoulders roll back. “There’s no way in Hell you’re taking a wolf withoutourleader present.”

A wolf? Does she mean me?

Before I can formulate a single word to start the question, another girl steps forward, followed by another and another. Guys join the mix, creating an entire shield around me in defiance, each one draped in a green cloak.

“Stand down, wolves. This is above me. I’ll only be the messenger. Bozzelli is going to want to see her,” Fairbourne explains, sending a shiver down my spine as I process his words.

My father told me he was trustworthy, but I’ve yet to see that for myself since I arrived on campus. I can’t remember a moment from my childhood with him in it, but I honestly can’t think of anything right now. Maybe later, I might come up with something.

“I said you’re not taking her anywhere. You can try, but you’re going to have a lot of fun getting through all of us first,” she promises, folding her arms over her chest.

Her sass is impressive. Her swagger is something else entirely.

“It’s—”

“Face it, Fairbourne,” Raiden interjects, pointing at the girl beside him. “She’s not messing around. Neither am I, or anyone else. You’re not taking Adrianna anywhere. Do you need me to spell that out for you?”

I don’t need them to fight this for me, but I’m frozen in awe at the fact that they’re willing to stand by my side.

“What are these screams I’m hearing? Who is… dead? My… who did this?” Bozzelli’s voice carries through the air, stilling me as I brace for the onslaught of anger.

Refusing to hide, I finally stand, straightening my spine as my eyes latch onto Bozzelli’s. “It was me.”

She rakes her gaze over my face, acknowledging the blood that is drying onto my skin, and sighs. “I won’t be able to get you out of this. Someone already called?—”

“At ease, civilians.”

All eyes spin to the double doors as rows and rows of men filter into the room, each one dressed in black cloaks with gun-metal gray armor fitted beneath them.

They’re not just men… they’re soldiers.

“Who the fuck called in the military?” Cassian snarls, tucking me behind him as they swarm the room.

The military? The fucking military? Where the hell have they been since the academy opened? There’s been more trouble than this, butnowthey show up? What about the frenzied vamps? Where are they when we need them to handlethatshitstorm?

Now?

Why?

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