Page 10 of A Dawn Of Blood

I walk over to the tree and inspect the carvings a little closer. They’re just as I remember them — triangles with simplistic eyes in the middle.

Looking over my shoulder to give Lorcan and Raven a nod, I start climbing. It doesn’t take long to reach the branch with the identical carvings on it.

Coming to stand on it, I take a deep breath to brace myself. Once I do, I grab the branch with both hands and jump downso I’m hanging. Then I engage my core and lift my legs over my head, placing my feet on the branch before letting my hands hang.

Almost instantly, the world around me turns upside down and the tower appears, with the small wooden window we use to climb inside.

The smell of stagnant air that greets us once we close the window behind us is so familiar, but I don’t let myself linger in the past. I start climbing the stairs, returning to the issue of my approach once we enter.

But now that I’m so close, there’s no more sadness.

There’s only anger, especially when I spot the door at the top of the stairs, behind which I know we’ll find the hallway on Academy’s Level One.

The very memory of it makes me come to a decision. This ismyAcademy. Just like the world will beours, nothis. Looking over my shoulder to exchange a glance with Lorcan and Raven, I look through the spyhole.

And of course, who do I see on the other side — staring at the portrait of Vasilisa the Wise with his back turned to us? One of his goddamn soldiers.

Chapter 7

Fuck. I turn around and communicate to Lorcan and Raven that there’s one ofthemstanding on the other side of the door.

Lorcan lets out a soundless, frustrated breath, while Raven, still in the haze of her sudden depression, seems to barely register the situation we’ve found ourselves in.

As for myself, I’m still angry and determined at the same time, but I’m not stupid. I’m not about to ruin our chances of taking over the Academy by underestimating the man patrolling the hallway outside.

So I start a wordless exchange with Lorcan to come up with a plan. Raven pleasantly surprises me by putting effort into making herself useful, while Lorcan’s initial frustration grows into cautious determination to follow through on the reason we came here in the first place.

Within a matter of minutes, we decide to restrain the guy and take his uniform.

Inhaling deeply, I turn my back to my friends and take another look through the spyhole. He’s still there, he’s just moved onto the next painting, his back still turned to us.

It should definitely work in our favor — the fact that he doesn’t seem to be awfully alert or disciplined.

I step to the left, placing my hand on the knob while Raven shifts. As soon as she does, I slowly open the door and she flies out.

While she’s distracting the man, I simultaneously summon a thunder whip and open the door — wide. While the soldier’s entire focus is on the bird flying in the other direction, I step outside and send the whip in his direction, grabbing him around both ankles and knocking him down face first.

I hear muffled grunts even before Lorcan lunges from behind my back, throwing himself on his knees and pinning the guy’s upper arms to the floor.

There’s a moment of thrashing before the guy stills. Just as a smile tugs at my lips, my eyes dart to Lorcan, who’s gone unnaturally still.

My eyes widening, I watch him lift one hand to his own face and slap himself, hard.

Fuck, Mind Magic.

Still holding the guy’s ankles pinned to the floor with my whip, I lift my other hand to summon another one, when the guy chokes out, “Raven,” just as I spot her flying back to us.

The electricity starts crackling at the top of my fingers, but it’s just at that moment that Raven shifts, hits the ground running and yells out, “No, stop that right now.”

I freeze.

She drops to her knees in front of the guy, making Lorcan get up and the both of us step away in confusion. Raven helps the guy pick himself up and she throws herself into his arms,sobbing, but it’s only when he spins her around that I finally see his face.

The shock of relief renders me mute. I exchange an incredulous look with Lorcan.

We let the couple have their moment, but as soon as Raven lets go, I rush to give him a hug as well. “Alaric,” I practically sob, tears of happiness running down my face.

He chuckles.

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