Page 154 of A Heart of Bluestone

My insides constrict.

Before I even realise what I’m doing, self-preservation kicks in—or, more accurately, self-defence.

I snatch two snowballs and jump to my feet. The weight of them on my gloved palms tells of the pebbles stuck inside.

Dray falters.

His brows raise…

Then a grin sweeps across his face.

“Olivia, what the fuck!” Oliver’s shout bellows from across the grounds, out of breath and frantic. “No!”

But he’s too late.

I fire them off, both of them, in a blur.

The first one almost hits his neck, but he swipes it out of the way—then staggers back a step, his cheek turned to me.

Because the second struck him right on the mouth.

A single trail of red runs down his chin, thin and wispy, but striking in the white of the grounds. His lashes are low over the cutting gleam of his eyes.

“Oh, shit,” Teddy chokes on his words, swirled with laughter. “You actually did it.”

Piper huffs a breath behind me. Stunned silent.

The battle doesn’t stop. The surviving attackers still fight.

Distantly, I am aware of the thudding sound of punches flying. I don’t need to guess who took it too far, but Landon and Mildred.

And me.

Because I hit Dray.

Got him square on the mouth.

But all that comes from me is a breath of rushed relief, then a lazy smile.

Fuck, that felt good.

Dray rolls his jaw, once, twice, then his lashes flutter—and he turns a glacier look on me, lakes frozen over, pits of death ready to suck me in.

The thick black gloves that sheath his hands tighten into fists.

Then he’s moving for me.

“Olivia, run!” Oliver’s voice booms over the grounds, hitched and raspy, and I know he’s running for me, too.

I don’t run.

I drop to the ground and rush to pack another snowball.

I stagger to my feet, breath grating through me, my chest thundering, and I aim, but before I can release, an eruption of shouts thunders the mountainside.

“Teachers!” “Incoming!” “Every witch for themselves!”

Students scatter.

---