Page 155 of A Heart of Bluestone

It’s a sudden shambles of witches fleeing into the treeline and bolting down the paths for the gondolas and the gardens, or practically galloping towards the old abandoned cabin.

Don’t get caught.

But I get caught.

“Don’t you dare move!” The booming shout of the headmaster jolts me. “Every single one of you, hands up!”

Teddy and Piper are gone.

I don’t flee with them.

I just drop the snowball and lift my hands.

Dray does the same.

A heartbeat after me, he just—raises his hands.

Swallowing thick, I turn my chin to look over at Oliver.

He’s halfway across the grounds, but by how harshly he’s panting and how he’s hunched over with his hands pressed against his thighs, I know he was stopped mid-run towards me.

I frown at him.

The brother who never comes to my aid. Who never shouts at me to flee. He doesn’t look at me.

His gaze is locked onto Dray.

We’re all still as Headmaster Braun shouts out detentions at every face he sees. Master Lockwood comes barrelling down the stairs, Eric at his heels, followed by Master Novak, and they splinter off in search of hiding students.

I drop my hands to my sides with a slap.

Dray does, too.

Mirrors me, my every move, and as I stagger around the shrub for the front of the academy, Dray is my shadow.

He keeps close.

Oliver waits. Gaze cutting between us, he doesn’t leave me to Dray’s mercy.

Headmaster Braun finally flings his pointed finger at me. “Detention, tonight!” Then it shifts to Dray. He echoes the words, then again to Oliver, “You too!”

He has to point the finger and speak the punishment. It binds us to our consequences. No matter how much I might try, I wouldn’t be able to stop my feet from steering me to detention.

I feel the enchantment clamp down my spine.

I go rigid, then turning on my heels stiffly, I march up the stairs.

Dray follows.

Oliver, too.

But no attack comes.

I return to my dorm room unscathed—for now.

24

I don’t have enough courage to shower off the chill in the bathrooms. The frostiness of the snowball fight, of the mountain air, and of Courtney’s constant glowers has made for a cold night in the dorm room.

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