Page 98 of On Wings of Blood

“It hadn’t only been fed from,” I snapped. “Someone had left it bleeding from a huge gash in its side. They’d done that to it and left it there. To die alone, in the dark. A little puppy.” I looked at his profile, the angles of his pale face glowing in the late afternoons unlight. “I think it was the girl. She was only a child. No more than nine or ten.”

“You probably thought you saw a highblood girl but in reality she was just some blightborn brat who snuck over somehow from the city,” he said, waving a hand.

“She wasn’t a stranger. She was definitely a highblood. I knew her,” I persisted. “I saw her that first day when we came before your uncle. She was there, sitting on the dais.”

He froze.

“You know who I’m talking about, don’t you?” I glared at him. “Who is she?”

He turned to me slowly. “Does it matter?”

“Does it matter? She hurt an animal. An innocent creature. A baby.” I shook my head. “But no, I guess it doesn’t matter. Ishould have known you wouldn’t care. It’s just an animal to you, isn’t it? After all, even highblood life is obviously meaningless to you.”

He leaned towards me. “That highblood you’re referring to would have liked nothing better than to sink his teeth into your pretty little throat. And do you think he would have stopped once he’d started?”

I refused to give an inch. “Who was the girl?” I demanded again. “It’s obvious you know her. So why not tell me?”

He turned his head. “She’s my younger sister. Aenia.”

“Your...sister?” I was shocked. “I didn’t know you had a sister.”

“Yes, well, you don’t really know a fucking thing about me, do you, Pendragon? Besides despising me, I mean.”

“Fairly certain the feeling is mutual, Drakharrow.” But I found I could hardly breathe. His sister?

He ran his hands through his hair. “Aenia shouldn’t have been out there. She could have been hurt. It’s not safe for her. I’ll speak with her.”

I stared at him. “And that’s it? You’re more worried abouther?”

He glared at me. “Of course I’m worried about her. She’s just a child. She’s still learning our ways. She didn’t know any better.”

That didn’t fit with the child I’d seen. She was young, yes, but she was lacking in innocence. There was something even more predatory about Aenia Drakharrow than there was about her older brother, and that was saying something.

“Fine. She’s your sister. I can understand your being worried about her. If it’s any consolation, I did ask her if she was all right. But she wouldn’t answer me. She just walked away and... I didn’t know if I should try to stop her.” I drew a breath. “But Aenia wasn’t the one hurt. The fluffin was.”

He frowned. “I assumed it died after you found it.”

“No, he didn’t die. I took him back with me. To the First Year common room.”

He shook his head. “Of course, you did, Pendragon. I’d expect nothing less.” Yet there was something almost admiring in his gaze, as if he might not be entirely mocking me.

“Right, well, not all of us think animals are meaningless,” I snapped. “Anyhow, I need your help.”

“You have a strange way of asking for it,” he replied.

I bit my tongue. “I was hoping I’d run into Theo instead.”

He laughed out loud. “Is that your way of asking for help? Telling me you wish I was my cousin?”

“I only mean that I doubt Theo would have to be asked. He’d probably just offer.”

“Offer what? I still don’t even know what you’re trying to say.” But the corners of his mouth slid upward. He knew.

“For fuck’s sake,” I said through gritted teeth. “Will you take the fluffin to one of your house healers or not?”

He looked at me for a long moment, the corners of his mouth twitching as if he was going to laugh again.

If he did, I’d punch him in the face, I decided. No matter what he did to me after that, it would be worth it.

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