Page 193 of On Wings of Blood

“Medra!” she cried, as she took in the sight of the wounded girl. “Poppy! You found her. Thank the Bloodmaiden.” Her shoulders sagged in relief.

I cringed at her choice of words, but knew this was not the time.

Professor Rodriguez was crouched by the hearth, stoking the fire. When he saw me, he rose quickly. Crossing the room, he took the girl from my arms and placed her gently upon a couch. He knelt down beside her, unfastening my makeshift tourniquet, and pressing his fingers gently against the wounds at her neck.

“Fetch her mother,” he ordered one of the speechless students standing nearby. The boy ran off immediately. “You.” He pointed to another student, a cowering girl. “Go fetch a healer. Tell them to bring a litter she can be carried in.”

Minutes later, we could hear the poor mother’s panicked sobs from the hallway before she even appeared. The housekeeper was a pretty blightborn woman with long black braided hair. She fell to her knees beside her daughter, cradling Poppy’s face. Tears streamed down her cheeks as Rodriguez continued his ministrations.

“Medra, what happened? Where did you find her? Where’s Blake?” Florence asked softly.

Her eyes scanned my face. I couldn’t find the words to answer her. Nor did I want to. Not truly. I couldn’t tell her what I’d seen.

If the little girl remembered her ordeal in the morning, she could share it with her mother. But I prayed she would forget.

Exhaustion was weighing down upon me. The events of the night were finally crushing me with horror and guilt.

I shook my head. “Tomorrow,” I said, putting her off.

I climbed the stairs to my room, every step heavier than the last. My mind spun, replaying every last painful detail from the moment I’d left the First Year Common Room earlier that night with Kage.

The rite. The things Blake had done. The things I’d let him do.

I’d let him in. Let my guard down. For a moment, I had wanted him.

It had been a mistake.

He had saved the little girl. But he’d also saved her monster.

Aenia’s feral eyes, filled with hunger and madness, flashed before me. And there was Blake. Holding her back.

Protecting Poppy and I. But also protecting the highblood who threatened us both.

I fell onto my bed, too exhausted to even turn down the covers.

The last thing I remembered as I fell asleep was the feeling of his hands on my skin...and the shame that had come from wanting him.

BOOK 5

CHAPTER 46 - BLAKE

Springrise

I lay in my bed, staring up at the dark crimson canopy, one hand absentmindedly stroking the soft fur of the fluffin curled up beside me.

I’d given up trying to send Neville back to Pendragon and her friend, Florence. He went where he wanted, when he wanted. Secretly, I found it kind of flattering that more and more he seemed to want to be with me.

There was something comforting about having him around. Not to mention the fact that the little ball of fluff had basically saved my life that day in the arena when he’d warned me about Coregon’s approach.

Neville made a small sound of contentment in his sleep, nestling closer against me.

Usually the animal’s proximity would help to calm my restless mind. But tonight, not even Neville could settle my unease.

I’d returned from feeding in Veilmar earlier to find Pendragon standing smack dab in the middle of the Dragon Court.

For a moment, I’d been frozen in my tracks. Had she been following me again?

For the last few weeks, she’d completely ignored me. Refusing to even look at me when we passed one another in the halls.

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