Page 113 of The Bond That Burns

Then he froze.

Inside the carriage, Jia and Florence sat backed into a corner, their faces masks of terror.

Theo lay on the seat next to Jia and Florence as if he’d tried to shield them.

And Aenia... Oh, gods. The highblood child hunched over her cousin, paying no heed to Blake or I. Her fangs were sunk into Theo’s neck. Blood dripped down her chin as she fed.

Theo’s face was slack, his eyes closed. He seemed past the point of being aware of what was happening.

Jia looked behind Blake and I, taking in the scene outside. Then she opened her mouth and began to scream.

CHAPTER 28 - MEDRA

Warmth wrapped me in a cocoon as I blinked awake. The soft rustle of fabric and high narrow windows told me where I was: The infirmary in Drakharrow Tower back at Bloodwing. The faint scent of herbs and soap tinged the air, reassuring and familiar. This was my third time in the infirmary since coming to the academy. It was getting to be a regular little habit.

I flexed my hands, then shifted experimentally in the bed. To my surprise, I felt almost normal. No sharp pain. Just a faint, dull ache in my side where I’d been stabbed.

“So, you’re awake,” a female voice said. A short, dark-skinned woman stepped into view, her brown curls pulled back into a loose bun. “I’m Healer Ailith. I’ve been following your progress. We weren’t sure if you’d wake so soon. But you’ve been making a remarkable recovery.”

“What day is it? What time is it?” I asked, wondering how much time I’d lost.

“It’s nearly noon. You were brought in early yesterday evening.”

I raised my eyebrows. I’d expected her to say it had been longer. “I feel good.” Better than I had any right to, really. I felt almost ready to jump out of the bed, but wasn’t sure the healer would let me. Still, I wasn’t planning on spending another night in the infirmary if I could help it.

“That’s thanks to the spellcraft we used,” Ailith explained. “We were able to close your wound and accelerate your healing. Apparently dragon rider bodies are a little more resilient than blightborn ones.”

“What do you mean?” I asked, surprised.

“Your blood seems to make you easier to heal,” she repeated patiently. “Blightborn don’t respond nearly as well to restorative spells as you did.”

I turned my head and froze. Theo was lying in a bed not far from mine. His eyes were closed and his face was drawn and pale.

“Theo! How is he?” I struggled to sit up.

Ailith’s smile faded. “He’s stable for now, but his injuries are much more serious than yours. He was almost completely drained.” She hesitated, then looked at me, her tone turning cautious. “How exactly did it happen?”

The scene in the carriage came rushing back. Aenia, hunched over Theo, her fangs sunk deep in his neck, his blood dripping from her chin.

“I...” I hesitated. “Who brought Theo here?”

“Blake Drakharrow and Visha Vaidya brought both of you in.”

“And they didn’t tell you anything?” Alarm bells were going off. I needed to be careful.

Ailith’s expression sharpened. “Tell us what?”

I bit my lip. Blake hadn’t explained. He’d left Theo without telling the healers that his sister had fed on another highblood.

Ailith was looking at me suspiciously. “We were told nothing. The House Leader left you both and couldn’t seem to get away quickly enough. But he didn’t have to tell us. The signs clearly indicate this young man was fed from. For a highblood to feed from another—” She shook her head. “It’s a very serious crime.There will have to be a report. If the House Leader knows who did this to his cousin...”

“No.” My voice came out sharper than I’d intended. “If he’d known who it was, don’t you think he would have told you? Does Blake know you’re planning to report it?”

The healer’s brow furrowed. “We have no choice but to inform the Headmaster. This isn’t something that can be ignored, no matter who was involved.”

This was bad. Worse than bad. If the Tribunal caught word of this... If Viktor found out... I clenched my fists against the blanket then made my decision.

“I wouldn’t recommend that, Ailith,” I said, making my voice purposely cool and throwing in a little of Blake’s haughtiness. “I’d suggest you speak to the House Leader before you do anything. For everyone’s sake. He is ultimately in charge, after all.”

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