Page 52 of The Bond That Burns

I held up my hands in an effort to keep the peace. “I understand why you’re upset, but you have to believe me. I don’t want to hurt any blightborn and I have no intention of doing so.”

The burly boy cut me off with a harsh laugh. He was starting to get on my nerves. “Your intentions don’t mean a thing. You’ve just made it easier for them to keep us under their boots.”

I opened my mouth to respond but I could see the tensions in the group were rising fast. The blightborn students’ faces were tense with anger and fear.

“End her,” I heard one student mutter. I could see some were clenching and unclenching their fists, shifting on their feet. They were nervous and tense and looking for some sort of solution. They wanted their fear to go away.

They wantedmeto go away. I wondered just how far they were ready to go to make that happen.

“What’s going on here?”

The voice came from behind me, calm but commanding. Every blightborn head snapped towards the sound.

I turned to see Kage Tanaka standing in the hallway. His coal-dark eyes swept over the group, taking in every detail.

He seemed as composed as always. But there was something about the deliberate stillness of his stance that made it clear he didn’t need to raise his voice or make a single threat to command respect. Or fear.

“Fuck,” I heard the burly boy mutter. His gaze dropped to the floor.

The other blightborn students seemed to be deflating. They shuffled backwards awkwardly. Only the tall burly boy and the girl with braids remained, their stances still defiant even under Kage’s gaze.

“This doesn’t concern you, Tanaka,” the tall boy said suddenly, surprising me with his boldness.

Kage raised an eyebrow and came slowly to stand by my side. His beautiful lips curved in a humorless smile. “Really? Because it looks to me as if you’re threatening the rider. As House Avarihas a stake in Miss Pendragon’s safety and that of her dragon, I think what you’re doing concerns me quite a bit.”

The girl with the braids stepped forward, her voice shaking a little but still stubborn. “This is a blightborn matter.”

“Wrong,” Kage snapped. His gaze lingered on the girl then shifted to the others. “Some of you are in my house, aren’t you? That makes your behaviormyresponsibility. And I don’t tolerate insubordination.”

Some of the students looked as if they wanted to bolt. I had no doubt Kage would remember every face.

“Please,” I said, my voice low. “Let’s diffuse the situation, not escalate it.”

Kage glanced at me. Then he gave an almost imperceptible nod.

“You don’t understand what it’s like for us,” the broad-shouldered boy burst out. “You don’t understand what this means for blightborn.” He pointed a finger at me. “She’s a traitor to her own kind.”

“Your kind?” Kage sniffed. “The rider’s always been one of a kind, if you ask me. But you’re right. Perhaps I don’t understand. But here’s whatyoudon’t understand. If you attack Miss Pendragon, if you so much as touch her, there will be consequences that you won’t walk away from. Do you understand me?”

The boy muttered something under his breath, then nodded stiffly.

Kage looked over the group, his expression stone cold. “Leave. All of you. If I see anything like this again, you won’t be dealingwith just me next time. This sort of thing won’t be tolerated in your houses—or at Bloodwing. Move along.”

The girl with the braids was the first to turn and hurry away. The others followed her lead, some with nervous glances back at Kage.

The tall, burly boy was the last to leave, his face still a mask of resentment.

Kage watched them go, then turned to me. “I’ve made a note of their houses. I’ll report the incident to the other House Leaders. They’ll be punished. Have no doubt about that.”

“No,” I said quickly, putting a hand on his arm. “No. Please don’t do that. I don’t want them punished.”

He looked down at me, surprise in his eyes.

“I appreciate the gesture, but you didn’t have to do that,” I said.

“Yes, I did,” he said evenly. “And you’re welcome.”

I grimaced. “I suppose I owe you a few ‘thank-yous’ at this point.”

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