Page 156 of The Iron Flower

Brendan shakes his head. “I don’t know. But if they did, then... Jarod, Diana, Konnor and me...we might be the only Lupines left. They killedeveryone, even the babies.” He looks around wildly. “I have to find Jarod and Diana. And Andras.” His eyes are imploring. “Where are they?”

My mind is a storm. I struggle to think as panic cyclones through me. “Andras is probably with the horses.”

“Take him,” he implores, holding Konnor out to me. The child stiffens, as if bracing for a blow, his eyes unblinkingly wide, filled with unimaginable horrors. “Take him to Andras,” Brendan says, desperation in his eyes.

“Oh, sweet one,” I whisper to Konnor, my heart tearing in two. He presses his little head against my chest as I hug him protectively close. Fiercely close.

I motion to the back kitchen entrance, my voice choked. “Diana and Jarod...they might be in the dining hall. Through the kitchens. In there.”

Brendan makes for the door, and I hurry in behind him, clutching Konnor. Everyone looks up from their labors as we burst inside, their eyes flying wide to see Brendan rushing through, trailed by me, hugging a Lupine child in my arms. Yvan’s eyes home in tight on me as he pulls a wooden bread paddle from the oven. Rafe slams the door of a cookstove closed and rises, immediately registering my alarm. Trystan is there with him, as if they’ve just been conversing. My younger brother searches my face, his hand reflexively sliding to grasp his wand.

“Elloren,” Bleddyn says sharply, her hand freezing in the act of stirring a large kettle of porridge. “What happened?” She abandons her task as she, Yvan, my brothers and Fernyllia rush over to me, the rest of the workers instantly on alert.

I pause, a tremble taking hold of me. My eyes flick to Brendan’s back as he disappears through the entrance to the dining hall, the door slamming shut behind him.

Olilly has fallen back from where she and Iris were filling muffin tins, terror in her violet eyes. Iris wraps an arm around Olilly, her gaze riddled with fear and confusion.

“What’s going on, Ren?” Rafe asks, his strong hand coming to my arm. His face pales as he takes in trauma-stricken Konnor. “Why do you have Andras’s son?”

“Jarod and Diana’s pack.” I’m barely able to get the words out. “They’ve been murdered. By the Gardnerians.”

Rafe’s eyes widen.“What?!”

A loud, earsplitting scream erupts from the direction of the dining hall. It quickly morphs into a tortured wail of grief.

Rafe, Trystan, Yvan and I all rush through the door at the same time. Diana’s in the far corner of the hall, trying to pull away from Brendan, his hands on her shoulders. Jarod is standing next to them, his face chalk white.

“No! No!”Diana screams over and over. She wrenches free of Brendan, almost losing her footing as she does so. Rafe, Trystan and Yvan rush toward them, and I follow close behind in a nightmare daze as I clutch Konnor to my chest and dart around what feels like a sea of people, all turned in the direction of the screaming and murmuring in confusion.

I push past a knot of Gardnerian military apprentices who are watching Diana with shocked interest, craning their necks to see.

They don’t know, I realize as I pass them.They don’t know what’s happened.

Ahead of me, Rafe has reached Diana, who’s sobbing uncontrollably. Rafe grabs hold of her and pulls her into a fierce embrace as Yvan and Trystan fall in with Jarod and Brendan. Diana pushes away from Rafe and begins to Change, thick hair sprouting all over her skin, her body lengthening in some places, contracting in others, her clothes tearing.

I reach them all as Diana rapidly finishes the Change, her forepaws falling to the floor with a dull thud. I skid to a halt next to Yvan, shocked to witness Diana’s transformation. She’s the largest wolf I’ve ever seen, golden-haired and magnificent with wild amber eyes.

Diana gives Rafe a devastated look and bolts into a run. She clears the room, fast as lightning, scholars shrieking with fear in her wake.

“I’ll go after her.” Brendan peers toward where Diana ran out, a dazed expression on his face.

“I’ll go, too,” Rafe offers in turn, his face stricken.

“No,” Brendan tells him, his eyes darting down the length of Rafe’s figure in grim appraisal. “You’ll never catch up with her in that form. And you can’t scent her like I can. I’ll bring her back.”

“There’s a tower,” Rafe tells Brendan with heightened urgency. “On the north end of the grounds...just past the University stables and a broad field. Bring her there.”

Brendan nods and runs out, so fast his form is a blur.

Grief whipping through me, my eyes meet Yvan’s, his fire giving a hard flare toward me.

“I’ll help find her,” he tells me, his voice low. I nod, and he glances at Jarod and my brothers for a moment before breaking into a run across the hall that I know is only a fraction of the speed he’s capable of.

Jarod is doubled over and looks like he’s having trouble breathing. His eyes are wide and uncomprehending, as if he’s suddenly trapped in a nightmare with no escape. “My parents...” he chokes out, “my sister...my entire pack.” His knees buckle.

Rafe and Trystan catch him before he hits the ground, holding on to him from either side.

“I think I’m going to be sick,” Jarod says, his voice constricted.

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