Page 145 of Wings of Ash & Flame
“A full pack of bloodravagers, Dawson. On academy grounds. That’s no accident,” Caius said.
“Keep your voice down.”
“She’s unconscious. And this affects all of us—if the Consortium thinks the academy’s been compromised?—”
“The perimeter was breached. That’s not her fault.”
“Isn’t it? Maybe someone wanted to send a message?”
A message?
“She risked her life to save mine, Caius.”
“Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.”
“She’s selfish and reckless, but…”
Something tugged at her memory—an explosion of shadow, onyx snowflakes. They swirled and swirled in her vision.
A dull throbbing radiated from her neck outward through her body. Every limb felt like lead, heavy and resistant to movement. She wasn’t sure how long she’d been out. A calm, reassuring voice spoke to her.
She wanted to answer it.
Fighting the weight pressing down on her eyelids, she forced them open.
Light stabbed her skull like daggers. She groaned. The blinding white ceiling, filtered by daylight, stung her eyes.
Someone adjusted the brightness, softening it. She closed her eyes again, giving herself time. Slowly, the fog of unconsciousness began to lift. With it came a rush of memories: training with Dawson, their conversation by the campfire, the bloodravagers, her attack—and then only pain and darkness.
Once more, she opened her eyes, lids fluttering, blinking several times before her vision sharpened.
“Alaire, you’re awake.”
A spike of pain shot through her neck as she turned toward the voice. A familiar pair of almond eyes widened when their gazes met.
Relief whooshed from her chest. Kaia.
She fussed with her pillow. “You gave us a good scare,” Kaia said quietly. Each word felt like an icepick to her skull.
The sheets beneath her were damp with sweat, but they smelled faintly of lavender and rosemary. In the distance came the occasionalclinkof glass bottles and padded footsteps. The wards hummed overhead, aggravating the throbbing in her head.
“How did I get here?” she managed to croak.
“No one knows. Dawson told me you’d be back the next day from training. He flew you here on Beck’s back. Solflara threw a fit, apparently—burned down a cluster of trees. It was close, Al. If he hadn’t gotten here when he did…”
It was as bad as she suspected.
“Solflara?”
“I’m here,” she answered. Relief flooded the bond.
Alaire sank into the pillows. “I’m fine,” she said, though her sore body begged to differ.
“Fine?You call that fine?” Solflara snapped. “I tried using magic,but the poison burned through my stores faster than I could replenish them.It was too much.Luckily,the soulwardens had dealt with this kind of once before.” The phoenix sounded weary.
“You and Beck are okay?”
“We’re fine.We both rushed to find you as soon as we realized something was wrong with the bond.But without it,we had to track you manually—it took far longer than it should’ve.”
