I’m in his arms in an instant.
His alpha instincts ride him hard, and he breathes me in, great shuddering breaths that rack through his body until he finally calms. “You’re safe. Thank the saints.”
“Help me, please,” I beg.
He nods, resolute, and we dash toward the omega lodge, my boots crunching on the gravel.
“Can you open the wards of the lodge to admit betas and honor guards? We need to set up a place to receive the wounded. The infirmary is going to be overflowing by the time this is all…” I let out a shaky breath. “By the time this is all over.”
Ian flicks his scribe and the wards around the lodge shimmer before admitting him.
Bitsy and Bridget limp in behind us, supporting a battered Ellie between them. Their honor guards follow until Bitsy snaps at them to go help people who actually need it.
“Any omega who is frightened, go back to your cottage and lock your door. Stay where it’s safe. We’re opening the residence wards so Juniper can set up a triage. Miss McNamara, I hope you’ll help her?”
Bridget swallows hard but nods. “Yes, sir.”
Simon comes skidding into the omega lodge, looking around at the once-forbidden space for the first time. He pulls Ellie into his arms, despite her pained wince. “Oh thank fuck you’re both safe.”
“Go.” I tell Ian. “Bring injured beta students back so we can help them. And please, please try to find Alyssa.”
He nods, not questioning me, and sprints back out of the lodge, golden scribe raised.
“Bridget, empty Doc’s office of supplies. Anything you can find.”
The senior omega helps Ellie over to the long stainless-steel counter in the kitchen and with Bitsy’s help, hoists her up onto it. But I can already see that Ellie’s arm hangs at an odd angle, broken. Pain contorts her features, and she swoons until Bitsy makes her lie down.
The first wave of beta students is escorted into the omega lodge and Simon sits them down in the main room.
“We’ve got a concussion!” he calls out to me. “And broken ribs.”
“Is the student with the broken ribs breathing all right? If so, bespell for pain relief. Bridget, can you set Ellie’s arm or at least stabilize her until Doc can look at her?”
It takes everything I’ve learned in Restorative Magic and a shocking amount of the stabilizing magic Doc taught us at the end of last term before the chaos in the omega lodge finally fades to a dull roar.
Simon, Bridget, and I attended to nearly thirty students, and if that’s what we saw at our makeshift triage, I shudder to think what Doc is facing in the main infirmary.
It’s past midnight when Marcus limps into the omega lodge.
“Alyssa’s safe. She has a broken arm but tended to it herself and is now doing what I imagine you’ve been doing all night.”
I go to him and sink into his arms, breathing in pine and winter wind.
And smoke and ash.
“Is it over?”
I feel rather than see his nod. “For now. The Soldiers wreaked havoc and hurt a lot of students, but they weren’t able to take a single omega student. I think they’ve all been chased off.”
I collapse onto one of the stools at the kitchen counter, rubbing at my temples. “You need medical attention.”
“I’ve got a pretty bad sprain. I need your best strength sigil and a few pain-relieving spells. I told the headmaster I’d take the first watch over the omega residences until campus has been cleared and the academy-wide wards strengthened. He’s not taking any risks.”
I immediately start the espresso machine and then have him hop up on the counter. I feel around his swollen ankle, and he hisses in pain. “You shouldn’t be walking on this.”
“You can lecture me all day tomorrow after we both sleep past noon.”
I look up at him and force a small smile. “You, sleep past six? Never.”
