He laughed, breathless, clutching me back.
Mom assigned him as a healer in Jesper’s squad.
We’d done it.
All of us were where we were meant to be.
Not everyone made it back. We lost nine students.
Eleanor, Lorian, Raze, Ominous, Ivy, Solon, Sylver, Cora, Nym, and Katie all passed.
As the last fourth-year was hauled, coughing and exhausted, out of the pit, Dad stepped forward again, voice carrying over the courtyard. “Year-four, if you are standing here, you have completed your final trial. Sabine, the agent coordinator on the Supernatural Council, has already placed you in your squads with your position. You are no longer merely students. You are agents.”
“Rest,” he told us. “Tonight, you celebrate. Tomorrow, you will face your last House Gauntlet. After that, you will be part of the raid against the human facility.”
My heart surged.
The humans had been bold enough to attack our formal and incapacitate our students. They slaughtered villages, stole children and adults, and weaponized my venom.
It was almost time for us to walk into their facility and end it all for good.
I looked over at my mates and felt the raw feeling of love, excitement, and retribution through the bonds.
A slow smile curled my lips.
As always, the victory didn’t last long before more breaking news struck the News Sector.
“Fate Hollow is being attacked by humans,” Mom called out, urgency in her tone. “The majority of our agents will be going to lend support. Jesper, gather your squad, all new graduates and the new fourth-years, and begin the raid on the human facility.”
“Consider the House Gauntlet cancelled once again,” Dad muttered under his breath.
A ripple of emotions flooded through me, but one stood out the most.
Anger.
rune
. . .
It wasfinallytime to take revenge on the Whettlocks—specifically, Allison Whettlock.
I’d given my memory of Aura up to the door within Apex Penitentiary’s entrance, but it gave it back to me when I’d passed back through it to leave. Remembering Aura was also remembering the woman who had once sat on my bed with Eleanor and I and had girls’ nights with us through year one. I never once suspected that she was comforting me just so she could learn how to weaponize my pain later.
Allison had betrayed more than a peace treaty. She’d betrayedmytrust and then sent a damned drude into my nightmares, forcing me to reliveDarianof all people. He was the ex I’d told her about in year one when we were ‘friends.’ She’d told me I deserved better.
The difference was, I had graduated and became an agent for the Supernatural Council, and she was a human with stolen imp magic and supernatural blood on her hands.
The entire Whettlock family would be taken down today.
We had all teleported into the Human Council’s Headquarters first. The briefing had been a rapid-fireof information from both sides: coordinates, layouts, risk assessments, and last known sightings. The Human Council Lead’s expression had been tight, shame and anger flashing in her aura.
“The facility is unsanctioned,”she’d said.“It does not belong to the Human Council. We clearly ignored the signs for too long. We are at your disposal for this raid.”
She’d said everything she should’ve, but I no longer trusted humans.
We left HQ in waves of Drecken’s teleportation magic that took us across the Human Territory until the environment changed to a cold, sharp tundra.
My warlock mate insisted on staying with me, and I loved that he was going to be with our squad during this raid.
