Ding.The sound of an elevator arriving.
“Keep still,” Wes whispers, straightening my sheets. “Close your eyes.”
The door slides open. Janine Hart walks in, her heels clicking. “Wes, is she stable?”
“Yes, Mother.” His voice is ice again.
“Good. David, administer the final dose.” The cold flush of the IV hits my vein.
The world turns to black.
5
The headcount takes forever.
I’m put in charge of Communis House, along with Professor Octobus.
Students are lined up outside their dorm rooms.
The ones who hadn’t attended the ball are relaxed and chatting, but it’s obvious the kids caught up in last night’s attack are shell-shocked. Nothing in their pampered lives has ever been as threatening and real as the fire bombs and thrown rocks of the All-Hallows Ball fiasco.
I tick students off my list, one by one, giving Naomi Watson a nod as I get to her room.
“Thanks for last night,” she murmurs.
“Hmm.” I’m fucking bitter that I ended up having to shepherd students around.
If that hadn’t been the case, maybe Theo would still be safe—not lost and Gods’ knows where.
“Right, Feniks. I think that’s the lot,” Octobus says, putting down her clipboard. “What a mess. Have you heard the casualty count?”
“Thirty-seven needed hospitalization, including twelve students. Seven deceased was the last update, but none from the academy.”
“You’re including the humans in that figure? Stupid things, what were they playing at?”
I shrug.
It does seem unwise to choose a fight with the Conclave when you are a weak non-magical, especially within the country of Havengard, where human rights are not optimal in the first place.
“The police want to question anyone who was there,” Octobus continues. “Larrisa said they’re setting up a room near the Restricted Studies block. Have you been assigned there?”
“No.” I’m relieved, and it probably shows.
“Well, I’m sure there is plenty else to do. Teamwork, right?” The professor gives me the stink eye. “Assembly in one hour, girls!” she calls to a group as we head out.
One hour.
Really, I should spend that time cleaning up and drinking a gallon of coffee, but I need to find Ludo first. He hasn’t been replying to any of our texts.
As I enter Defectivum, I meet a frantic looking Willow. “No news?” she asks, eyes wild.
“No. Have you seen the janitor?”
Bloomhower shakes her head. “Not since earlier. He was going to search the grounds.”
I don’t like that he hasn’t been in touch.
Ludo is pretty much a mystery to me, but it doesn’t seem like he’d go radio-silent when we are all desperately searching for Theo.
