I have just enough time to look down and see that a new brace has appeared on my scorched arm, almost like reverse disintegration, and think well, that’s just fucking great before I’m falling.
“Oomph!” I slam into someone’s arms.
Dmitri—the one holding me—glares, and for once it’s not at me but at a member of security. “Jesus. Be fucking careful! She could’ve been hurt!”
He sets me down, keeping a firm grip on my shoulders as his gaze rakes over my body. “You all right?”
I nod. This is the gentlest he’s ever been with me, and under different circumstances, I’d appreciate it a bit more. Seeing him like this kind of feels like seeing a fucking unicorn, and I could get lost in the depths of his dark eyes, the emotions churning behind them that he usually keeps so well hidden. But I can’t think about any of that right now—I’m too worried about Asher.
I move around Dmitri and hurry over to the tall, brown-haired mage. He’s sprawled on the floor next to the table, and he’s just… lying there.
My heart claws its way into my throat. “Asher?”
“Ell…?” He stirs slightly, his attempt to speak ending in a groan.
“Don’t move,” I tell him, running my fingers through his soft, thick hair and over his scalp. I don’t feel anything wet, so I don’t think there’s any blood. Not outside, anyway. He might have some internal bleeding I can’t see.
Dmitri puts a hand on my shoulder, squeezing almost painfully. I think he’s trying to comfort me, but I can tell he’s just as freaked out as I am.
“Hey! Medic! We need a medic over here!” he yells, his voice hoarse.
I cup Asher’s cheek, my heart thudding painfully in my chest. His eyes are rolled back in his head, and his breathing is low and shallow.
“It’s okay,” I whisper. “You’re going to be okay.”
Medical staff are moving around, checking on people. A couple of them come over, levitating a stretcher, and help Asher onto it. Then they dab a healing potion on our arms. The raw, blistered flesh on my forearm begins to repair itself, the outer layers of skin rebuilding until all that’s left is an angry red patch. That will fade too, given a little more time.
“Thanks,” Dmitri tells them. His voice is sharp, edged with worry, but the medics just nod as they start to move Asher toward the door. Moans and low voices fill the large dining hall, but it seems almost silent after the screams and booms of a few minutes earlier.
Neither of us speak, but he squeezes my shoulder again, more gently this time.
Doesn’t make me feel any less like shit.
I handled that so badly. I did everything wrong. Goddamn it, this was all my fault. I’ve been learning how to control my sonic boom in class, feeling so proud of my accomplishments, basking in Roman’s praise. But when the time came to use it properly in the real world, in a non-controlled environment, I panicked and lost control. I hurt Asher, the nicest person on this entire campus.
Fuck, I hope he’s okay. How could I have been so stupid?
“Don’t blame yourself,” Dmitri murmurs. “It’s hard to fight instinct.”
“I should’ve done better,” I snap, brushing his hand off. The comforting gesture physically pains me, making my skin feel too tight. I don’t want him to be nice to me, can’t handle his kindness right now.
Cam limps up to us, one hand pressed to his temple. A thin line of blood trails down the side of his face.
“Nobody’s dead,” he says, shoulders slumping in relief as he speaks. “Lots of injuries, though.”
“How the hell did that even happen?” Dmitri growls.
As they speak, my gaze drifts around the dining hall, and I catch Roman looking over at me, his gaze trailing up and down my body just like Dmitri’s did. Tears prick my eyes, and I force them back. I don’t deserve to have all these men care about me; can’t they see I’m just a massive disaster waiting to strike? I give him a jerky nod to let him know I’m all right.
He gazes at me for a long moment, concern creasing his brow, and then nods once, though he doesn’t look satisfied. Another teacher calls his attention, and he turns and resumes tending to the injured students.
“A spell,” Cam is saying. “And a hugely powerful one. It literally melted our cuffs off.”
“Yeah. It unbound our magic in the most painful fucking way possible,” Dmitri notes.