Cam at risk?
Roman might say we wouldn’t have been safe anywhere, but I can’t quite make myself believe that. If we’d been back in our dorm room, if I hadn’t diverted our course, maybe none of this would’ve happened.
The doors to the back open, and a healer steps out.
“Do any of you know the emergency contact for this young man?” she asks.
Asher stands up, letting go of me. “I am. Me and my parents.”
Of course. Cam doesn’t have any family, and Asher’s his best friend—Cam’s spent most holidays with Asher’s family since they met.
“I’ll need you to come with me, then,” the healer says.
Asher kisses the top of my head. I catch his hand and squeeze it hard, then he’s through the doors and gone.
Roman sighs, standing. “I knew Hardwick should’ve evacuated the school. How many of us are going to lose our fucking magic before he listens?”
“He’s worried about the school closing permanently,” I say dully, trying to muster some sympathy for Hardwick. This school is the only one of its kind in the country, and the administrators have had to fight for its very existence every step of the way. And for the past year and a half, it’s just been one thing after another. Raul, the Trials, now this…
The universe really must have it in for us, huh?
“It will close permanently,” Roman growls, “if this person isn’t stopped.”
I wipe the back of my hand over my eyes, an ache spreading through my chest. “Yeah.”
He swoops down and kisses me swiftly. “Stay safe, Reckless. I’m going to talk to Hardwick.”
Then he turns, nods at Dmitri, and storms out.
I suck in a breath as my tears finally start to slow.
Fuck. I would not want to be Hardwick right now. The only time I’ve even gotten close to seeing Roman’s full wrath was when he protected me from the other students in fight class, and even then, I don’t think that was all of it. He was angry but also disappointed, and he knew the students were scared. And he’s a professor—as angry as he might get, he knows there are some lines he has to maintain.
But right now, he’s pissed as shit, and I doubt he’ll hold back on Hardwick; no way would I want to be on the receiving end of that.
Once he’s gone, silence falls.
I want to go into the back, to see how Cam’s doing, to hold his hand, but I’m guessing they’re not even letting Asher do that right now.
Poor Asher. His best friend just got attacked, and he has to fill out all this paperwork and stuff, and he’s all alone.
Drawing in a deep breath, I look over at Dmitri… only to find him glaring at the wall like he’s trying to melt it.
What the hell?
“What’s your problem?”
He barks out a harsh laugh. “My problem?” His dark gaze lands on me as his eyes narrow. “My problem. Wow. That’s rich, coming from you.”
I sit up straighter. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“It means you’re the one with a fucking problem.” He grips one of the armrests, glaring at me. “You couldn’t have left well enough alone, could you? You just had to investigate and see what you could find. And now you’ve gotten Cam hurt.”
“I didn’t cast that spell—”
“You put him in danger—”
“He chose to come with me!”
“Of course he did!” Dmitri snaps, standing up. “He’s in love with you! Of course he’s not going to let you do this alone.”
It’s true that I sought him and Asher out, asked them to join me. Maybe I should’ve been alone after all. Then I’d be the one without magic… All alone in the stairwell, in the tower, in too much pain to get up and get to the infirmary.
Jesus. I shudder involuntarily. Who knows what might’ve happened to me?
But I do wish it was me, if it has to be any of us. Not Cam. He’s already been through so much in his life, and he’s never let it beat him down. He’s always trying to make others smile, to brighten their days. Why should he have to be the one to suffer when all he wants to do is make other people happy?
“You should’ve left this to the authorities,” Dmitri continues, his voice sharp and stinging as a whip crack. “You should’ve let them handle this—the professors and the Circuit. This is their job, it’s what they’re supposed to do—”
“Well, they weren’t doing anything!” I snap, jumping to my feet as well. “Or not enough!”
“And