I felt Pendragon tremble at my side. Yes, she’d survived. But what about her friend, Naveen? I knew she had to be thinking about him.

At least now she knew that the Crown of Bone had nothing to do with me. Its use had been cruel and monstrous. Even for fucking highbloods.

Regan’s face twisted in frustration. “You think you’re better than me, don’t you Blake? Why, you’re the biggest cheat of all. You used your own blood on her. Do you want to tell everyone about that?”

I’d known this was coming.

The air in the room took on a greater chill.

I felt my uncle’s gaze hone in on me, razor sharp, even though I knew Marcus must have already told him what I’d done. Still, he stayed silent. I wondered what he was hoping the outcome of this hearing would be exactly. It was evident he had his own objectives in mind as usual.

I glanced down at the flame-haired woman by my side. I longed to wrap my arm around Pendragon’s waist and hold her against me, giving her my strength, steadying her.

But I settled for going on the offense. “What of it? It was my right to protect my consort. Even if it was from her co-consort. I did what I had to do and I’d do it again in a heartbeat.”

“If there’s to be a punishment for what Blake did,” Pendragon said, stepping forward, her voice cutting through the tension in the room. “Let it be mine to accept. I only did what was necessary to survive. I was desperate. I didn’t want to go up against Regan. I didn’t want to hurt anyone. I met with Regan before the Games and asked her to work with me. I truly tried. When she and Gretchen and Quinn came after me, I defended myself. But I tried to show restraint.”

I couldn’t help it. I chuckled. “You certainly did. Far more than most would have.”

And now her restraint might actually pay off. If she’d dared to kill a highblood consort back on that island...

Headmaster Kim glared at me. But I knew he was thinking the same thing. She’d shown more self-control than any highblood in the room would have.

“It wasn’t until Regan had no other choice that she agreed to work together,” Pendragon continued. “And even then I had a choice. I could have left her alone in that dome to die when she was overwhelmed by the...creature. But I didn’t. I helped her fight that monster. I didn’t abandon her when I had the chance. Even though I know she’d have abandoned me.”

I felt a rush of pride. What she spoke of was mercy. Not a trait typically valued at Bloodwing. Still, I wondered if Lord Pansera understood how close he’d come to losing his daughter because of her own petty selfishness.

I didn’t see a thank you forming on his lips though. He wasn’t about to stoop to thank a blightborn, no matter what she’d done for his family.

Kim was watching us carefully, his fingers steepled over his desk. “Typically, an archon strengthening a blightborn consort with his blood would not be condoned in the games. But nor would it have been necessary in the first place, for consorts are encouraged to help one another. In this case, many other rules had been broken first. Perhaps the first and foremost, the one which governs consort behavior. I’ve interviewed a number of Miss Pansera’s friends. They’ve all testified that she was absolutely determined to refuse to assist Miss Pendragon in any way.” He glanced at me. “I presume you learned of your consort’s defiance beforehand?”

“I did. I learned of it and acted to thwart it,” I said.

Kim’s eyes flared with something like approval, which surprised me. “Very well. I see no reason to punish Medra Pendragon or Blake Drakharrow for what happened in the Games. Miss Pendragon acted primarily in self-defense. She drank her archon’s blood at his command. Unlike Miss Pansera, she deferred to his instructions. She did not seek out an advantage intentionally.”

I could feel Pendragon exhale beside me.

But Regan’s fate still hung in the air. I wasn’t about to let her off the hook so easily.

“Thank you, Headmaster Kim. Your judgment is fair as always,” I said calmly. “However, that leaves Miss Pansera’s punishment to still be determined. Before you discuss that matter, let me state now, before all of you, that I refuse to accept Miss Pansera as my consort any longer. She betrayed me and my triad. I invoke the Right of Dissolution. I hereby end our betrothal.”

Regan’s face paled. Her father’s eyes darkened with fury.

“Tread carefully, boy,” Lord Pansera growled.

“Silence, Pansera.” My uncle spoke for the first time. “The boy is within his rights.”

Part of me was shocked that Viktor wasn’t contradicting me, that he wasn’t going to try to persuade me not to cut Regan loose.

I leaned forward. “Your daughter betrayed me, Lord Pansera. She defied me.”

Lord Pansera slammed his hands down onto the back of Regan’s chair. I watched her jump. “You can’t just throw my daughter away like she’s nothing! My daughter has been loyal to you and to your family...”

“No,” I cut him off. “I beg you to say no more about loyalty. Your daughter has no loyalty to anyone but herself and I think you know that. Good luck finding her a new archon.”

Regan shot out of her chair, her face contorted with fury. “You can’t do this. You don’t understand, Blake. Everything I did, I was doing it for you. For us! I wanted things to be like before. Don’t throw it all away. Not for that blightborn bitch!”

“I'm not,” I snapped. “I’m not throwing anything away that’s worth having. Nothing but you, Regan.”

Her lips quivered in anger.

“Miss Pansera.” Headmaster Kim’s voice was icy. “Sit back down.” He turned his head towards me. “Very well. Blake, if your uncle makes no complaint, I will accept your request.” He looked over at Viktor. My uncle gave a slight nod. “Let the betrothal between Blake Drakharrow and Regan Pansera be dissolved. My secretary will notify the Sanctum and have the records adjusted accordingly.”

Kim’s eyes shifted to Pendragon. “But we are not through with Miss Pansera’s hearing. By highblood law, the death penalty may be invoked for her actions in the Games. Miss Pendragon, as the injured party, you may invoke the Right of Retribution. Do you wish to do so?”

Every eye in the room was suddenly on Pendragon.

“I...” she started to say.

But Lord Pansera cut her off. “Absolutely not, Headmaster. Go no further with this, I warn you. What you propose is an outrage. A blightborn cannot decide the fate of a highblood. If you are determined to continue this farce, I will have to demand the establishment of a tribunal.”

We all knew what would happen then.

“No tribunal is required for a disciplinary hearing having to do with a triad when all parties attend this academy,” Headmaster Kim said coldly. “But on the chance that you later wish to question these proceedings at the highest level, allow me to alter my original question to one that I believe no tribunal would take issue with.” He looked over at me. “Blake Drakharrow, as archon of this triad until a few moments ago, the final decision will be left with you. Do you wish to invoke the Right of Retribution for Miss Pansera’s actions against both you and your other consort in the Games?”

I stared back at him. If I said yes, Regan would be executed.

I looked down at the woman by my side. Without having to ask, I already knew what she’d want me to say.

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CHAPTER 57 - MEDRA

“You did the right thing,” I said, as we stepped into the hall.

“Let’s just get away from here as quickly as possible before I fucking explode,” Blake snapped. “Was it the right thing? It sure as hell didn’t feel like it.”

“It was,” I insisted. I gulped down a deep breath, thinking of Naveen. Would Regan’s death have paid for his? Would it have been sufficient? Or would it simply have started a new feud between Regan’s family and Blake’s, ultimately leading to more bloodshed, more chaos, more loss of blightborn life? In the end, Regan hadn’t chosen Naveen to die in that dome. I had. “It was the right thing for me. I couldn’t live with the guilt of another death on my shoulders.”