Perfectly awful.

“I know exactly what you must have seen, but believe me, it’s all bullshit,” Theo said. “Blake plays along because he has to. His uncle wants him to. But it’s just for show.” Under his breath, he half-muttered, “He’s fucking miserable most of the time.”

I was a little shocked but refused to show it. I wasn’t going to show a smidgen of pity for Blake Drakharrow. So his betrothal to the most beautiful and popular highblood girl in the school wasn’t going so well? As if he couldn’t get out of the situation if he actually wanted to.

“Regan can’t handle rejection though. She thinks she can actually make Blake want her,” Theo went on.

I shrugged. “Maybe it’ll work. After all, they seem to have a lot in common. They’re both full of themselves, bigoted, and cruel. The perfect match.”

“You don’t know Blake as well as you think you do, Medra. He’s my cousin. I grew up with him,” Theo said. He shook his head, a little sadly.

“Next you’re going to tell me he’s not that bad,” I said, my temper flaring. “He’s an asshole, Theo. And honestly, you’re not that much better in my books. I really don’t know why we came.”

“You came because I’m so charming,” Theo said, shooting a winsome smile at me. “And it’s a good thing you did, because who else is going to tell you all of the things you need to know?” He looked around covertly. “Look, you could get killed here, Medra. Believe it or not, I don’t want that. I don’t think Blake does either.”

I felt a prickle of unease. “What things do I need to know?”

“Like what it really means to have Regan as an enemy,” Theo said, his voice low. “It changes everything. Consorts are supposed to...”

Florence rose to her feet.

“Florence?” I asked.

She took one step across the sand, then another.

I rose to my feet and looked down at Theo. “I guess we’re leaving. We’ll have to talk another time.”

“Medra...” Theo was watching Florence, a look of alarm on his face.

I glanced back at my friend. Florence was walking at a steady pace. She hadn’t spoken or looked back at me since standing up.

And she was walking straight towards the bonfire.

OceanofPDF.com

CHAPTER 17 - MEDRA

“Florence! Stop!” I shouted.

I ran towards her and stood in front of her, putting my hands on her shoulders and pushing gently.

But it was like going up against a wall. A moving wall that just kept coming.

Florence was surprisingly strong. I stumbled as she collided with me.

For a moment, she met my eyes and I saw the confusion there.

Then her eyes clouded. She tried to pull out of my grasp and step around me.

“Theo!” I called. “A little help here.”

He was by my side in an instant, looking at Florence, his normally easygoing features marred by worry.

“Fuck,” he said. “Someone’s thrallweaving her.”

I glanced around. Regan was still on the other side of the fire. She had her hand over her mouth and was laughing as she watched me try to stop Florence.

“Regan, so help me, if this is you, I will fucking kill you,” I shouted over to her.

She put up both hands and shrugged, as if to say, “Not me.”

Some of the other highbloods around her were looking at Florence and I with curiosity, but most looked bored. Clearly they’d seen this kind of thing before. None of them seemed about to take the credit.

I gritted my teeth. “Who is it, Theo? Can you stop them?”

Theo was scanning the crowd. I followed his gaze.

There. Further back from the bonfire, a group of students were sprawled in the sand laughing hysterically.

One of them pointed at Florence and said something. Their laughter grew even louder.

“Who the fuck is doing it?” I hissed. “Which one? Can you stop them?”

Florence was a weight, pushing against me, trying to pull out of my grasp. I doubted she was this strong normally. The thrallweave must have been making her exert herself beyond her limits. I wasn’t sure how much longer I’d be able to hold her.

Just as I had that thought, Florence lifted her hands and, clasping my wrists, started to dig her nails into my skin.

I yelped. Her fingernails were sharp and she wasn’t holding back.

“Florence,” I begged. “Please. Stop. This isn’t you. You’re hurting me.”

But looking at her face was like looking at a ghost. Florence wasn’t there. She was gone.

Was this what I had looked like when Regan had been controlling me?

I felt furious and helpless. How could this be allowed? If I let go of Florence, I knew whoever was doing this was going to make her walk straight towards the bonfire. Would they let her walk right in?

“It’s someone from Kage Tanaka’s crew,” Theo whispered to me.

Sure enough, I caught sight of a familiar face. The boy with blond, spiked hair who had tried to grab me in the hallway when I was with Blake.

“Kiernan,” I shouted, remembering his name. “Leave her the fuck alone, you big bullying asshole!”

Kiernan leered in our direction, then said something to his friends who laughed even harder.

Florence pushed me, catching me off guard, then darted to one side.

“Shit!”

I moved to grab her but she was fast. She darted towards the bonfire and I caught her at the last moment, my hands wrapping around her wrist just as she’d nearly reached the flames.

I didn’t want to hurt her, but I held her as hard as I could, terrified she’d manage to break away again.

Then, as quickly as it had started, Florence collapsed to the sand.

She looked up at me, her eyes unclouded, her expression dazed. “What happened?”

I looked over at Kiernan. Theo stood in front of him, a furious expression on his face. He was clearly telling the other boy off. Kiernan didn’t look repentant whatsoever. But at least he’d stopped.

“We need to get you out of here,” I said shortly. I didn’t want to tell her what she’d almost done. Not until we were away from these people. “Now.”

I linked my arm through hers tightly and started marching across the sand.

“Was that... Was it real?” Florence whispered.

I glanced at her. Tears were streaming down her face and she was biting her lip.

I was going to fucking kill Kiernan, I decided.

“Hey, don’t leave so soon!”

It was Kiernan again. The spiky-haired boy was blocking our path.

“The fun’s just getting started. House Avari wants you to come party with us.” He gestured back at his group of friends and I saw Kage Tanaka had joined them. The tall boy stood at the back, his arms folded over his chest, watching us silently.

Kiernan leaned in towards me. “I have a very special invitation from Kage himself. We hear Blake’s not making you feel very welcome in House Drakharrow. Well, we’d like to change that. Bloodwing can be a very welcoming place. If you know the right people.”

I’d just opened my mouth to speak when Florence broke free from my grasp. With a choked sob, she flew across the sand back towards the castle.

“You fucking bastard.” I shoved Kiernan, hard.

I was shaking with anger.

I didn’t know what I was going to do. Only that I had to do something.

Kiernan looked surprised. Then he grinned. “Oh, so you like it rough, do you? So do I.” He reached for my wrist but I was quicker than him. I raised my hand and slapped him, hard across the face.

Instantly I realized it had been the wrong move. My wrists were bleeding from where Florence had scratched me. My hand left a trail of blood across Kiernan’s face.

Kiernan’s eyes lit up strangely. He sniffed, then reached a hand up and touched his cheek. When his finger came away wet, he lifted it towards his mouth.

A gleam formed in his eyes. My breath caught in my throat as I watched him pause, his nostrils flaring slightly as he scented my blood.