Most blightborn lived their entire lives never knowing they were being manipulated. Never realizing we highbloods were gently pulling their strings.

At Bloodwing, this magic was less powerful. Different wards were set up over the school to protect the students within. These wards conflicted with the magic used over the city of Veilmar, among others. But the houses justified this by telling themselves that the blightborn students who attended Bloodwing didn’t need to be manipulated–or not by much. They wanted to be here. They already adored us.

For the most part, I’d found that was correct.

Viktor’s eyes flickered over me, sharp and calculating. “We can't afford weakness. Not now, Blake. Not with the city on edge. If word gets out in Veilmar that we have a dragon rider. Well... I’ve been preparing for that eventuality but I want her under our full control when it does happen.”

My heart sped up. I wondered if my uncle was talking about speeding up our bonding. There was no real way to do that though. Not without Pendragon’s cooperation.

Viktor started pacing back and forth across the room. “You don't understand the danger she poses. Keeping her alive... We had no choice that day in the Keep. But if word gets out that a dragon rider has returned, she could become a dangerous symbol. A spark for rebellion.” He stopped in front of me, glaring down. “Which is why you need to keep her under control. Keep her at the school. Safe and under our power. Her entire life, she’ll be watched and guided.” His lips twisted into a cruel smile. “She’ll never be anything more than what we allow her to be.”

I stared up at him, trying to hide the shock I was feeling.

Viktor didn’t know. He didn’t have a fucking clue.

Rodriguez had told me he was teaching Pendragon thrallguard. Hell, it had been approved by Headmaster Kim himself.

And yet Viktor didn’t know. He obviously didn’t know.

I wasn’t going to tell him.

My mind raced. How far had Pendragon come with her training? Probably not far enough to resist Viktor if he did have to use thrallweave on her.

“Is that all we want with her?” I risked asking. “To keep her as a pawn? She’s a pretty useless pawn if you ask me. What kind of a symbol would she be for the blightborn when there are no dragons? Her blood carries power, nothing more.”

“She’s already a symbol,” Viktor said. “A symbol of Drakharrow power. A symbol of our power over all the other houses. Do you not see that? Every man and woman in the Keep that day was hungering after her blood. We might have drained her in the Sanctum and shared her. A communal feast. But I gave her to one man. You.”

A chill went up my spine.

“A very generous gift,” I said slowly. “You truly honored me, Uncle. I see that now.”

“I could have given her to Marcus,” he said, studying me closely. “But Marcus has proven too reckless with his toys. She is too valuable for that. Not to mention...” He hesitated. I waited, all ears now. “Not to mention we still have no idea where she came from.”

“You think she could be some sort of a spy?”

“The girl’s ignorance seemed genuine in many ways,” Viktor said consideringly. “Even if she were a spy, where would she have possibly come from? Who could have been keeping a girl with an appearance like that concealed? It seems impossible. But that doesn’t mean she doesn’t know more than she’s letting on. She has no reason to trust us. And every reason to try to escape.” His eyes met mine. “She cannot be permitted to leave, Blake. Ever.”

I nodded. “I understand. I’ll watch her. I’ll keep her safe.” I hesitated, then asked, “You say there’s been unrest in Veilmar. I understand the killings have increased.”

Viktor waved a hand. “Blightborns deaths. Easily dealt with.”

Easily ignored, he meant.

“Blightborns clearly killed by highbloods,” I said, trying to keep my patience. “If we want to maintain control...”

“It’s a balance,” Viktor said testily. “We must continue to preach restraint. We have your father to thank for that. A new way, he said. Well, your generation has grown up with this ‘new way.’ They are the weaker for it.”

None of this was what my father had had in mind. But I said nothing.

“But the reality is,” Viktor continued. “That vampires will be vampires. We can only show restraint for so long before suppressed desire boils over.”

I nodded and started moving towards the door, hoping the interview was at an end.

“Blake.”

I stopped in my tracks.

“As for Aenia...”

I took a deep breath, preparing for the worst. The moment dragged on.

“I’ve paid a visit to the Sanctum. Tell her your mother sends her love.”

I nodded and pulled the door open.

OceanofPDF.com

BOOK 3

OceanofPDF.com

CHAPTER 26 - MEDRA

A few days after the House Leader ceremony, I strolled towards my thrallguard lesson. I was hoping for another shot at the spellbook.

I hadn’t seen Blake since that day in the arena. He’d been missing our Advanced Weaponry classes. Not that he really seemed to need them.

He’d killed Coregon in front of the entire school. It was the second time I’d seen him kill.

He was...very good at it.

Part of me still couldn’t wrap my head around it. Coregon Phiri was dead. And he’d been the one to hurt Vaughn. Not Blake. I’d run hastily towards what I thought was the most obvious answer. Like a stupid, reckless fool.

Sometimes I tried to justify what I’d done. Just because Coregon had delivered the blows didn’t mean Blake wasn’t the one who was ultimately responsible. He’d probably told Coregon to go after Vaughn. There was no way it had happened without his full knowledge. I’d learned enough about the way the highblood chain of command worked, even here in the school, to get that.

After the House Leader ceremony that day in the arena, Rodriguez had told me to expect to be summoned to Headmaster Kim’s office to talk about what had happened in Professor Sankara’s class.

Apparently Sankara had already told him all about it. Rodriguez had looked almost frightened when he told me.

But the summons never came.

I was still here. Still going to my classes, eating in the refectory, sleeping in my room in the First Year dorm. Nothing had changed.

I’d supposedly broken some law by attacking Blake–and yet they hadn’t punished me for it. I hadn’t even been given detention.

Maybe the headmaster was just biding his time.

I made my way down the now-familiar corridor towards Professor Rodriguez’s office. Oddly enough, thrallguard lessons had become the part of the day I most looked forward to. Rodriguez was tough but fair, never pushing me beyond what I could handle. I’d been learning, slowly but surely–how to compartmentalize, how to build mental walls that could withstand coercive power.

And Rodriguez... Well, he was just plain impressive. He knew so much. More than he ever let on. He had secrets to keep and the more I hung around him, the more curious I was to know just what they were.

I knocked once as I reached the door, then pushed it open and stepped inside.

My breath hitched.

Blake was sitting behind Rodriguez’s desk, his long legs propped up on the wooden surface as if he owned the place. He was tossing Rodriguez’s letter-opener up in the air, a small dagger with a dragon head pommel.

His white-blond hair fell lazily over his forehead. His white button-up shirt was unbuttoned just enough to reveal the top of the black tattoos that curled over his chest.

A smug smile tugged at his lips as I stepped inside the room.

“What the hell are you doing here?” I demanded.

“Rodriguez had to step out today. He asked me to fill in for him.” He tilted his head, obviously enjoying himself to no end, his eyes gleaming with mockery.