Page 212 of Rebellious Royals

"If you would like to swear an oath of loyalty to the court," he called out, "then kneel where you are and repeat after me!"

Then he broke it down line by line. The sound of so many people speaking was impressive. The words were all lost in the jumble, but I could still make them out in a way. It sorta reminded me of when everyone sang the national anthem at a sporting event, but it was working.

"And now," Bracken said when Torian accepted them, "go back to your rooms. More information will be sent." He paused to cough into his elbow, making me hurry to his side.

"Zez?" I whispered.

He smiled at me, but finished telling the students, "Expect your final exam schedule to be updated before the end of the day - so study!"

"He needs to rest," Keir said.

"Camila needs to be seen by the nurse," Bracken insisted.

"Then I'll take her," Keir told him. "Rain, you get him to his apartment. Tell your dad, because he's probably frantic."

"Or helping in the office," Bracken said around another cough.

"If he is, I'll send him," Keir offered before turning away. "Pascal! Daivon! Help me!"

"Arm over my shoulder, Zez," I ordered, hooking him around the waist. "Asp?"

"I'm good," she called back.

"Go!" Wilder said. "I'll handle the rest here."

"Rain-Dad!" Jack called, giving me just enough time to lift my arm so I could catch him.

"How's your leg, Zez?" I asked as I allowed him to pick the pace.

He was moving faster than I expected. "Keir does good work," he assured me. "It aches, but that's the iron. I'll be fine by tomorrow."

We slowed as we reached the mass of people trying to make it through the bottleneck of the exterior doors. A few smiled over at us. Someone tapped the person before them. That made others look over, and before I knew it, a group was holding the doors to let me help Bracken inside, making a path for us.

"I'm not saying the T-word," I mumbled as I turned him for the elevators on the boys' side. "I want to, but I'm not going to do it."

"That's kind," Bracken told someone, showing me how it was done. Then he smiled down at me. "And most faelings don't hate it as much as we do. It's why Keir lets you get away with it."

"The whole court now," I admitted.

The elevator dinged and opened up. People began to move into it, but a few gestured to let us know we could fit. I managed to get Bracken inside and turned around, but there was no way I'd reach the buttons.

"Fourth floor," Bracken said.

"It's not right, you know," said the guy who tapped all four of the buttons. "Those idiots couldn't even follow their own propaganda. They were supposed to be going after Winter, but they attacked you, Bracken?"

"Half Winter," Bracken said. "Half Summer, too. I also adopted the Morrigan, so the way I see it, that means I get to claim a bit of Wild as well." He chuckled. "And we barely got youin time, Rain. Sadly, I'm going to bet you'll have exams on your birthday now because of this."

He meant on Friday. Twelfth graders were supposed to be done with all of our tests on Thursday, but this? It would push us back a day at least.

"Will we still get a graduation?" I asked, aware too many people were listening in.

"We'll make sure of it," Bracken said. "I think Silver Oaks needs it more this year than ever before."

The ride up was slow due to the elevator stopping on each and every floor. People shuffled off. None got on, yet by the time we made it up to Bracken's floor, my zez looked like he was wilting a bit.

"Hurts now?" I asked.

"Kid, it's hurt the whole time," he admitted. "I'm just too proud to show it." And he turned for the door, but stopped hard. "Dammit. My keys were in my desk."

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