Page 123 of Burning Heir

My head began to whirl. “Who could be strong enough to compel a student?”

“A professor, maybe. It doesn’t matter who. It means that someone strong enough wants the Herring bloodline out of power.”

“Malachi, we need to trust each other. I can’t sleep here, not knowing if you will double-cross me the second I close my eyes.”

Tears welled in her amber eyes. “I don’t have much family left, Severyn. Once my grandfather goes, I will have nothing besides my father. I don’t have it in me to lose you… and Knox. Blood is stronger than power, Sev. Nothing is chance.”

I wrapped my arms around her neck, and perhaps I was naïve for believing Malachi Herring could be an alliance, but I’d rather die knowing I thought there was some good in this cruel world. All I saw before me was a shattered girl who had lived a million lives beside her own.

“Then I shall trust you with my life, Malachi,” I whispered. “I’m going to need every ounce of hope at the Bid.”

She sobbed into my shoulder. “We will survive, Sev. Us against the crown of thieving heirs.”

Archer and Ciaran flew away the following day for a Serpent gathering. The lanterns in the room were already lit, and Malachi had left for the day.

She might have left in the night.

“Six students were killed yesterday. I’ll be gone for a few days. Sharpen your daggers and train more,”was all Archer had said through our faint rider’s bond.

“Where are you?”

He took nearly two hours to respond,“Capital.”

The bond went cold with the echo of my response:“Stay safe.” I knew it didn’t reach him.

Damien waited by my door, giving me a shallow nod as he heard my screaming thoughts. The walk to warding class wasnothing but deafening silence between us. I couldn’t hide my anxiety today, not with the Serpent Bid only days away.

Damien pressed a thumb against his temple. “Sev, you’re very loud today. I’m worried you’ll burst a blood vessel.”

I scoffed. “It’s my mind, and I have a lot on it right now.”

“I can tell,” he muttered.

“I’m still mad at you. Lucky for you, Knox seems to be more of an asshole.”

“You can’t blame me for being curious. I already paid for that mistake by breaking my back.”

Damien didn’t understand the full effects of his actions—how saving Everett had led to Knox confessing to the king about my forbidden quell. And no matter how many times I screamed my reasoning in my mind, all I got was a shrug of annoyance along my shield.

We entered the grand hall, and I nearly slammed into Damien, grabbing his shoulders to shield myself from the man standing in a military suit.

“Shit, why is my brother here?” I gasped.

“It’s never a good sign when Malvoria visits,” Damien muttered. “It means they’re hauling students who haven’t performed well enough before the Bid—mostly first-years, but they take the odd second and third-year too.”

Charles stood with his arms crossed, dusting a speck off his navy-blue suit. In his hand was a scroll, presumably filled with the names of students bound for the Malvoria.

Damien caught my wrist as I stepped forward. “His mind is clouded. I can’t see it clearly.”

“I’ll meet you at warding,” I whispered.

Charles’s golden eyes caught mine. No smile curved his lips. Instead, he motioned at me with a curl of his fingers.

“I’ll stay with you,” Damien said, though I wasn’t sure if he’d spoken aloud or in my mind because I was too distracted by Charles.

His haircut was sharper than the last time I’d seen him. I smiled tentatively, fingers crossed behind my back. “Hello, Charles.”

“Good morning, Severyn,” he said with a curt nod. His gaze flicked to Damien. “This must be Damien Lynch. Your father speaks very highly of you,” he said. “He stopped by Malvoria for a visit.”

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