Page 7 of Faerie Fate
“Damn it.” I groaned, pressing a hand to the ache where he’d gotten me in the shoulder.
Another glance at the body had my own guts erupting and I threw up until I emptied.
I was definitely a little off my shifter game, and not just because of the zombie curse.
It shouldn’t be this hard to breathe or to get my wits back. So many things shouldn’t be happening, except they were. I spared another ten seconds of heavy breathing before I took to the open passageway and closed it behind me.
Stopping my search now meant leaving the survivors behind.
Pulling myself together took a long time. The passage opened up to the opposite wing of the third floor, and I hurried into a room only to find people were dead. Kids were slaughtered.
I pressed a hand to my mouth to prevent the anguished cry from escaping.
But there were more here who needed my help. I’d gotten an up close and personal look at what Kendrick did without someone around to check him. I wouldn’t let him hurt anyone else.
I kept searching for survivors, my limbs aching and heavy, my muscles slow to recover from the change. I found only a handful of others in one of the spells and charms classrooms.
Opening the door to Faerie was second nature now. I turned the key and hustled the second-year students across the threshold.
Melia was there to welcome them with open arms and a kind smile. It was the same smile she’d given me when we met during my first year here. She caught my gaze, her wild curls tamed beneath her hood, and I crept closer.
“How are they?” I asked in a low tone. Wincing because even that was too loud. “Have you seen them?”
Melia knew who I meant without me having to explain. “Livvy and Mike are both safe, still walking around the school,” she assured me. “You’ve found more people than they have, Tavi. Be proud of yourself.”
Tension in my chest loosened but not enough to let me move without pain, as if I needed a reminder.
“It’s so quiet here now,” I wondered out loud. “It’s like the halls are deserted. I’m finding a few hidden students and teachers, but no other shifters.”
“None?” Melia hissed out a breath.
“Okay, one seriously bad dude who tried to kill me,” I said in a rush.So I had to kill him first, no big deal. I’d rather Melia not know about that. Although surely she’d understand.
“One of the professors told me the shifters are outside of the school. That’s why you haven’t seen them. They’re out on patrol so no one can leave.” Her gaze searched my face to see how I’d take the news.
No one can leave.
Startled, I stepped backward through the door. “Keep a watch on them. Don’t let Coral give you any shit.” I dragged it shut, pulling the key with me. The portal closed and the chill rattled my bones.
I scoured the rest of the third floor before going into one of the towers. I stopped at a window, staring down. The trees cast black shadows against the silvery fog hovering over the great lawn.
There were several more bodies lying motionless on the grass, people who had tried to escape. It wasn’t fair. Not fair at all to be cut down, stabbed in the back, by people who wouldn’t give you a fair fight. Those wolves were cowards to blindly follow orders to hurt the innocent.
My heart stopped beating and I slammed my palm to my chest to get it to start again. It finally did, with a hitch, and resumed an irregular rhythm. Then one of the shadows moved, apart from the tree’s shadow.
A glowing set of eyes gleamed ruby bright from between the limbs. It was nothing more than a flash but those eyes met mine.
Then the darkness separated and down on the lawn below stepped dozens of shifters, all of them stopping to stare up.
I darted backward before someone recognized me through the glass. I’d seen enough.
Lost in thought, I didn’t notice the presence of another shifter until a bulky hand landed on my shoulder. Meaty fingers bit into my skin and I whipped around.
Recognition landed hard in my gut.The one-eyed wolf. The one I’d left behind in Faerie. My stomach plummeted.
“Hello, girl.”
He reared his arm back too fast for me to follow and punched me in the temple. Pain splintered across my skull before the edges of darkness crept in and swallowed me whole.
