I’d finally found what I’d sought all my life. A family.
And as we banked toward the academy building, I acknowledged that I’d also found the other thing I’d searched for. A home.
I’m hungry,Havoc complained.Time for breakfast.
You’re always hungry,Iskar said with a mental sigh.
Let’s go home.Marcus folded his wings and took us there.
54
Bonus Chapter
BREE
The entire palace shook.
I pushed myself upright from the big poster bed just as the wind howled through the large opening in the far wall. Strong enough to whip at the cloth above me and knock things off my dresser.
When the lightning hit the ledge outside, I shot out of bed. The grind of fracturing stone drew my eyes to the ceiling. A crack raced across the interlocked slabs—dust and small chunks broke free.
And then the ceiling crashed down.
I was already halfway to the door, but a chunk of stone the size of a fist clipped my temple and knocked me to the floor. Dazed, I choked on dust but continued to crawl forward.
My door opened before I got there, and through the cloud of powder, I saw two of the young Centaurs I’d grown up with. Only we weren’t Centaurs any longer. They, like me, were now in human form.
One of them—Jaimie—grabbed my hand and hauled me back onto my feet. “Come on, Bree! We’ve got to get out of here.”
I was in full agreement. Together, we ran—my progress was more of a stagger, really—along the hall. Frantic people filled the corridor, all doing exactly what we were—trying to escape.
“Where is Vic?” I shouted to Jaimie.
He shot me a look. “He was with you.”
He had been, until Isobel burst through my door and demanded he come with her. I’d never actually seen the Sorceress look like that before—wild-eyed and covered in blood. I’d risen with Vic, my pulse pounding. Because my dreams had been filled with visions—and a frantic Isobel had been one of them.
“I’ll come too,” I’d said, glancing from her to Vic.
But he’d shaken his head at me. “Stay.” The word was as much a command as an entreaty. “I’ll be back.”
“You’re not needed, Bree,” Isobel had said, before she vanished with Vic out the door.
Now, I shook my head at Jaimie. “Isobel came for him. I don’t know where he is.”
Above us, something screamed. I’d never heard a sound like that before. The wind shrieked as if it had invaded the floor above, and the walls shook. More dust and stones fell. I saw one big chunk flatten a serving maid. I pulled free from Jaimie, but there was no helping her.
“We have to get to the gate,” Jaimie shouted to me.
“No. We have to find Vic first,” I said almost in the same instant.
“He’ll come to the gate too,” one of my other friends said. “He’s not stupid.”
Stupid. No, Vic was not stupid. But I had a bad feeling that he was in danger. Because Isobel’s laboratory was up there…
We reached the stairwell. I started to go up—but another chunk of ceiling came down almost right in front of me. Jaimie grabbed my arm and dragged me down instead.
“But Vic—” I protested.
