"No!" That was Aspen, and I rounded the corner in time to see a flare of white as she blocked something. "No one else will die because of you, Pearl Hawthorne!"
Clearly, there had been a mess while we'd been out there. The atrium was big, but people packed every inch of it. Over therewas a man who looked as Winter as Aspen. He had a high school boy he was trying to tuck behind him. Across from them were a half dozen Summer parents. They looked like they were braced for a fight of the magical kind.
But they weren't the only problem. Ms. Rhodes was held to a tree at the side by a group of students. Her weapon was in one of their hands, held to her throat, and she was badly outnumbered. Taylor Valentina had a fistful of green magic, and beside her was Harper. I was sure they'd been waiting for the dean. Likely they'd blindsided her.
By the exterior windows, people huddled with confusion on their faces. Clearly, not everyone was caught up in this mess, but too many were. Some faces had snarls on them. Others were still spitting profanities at each other. I saw grappling here, and struggles over there. Too many were bleeding, but mostly scrapes or busted noses. In the two steps it took for me to see everything, I knew this was bad. The kind of bad that I didn't know how to deal with.
But while I paused to take stock of the situation, Torian didn't slow at all. He marched through the door and right into the middle of it all.
"Silence!" he roared. "I, Torian Hunt, Heir to the Summer Throne, son of Titania, and true Summer Royalty declare these two to betraitors!" he bellowed, turning slowly to glare at every single person in the atrium.
Everything stopped.
The scent of magic was thick in the air, proving this had been a lot more than mere words. Standing on the lip of the pond, Aspen still had her hands up like she'd been too busy deflecting it to manage anything else. But she was "merely" the Winter Queen, wasn't she? Torian was the favored son so many had been waiting for. He not only knew it, but was clearly willing touse it. And yet, I caught it when he glanced at Aspen, checking on her.
Then he turned slowly, his eyes scanning the crowd until he found both Ms. Hawthorn - still wearing her shadow cuffs - and Ms. Valentina. The sneer that took over his face was the cruelest I'd seen yet.
"This?" he snarled, pitching his words like he was used to being heard. "It is over! I am the Summer Prince.Iam the one who gives the orders. Am I understood?!"
"Heard," one voice called out. I glanced over to see Pascal with his chin held high.
"Sentinels," Torian said next, "I want every weapon gathered and under your control." Then he turned to glare at the group holding Ms. Rhodes. "And release my general before I get angry."
Immediately, that group jerked their hands - and the sword they were threatening her with - back.
Then Torian pointed. "Keir? Rain? You get Hawthorne. Hawke? Help me with Valentina. Pascal, you will manage the door. Anyone who tries to stop us forfeits theirlife."
We moved. I wasn't completely sure what he was doing, but if those two were the ringleaders, then hopefully this would stop the fighting so our teachers could handle the rest. But when I moved to grab Pearl Hawthorne's arm, she tried to jerk it away.
"Oh, give me a reason," Keir growled, securing her on the other side. "You're powerless, and we both know it."
I tried again, making sure I caught her arm this time. Then, not caring if she liked it or not, the pair of us dragged her out of the atrium, ignoring her struggles with each step. I'd gotten stronger from all those hours in the gym, but even thinking about that pissed me off even more.
"You tried to kill my father," I said softly, pitching my words just for her. "Worst decision ever."
"Pascal, door!" Torian barked from behind me.
"Boy..." Ms. Valentina tried.
"Shut. Up." Hawke snarled.
And yes, these two fought. More when Pascal spun the lock on those glass doors, making it clear where we were going. And when Keir and I tried to drag Ms. Hawthorne through it?"
"The Hunt is out there!" she screamed.
"Oh, yeah, they are," Torian agreed, "andyou'rethe reason why. I don't know which one of you gated into my home, but I'm pissed now. That's what you wanted, isn't it? So now it's time to see what my mother's justice feels like when you aren't hiding from it, you pathetic bitch!"
He kicked her in the back. That made her stagger, which let us yank her through the door. When Ms. Valentina tried the same thing, Pascal shoved. But the moment we were all through the door, the guy slammed it closed behind us and I heard the lock click right after.
The rain had mostly let up by now. A few sprinkles still fell from the dark and stormy skies. Thunder continued to rumble, but that wasn't the scary thing out here. It was the feeling of things moving just out of sight - things I knew were real.
"What now?" I asked.
Torian simply raised his voice. "Huntsman!"
A gust of wind blew across the back of the school. Mere seconds later, the grey man strode casually into view. "The Prince..." he said in his raspy voice.
And Torian slung Ms. Valentina forward. "She ignored my decision. She worked against my desires. This woman has betrayed me, and I judge her as guilty!"
