But before Aspen could do more than attempt to sit up, Rain pressed her shoulder back to the ground. "You got hit in the head with a tablet," she hissed. "Let Keir check you."
Ok, that explained the tablet. But who had hit her? Why?
"I'm here," Keir assured her, taking a spot on Aspen's other side. "I'm just going to make sure there's no concussion, ok?"
He reached over and cupped Aspen's face. A moment later, his hand glowed with the iridescent rainbow of his magic. My sister let her eyes close and relaxed, making me think it was working. She felt less panicked, at least. I wasn't sure if that was because we were here, or because she'd stopped hurting.
"What happened, Rain?" I demanded.
"That is what I want to know," Ms. Rhodes said as she walked up behind us.
"We're figuring that out," Wilder said, as if that should've been obvious.
"Rain's got two trapped," Hawke said as he walked over with Jack on his arm.
"Morrigan," Jack said. "Bitch, bitch, bitch, bitch!"
"So four?" Rain asked the crow.
He slung his beak up and down in a nod. "Bitch!" Then he shook his head like that wasn't right. "Jack-knight." The bird ruffled his feathers and looked at Hawke.Caw!
"I don't know what that means, Jack," Hawke said.
"Knight!" Jack said again, taking off just to land on Keir's shoulder. "Knight-Jack."
"Ok?" Keir said. "You're trying hard to say something, Jack, but I'm not getting it."
So Jack flew again, but this time he skittered over to the feet of a frozen guy halted just before he could punch someone. It was Pascal. Looking up at him, Jack chattered and cawed, then added, "Knight!"
"Shit, the sentinels," Keir realized, but his hands were still on Aspen.
Ms. Rhodes marched over to Jack, but I was picking out the people held by shadows. The magic still rolled like thick fog. Not even Aspen's magic had frozen it, but that made sense. Wild magic wouldn't be affected by hers. Instead, it was doing as Rain commanded - and still here.
But three students were being restrained. I recognized Pascal holding one, but also Bran and Axel securing the others. Those three were all sentinels. They volunteered to fight the Hunt when it came, so what were they doing here?
"Hawke, secure that girl," Ms. Rhodes said, pointing at the one encased in wild magic. "Torian, remove the time freeze."
"It's Aspen's," I said smugly.
She just looked back. "And she's being healed. We both know you can, so do it."
"Almost done," Keir said softly. "It's ok, Tor. We got her."
So I lifted my hand and snapped, undoing Aspen's conjuration. A few dozen people immediately began to move again. They all jerked. Some completed a step. Pascal finished swinging his punch, but most realized something had changed.
"Everyone stop!" Ms. Rhodes bellowed. "Sentinels, secure those students and take them to my office. Court, you will report to the counselor. Everyone else? Get to class!"
Rain, Keir, and I were surrounding Aspen. Wilder was standing by her feet like a wall, making everyone move around us. Hawke was now out of sight, but I could tell something washappening. I also didn't care. Not yet. Not until Aspen told me she was ok.
Finally, Keir lifted his hands. "That's the best I can do."
"That's pretty good, actually," Aspen said before looking over at me. "Can I sit up now?"
"I got you," Rain said, offering a hand.
I wrapped my arm around her back, helping a bit. "Asp?"
"No, I'm ok," she insisted. "There's just a blank spot. I was walking down the hall, then I was looking up at Rain."
