After failing as a vampire hunter, 17-year-old Cleo is sent to an academy full of vampires as a false peace treaty. Her true objective is supposed to be finding the hidden heir to the dark world while befriending the current one, but the current hei...
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I gripped the sleeve of Felix's shirt, my mind reeling. Felix had inherited the Sway? "That's not possible. That would mean... That can't... How could Claude—" I couldn't even say it. "Isn't he in the ballroom?"
"He left," Felix said, putting a hand to his forehead and grimacing. "He snuck out without anyone noticing. I don't know how long ago. We need to..."
Felix's word fell deaf on my ears, my own thoughts too loud. Nothing could have happened to Claude. It wasn't possible. Claude had the Sway to protect him...
Claude had the Sway.
And now Felix did.
Grabbing Kieran's discarded dagger, I twisted on my heel, not waiting for Felix's reply before taking off for the ballroom again. I stepped over the dead, bloody bodies of the hunters, not giving them a second thought. It didn't matter. Not that they were dead, not that anyone could stumble across their bodies at any time, not that their blood still coated my dress. None of it mattered if Claude was dead.
"Cleo— wait!" Felix called after me, but I didn't stop.
Even in my desperate state, I knew better than to enter the ballroom with my blood-stained dress. Besides, if Claude had been injured, it wouldn't have been in front of the hundreds of students in the ballroom, anyway. He wouldn't be there. I didn't bother going toward it, heading straight for our meeting point.
My breath came out in sharp gasps as I sprinted, the air so cold puffs of condensation were left in my wake. But I couldn't feel it. Not the frigid temperature, not the fresh wounds littering my body, not the burning of my lungs that came with this kind of exertion. I was taken over by sheer panic.
Please be okay, please be okay.
Muscle memory showed me the way through the maze of halls in the west wing, remembering how Claude had guided me in the right direction only days before. It had made sense to face my father here back then. It was secluded, forgotten.
But now I realized the critical mistake in our plan. No one but us knew we'd be there. If something went wrong, we were so far separated from everyone else. It was exactly what Kaz was worried about— exactly why Kaz had asked me to him to tell him where we'd be.
I shoved through a wooden door that weighed ten times heavier than it looked, the old, rusted hinges groaning as it swung open. One more corridor, then I'd be there. I didn't know what I'd find. My heart was in my throat, threatening to choke me, even as I fought to calm myself down. I had to be ready for anything.
I burst out into the West wing courtyard, clenching my dagger in my hand. "Claude!"
The only sound that met my ears in response was my own resounding voice.
I came to a stop, my eyes scanning my surroundings frantically, looking for Claude. Where was he? Was my father there? Why were they so silent? I twirled around, searching, turning up nothing.
