"All students will return to their dormitories at once."
A ripple of hesitation went through the crowd. I saw the indecision plain on their faces. They wanted to stay. They wanted to see what happened next.
As far as I knew, our stern but steady Headmaster Kim had never bellowed before. Until now. "Perhaps you did not understand me the first time. Now!"
The students scattered.
Kim marched toward Blake and me.
He wasn't alone. A group of older Highbloods trailed in his wake. I scanned their faces, my heart sinking as I recognized Viktor Drakharrow. His red eyes gleamed, fixed on me with unmistakable greed. No, more than that. Triumph.
I half-expected him to grab me and drag me out of the courtyard right then.
Then I noticed the woman walking beside him. She was petite, with a slender frame and straight silver hair cut to her chin. Her dark, angular eyes studied me with wariness, but also with intelligence and curiosity.
I knew her. I'd seen her portrait in the headmaster's office. Natsumi Avari. Kage's mother. She was a member of Bloodwing's Board of Directors.
I scanned the Highbloods surrounding her. There must have been a board meeting in progress that night. That explained why so many were here.
I'd bet it wasn't often a board meeting got adjourned by a dragon.
I had only a vague idea of what a board of directors actually did. Helped run Bloodwing, I presumed. Was it a good thing that they were all here now, at this moment? Or a very bad one?
I reasoned that having more witnesses to whatever Viktor Drakharrow was about to do couldn't hurt. After all, Natsumi was House Avari. She wouldn't just go along with whatever Viktor said.
I could feel Highblood eyes on me. Sizing me up like a wild animal had suddenly wandered into their midst.
There was a time I wanted them all to look at me exactly like this. As if I were someone to be reckoned with. Someone to be feared.
But now I knew that having all this Highblood attention focused on me was the last thing anyone should ever wish for.
A heavy door clattered shut as the last of the students cleared out.
Headmaster Kim's face was grim as he reached us. He opened his mouth to speak.
"Incredible. Absolutely incredible."
It was Viktor. He walked past Kim, coming closer than I liked. His red eyes locked onto mine.
He smiled slowly, his avarice palpable. I didn't smile back.
"How did you summon the dragon?" he demanded, as if he couldn't wait a second longer to begin his interrogation.
I jumped. "I..." I started to say. But then the others broke in at once.
"What exactly happened here?"
"What did you do?"
"How dare you!"
"Are you in control of it?"
"Where is it going? Where did you send it?"
"Can you command it? Tell it to return here at once."
"The dragon belongs to House Avari."
I looked at the speaker of those last words. No surprise that they had come from Natsumi.