“What about our armor?” I asked hurriedly. It was in my closet, but it would take at least a half-hour or more to fasten to our forms— and by that point, who knew what would be happening?
“No time,” Ethan said quickly. “We must see what’s going on.”
As we hurried down the hallway, Tygrys zoomed above my head, giving a low growl. If my faekin was coming with me, to protect me, whatever was going on was serious.
As we fled, our friends came with us. Stefan had his arm around Delmare, who gripped tightly onto her dagger. Odette had recovered from earlier, but she clung to Theo’s arm anyway to keep her steady as we ran down the stairs, her axe clinking on her hip.
Kiara hadn’t failed to grab the priestess staff. She carried it beside Alexei, and they walked hand in hand. Nausea tumbled in my gut as I put an instinctive hand over the wolven stone set into my sword. Gods, I hoped no one realized what we had on us— least of all, someone who worked for Gabby and Elijah. We couldn’t lose these Crystals now.
There were all kinds of people running about in the Main Foyer— teachers and students alike. I caught sight of Finlay and Amantha, as well as Ozzie and Jasper, but I didn’t see my brother anywhere, and that terrified me.
In the center of the chaos Lady Magdalina was barking orders, her voice amplified by the sound of her illusion magic. She was fully dressed in a set of white robes, and appeared thoroughly pissed.
“Build the barricade!” she boomed. “Block every window, every door! We can’t let them in here!”
I rushed to her, skidding to a breathless stop before her powerful presence. “Headmistress, what’s going on?” I asked.
She appeared relieved when she saw me. “Emmaline, thank the gods. You need to get as far away from here as possible.”
“What?” My jaw dropped open. “Why?”
“It isn’t safe here any longer,” Magdalina insisted, and she grabbed my shoulders. “Arcanea University is under attack!”
Chapter Twenty-Three
Ethan
My mind went blank at her words. “Under attack? By who?”
“Theking, damn you!” Lady Magdalina hissed. “If we don’t stop him, we’ll all be dead by morning.”
“But— but why?” I sounded like a baffled child. Elijah, attacking Arcanea University? Not even he would do such a vile thing.
“He thinks the school is running the rebellion. He’s blaming us for burning the homes of the nobles, and for the collapse of the catacombs tonight. He’s mobilizing his army as we speak,” Magdalina said hastily. “He seeks to raze this university to the ground, and by the gods, we aren’t going to let him!”
I knew my cousin would take revenge for what the Malovian Revolution had done. Now he was waging war with the university!
“Emmaline, you must go,” Magdalina insisted. “The king cannot find you here with the Crystals of Harmony.”
“I won’t abandon my school!” Emma said. “We’re staying to defend what’s ours!”
Magdalina’s face contorted. “If you will not leave, then fight! Fight them with everything you’ve got!”
The sound of battering rams slamming into the doors began echoing through the Grand Foyer. Elijah’s men were already here. Wolven students were levitating chairs, furniture, anything they could get their hands on to create a barricade over the windows and doors that rose twenty feet high. Alicorns used their shield magic on the barricade, making it impenetrable. Dragons stood by with battle orbs, while the griffins held their swords aloft, ready to fight. Magdalina placed wards around the school, to prevent anyone from using a portal to get inside.
Emma and I got to work helping the other wolvens, levitating anything that was within reach onto the barricade, to make it taller. Emma’s forehead beaded with sweat as she asked, “What’s the plan?”
“Arcanea University used to be a palace for the king. It was built to defend itself from invaders,” I said. “We can hole up in here, and fight them that way.”
“But Elijah’s not going to quit!”
“Neither are we.”
I wished we had our armor, but there was no time to go back and put it on. Eventually, there was nothing left to create the barricade— not even paintings on the walls. There was an ominous silence amongst all the students as the thudding of the battering rams outside continued to assault the barricade. The alicorn students held it steady.
While the barricade was holding them off, I took action. We couldn’t stand here helplessly, waiting for them to invade us.
“Everyone follow me!” I bellowed, and I waved my hand. Emma and I ran up the staircase to the outside balcony surrounding the Grand Foyer, and our friends went with us— along with a host of others. We peered between the stone battlements and saw soldiers down below, attempting to force their way into the school.
