I couldn’t walk, so Arthur carried me. My toes skimmed along the ground, until he changed into a wolven and forced me onto his back. Everything went numb, and I couldn’t see straight. The city blurred as colors melded together, creating the faces of the old woman and child in my head, the girl’s screams for help bleeding into my ears. I’d sacrificed their lives to save others, and yet, it didn’t feel noble.
It made me feel just as evil as Gabby.
I slid off Arthur’s back when we came to the university gates, and he changed. The campus was deserted— all the other students were inside their dorms, and the teachers had retreated back into the palace, probably to restore order. The only person that still stood outside looking for people was Lord Lucien.
I removed my mask in front of him— I didn’t care. I didn’t care that he’d seen me in my White Rose costume, or that he knew who I was. At this point, I was just so happy to see him. The illusion fell away, but as my hair and eye color changed back to normal, Lucien bore no indication of surprise. If anything, he lookedpissed.
“What were you all doing out there?” Lucien barked at Arthur and I, before his eyes flashed to the rest of the group. “Emma, I just saw you and your friends come through a few hours ago. What possessed you to sneak out and return to those dire streets?”
An involuntary sob rose from my throat. I flung myself onto Lucien and held him tightly. He balked for a second before his arms folded around me. He returned the embrace, clutching me as if I was precious for a few brief moments.
Lucien finally pulled away and squeezed my shoulders. “You cannot possibly imagine how worried I was.”
“I’m sorry,” I wept. “I just wanted to help.”
“It’s done now. It’s over.” Lucien wiped a few of my tears away before he took in the sight of Delmare, Odette, and Kiara, still in their vigilante costumes.
“Give me those masks and those cloaks,” Lucien said gruffly to us girls. “I’ll get rid of them. You can’t be seen wearing those around campus.”
We had our day clothes on underneath, so we did as Lucien asked. I felt no regret as I handed Lucien my White Rose mask—I just wanted to be rid of it.
He gathered the cloaks and masks into a ball in his arms, and said, “Into the castle, quickly. Go to the dormitories anddo not come out.”
Nobody argued. We remained silent as we trekked into the castle. I gave Arthur a tight hug before he slipped into Vara’s room to be with her— there were no words we could say that would suffice. We were twins, and through that secret bond, I knew both of us were simply glad the other had made it through tonight.
The girls followed me into my dorm. Tygrys zoomed toward me. The little fae tiger rubbed against my cheek and purred.
“I’m okay,” I told him, and I patted him lightly. Delmare turned on the TV. We all sat on my four-poster bed and watched the news, which flickered back and forth from footage of the war-torn streets to images of Gabby’s spell. The video had whipped the newscasters into a frenzy, and it was difficult to hear them argue either for or against her defense. Some broadcasters thought the video was a fake— others thought it could be true.
It didn’t matter to me. The video had served one purpose, and it had done the job.
After a while, we turned the news off. I just couldn't stand looking at all the carnage, or listening to the newscasters arguing about what Gabby’s video meant. The silence and waiting was worse than the actual fighting. We sat there uselessly as the minutes ticked by, hoping for word from the boys.
Odette eventually broke. “I want Theo!” she sobbed. She put her head to Kiara’s chest and cried, while Kiara rubbed her back.
“I know. But they’re coming back,” Kiara insisted. Though her tone was sure, her eyes still shone with worry for Alexei.
Delmare’s phone went off. All of us jumped— she checked it, and her shoulders slumped in relief.
“I just got a text from Stefan,” Delmare said. “He and the rest of the guys are safe. All the monsters are gone, but a lot of people are hurt. They’re going to stay out all night, make sure they can help who they can. He said they’ll get rid of the costumes before the sun rises, so they don’t get caught.”
I nearly cried with happiness at the mention that Ethan was alive. It was accompanied by the disappointment he was still out there, walking through Dolinska’s grisly streets. It would only be for a few hours— vigilantes needed the night to stay hidden. But I wished Ethan would come home sooner.
Yet I had to make that sacrifice. Ethan was a hero. It was his job to save people.
“We should go to bed,” Delmare suggested. “It’s been a long day.”
That was putting it lightly. It’d been traumatizing. But staying up until sunrise wouldn’t help any of us feel better, or the night pass quicker. I wanted to slip into oblivion for these next few hours, so I could hurry to be at Ethan’s side again.
Us four girls spread out across my four-poster bed and slipped into sleep. Tygrys nestled into my hair and snoozed, but try as I may, I just couldn’t shut my eyes. The faces of the young girl and the old woman looked back at me every time I tried.
I thought of the citizens of Dolinska. For all my efforts tonight, it felt like I had failed them.
I wokeup after everyone else did the next morning. The sun was shining, and the other girls were dressed in clean clothes. I sat up, feeling sore and half sick.
“You need to get ready,” Kiara said as she pressed a fresh pair of jeans and a shirt into my hands. “Everyone in the city is being asked to appear before the royal palace. It’s mandatory.”
Probably due to the video. Gabby was giving some explanation, I bet.
