I had done it.
I looked up.
The entire Quad was staring at me.
Silence. Absolute, terrified silence.
And then, slow clapping.
Clap... clap... clap.
The crowd parted. Dean Marrow was walking toward me.
He looked impeccable in a navy suit. He wasn't running. He wasn't panicked. He looked... satisfied.
" remarkable," he said, stopping a few feet away. "Truly remarkable, Ms. Arden."
Rhett, Kai, and Lucien were at my side instantly, hauling me to my feet, forming a wall between me and the Dean.
"What did you do to him?" Rhett snarled, his eyes flashing storm-grey.
"Me?" Marrow placed a hand on his chest, feigning innocence. "I did nothing, Mr. Blackmoor. This appears to be a tragic case of... Bond Instability. The boy lost control. It happens."
He looked at the unconscious student, then at me. His eyes were cold, calculating, and hungry.
"But you," Marrow smiled. "You stabilized him. You severed a chaotic surge with a touch. That is... rare. Very rare."
"She saved his life," Kai said, his voice hard.
"She displayed an unsanctioned use of Class-5 Magical Intervention," Marrow corrected smoothly. He pulled a notebook from his pocket and made a note. "Without a license. Without supervision. Very dangerous."
"He was dying!" Ivy shouted from the crowd. "She's a hero!"
"She is an anomaly," Marrow said, his voice carrying over the Quad. "And anomalies are threats."
He snapped his notebook shut.
"Officer Stone?"
Stone stepped out of the crowd, his face grim. He looked at Ivy, then at me. He didn't look happy.
"Escort the boy to the infirmary," Marrow ordered. "And issue a citation to Ms. Arden for 'Public Endangerment via Unauthorized Magic'."
"Sir," Stone hesitated. "She... she stopped the surge. The boy is stable."
Marrow turned to Stone. His smile dropped. The Void opened up behind his eyes.
"Did I stutter, Officer?"
Stone’s jaw tightened. He looked at me. "Come with me, Ms. Arden."
"No," Rhett growled, stepping forward.
"It's okay," I said, putting a hand on Rhett's chest. "It's just a citation, Rhett. Don't give him a reason to expel us."
I looked at Marrow. I met his empty gaze.
I knew what this was.
