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We headed back up the stairs and had nearly reached the top when we heard voices. I turned to see Quinn Riley strolling into the lower vestibule from a side hall, a group of Mortis students flanking her. Quinn looked good. Her silver-white hair was braided back, her red and white Mortis uniform still clean. She wore dark red lipstick and didn’t seem to have a hair out of place.

“Glad to see the plague isn’t ruining your day,” I called down.

Her head snapped up, eyes narrowing as she caught sight of us. “Headmistress Pansera, so good to see you’re still alive.”

“What are you doing here?” I demanded. “Shouldn’t you be protecting your tower?”

Then I saw the satisfaction on her face. The way she wasn’t afraid. No, Quinn was enjoying this. She’d known it was coming.

“You did this.” Beside me, I sensed Kage and Lysander stiffen.

Quinn cocked one brow. “Did what?”

“You let the infection in,” I guessed. “Why? Why would you want any of this?”

She grinned. “House Mortis handled it beautifully, didn’t we?”

“You killed the guards on the bridge,” Lysander said. A statement. Not a question. Kage swore softly.

Quinn lifted her chin. “The wave was coming. We just sped things up. This school’s grown weak. You might have his grand-mother fooled—” she nodded to Kage “—but Mortis already knew the truth.” She looked between the three of us and grinned nastily. “Does Elaria know about you three? Fucking the enemy, eh, Regan? Two at a time?”

Lysander snarled.

“Elaria thinks she can steer you, but you’re determined to go your own way, aren’t you, Regan? You’re soft. You’re compromised,” Quinn spat. “You’re a traitor to highbloods everywhere. This school needs a firmer hand.”

“You mean you?” I said bluntly. “I’m sure everyone will be clamoring to have you as headmistress when they find out you orchestrated all of this.”

“It was all for the greater good. And besides, no one’s going to find out,” Quinn said, smiling. She reached into her pocket and brought out a vial. Still smiling, she threw it into the classroom we’d just come out of. I heard glass shatter, then caught the scent of blood and magic.

“She’s raising them,” Kage said quietly. “Get ready to fight.”

Quinn gestured, and the Mortis students surrounding her started to fan out to each side of the entryway stairs, preparing to come at us. Then the vestibule exploded as the front doors of Bloodwing opened and a wave of infected poured in from outside. They were clearly from Veilmar.

“The bridge must have fallen,” I whispered, terror in my veins.

“Patrols will be heading out,” Lysander said calmly. “We have a plan in place.”

There were watchers placed high up on the castle battlements; they’d have seen the infected sweep over the bridge. Avari, Orphos, and Drakharrow would be notified. Squads would sweep out around the school.

“We need to move back,” Kage said grimly. “We need to retreat back to the office for now.” He eyed me. “You’re essential to the school. Now isn’t the time to make a stand.”

I hated it, but Kage was right. I wanted to stay and fight, to punish Quinn, to hold the stairs and keep the infected from spilling deeper into the school. But I was the headmistress whether I liked it or not; if I died here fighting Quinn or the infected she’d let in, then I was giving Mortis exactly what they wanted. Chaos would reign. Some other highblood would step forward to lead the school, and they wouldn’t care about blightborn lives as much as my triad did.

Below us, the lower level was quickly becoming anarchy. The infected were coming in fast, snarling and shrieking as they poured through the doors. I counted at least twenty and breathed a sigh of relief. It could have been worse.

Quinn’s smile had vanished as she scrambled to ward off the incoming foes. I suddenly realized she’d forgotten about the five blightborn she’d raised. They were approaching from behind her with slow, staggered steps.

“Regan.” Lysander’s voice was low but urgent. “Let’s go. Now.”

Kage’s hand clamped down around my forearm. I turned away from where Quinn was being dragged down screaming, as Lysander’s hand pressed against the small of my back.

“She made her choice,” Kage said. “Don’t feel an ounce of pity.”

Behind us, Quinn was shrieking. I stepped into the hall with my triad. “I won’t.”

Lysander slammed the hall doors behind us and lowered the bar. We moved quickly, back through the halls in the direction of my office, which wasn’t far away. Behind us echoed the sounds of screams and fighting. At least we’d had time to meet and to plan. The alarm would be spreading from tower to tower. Bloodwing was not helpless—not anymore.

I unlocked the door to the outer room, and we stepped inside. I frowned. The door to my office stood ajar. I could have sworn I’d closed it. A thin line of light streamed out from underneath. I walked toward the office. I must have forgotten to draw the curtains, and when I closed the door it must not have clicked shut. But when I looked inside, the light wasn’t coming from the windows. The curtains were drawn. It was coming from under the storage room door.