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Elaria waved a hand. “Headmistress Pansera did an admirable job. I understand she was … missing but has returned to the school. I see no reason why she should not resume her duties.”

I opened my mouth and shut it again. Rodriguez’s mouth twitched, but I knew he wasn’t going to say a word.

“You don’t have the authority for any of this,” Visha sneered. “Not really. The majority of Bloodwing students support the new measures we’ve put in place. They don’t mind having a blightborn headmaster.”

“They’ll toe the fucking line,” Elaria snapped, “or we will use force.”

Visha laughed. “Force?”

Elaria looked down at her coldly. “We will use the might of Houses Avari and Mortis combined—a significant threat.”

Lysander didn’t remark on this; I knew Orphos wasn’t as weak as they let on. But I suddenly wondered how strong they were militarily speaking. They certainly seemed financially well-off. But Avari and Mortis both had standing armies. Did Orphos? Drakharrow must have their own forces. How many had Viktor directed elsewhere? How many were at the Bonewood with Marcus and Catherine? And if Blake tried to get control, would they follow Aryel’s command or his?

“Do not mistake my restraint here today as weakness,” Elaria warned. “If you continue to foment rebellion within the school, my next measures will not be merely administrative.” Her gaze landed on me. “They will be harsh and forceful.”

“Threats of force?” Rodriguez said softly. “When we have a dragon on our side?”

Elaria laughed. “A dragon? Will you really make such a bold-faced claim to my face? My sources tell me Nyxaris is gone. Florence Shen is missing. It does not sound as if either will be returning anytime soon for you to use as your shield.”

Blake, you might want to come out here now, I thought for a second. But only if you think you can control your temper. And his shifting. We didn’t want to tell Elaria anything about Blake’s new powers until we had to—and until he’d mastered perfect control. Which might be a while.

Every time Blake had tried to shift since we’d destroyed Vorago had been a disaster. He just didn’t seem to be able to do it, or some part of him didn’t want to. Given what he’d done the last few times, I didn’t blame him. But at some point, we’d need his dragon. He had to gain the confidence in himself to know he was never going to hurt innocents ever again.

Now, Lady Avari was another matter. I glanced at Kage, but his face was expressionless.

Elaria leaned in toward us. “You both allowed blightborn to forget their place. Now all over Sangratha, blightborn children question theirs.”

My eyes flashed. “Sounds like progress to me.”

“Sounds like hope,” Rodriguez agreed, not bothering to hide his smile this time. “Elaria, I think there’s something you’re not saying out loud.”

She frowned at him. “Oh? And what’s that?”

“What you call destabilization, I would call evolution,” Rodriguez said. “And what you call civil war, I might call an uprising.”

“Why, you blightborn bastard,” Elaria exclaimed. She looked behind her. “You all heard him. He threatened rebellion. Rebellion against highbloods.”

There were murmurs of angry agreement behind Rodriguez. Elaria opened her mouth again, and I knew this time it would be to call for chains. But before she could speak, Kage stood in front of his grandmother. “Don’t,” he said, his voice low.

I understood the threat. I knew Elaria must, too. Had a wolf ever broken from the pack like this before? What would happen if Kage carried out his threat? Would his house see it as the ultimate betrayal? What about all the students within House Avari back in the school? I knew some of their parents must be here. Would they stand with them or with Kage? Did we have time to see what they’d decide?

Before I could even worry about it anymore, there was a commotion in the courtyard behind the rows of carriages. Something was happening. A group of people had crossed the bridge from Veilmar and were approaching the Sanctum.

Elaria’s face was already flushed with fury. She raised her hand. “Highbloods, prepare yourselves. Stand ready. If this is blightborn provocation, we must end it quickly and without mercy.”

The guards who were with her shifted positions, their hands going to their hilts. But I knew most of them wouldn’t even need swords to tear the average blightborn apart. They could rip out throats if they wanted to.

“Wait,” I started to say. Then Rodriguez touched my arm.

“I suggest you have your guard stand down, Lady Avari,” he said calmly. “Those aren’t blightborn. At least, not the kind you mean. They’re dwarves.”

He was right. They were all dwarves. And from the look of it, they’d come straight from below the surface. At the head of the group marched a woman dressed in heavy armor. Her beard was braided with bands of gold. She carried an iron helmet tucked under one arm. My eyes lit up in delight: it was Professor Stonefist. Behind her marched an honor guard. Dwarves clad in heavy ceremonial armor, shields bearing sigils of hammers hitting stone, some carrying tall banners. Behind them walked other figures, in robes of deep green and gold.

Magda Stonefist approached the bottom of the steps and paused. Behind her, the dwarven delegation came to a halt. “Lady Avari, Headmaster Rodriguez.” Her cheeks were flushed as if she wasn’t used to making formal speeches. “It is my honor to present to you the dwarven delegation from Thrazdummar. Members of our high council are here to speak with you. They demand the calling of a moot.”

She kept speaking, but I didn’t hear a single word past that. Because I’d just caught sight of a towering figure walking at the rear of the dwarven formation: a massive, armored brown bear.

Chapter 31