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“Don’t.” Voiler grabbed my wrist, her nails digging in. “I know you want to help, but you’ll only make it worse. You can’t save him.”

She was right. Hells, I knew she was right. I couldn’t do anything without putting a target on my own back.

But I had witnessed people like Maekus get fucked around by people like Ryder my entire life. And Ihatedpeople like Ryder.

Ryder summoned a small ounce of his natural magic then, using wind to pull the air from Maekus’s lungs. I didn’t notice it at first; only when Maekus began clawing at Ryder’s arms, then his own throat, did I understand he was being suffocated.

Someone in the back of the room gasped.

Ryder was going to kill him.

“It’s simple magic,” Ryder announced, nearly gloating. More and more air whirled from Maekus. Ryder was horrifyingly talented at natural magic; even someone who could summon it would have a hard time pushing back. “If you’re strong enough to get into The Golden City, you’ll have no problem fighting it off.”

Maekus struggled more and more until suddenly—torturously—his eyes rolled back in his head.

I was only slightly aware of Ashlani hissing something at me in a hushed whisper as I tore myself away from her and Voiler and drifted toward the conflict. I couldn’t stop myself if I wanted to.

“What in all hells are you doing, Ryder? You can’t hurt him outside of the classroom!”

Ryder pushed for a few more seconds, ensuring no air remained in Maekus’s lungs, before he used his knife to finish the job, slitting Maekus’s throat.

He fell to the ground in the dining hall.

Dead.

Ryder broke the first rule of Moira Seminary by killing Maekus outside of the classroom, and he didn’t seem to care in the slightest.

He turned with a grin spread across his face. “Consider this a glimpse of your future, Huntyr. Weaklings won’t be fighting by my side in The Golden City.”

I clenched my jaw, trying to swallow my anger.Weak?

Maekus was sly and inconspicuous. He kept to himself. That did not make him any less of a fighter.

Ryder stepped closer to me, leaning down to my ear before whispering, “You’re next.”

He knocked my shoulder with his as he sauntered past me, leaving Maekus’s body on the floor to finish bleeding out, and the entire dining hall silenced in terror.

I couldn’t look away, couldn’t tear my eyes away from Maekus. I should have done something sooner. Hells,someoneshould have.

“Come on.” Ashlani pulled me from my trance, tugging on my wrist. Voiler followed tight behind her, looking just as horrified. “Let’s get out of here before we attract any more trouble.”

Chapter

Twelve

As I made my way back to my bedroom that night, I caught a glimpse of Lanson leaning against the door frame of his own room. His shoulders were tense, his head hung low. He whispered something to himself under his breath in a way that made me slow down.

“Lanson?” I asked as I changed direction, making my way over to him. I wasn’t sure why I felt pulled to Lanson. Over the last few days, I actually found myself enjoying his company during training. Things were peaceful with him. Simple. “Is everything okay?”

He stiffened further at the sound of my voice before spinning to face me. His eyes were bloodshot and rimmed with deep red lines. His soft curls were messy and disheveled, his normally tucked-in shirt falling messily down his torso.

“I’ve been better,” he admitted.

I walked up to stand beside him, taking up the other half of the doorframe. Maekus’s bed was left unmade, his black bag strung over the bedpost along with his jacket.

My chest tightened. I’d forgotten they were roommates.

“He didn’t deserve this,” Lanson sighed. “Maekus wanted to get into The Golden City to be with his older sister who made it there last year. He–”