Page 111 of Destined Dawn

“But there’s only six of us against him and his army!”

“Six fated mates. Queen Æðelflæd and her knights. Your powers will know no bounds,” Mrs. Holyhill says, her empty teacup still balancing on her knobbly knees, “if you fight together.”

“And we will help you,” York says, removing her tweed jacket and rolling up her sleeves.

“We’ve been preparing,” Winnie Wence says, bouncing up onto her toes. “Several of us.” She nods towards Tristan’s cousin, Ellie.

“How are you even here?” I say, shaking my head in disbelief. Winnie is on the wanted list just like us and Ellie has always been heavily guarded by her family. There are obviously Christopher Kenedy’s spies in this academy – Summer being an obvious one – as well as his guards. How did either of them sneak into the academy?

“Stella – I mean Principal York,” Winnie says, “has been taking in fugitives and hiding us.”

“Building a resistance,” York clarifies.

“We’ve been living down in the infirmary in the basement and preparing – thinking of ways to build up the resistance and sabotage the Lord Protector’s plans. Trent’s come up with some ingenious tech ideas,” she saysproudly. “And Ellie and I have been brewing special potions.”

Ellie smiles shyly, fiddling with the beads that hang around her neck.

“How many of you are there?” Azlan asks.

“About twenty.”

I snort. “That isn’t enough.”

“You will have the support of the staff and the students too,” York says.

“All of them?” Stone asks, one eyebrow rising skeptically, obviously thinking of Summer.

“Not all of them, I’m sure. But most. These students have been training for battle all the time they’ve been at Arrow Hart, Phoenix. Now they have an opportunity to decide which side they will fight for.”

“Will they fight for me?” Rhi asks hesitantly.

“Yes, I think they will, especially when they see you have Spencer and Tristan’s support,” York says, addressing me and using my first name for the first time in my life. “You will need to persuade them that this is the side to fight for.”

“Persuade them?” I scoff. “Most of them think I’m some diseased and dirty mutt.”

“And they think I’m some mad, untrained girl who speaks to pigs,” Rhi mutters, the pig in question, by her feet, snuffling a cookie she’s fed him.

“Spencer, you were our most successful dueling captain ever,” York says and then turns to Tristan. “And you, our most successful vice-captain. You know how to motivate and coordinate a team between you, so go out and make this happen.”

I turn to Azlan. I’ve come to depend on the enforcer’s advice. He is so often the voice of reason.

“What do you think?” I ask him.

“I think Principal York is right.”

“Okay,” I say, nodding slowly, the idea beginning to grow on me. “And how long do you think we have? How long before the Lord Protector arrives here all guns blazing?”

“I think they’ll be here at daybreak,” York says.

“You don’t think they’ll be storming here already?” Rhi asks.

“No, the man is clever and cunning. Christopher Kennedy has no doubt worked out that I’ll be leading some kind of resistance here at the academy and he’ll know you have dragons. He will need time to gather forces together and consider his attack. We are well defended here, even more so with dragons. It’ll take him time. Time we can use to our advantage if we use it now!”

I turn to my friend, gripping his shoulder. “Time to step up, then, buddy.”

“Time to step up!” he repeats.

“Coach Hank has gathered the students and staff members together in the gymnasium.”