Page 29

Like some kind of trick rider, he grabbed the saddle and swung onto it, racing away with his clothing billowing like storm clouds as the weather picked him up and allowed him to fade away.

One body stayed.

It didn't move.

"No," I breathed, taking a step forward. "No, no, no! "

"Grab her!" Ms. Rhodes demanded, running forward to check the too-still form.

Arms closed around me, hugging me from behind. "Don't look, kid," Bracken whispered, trying to turn me. "He's gone."

"No!" I screamed, trying to pull away.

So Bracken stopped being nice. A push with one hand and a pull with the other spun me around. When he gripped my shoulders, it was too hard, but there was no way I could break free.

"Listen to me," he said. "Rain, stop thinking and just listen!''

"What?" I snapped.

"You saved us!"

That was enough to make me go still. "But the guy..."

"But us," Bracken said, twisting me enough to show me all the people staring in shock at the scene now behind me. "Look at them, Rain. Sentinels, teachers, and veteran warriors. Fighters, all of them. People with experience who could barely keep the Wild Hunt from slaughtering us en masse."

"But I'm supposed to do this," I whimpered.

"And you did," he said. "Rain, you did. You also lived, and that's more impressive than you know. We only lost one today."

"We didn't lose anyone last time!" I felt my throat getting tight with the realization this couldn't be fixed. "Isn't there some magic..."

"No," Bracken said. "I'm so sorry, kid, but there's not. When the Hunt executes someone, there's no bringing them back."

"I saw him being carried this way! I should've followed!"

"But you couldn't," he soothed.

I bit my lips together, feeling shame wash over me. "The Huntsman had Aspen. I made him let her go, but he wouldn't leave."

"Listen to me," he said. "Rain, listen."

"No." Ms. Rhodes' voice was soft, gentle, and right behind me. "Let her go, Bracken."

Slowly, dreading what I knew I would see, I turned to find the headmistress of Silver Oaks wearing plate armor made of eltam .

A matching sword was in her hand, along with two short spear-looking things on her back.

The perfect bun she always wore was now messy, and across her chest were marks of something that should've been blood, but was grey.

But behind her was Fin. I'd met the guy once, hated him, and had called him out. I'd been mean, hoping to make him feel like shit, and now he was dead. Dead. Broken. Lying with his limbs all wrong and his skin too pale. Never mind the open eyes staring straight up at the sun.

"No, no, no," I mumbled.

"He's gone," Ms. Rhodes said, but her tone was gentle.

"Just him, Rain. I counted twenty-three hunters, and they cannot be stopped.

There were more than fifty students out here, and at least another dozen teachers.

Let's round it up to seventy fae they could've picked off, dragged here, and executed. "

"Ivy..." Bracken said, sounding worried.

Ms. Rhodes never looked away from me. "That's a lot of people, Rain. Their storm hit with no warning. It wasn't even in the forecast! That means they came here when we were at our most vulnerable, and look at him!"

A strangled sound was caught in my throat, but I looked. I also felt tears burning my eyes at the realization of what I'd done.

"It's one person, not a pile. It's one death, not seventy! "

"But one is too many," I breathed.

Which made her clasp both sides of my face and shift so she was blocking Fin's body from sight.

"It is, and it's horrible to have even one, but victory is not sweet.

It is bitter and painful. It fucking sucks!

" she snarled, using the kind of profanity I'd never heard from her before.

"But do not ever doubt that this is a victory.

A hollow, painful, and miserable one, so it is ok to mourn. "

"Oh."

Then she swept her hand over my hair. "And I am so proud of you. Your fathers are too. I'm sure your friends are as well. You, Rain le Fae, are a hero today. Hold on to that, even when it hurts."

"But I failed."

"No," she assured me. "You saved everyone else. The Wild Hunt is unstoppable, but you did the one thing we can't." She bent, putting her face level with mine. "You stopped them. You hurt them, Rain. That means you did good."

"So why does it feel so shitty?" I asked.

"Because it really is." She looked up and behind me. "Have the nurse get something to wipe her dreams?"

"Yeah," Bracken agreed. Then he clasped my shoulder. "Wanna spend the night with us, kid?"

"I have to make sure Aspen's ok."

"I've got her," Hawke said, moving in to join us .

"Bracken, dismiss the students," Ms. Rhodes told him. "Hawke, keep an eye on her. Wilder?"

He nodded. "I can thaw the ground."

"I hate to ask, but..." Ms. Rhodes said gently.

"It's my season," he replied. "I understand, and even Fin deserved that much."

Hawke turned me away, gently leading me back towards the massive building that was now so small, I could barely see it over the trees.

Behind me, I heard Ms. Rhodes let out a broken sigh. It sounded like she was struggling not to cry.