fol owed on my heels.
Out of the corner of my eye I saw Ethan covering Lydia’s attack with a suppressing fire of bolts from where he stood alongside the portal. I shifted forms, gasping for breath but needing to ask what came next.
“Come on!” An arm reached through the glimmering doorway and Adne jerked me into the warmth of Purgatory’s training room while Connor shoved me forward, both of us tumbling out of the snowy forest.
“Lydia, we’re clear!” Ethan shouted. “Get back here!” He had taken two steps toward her when four more wolves emerged from the forest, tearing toward the Bane alpha.
“Lydia!” Ethan shrieked, firing off more bolts.
She took her eyes off Emile and saw the approaching Guardians. Hurling two more daggers at the new assailants, she managed to take one down, slow another. But as she whirled and tore through the snow toward the portal, Emile sprang at her, sailing through the air.
The ful force of his leap brought her down, flattening her against the snow. The three remaining wolves reached him as his jaws locked around her neck.
“No!” Connor shouted, pushing past me toward the other side of the door. But Ethan was there, blocking his path. Ethan shook his head, then looked at Adne.
Connor swore but didn’t argue.
“She’s gone, Adne,” Ethan said, not turning to see Emile tearing Lydia’s body apart. “Close the door.”
SEVEN
TESS LAY IN A CRUMPLED heap on the floor while Connor spoke softly to her.
“We’d better take her with us,” Ethan said to Isaac.
“They can send another Reaper out for the time being. I’l keep working point until Anika’s sorted this out.”
Isaac nodded.
As Adne wove a door to the Academy, I sat at the table, trying to make sense of what had just happened. Lydia was dead. I’d barely known her, but the way she’d died haunted me. Nausea rol ed through my gut, making me shudder. I buried my face in my hands.
I couldn’t shake the thought that I’d brought this grief down on my new al ies. Tess was sobbing, and each cry was like a razor slicing my skin. I’d run to Sasha. I’d assumed any Nightshade would be an al y. I couldn’t have been more wrong. My poor judgment had cost Lydia’s life.
Someone touched my shoulder. I lifted my head to see Adne gazing at me.
“Door’s open,” she said.
I fol owed her to the shining portal. Tess cried into Isaac’s shoulder when he hugged her, murmuring good-byes, before Connor put his arm around her waist and led her through Adne’s door.
When I passed Ethan on my way to the door, I reached out, grabbing the sleeve of his coat. I might have been wiser to pick someone else, but words wanted to climb out of my throat.
“I’m sorry,” I whispered.
He shook my hand off, but his gaze was more sad than angry. “Don’t be. This is who we are.”
I could see that truth at work. With the exception of Tess, the Searchers shouldered their grief and moved on in a way that was brutal and beautiful.
“Send an update when you can,” Ethan said.
“We wil ,” Adne said, and gestured for me to pass her.
Anika was waiting for us. The Arrow’s eyes were fixed on Tess, who was struggling against her tears.
“Lydia?” Anika asked. Tess broke down again and Anika bowed her head.
“And our operative,” Connor added.
“Tess, you should retire to your quarters in the Haldis wing,” Anika said.
Tess nodded. When she was gone, Anika approached Connor.
“What happened?”
“Can’t be sure.” Connor rubbed the back of his neck. “When I reached the drop point, Grant was dead. He’d bled out at least an hour before. His body was already frozen.”
Anika frowned, turning her eyes on me. “And the pack?”
I shook my head, wondering if I should tel them about Haldis and my theory that the patrol routes had been shifted. About the horrible miscalculation I’d somehow overlooked. In light of what had just happened, I decided against it.
“The wolves we encountered attacked
Out of the corner of my eye I saw Ethan covering Lydia’s attack with a suppressing fire of bolts from where he stood alongside the portal. I shifted forms, gasping for breath but needing to ask what came next.
“Come on!” An arm reached through the glimmering doorway and Adne jerked me into the warmth of Purgatory’s training room while Connor shoved me forward, both of us tumbling out of the snowy forest.
“Lydia, we’re clear!” Ethan shouted. “Get back here!” He had taken two steps toward her when four more wolves emerged from the forest, tearing toward the Bane alpha.
“Lydia!” Ethan shrieked, firing off more bolts.
She took her eyes off Emile and saw the approaching Guardians. Hurling two more daggers at the new assailants, she managed to take one down, slow another. But as she whirled and tore through the snow toward the portal, Emile sprang at her, sailing through the air.
The ful force of his leap brought her down, flattening her against the snow. The three remaining wolves reached him as his jaws locked around her neck.
“No!” Connor shouted, pushing past me toward the other side of the door. But Ethan was there, blocking his path. Ethan shook his head, then looked at Adne.
Connor swore but didn’t argue.
“She’s gone, Adne,” Ethan said, not turning to see Emile tearing Lydia’s body apart. “Close the door.”
SEVEN
TESS LAY IN A CRUMPLED heap on the floor while Connor spoke softly to her.
“We’d better take her with us,” Ethan said to Isaac.
“They can send another Reaper out for the time being. I’l keep working point until Anika’s sorted this out.”
Isaac nodded.
As Adne wove a door to the Academy, I sat at the table, trying to make sense of what had just happened. Lydia was dead. I’d barely known her, but the way she’d died haunted me. Nausea rol ed through my gut, making me shudder. I buried my face in my hands.
I couldn’t shake the thought that I’d brought this grief down on my new al ies. Tess was sobbing, and each cry was like a razor slicing my skin. I’d run to Sasha. I’d assumed any Nightshade would be an al y. I couldn’t have been more wrong. My poor judgment had cost Lydia’s life.
Someone touched my shoulder. I lifted my head to see Adne gazing at me.
“Door’s open,” she said.
I fol owed her to the shining portal. Tess cried into Isaac’s shoulder when he hugged her, murmuring good-byes, before Connor put his arm around her waist and led her through Adne’s door.
When I passed Ethan on my way to the door, I reached out, grabbing the sleeve of his coat. I might have been wiser to pick someone else, but words wanted to climb out of my throat.
“I’m sorry,” I whispered.
He shook my hand off, but his gaze was more sad than angry. “Don’t be. This is who we are.”
I could see that truth at work. With the exception of Tess, the Searchers shouldered their grief and moved on in a way that was brutal and beautiful.
“Send an update when you can,” Ethan said.
“We wil ,” Adne said, and gestured for me to pass her.
Anika was waiting for us. The Arrow’s eyes were fixed on Tess, who was struggling against her tears.
“Lydia?” Anika asked. Tess broke down again and Anika bowed her head.
“And our operative,” Connor added.
“Tess, you should retire to your quarters in the Haldis wing,” Anika said.
Tess nodded. When she was gone, Anika approached Connor.
“What happened?”
“Can’t be sure.” Connor rubbed the back of his neck. “When I reached the drop point, Grant was dead. He’d bled out at least an hour before. His body was already frozen.”
Anika frowned, turning her eyes on me. “And the pack?”
I shook my head, wondering if I should tel them about Haldis and my theory that the patrol routes had been shifted. About the horrible miscalculation I’d somehow overlooked. In light of what had just happened, I decided against it.
“The wolves we encountered attacked
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