The Blood Heir by Megan O'Russell

Author:Megan O'Russell
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Megan O'Russell

20

RED AND BLACK

“Aunt Iz,” Emilia whispered, falling to her knees beside her. “Aunt Iz!” Her voice echoed through the silent grounds.

But Isadora Gray didn’t answer.

“Wake up.” Emilia pulled Aunt Iz’s head onto her lap. “Maggie! Maggie, help her!” Emilia looked wildly around, but Maggie wasn’t there. “Nurse Bracken. Jacob you have to find Nurse Bracken.”

Jacob didn’t move.

“Jacob, please!”

But he didn’t turn and run for the Academy. He knelt down next to her, his hand trembling as he laid it on her shoulder.

“No.” Emilia shoved him away. “No, we have to help her. Please someone, Samuel, fix her.”

“I can’t.” Tears glistened on Samuel’s cheeks.

“You don’t know if you won’t try!”

“She’s gone, Em,” Larkin said.

“She can’t be.” Emilia shook her head. “You don’t understand. She just needs help.”

“There were too many of them.” Dexter collapsed to the ground as though standing required strength he no longer possessed. “She fought. She fought better than any of us could have.”

“Then help her!” Emilia screamed.

“We can’t, Emi,” Jacob whispered. “She’s gone.”

Pain surged through Jacob’s chest and became Emilia’s own. Isadora Gray was dead.

“No.” Tears streamed down Emilia’s cheeks and fell onto Aunt Iz’s face, washing away the blood that coated her. Leaving streaks of pale skin that shone in the night. “Please, Aunt Iz.” But there was nothing more Aunt Iz could do for her.

She was gone.

“What’s going on? Did we win? We got stuck inside trying to help some kids.” Claire gasped when her gaze found Emilia and Iz.

“No.” Connor’s face turned so white it glowed in the bright moonlight.

“We have to secure the grounds.” Larkin pushed herself to her feet. “Find the wounded and make sure there are no more Nandi or somnerri left.”

“We just finished off a somnerri near the cafeteria,” Connor said, his voice low and old. “That’s where most of the hurt kids have been taken. At least the ones who have been found.”

“Dexter, help me sweep the perimeter.” Samuel leaned heavily on his staff as he started toward the gate where a long row of giant holes littered the ground.

“Claire, Connor, help me with the students.” Larkin looked toward the doors. Students had gathered on the steps, watching Emilia.

Their wide eyes and gaping mouths shot bile into her throat. She wanted to scream at them, to collapse the school on top of their heads. Punish them for staring at her, for not realizing the whole world had fallen apart on the grounds of their terrible school.

“We have to find out who betrayed us,” Jacob said. “They knew. The somnerri knew Aunt Iz was here. Someone told them.”

Larkin nodded silently and moved away toward the doors.

“Wait!” Emilia called as her family began to disappear into the night. “You can’t leave. We can’t leave her here.”

“We aren’t leaving her,” Molly said gently. “We’ll take her inside, where she’ll be safe. But we have to keep the students here safe, too. Isadora Gray knew that better than anyone.” Molly leaned forward and closed Aunt Iz’s eyes, blocking the reflection of the moon, which had made them sparkle so brightly.

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