Chapter 28 · The Headmaster's Bet

The headmaster's office doesn't have windows. Just stone and iron and a desk that looks like it's seen blood.

I'm standing in front of it now, still catching my breath from the tower stairs. Cain's half a step behind me. The guards didn't give us a choice about coming here.

Headmaster Thorne sits behind that desk like he's been waiting. He probably has.

"Miss Gray." His voice is smooth. Too smooth. "I hear you've been busy."

I don't answer. My ribs still hurt from the hunt. My mask is cracked along one edge.

"Three Core Zone students injured," Thorne continues. "Two sent to the infirmary. A hunting ground destroyed. And yet here you are, still breathing."

Cain shifts beside me. I can feel him tense.

"The hunt was sanctioned," I say. My voice comes out steady. "I didn't break any rules."

"No." Thorne leans forward. "You didn't. That's the problem."

He stands. Walks around the desk. He's taller than I remember from orientation, or maybe it's just the way the lamplight hits him from behind.

"Ironridge Academy operates on a simple principle, Miss Gray. The strong rise. The weak serve. And the clever—" He pauses in front of me.