All eyes were on Azrael.
He pushed himself to his feet, his body a symphony of aches and bruises. The stares of hundreds of students felt like a physical weight. He let out a quiet sigh. 'Looks like I'm in a new mess.'
Silas, still bruised but as energetic as ever, limped over to him with a wide, mocking grin. "Dude, take your girl to the infirmary."
Azrael looked at him, confused. "My girl?" Then his eyes followed Silas's gaze to where Astrid lay on the ground, spitting a small trickle of blood onto the sand. 'He meant her? But why?'
Then he saw her. Selyne. She was still crumpled on the ground where she had collapsed, unconscious.
'Oh, right,' he thought, a wave of secondhand responsibility washing over him. 'He definitely meant her. How could I forget? She passes out every time after showing her potential. That's when Kaelen is supposed to swoop in and carry her off like a princess.'
