Page 60 of Mate of a Monster

She stands untouched and my stomach drops for more reasons than I can count.

“I’m not asking permission,” she says, defiance radiating off every infuriatingly perfect fucking inch of her.

Before anyone can make a move, the side wall shudders violently as the stone cracks down the middle.

“What the fuck?” Sinner hisses, throwing his hands out to sweep the falling stones to the side. They slam into the wall with a hard thwack.

A hint of light seeps into the space just before a massive claw punches through from the outside, talons gouging into space.

Haide doesn’t hesitate. She grabs the offered claw, steps up onto the ledge, and vanishes in a rush of wind and dust before I reach her.

“After her!” I bark.

She’s already gone by the time we reach outside. “Fuck!” She’s escaping. Leaving.

Why is my heart clenching?

“There’s no time to worry about her! The kids!” Sinner screams.

Creed rushes to the front of us. A portal rips open at the East Tideward border in a violent bloom.

We’re met with chaos the instant we step through.

Water churns over what used to be training fields and stone walkways. Waves crash against the academy walls as children cling to windows and broken railings. Gifted attempt to portal in and out, but there’s barely solid ground to land on. Every miscalculation drops another body into black water.

Creed curses. “The sea has swallowed the lower grounds!”

“There! The flying perch. It’s still standing!” Knight points to the tallest point of the academy.

We use another portal to safely transport ourselves to the cracking stones of the pointed roof.

The air is thick with screams, old and young alike.

Fae strain to push back the surge, hands raised, water bending only inches at a time before slamming back harder.

“They aren’t strong enough. Can we get more from Rathe U?”

“No time.” Knight scans the area. “We’re on our own. The argents can’t portal jump like we can. We’ll lose more today than we’ll save and that’s just a fact.” And then he dives into the air.

“Knight!” London screams.

His body falls fast; a portal appears just before he hits the water. He pops back through the mouth shortly after, a young girl in his arms.

He throws her at London and then he’s gone again.

“London, keep a portal open to Rathe. Drop them through!” Creed orders.

The wards flicker uselessly around us, shattered sigils dissolving into salt spray.

A loud crashing sound alerts us too late as a massive dark wave slams into the north wing of the academy.

Screams rip out around us. “The Nocturn wing.” My eyes snap to Creed. “They’re in dream state, they won’t even know to try to run.”

“Get down there before it—”

The entire building breaks open, water slipping in and sweeping out bed after bed, young after young. It takes a moment before their cries fill the air.

“Fuck!” I scream, sliding down the edge of the roof, preparing to jump when the sky turns dark.