Thornhill Academy (By Sheridan Hartin) novel Chapter 207

and they’ll be here by tomorrow morning.”

Shock, confusion, and then relief ripple through the faction leaders.

“Hellhounds,” mutters Cora, the bear shifter leader. “Oh, gods above… that changes everything.”

Then Evander speaks, calm as ever. “The dragons too.”

Every head whips toward him.

“My parents are calling in every flight they can. They’ll arrive by nightfall.”

A deep, respectful silence then settles. Dragons. Hellhounds. Demons. Shifting possibilities fill the heavy air inside the tent. Hope blooms inside my chest. A fragile, shimmering thing I haven’t let myself feel in years.

Kael leans around Rhaziel to whisper loudly, “Mumma can’t wait to meet you,” his eyes dancing with excitement.

My heart twists in a strange, painful way. “I… can’t wait to meet her too.”

Cassian glances at me then, almost shyly, like he’s checking that I’m truly okay before he allows himself to relax. Rhaziel places a warm hand over mine on the table, grounding me. Evander shifts closer, thigh brushing mine in silent reassurance. Vale continues once the murmurs settle.

Council’s hol

“With these reinforcements, we may finally stand a chance at breaking the Council’s hold, but numbers alone won’t win this war.” She looks directly at me. “We need a strategy. We need to understand what we’re fighting and what we can use.”

Her gaze softens. “Allison, your presence alone has already changed the shape of this rebellion.”

My throat tightens. I don’t know how to answer that how to explain the weight of it, the fear, the small, bright ember of belonging I’m terrified to trust.

But Kael rests an elbow on the table and winks at me. “She’s modest,” he tells Vale. “Let me brag for her.”

“Kael,” Evander warns.

“What? It’s true!”

Cassian sighs heavily. “Please don’t.”

Kael ignores all of them. “She took down a rogue group in the forest with nothing but adrenaline and sheer stubbornness.”

My face heats. “I did not-

“You did,” Rhaziel says, squeezing my hand.

“And she’s only getting stronger,” Evander adds quietly.

There’s a moment, a small one, where the room feels full of something bright and fierce, something like belief. My chest aches with it.

Vale nods slowly. “Then our task becomes simple. We must unify our forces, coordinate our strengths, and prepare the battlefield. With demons, hellhounds, dragons, witches, shifters, and the clans together… the Council will no longer be fighting scattered enemies.”

“They’ll be fighting an army,” Cora finishes.

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