Thornhill Academy (By Sheridan Hartin) novel Chapter 31

Public Service.

Kael was the first to move. Of course he was. He stretched out of his chair with a lazy grin, like he’d been waiting for this moment, and held out his hand.

“C’mon, stray. Let’s get you out of this healer prison before they decide to stick leeches on you or something.”

I wanted to tell him I didn’t need the damn help. That I could walk on my own just fine. But when I tried to push myself up, my legs gave a warning tremor that said otherwise. Pride be damned. I slipped my hand into his, glaring at him like it was his fault my body wasn’t cooperating. The smug bastard didn’t even say a word about it, just closed his fingers around mine and pulled me to my feet. The room tilted, sharp and sudden, and before I could snap at my knees to behave, Kael’s arm was already sliding under my shoulder, steady and strong.

“Easy,” he murmured, half–smile tugging at his mouth. “No fainting on me, Rivers. I’ll never let you live it down.”

I opened my mouth to snap something back, but then Evander was there. One second across the room, the next at my side with shifter speed that made the air stir. His arm slotted under my other shoulder, solid as stone, his jaw tight like this was some punishment. Between the two of them, I felt really

hands-

bracketed and caged. Heat on both sides, hands steadying me like I was fragile glass when all I wanted was to bare my teeth and prove I wasn’t. Still, I didn’t shake them off. Not yet. My body was screaming sore, every step a reminder of cold water and claws tearing down my back. So I let them hold me, just long enough to make it out the infirmary doors. Then I’d figure out how to break free.

The night air felt damp against my skin, the cobblestones still warm from the day. Kael, of course, couldn’t help himself.

“So…” he drawled, the grin in his voice as sharp as his teeth, “couldn’t make it across the log, hey?”

I rolled my eyes so hard it hurt. “I would have, if that motherfucker hadn’t kicked it out from under me and sent me careening into the river rapids below.”

The weight of the words landed heavily. Evander stiffened beside me, heat radiating off him like an open furnace. Kael’s grin slipped, jaw ticking, a muscle working in his cheek.

“So he did push you off?” Evander’s voice was low, tight, shaking with a control I could practically hear fraying. The air around us thickened, hotter by the second.

“Yeah,” I snapped, my lip curling. “The fucking asshole was trying to kill me, I swear-

”

I didn’t finish. Because the next moment was a blur. Kael yanked me sideways so hard the world tilted. My shoulder slammed into the grass, and then his frame was on top of mine, shielding, heavy and hot. An ungodly roar ripped the night open. The air turned molten, blue fire streaking above us, painting the darkness in blinding flame. Evander’s dragon ripped into the sky, scales flashing like living steel, wings tearing the air to pieces.

“What the fuck,” 1

,” I panted, my chest crushed under Kael’s weight.

“Shifter temper,” Kael winced, his voice muffled against the roar. The heat seared close, singeing the edge of his shirt. He rolled off me quickly, cursing under his breath, and I caught the raw blistered skin across his back as he got to his feet.

“Fuck, are you okay?” I scrambled up, my voice sharper than I meant it to be.

“I’ll be fine.” He said it like it was a joke, flashing me a quick wink as he reached down to haul me upright again. “I heal much faster than you.”

The sky above still burned with dragonfire, and the ground under my feet vibrated with Evander’s fury.

Kael didn’t give Evander’s dragon a chance to circle back. He hooked an arm around my waist, half–steering, half–dragging me across the courtyard and into the dorm building before the sky could light up again. My legs protested every step, sore and heavy, but I gritted my teeth and matched his pace. We slipped inside, the echo of our boots filling the long hall. Kael slowed near the first row of doors and stopped, his hand tightening just a fraction at my hip. He

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Public Service.

jerked his chin toward one of them, thumb pointing over his shoulder.

“That one’s mine,” he said casually, though his eyes flicked over me in a way that wasn’t casual at all. “You should crash there. Sleep it off. I’ll even be a gentleman and sleep on the floor.”

I barked out a short, incredulous laugh that made my ribs ache. “Yeah, right.”

“I’m serious,” he insisted, and for once his grin wasn’t razor–edged. “Bet it’s cold as hell up there in your little attic. You’ll thank me in the morning.”

1 shook my head and peeled myself off him, stubbornly taking a step forward on my own. The ache in my muscles screamed in protest, but pride was louder. “Thanks, but I’ll survive.”

He lifted his hands, palms out, but the smirk returned. “Suit yourself, stray.”

I hobbled further down the hall, every step a reminder of how thoroughly wrecked my body was, until I reached the familiar door tucked into the far corner, the one that led up. My attic staircase loomed, steep and endless. One look at it and a groan ripped out of me before I could stop it. “Yep. This is going to hurt like a bitch.”

Kael snorted behind me. “No kidding.” His footsteps padded closer, his warmth at my back. “Let me help you.”

“I’ve got it,” I muttered, slapping a hand against the banister and hauling myself up the first step. My thigh burned like fire. The second step made my knee buckle. By the third, I was swaying so severely I had to clutch the rail with both hands..

“Yeah, this is painful to watch,” Kael said dryly.

I shot him a glare over my shoulder. “Don’t even think about it.”

Too late. He ducked under my arm and scooped me clean off the step. My stomach lurched as his arm slid beneath my knees and the other braced my back, holding me like I weighed nothing.

“Kael!” I hissed, clawing at his shoulder. “Put me down right now.”

“Not a chance.” He smirked, the corners of his mouth sharp with amusement as he started climbing. “If I let you crawl your stubborn ass up these stairs, you’ll be dead before morning. And I’m not explaining that to the healers.”

I crossed my arms over my chest, refusing to look at him. My body betrayed me, though, sagging into his heat because every muscle screamed for relief.

“You’re enjoying this way too much,” I muttered.

His grin widened, teeth flashing. “Of course I am. Carrying strays back to their nests is practically a public service.”

By the time we reached the top landing, his chest was shaking with silent laughter.