There was a knock at the door, and they all tensed, but then Justin groaned. “I told her never to come here, I told her our deal was off. Now I’m going to tell her what I truly think for once and for all.”
“Jaynie’s here? And what deal are you talking about?”
Justin looked at her apologetically. “She said if I dated her and made it convincing, she’d tell her coven mistress about you. She’s from Pecus Coven. They might only work with ungulates and not shifters, but at least they’re beast tamers.”
Melody’s jaw dropped. “And you couldn’t tell me this, because ...?”
The knock sounded more impatient this time, but Melody was ready to go out there and snatch the woman bald.
“Because it had to be convincing. If I was supposed to be with Jaynie, and none of you were bothered about it, then nobody would believe it. Nick was the only one who knew.”
Melody rounded on the other dragon, who winced at being thrown under the bus.
This time, the door thudded with a fist pounding at it. “Let me fucking at her,” growled Melody, and instantly Asher and Dean were there, holding her back.
Justin strode to the door and threw it open. “Listen here, bitch …” His voice trailed off at the sight of her face. It was bruised and bleeding and overflowing with tears.
‘You have to run,” sobbed Jaynie. “I wrote a letter to tell Bestia that she was looking for a new coven. If they came and withdrew her, then she would be out of the way. One of them invited me out for dinner tonight to hear more about it, but it was a trap. They tied me up and whipped me with a fucking stick until I told them everything I knew. I managed to escape and came straight here.” Jaynie hiccuped and grabbed him. “Justin, you have to run, they’re insane. She used a scrying mirror to talk to the slut’s aunt. They’re going to be here at sunrise! They’re coming for all of you!”
“What have you fucking done?” roared Justin, and she flinched, sobbing again. “Get out of my sight. You’re fucking sick, you know that? I never want to see you again.”
Melody couldn’t believe the gall of him. No matter what reason he’d done it, what excuse he used to try to justify it for himself, Justin had used her just as much as she’d used him. He had no call to treat her like that.
Then her brain caught up to what had happened.
“You double crossed him?” Melody asked, shocked.
Jaynie opened her mouth to protest, but Justin slammed the door in her face. He took one look at Melody and his shoulders slumped.
“I’m sorry, I was trying to help, I thought if you had two offers, you could choose the best one, and maybe knowing that there were two offers, others might come forward as well. It never occured to me that Jaynie would stoop that low to get me.” He looked up at her, his expression hopeless. “I’ve made things a thousand times worse, and now I don’t know how to fix it.”
Melody didn’t know what to say. Things made more sense, and yet, the truth was kind of worse than she’d imagined. He really hadn’t been making out with Jaynie, just trying to make it look like he was. He was using her. Worst of all, he’d needed them all to be upset about it? She didn’t think the ends justified the means at all, but right then, it wasn’t a priority.
Nick stepped forward, grabbing the other dragon and pulling him into a tight hug. “It’s okay Justin, it was a great idea. Just the wrong person to do it with.”
“I’ll go to the provost and tell her what happened,” Nick said, taking charge. “Oz, Ryan, go to the kitchens and get as much food as they’ll let you take with them. Dean, pack a bag for her. Trent and Asher, you’re with Justin, you’re going to find as much rope as you can and bring it to him. We’re going to have to rig up a flying harness for Justin and I so that we can carry you all. Odds are, they will be throwing spells at us as we break through the wards. We’ll need to fly defensively, which means lots of twists and turns, you guys are going to need shit to hold on to.”
“What about me?” asked Melody, fearfully. She was near the kitchen, on the other side of the room to him. Nick looked at her, then walked over and drew her into a hug that was tighter than any other she had received since the bonding.
“I want you to pack bandages, dressings and whatever herbs we have on hand. I have a safe place for us to go to, but I’d say that there will be consequences for you if we run.” He looked at her worriedly. “I can only do so much for you while we’re in the air, you have to promise that this time you’ll draw on your familiars for strength.”
Melody shuddered, and he shook her a little, her teeth rattling against each other.
“Promise me, Mel,” he ordered.
“I promise,” she said, fearfully. Nick kissed her on the forehead.
“Good, now go help Dean before his lion goes feral on us, then you two can get packing.” He winked at her and left with the others hot on his heels.
17. Nick
Nick stopped by the provost’s office first in case she was still there, but the doors were locked and the lights were off. Provost Aer-Canticum was the hardest working provost he’d ever encountered, and it showed in the wellbeing and efficiency of Adolphus, the academy was flourishing under her care.
It wasn’t unusual to find her alone in her office at this time of the evening, she put far more into
