Chapter 30 A reckless decision
Chapter 030
RAVENNA
My eyes widened at the same moment Darius did.
The knife clattered to the ground between us, forgotten.
He let go of me immediately, his entire demeanour shifting from predatory to protective in an instant. "Find somewhere to hide. You cannot be in this fight."
"No."
"Raven—"
"I am not running away from a fight," I snapped, already moving towards the doors. "And my friend Samantha is in there. I need to save her."
"Raven, wait—"
But I was already gone, fleeing into the hall before he could grab me. Before he could stop me. Before I could second-guess what I was about to do.
The Grand Hall had erupted into complete chaos.
Wolves had shifted everywhere. There were massive beasts with fur and teeth and claws tearing through the elegant decorations. Students were screaming, running, trying to escape. Bodies collided. Glass shattered.
The beautiful Gala had transformed into a war zone in a matter of seconds.
I stood there for a moment, frozen by the sheer violence of it all. And then all of a sudden I felt a shimmering presence settled under me, it was familiar and comforting.
Without thinking I looked out of the window to see the moon was full and high and bright in the night sky, casting its silver light across everything.
I kissed my fingers and pressed them towards the moon, a silent prayer. "Please, moon, let me come out of this safe. Please let me find my friend, Samantha, alive."
That shimmering presence recoiled and washed over me again like during the moon trials. My body began to change, but this time it was different. Only my eyesight and hearing were enhanced. Not the strength. Not the extended nails. Just those two senses sharpening until the world became crystal clear.
I could see everything. Every movement. Every detail. And I could hear every scream, every snarl, every desperate cry for help.
I started searching for Samantha, my eyes scanning the chaos methodically.
People were fleeing towards the exits. When I looked closer, I realised they were all humans. The wolves were staying to fight. The humans were evacuating.
Darius and Dorian were in half-shift forms near the main entrance, their bodies somewhere between human and wolf. And they were barking orders, directing people towards the safest exits, trying to maintain some semblance of order in the madness.
I knew I should leave. Should follow the other humans to safety. But I could not. Not without Samantha.
A scream cut through the noise.
I turned towards my right and saw Samantha being dragged across the floor by a massive rogue wolf.
She was fighting back, kicking and clawing and screaming, but she was just human.
She had no chance against that kind of strength.
I did not think. I grabbed a bottle of champagne from a nearby table, smashed it against the edge, and ran towards the rogue.
The broken glass created a jagged, deadly edge that glinted in the light.
The rogue did not see me coming. Its focus was entirely on Samantha, on subduing her, on dragging her away to whatever horrible fate it had planned.
I swung the broken bottle with everything I had, digging the jagged glass deep into the rogue's throat.
Blood sprayed. The rogue released Samantha immediately, its hands going to its neck, trying to stem the flow.
I did not wait to see if it would fall. I did not wait to see if it would die.
I just rushed at Samantha, pulling her to her feet.
She was sobbing, her entire body shaking with terror.
She threw her arms around me and kissed my cheek, her tears hot against my skin.
"We need to get out of here," I told her firmly. "We need to get to safety."
She nodded, unable to speak.
I started leading her towards the exit, navigating through the chaos, avoiding the fights happening all around us.
But then my eyes caught Dorian.
He was struggling against three rogues at once. His half-shifted form was covered in claw marks, blood dripping from wounds across his chest and arms.
He was trying to shift fully, trying to become his wolf completely so he could fight more effectively.
But the rogues would not let him. They kept attacking, kept pressing their advantage, keeping him off-balance.
He was going to die if someone did not help him.
I stopped walking.
"Go on," I told Samantha, my voice steady despite the fear coursing through me. "I need to help Dorian."
"Are you insane?" Samantha grabbed my arm, her eyes wide with terror. "You cannot be stupid enough to help the wolves. They will not care if you lose your life. You are just a human to them."
"Dorian is my teammate," I replied, gently pulling my arm free. "And he has been the only one nice to me in this entire academy. I need to help him."
"Raven—"
"Go, Sam. Please. Just get to safety. I will be fine."
She looked at me for a long moment, tears streaming down her face. Then she nodded. "Be careful."
"I will."
I watched as she limped towards the exit, favouring her injured leg until she disappeared through the doors into relative safety.
Then I turned back towards Dorian and the rogues.
I grabbed another champagne bottle from a nearby table.
My hands were shaking now, adrenaline and fear mixing together in my bloodstream.
But I forced myself to move and run towards the fight.
I smashed the bottle over the head of the nearest rogue.
It roared, a sound that made my bones vibrate, and turned towards me. Its eyes were feral and completely animal.
There was no humanity left in that gaze.
But I had bought Dorian a moment and chance.
I helped him up, my hands gripping his arm. "Are you alright?"
He smiled despite the blood and the pain. "I have been better. But thank you."
"What are teammates for if they cannot help each other in times of need?" I grinned back at him, trying to project confidence I did not feel.
"You need to get out of here," Dorian panted. "This is not your fight."
"Neither is it yours alone," I countered. "Now shift. I will cover you."
"Raven—"
"Just do it!"
The rogues had recovered from their momentary confusion.
They were turning towards us now, their attention fully focused. Three massive beasts, all intent on killing.
They came at us.
I stepped forward, putting myself between them and Dorian giving him the precious seconds he needed to complete his transformation. To become the wolf he needed to be to survive this.
The first rogue lunged at me, and I swung the broken bottle, catching it across the muzzle.
It yelped and pulled back, but the other two were already moving.
I fought with everything I had. With the broken bottle and my enhanced senses and pure desperation.
I blocked, dodged and attacked when I saw openings.
Behind me, I heard the sounds of Dorian's transformation completing.
But the rogues kept coming at me, relentless and vicious.