Chapter 53 The Siege

Chapter 53 The Siege
Emma Stone - POV
Sirens sliced through my sleep. Sharp at first, then fading into a distant wail that pulled me up. My head pounded dull from the drain last night. The bond stirred uneven, like threads tugging in my chest. Ryan's focus pricked cool and quick. Something outside. I swung my legs off the bed, feet hitting cold floor. Jeans snagged on the edge as I yanked them on, hoodie next, zipper catching halfway. Kai mumbled from the floor, his sketchpad crumpled under one arm. Cole already at the window, silhouette stiff against the gray light. Blake's steps echoed faint from the hall. Ryan's keys clicked steady.
"Here," Cole muttered. His rumble vibrated through me, a warm anchor that eased the ache a little. But his tension leaked, muscles tight.
I crossed to him. Pressed close, my shoulder brushing his. Out there, vans clustered black at the gates. Figures in gear shifted, radios spitting static. One lifted a speaker. "Federal hold. Threats in play. Lock it down." Words clipped, echoing off wet pavement.
A chill crawled my skin. Not wind. Deeper. That guardian pull from the bond, sharpening my senses. Their energies hit wrong. Steel edges, no real fed warmth. Familiar cold, like Vance's touch without the hand. Hired guns in suits.
"Her crew," I breathed. Voice caught a bit.
Ryan glanced up. "Lines up with the alerts. Badges don't check out. Pulled records." His eyes met mine, steady but a flicker underneath. Worry he hid.
We huddled in. Kai sat up slow, rubbing his face. Smudges of charcoal on his cheek. "Blacks swirling thick. Trap colors." Blake slipped in quiet, leaning on the doorframe. "Crowd's buying the spin. Fuels this."
Choppers droned low overhead. Rain from before left everything slick, puddles mirroring the vans. Mud clung to their boots as they fanned out, blocking walks. Dorm windows cracked, faces peering. Phones glinted, catching it all.
My pocket buzzed. Mills. "Admin. You. Now." Short, like her.
"Together," Cole said. His hand grazed my back, solid. But I felt the coil in him. Fight brewing.
Paths cleared empty. We moved fast. Wind nipped raw, carrying damp earth smell. Leaves plastered uneven to ground, sticking under my shoes. Agents eyed us. No grab. But their weight pressed, holsters heavy.
Admin loomed. Doors swung for us. Mills inside, skin ashy under the lights. Papers messy on her desk, coffee mug half full, cold. "In. Shut it." She bolted the lock, click sharp.
We crammed the office. She dropped to her seat. "They say threats. Evaluations start with you."
I leaned on the desk. "Not feds. Her hires."
She rubbed her temple. "Show me."
Ryan flipped his screen. "Traces back. No match in systems."
Mills exhaled slow, chair creaking. "Board's scared. Funds drying. I give in, school stays."
Blake edged nearer. "Give how?" Smooth tone, but the bond hummed his scan. Her pulse jumping, eyes shifting.
She fixed on me. "You for checks. Shields the place. Time bought."
Gut twisted. "Trade me?"
"Steps. They say okay." Words tumbled, gaze flicking away.
Kai huffed. "No way. See through."
Cole loomed. "Won't." Word flat, but heat rolled off him, flooding us.
Voices rose muffled. We talked low, circling. Mills shoved forms. "Or they come."
Bond pulsed messy. Ryan weighed chances. "Push back exposes more. Headlines worse." Blake hunted edges. "Some we sway. Not the pack." Kai's visions swirled dark. Cole ached to break free. With me.
Knocks thumped the door. "Out now."
Mills rose. "Pick."
Their pulls tangled in me. Care mixed raw with scare. They'd pick me, spark the mess. Blood on grass, kids in the middle. My breath hitched. Visions teased edges. Ends if we forced it.
Time stretched. We barricaded in. No snacks slipped through. Lights buzzed fickle. Rain tapped uneven on panes, streaks blurring the vans.
Mills went out. Talked hushed at the threshold. Back in, face tighter. "You. Or they push."
Guys ringed me. Cole's palm warm on my spine. Kai clutched his book. Blake murmured quick. "Back way out." Ryan frowned. "Eyes up high."
Looks pinned me. Waited. My or ours. Heart hammered. Flashes nagged. Save them this way. Messed logic, but it stuck. Longing to keep them whole.
"I step out," I said. Voice wobbled at the end.
Cole's fingers dug. "Can't."
"To halt it. No hurt." I laid my hand on his. Felt the pause, the give.
Kai tore a page. Wet paint. Me bound, light gone. Cold end. "This."
Bond iced. They felt it. My finish. Still, I reached the handle. Twisted.
Cool rush hit. Agents loomed, drenched. I lifted palms. Walked into it. But that sketch seared. This road ended me.