Knock. Knock. Knock.

Margie pulled the door open and immediately wished she hadn’t.

Lucian stood there. In the hallway of her girls’ dorm. At midnight. Looking like he just came back from a jog, except his knuckles were split and there was a dark smear on his collar that wasn’t ketchup.

"What are you doing here?" She kept her voice low, but the annoyance was loud. "This is a girl’s dorm. For crying out loud, Lucian. You can’t just—"

"Just wanted to check on you." He scratched the back of his head. "Make sure you’re safe."

She opened her mouth to tell him off, then stopped.

Because behind him, at the end of the hallway, she saw it.

A smear of red on the floor. A trail. And something else. Something that looked like a hand. Not human. Too pale. Too long. Claws.

Her stomach turned.

Demons. Here. For her.

Again.

She looked back at Lucian. He was already turning to leave.

"Wait—"

"Go back inside, Margie."

"But those—"

"Go. Back. Inside."

She didn’t move. She watched him walk away. Watched him scoop up the remains like they weighed nothing. Watched him disappear down the stairs.

The hallway was clean again. Like nothing happened.

Margie stood there for a long time.

Then she closed the door, leaned against it, and slid down to the floor.

He killed them. Alone. While she was sitting in her room, scrolling through her phone like a normal student. He killed them and he didn’t even tell her. Didn’t ask for thanks. Didn’t expect anything.

She clenched her fists.

How? How was he this strong? He awakened a few weeks ago. She’d been training with Margaret for years and couldn’t even become a Prime Human. And he just... handled it. Like it was nothing.

Something shifted in her chest. Not hatred. Not anymore. Something colder. Harder.

If she couldn’t be a Prime Human, fine. She’d become a Grey Hunter. She’d join the Ashen Guard. She’d find her father and make him answer for everything. For hiding what she was. For the lies. For her best friend’s death—if he had anything to do with it.

She’d make him pay.

---

Meanwhile.

Lucian dumped the bodies in a dumpster behind the chemistry building. He kept one piece. A hand. He wrapped it in a cloth, found a messenger bird from the Keep’s aviary, and tied the package to its leg.

"Take that to Valentine."

The bird cawed and flew off.

He walked back to the Ashen Keep, took the secret entrance, and stepped into the common room.

Cora was waiting.

So was Mason. Sera. Derek. All of them. Standing in a line like a firing squad.

Cora’s arms were crossed. Her jaw was tight. Her eyes were red. Not from crying. From anger.

"You don’t get to do that."

Lucian walked past her toward his room.

She grabbed his arm.

"You don’t get to abandon your teammates."

He stopped. Looked down at her hand. Then at her face.

"Let go."

"No."

"I said let go."

"Make me."

The room went quiet. Mason shifted his weight. Sera’s hand inched toward her crossbow. Derek looked like he wanted to be anywhere else.

Mason spoke first. His voice was calm, but there was an edge.

"Leaving a decoy with a rune engraved on it. Taking your physical appearance. That’s clever. How did you pull it off? I think that’s something third-year hunters learn."

Lucian finally looked away from Cora. "My mother is a High Flame Council member. I have access to things above our level."

He tried to walk again.

Cora stepped in front of him.

"You don’t get to deflect me, Lucian."

"Move."

"No. You abandoned us. You went on a suicide fight by yourself. What if you died? What were we supposed to tell Alistair? Your mother? That we just let you run off like a lone wolf?"

"It wasn’t a suicide fight."

"How do you know? You didn’t know how many there were. You didn’t know how strong they were. You just—"

"I knew." His voice was flat. Final.

Cora’s mouth opened. Closed. "You can’t know that."

"I can."

"That’s not—" She grabbed her hair in frustration. "That’s not how it works. We’re a team. You don’t get to decide what’s a family matter and what’s not. We’re your family now, whether you like it or not."

Lucian’s expression flickered. Just for a second.

Then he said, "I told you before I left. It was a family matter. If I thought I couldn’t handle it, I would’ve called you. But I could. And I did. So don’t act like it was some big deal."

"Don’t—" Cora’s voice cracked. "Don’t tell me how to feel."

Sera spoke up. "He’s not wrong, Cora. He handled it."

"Shut up, Sera."

"No, listen." Sera put her phone down. "He’s been doing this longer than us. Not longer, but... better. He knows his limits. We’ve seen him fight. If he says he could take them, he could take them."

Mason nodded slowly. "She has a point."

Cora whirled on him. "Whose side are you on?"

"I’m not on any side. I’m just saying we don’t know what he’s capable of. And maybe that’s the problem."

Derek raised a shaky hand. "I think... I think we’re all just scared. Because we don’t want to lose anyone. Not after what Alistair said."

The room went quiet again.

Lucian looked at each of them. Cora, still fuming. Mason, thoughtful. Sera, tired. Derek, scared.

He sighed.

"I’m not going to apologize for keeping you safe."

Cora’s voice was small. "I don’t want you to apologize. I want you to trust us."

"I trust you."

"Then act like it."

He didn’t answer.

She turned and walked to the window. Stared out at the dark campus.

"We could have helped."

"I know."

"But you didn’t let us."

"I know."

She laughed. Bitter. "So what now? We just pretend this didn’t happen?"

Lucian walked to her. Stood beside her. Didn’t touch her.

"No. We train harder. We get stronger. And next time, I’ll bring you with me."

She looked at him. "Promise?"

"Promise."

She held his gaze for a long moment. Then she nodded.

"Fine. But if you ever pull that crap again, I’m phasing through your bedroom wall and stabbing you in your sleep."

"That’s fair."

Mason snorted. Sera almost smiled. Derek let out a breath.

The tension didn’t disappear. But it loosened.

Lucian looked at the window. Somewhere out there, a messenger bird was flying toward Valentine. Carrying a hand.

The war wasn’t over. It was just beginning.