Tamani was still for a long moment, then sprang into action as though someone had flipped an on switch. “OK everyone without a weapon, leave – now,” he said, singling out David with a nod. “Evacuation time.”

He began herding everyone on the balcony back into the Academy and down the stairs.

“I’m not going,” Laurel said, planting her feet as Tamani tried to shoo her in with the others.

“Laurel, please. There’s nothing you can do against her.”

“There’s nothing you guys can do against her either!” Laurel winced even as the words flew out of her mouth. “I – I didn’t mean . . .”

Tamani was quiet for what felt like an eternity. “Maybe there’s not,” he finally whispered. “But perhaps we can buy you the time you need to get away. After we get you out, we’ll go out the front and meet her, while everyone else heads for the trees.”

Laurel looked at David, but he just nodded his agreement.

“OK,” she said softly. She hated feeling useless. “I’ll go back to Rhoslyn with Yeardley. We’ll bring Jamison here as soon as we can.”

“Perfect,” Tamani said, the slightest hint of relief on his face.

“Take Chelsea, too,” David said, and he reached out a hand to nudge her forwards before putting both hands back on the sword.

“Of course.” Laurel nodded and took Chelsea’s hand. “Come on. Let’s see if we can help everyone get going.”

“Thank you,” Tamani said softly, squeezing her hand.

Laurel squeezed back, but didn’t look up to meet his eyes – didn’t want him to see how hopeless she felt. She knew what Yuki had done at the apartment building, what Jamison had done to the trolls . . . how long could David and Tamani hope to last against a Winter faerie? Certainly not long enough for Laurel and Yeardley to revive Jamison and bring him here.

“We need to get all the sprouts out first,” Yeardley was instructing as they trailed him into the atrium. “Get everyone to the west exit!” Faeries went running to spread the word, most of them obviously in a barely controlled panic.

“Laurel!” Tamani came barrelling down the stairs, David close behind, as a series of shots sounded outside the front doors.

“Hecate’s eye!” Yeardley swore. “What was that?”

“Soldiers at the entrance,” Tamani said, panting. “They came from around back. Too small to be trolls, but they had guns. They’ve got to be Klea’s.”

“Klea’s?” Laurel asked, confused. “But she’s not even here yet.”

“She must have sent them ahead,” Tamani said, his voice flat and emotionless. “It’s what I would have done, held back until they were in position. I should have realised. We’re exactly where she wants us, and there’s nothing we can do about it.”

As if on cue from Tamani, the decorative coloured windows five metres over their heads shattered, raining stained-glass shards and a half dozen cracked plastic jars across the furniture-strewn atrium. Translucent liquid pooled around the open containers, saturating the air with the distinctive odour of gasoline.

“What do we do?” Yeardley asked. “Gather? Spread out? I—”

His voice cut off as the deafening roar of an explosion filled the air. Flames licked under the battered front doors, charring their finish and igniting the gasoline, sending a searing wave of heat rolling across the room. Those closest to the flames ignited instantly, their screams cut mercifully short by the intensity of the fire.

“Spawn of Ouranos!” Yeardley yelled. “Run!”

They fled the atrium ahead of billowing black smoke as flames skated over the puddles of gasoline and began licking their way to the carpets and tapestries that adorned the room.

As they ran toward the dining hall, Yeardley was almost bowled over by the dark-eyed faerie he had sent ahead to get the west barricade cleared. Her eyes were wide with fear as she spoke, her words almost unintelligible in their rush: “Fire! The west barricade is burning!”

Sure enough, Laurel could see wisps of black smoke snaking their way along the ceiling down the passageway to the west exit.

“Students! Please, calm yourselves!” Yeardley shouted, but Laurel knew it wouldn’t do any good. Smoke was already gathering above them, thick, choking clouds spreading from the atrium and, she assumed, the other exits as well.

So panicked was the stampede of Autumn faeries that Laurel almost didn’t catch the strange hissing sound that came just before a reverberating explosion somewhere far above them.

“What was that?” Chelsea called, shouting to be heard above the noise.

Laurel shook her head and Tamani pointed at the ceiling. “What’s up there?”

“Classrooms, dorms,” Laurel rattled off automatically.

“No,” Tamani clarified, “right there, specifically.”

“The tower,” Laurel said after a moment’s thought. “Five or six stories high – you’ve seen it from the outside.”

Tamani swore. “Probably more gasoline. She’s got us trapped on all sides.”

When they caught up with Yeardley again, he had opened a large closet and was tossing buckets to several older faeries – professors and Spring staff, mostly. “Use the fountain in the dining hall. Aurora, if we can’t get the sprouts to the dining hall, we should get them to the windows. Jayden, take two faeries and get to the pulley deck – open those skylights.”