The quad was a blur of movement, a low hum of whispers rising from the students who had stopped to watch the "Hollow King" draw blood. But for me, the world had shrunk to the few inches of space between me and Maya.
The adrenaline was still coursing through my veins like a toxic current. I reached out, my hand hovering near her shoulder, desperate to pull her closer, to check for bruises I might have missed.
"Maya," I breathed, my voice thick and jagged. "Did he hurt you? Who the hell was that guy? If he laid a finger on you, I swear to God—"
I didn't get to finish. Maya didn't collapse into my arms. She didn't thank me. Instead, she recoiled as if my touch were a brand. She stepped back, her chin tilting upward, her eyes flashing with a cold, crystalline fury.
"I don't need you t
