Chapter 146: What was it you wanted to tell me?

Chapter 146: Chapter 146: What was it you wanted to tell me?

~Raven~

Thalia hurried inside, with Tessa and Brielle close behind her.

She took two steps toward Raven’s bed before noticing the four Cardinals gathered around it.

She stopped so abruptly that Tessa nearly walked into her.

"What are you—" Tessa looked past her.

"Oh."

Brielle came through the doorway last. Her gaze moved over the four Cardinals before settling on Raven.

Raven raised a hand.

"Hello."

Thalia looked at her, then at Cassian sitting beside her bed.

"Are you alright?"

"Yes."

"Feeling better?"

"Much."

"Good."

Thalia nodded, but made no attempt to come any closer.

Raven looked between the three of them.

They were standing just inside the door, apparently waiting for someone to explain why every Cardinal at Valerius had decided to visit the same treatment room.

Tessa glanced at the empty space beside Raven’s bed.

Then at the Cardinals.

Her lips twitched.

"Oh, don’t you dare," Raven warned.

"I haven’t said anything!"

"You were about to."

Thalia cleared her throat.

"Well, we just wanted to check on you."

"I’m fine."

"Good. That’s good."

She reached behind her and caught Tessa’s sleeve.

"We should probably let you rest."

Raven stared.

"You just got here."

"Yes, and now we know you’re alright."

Tessa gave Raven an apologetic little wave that didn’t look apologetic at all.

Raven narrowed her eyes.

Thalia gave her a pointed look.

The message was clear enough.

Your problem.

Raven couldn’t help smiling.

After everything that had happened between them, seeing Thalia and Tessa standing there together, trying not to laugh at her situation, felt strangely comforting.

Then she looked at Brielle.

Her roommate had been quiet since entering.

"Brielle?"

Brielle glanced up.

"I’m glad you’re feeling better."

"Thanks."

Their eyes met for a moment before Brielle looked away.

Raven’s smile faded slightly.

They still hadn’t spoken properly about what happened in their room. She supposed Brielle was finding it just as difficult to face her now.

Thalia tugged at Tessa’s sleeve again.

"We’ll see you later, Raven."

"Right."

The three girls left.

The door closed behind them.

For several seconds, nobody spoke.

Dante turned toward Cassian. "So, about everyone leaving—"

"Oh, for fuck’s sake," Cassian muttered.

Rowan frowned. "Why are you so determined to get rid of us?"

"Because she’s supposed to be resting."

"And arguing beside her bed is helping?"

Cassian gave him a flat look.

Raven turned toward Nikolai, hoping he might put an end to the argument.

Instead, he raised a hand to his forehead and rubbed his temple.

Her eyes widened.

She knew that movement.

The headaches.

What if the Dreamwalker had reached Nikolai too?

She looked at Dante.

Then Cassian.

Both of them had complained of headaches before.

Her gaze shifted toward Rowan.

What about him?

She didn’t know whether he’d experienced anything unusual. She’d been so focused on trying to identify the Dreamwalker that she hadn’t considered how many people around her might already have been affected.

And now all four of them were standing right beside her.

She really couldn’t tell them what she knew.

Not when she had no idea who might be listening through someone else’s mind.

"Guys!"

The word came out louder than Raven intended.

The argument stopped.

Four pairs of eyes turned toward her.

Raven swallowed.

For one ridiculous moment, she felt as though she had just shouted at the entire academy.

The attention was terrifying.

And, if she was being completely truthful, a little thrilling.

She sat up straighter.

"I appreciate everyone coming to check on me."

Dante raised an eyebrow.

"But whatever happened to me, I want to handle it myself."

Cassian looked at her.

Raven continued before anyone could interrupt.

"I’ll find out who did this. I just need a little time to recover, and I’d rather nobody start doing anything on my behalf."

She glanced at Cassian.

They needed to speak about the Dreamwalker first.

There was no point sending the others after someone who could enter their minds without them even knowing.

Dante scoffed.

"You want us to leave those bitches alone?"

Raven frowned.

"What bitches?"

"The girls from the First Circle."

She stared at him.

"What do they have to do with this?"

Dante opened his mouth.

"They drugged you," Cassian said.

Raven turned toward him.

"What?"

"Celeste, Fenn and Crowe. I overheard them discussing what they put in your water."

For a moment, Raven couldn’t speak.

Her water.

Those fucking bitches!!!

All this time, she’d been trying to understand what the Dreamwalker had done to her body.

But it hadn’t been him.

The girls had drugged her.

They had left her struggling to control her own body while the Dreamwalker was still out there, waiting for another chance to get inside her mind.

That was bad enough without Raven knowing what would happen when she fell asleep again.

"Those fucking BITCHES!"

Raven slammed her hand against the bedside table.

A metal cup rattled against the tray.

Rowan flinched and looked at her hand. Dante straightened abruptly, while Nikolai’s gaze snapped toward the table.

Cassian caught the cup before it could fall.

Raven barely noticed.

"They put something in my fucking water?"

Nobody answered.

She looked at Dante.

"After everything they did in the cafeteria? They weren’t fucking satisfied with that?"

Dante’s expression darkened.

Raven turned back to Cassian.

"Do you have any idea what I went through?"

Cassian’s grip tightened around the cup.

"I know."

"No, you don’t!"

She stopped.

He had been there when she was desperately trying to reach him. He had held her while she struggled to keep herself together and carried her to the infirmary.

But he hadn’t seen what happened after she lost consciousness.

Raven pressed a hand against her forehead.

Those girls had drugged her. They had no idea what she’d been through afterward, and Raven doubted they would have cared if they did.

All because they wanted to humiliate her.

She lowered her hand.

"I’m going to fucking destroy them."

Dante’s mouth curved.

She pointed at him.

"Don’t smile!"

That only made his smile wider.

Raven turned toward Cassian.

His eyes had crinkled slightly at the corners.

Raven drew a breath.

Then another.

She was still furious, but there was no point exhausting herself shouting at four men who hadn’t put anything in her water.

She looked at Cassian.

"You said you dealt with it?"

"Yes."

"What did you do?"

"I spoke to them."

Dante made a quiet sound.

Raven looked at him.

"What?"

"Nothing."

She narrowed her eyes.

Neither of them appeared particularly willing to elaborate.

"Fine." She pulled the blanket over her legs. "Whatever you said to them, it doesn’t change what they did."

Cassian watched her.

"I know."

"Then leave them to me."

Dante’s smile faded slightly.

"Raven—"

"No. I mean it."

She looked between the four Cardinals.

"They wanted to humiliate me. Fine. I know exactly how to deal with people like that."

She didn’t know every detail of what she was going to do yet, but she knew one thing.

Those girls had made her miserable in front of the entire academy.

They weren’t going to get away with it.

Raven settled back against the pillows.

"I’ll deal with them myself."

The door opened again.

The healer entered carrying a small tray.

She stopped when she saw how many people were still gathered around Raven’s bed.

"Oh, for heaven’s sake."

Raven almost laughed.

The healer set the tray down.

"Miss Rivers needs another examination, and then she needs rest. Cardinal Blade, Cardinal Prymont, Cardinal Ashbourne, Cardinal Hale—unless one of you is the patient, I suggest you give her some room."

Dante looked at Raven.

"I’m beginning to think she’s talking to us."

"An impressive deduction," Cassian said lazily.

The healer gave them a flat look.

Rowan rose first.

"Get some rest, Raven."

"I will."

He gave her a brief nod and headed for the door.

Nikolai followed, though he paused beside the bed.

"If anything changes, tell the healer immediately."

"I will."

His gaze rested on her for another moment.

Then he left.

Dante remained seated.

The healer glanced at him.

"Cardinal Prymont?"

"I’m going."

He stood and looked at Raven.

"Do you need anything?"

She shook her head.

"No. Thanks for checking on me."

He nodded.

His gaze moved briefly toward Cassian, who hadn’t left his chair.

Dante rested a hand on the back of his own chair. His fingers tightened around it before he released his grip.

"Don’t do anything stupid while you’re recovering, Rivers."

Raven raised an eyebrow.

"Define stupid."

"Anything you’d ordinarily do."

She gave him a look.

He smiled faintly.

"Get some rest."

Raven watched him leave.

The door closed quietly behind him.

She looked toward Cassian.

He was still sitting beside her bed.

The healer followed her gaze.

"Cardinal Blade?"

"I’d like him to stay," Raven said.

Cassian looked at her.

The healer considered them for a moment.

"Very well. As long as he doesn’t interfere with the examination."

Cassian settled back in his chair.

The healer checked Raven’s temperature, asked whether the heat or dizziness had returned, and examined her eyes.

Raven answered each question as patiently as she could.

Finally, the healer seemed satisfied.

"The medication is working. I’ll check on you again later. For now, no getting out of bed unless you call for assistance."

Raven nodded.

The healer looked at Cassian.

"And don’t let her argue you into helping her leave."

Cassian glanced at Raven.

"I won’t."

"Traitor," Raven muttered.

The healer left.

At last, the room was quiet.

Raven looked toward the closed door.

Then she turned back to Cassian.

He was looking at his hands.

Now that nobody was interrupting them, she expected him to ask whatever had been bothering him.

Instead, he remained silent.

Raven studied him.

It wasn’t like him to struggle with a conversation. Usually, he said exactly what he wanted, offended whoever happened to be listening, and carried on with his day.

But he’d looked nervous earlier.

And now, with the room finally empty, he seemed no closer to speaking.

Raven shifted against her pillows.

The Dreamwalker could wait another few minutes.

"Cassian."

He looked up.

"What?"

She held his gaze.

"Now, what were you going to ask me before they came in?"

His expression changed.

Raven narrowed her eyes.

"And what the fuck is that look on your face?"