Holden was making coffee.
It was early. The villa was quiet. Maeve was still asleep. Renna was somehow still asleep, which was a miracle given that she usually woke up at dawn to do jumping jacks on the balcony for no reason.
The coffee machine gurgled and hissed.
Then the sky went dark.
Holden looked out the kitchen window. Six massive shapes blocked the morning sun. Flying carriages, each one the size of a small house, covered in gold-plated armor and royal crests. They descended on the academy like a flock of vultures.
Thoom. Thoom. Thoom.
One by one, the carriages landed in the main courtyard. The ground shook with each impact. Students came out of the dormitories, staring at the display.
A knock at the villa door.
Henry opened it, his face pale. "Instructor Vespera requests Sir Holden's presence in the Headmaster's hall. Immediately."
Holden poured his coffee into a travel mug, grabbed a piece of toast, and walked out the door.
