"Came back? Did he... Is that your blood?" I swept my gaze over Ramsey, but I didn't see any wounds.

"It's his. He was stabbed. The dampener affected the academy's healer - "

"So you need my help."

"Yes." He glanced at Seph, still asleep, and Nebbles, who swished her tail and glared at us. "We need to go right now. It's bad. Really bad."

I studied him carefully, reading every inch of his pinched lips, the tightened corners of his eyes, the ...