Bloodwing Academy, #1
On Wings of Blood
by Briar Boleyn
Contents
Chapter 38
Overview
During the Frostfire Festival’s Night of Silent Offerings, Medra reaches the Bloodmaiden’s Sanctum. Alerted by Blake, temple officials exempt her from bleeding like a highblood, deepening her distrust. Hidden nearby, she overhears Regan and Quinn gossip about an exclusive Adoration Rite involving a blightborn girl and Lord Drakharrow’s plans. Medra resolves to infiltrate the rite to uncover the truth and Blake’s possible involvement.
Summary
As the Frostfire Festival begins, students and faculty travel from Bloodwing Castle to the Bloodmaiden’s Sanctum for the Night of Silent Offerings. Medra rides with Florence and Naveen, uneasy after accepting Kage Tanaka’s Dance invitation, and takes in the imposing, segregated temple where blightborn and highbloods enter through different doors.
Inside, blightborn students bleed into a basin while highbloods kneel and swallow tablets stained with blightborn blood. Medra, resistant to the rite, notices Blake conferring with a votary and Professor Sankara after they clock her distinctive hair. Blake orders Medra out of the line, declaring her exempt like a highblood, which both spares her and heightens her resentment and suspicion.
Waiting apart, Medra overhears Regan and Quinn mock the ceremony and reveal news: Quinn has been approved as Edward Ashveil’s consort and will enter the Games; Regan still lacks access to the Adoration Rite until she is Blake’s official consort. They hint the rite is exclusive this year, with Lord Drakharrow planning something special, and discuss a blightborn “Bloodmaiden” chosen for pampered seclusion and a powerful First Highblood, possibly Marcus or even Lord Drakharrow.
Disturbed by their callousness and the implications, Medra concludes the Adoration Rite is darker than the public offering. Suspecting Blake’s potential involvement, she resolves to find a way to attend and uncover what truly happens there.
Who Appears
- Medra PendragonProtagonist; exempted from bleeding at the Sanctum, fueling distrust of Blake; overhears gossip about the Adoration Rite and vows to investigate.
- BlakeArchon and House Leader; alerts temple staff and orders Medra exempt from offering, asserting control and deepening her suspicion.
- ReganHighblood rival; complains about exclusion from the Adoration Rite and brags about influence with Blake; derides blightborn.
- QuinnHighblood student; reveals she will be Edward Ashveil’s consort and shares gossip about the Adoration Rite’s exclusivity.
- FlorenceFriend; accompanies Medra, offers support, and provides background on temple practices.
- NaveenFriend; awed first-time visitor to the Sanctum, accompanies Medra during the ceremony.
- Professor RodriguezBlightborn professor; enforces silence, publicly reprimands Regan, Quinn, and Gretchen.
- Professor SankaraHighblood professor; confers with a votary and Blake before Medra’s exemption.
- Temple votarySanctum attendant; reacts to Medra’s hair, alerts Professor Sankara, and helps facilitate Medra’s exemption.