Total pages in book: 214
Estimated words: 195876 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 979(@200wpm)___ 784(@250wpm)___ 653(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 195876 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 979(@200wpm)___ 784(@250wpm)___ 653(@300wpm)
"Just in case you forgot," I say. "So keep that in mind if you get ideas about fucking with me or my friends. That includes Raith."
Typhon transforms suddenly into his flying fish form and gives her a small slap on the cheek with his tail.
The little pop sound is almost comical.
Serena flinches back like she has been stabbed and her elemental snake hisses, fires flaring across its coiled body.
Apparently satisfied, Typhon drifts toward me and hovers over my shoulder.
"What was that?" I ask him, barely holding back a smile from the look on Serena's face as we leave her behind.
"You never let me eat people, so I improvised. If I can't eat them, I will settle for humiliation."
Even if it feels good to put Serena in her place, I know the victory is only temporary. Malakai and his people aren't the type to be scared off so easily. They'll still come for us, maybe even harder, now. We'll be lucky if there aren't several groups hunting us during the Crucible.
But my thoughts return to everything Serena said as I cross the courtyard, giving a group of third-year fires a wide berth as they sit comfortably in a cocoon of warmth that melts the falling snow and keeps them warm despite the winter chill.
Raith not being who he claims to be. Malakai and Serena with what could be considered a noble cause, even if their methods are monstrous. And somewhere on campus, a siphon hunts, perhaps for me specifically.
The Crucible suddenly feels like the least of my worries.
As I round the corner, I nearly collide with a tall figure in a black robe.
"Nessa," Bastian says, surprise clear in his voice. He looks left and right, then jerks his head for me to follow him to a small, more private alcove off the main hall.
"What is it?" I ask.
"I shouldn't be telling you this… but my father and some of the council are coming to watch this year's Crucible."
A cold fist of fear reaches for my insides and squeezes. Empire officials watching the Crucible means…
Bastian nods, as if seeing I've already figured it out. "Your powers. You need to be discreet. Even there. If any of them suspect what you are, I don't think even the academy could protect you."
"Why do you keep helping me?" I blurt suddenly. “Does your father know about me?”
Bastian's regal features show no sign of emotion or surprise at the questions. "No. He doesn’t. But I read enough to suspect one of your kind would appear again. So far, I believe you're worthy of the power you hold."
So far?
Again, it's as if Bastian reads my thoughts. "Whether I like it or not, Nessa, I have an obligation to Empire. If I thought you couldn't be trusted any longer with your power, I'd end you myself."
"He could try," Typhon growls, shifting instantly from his fish form back to the massive dragon.
I decide not to acknowledge the threat as a question occurs to me. "How will they watch us during the Crucible? Won't we be in the wilderness?"
"There are forms of air magic. With enough power, vision can be carried long distances and bent at will. Just know there will be eyes on you, Nessa."
"Okay. So if you decide I'm a threat, you'll kill me yourself. But until then, I had better be careful so your father and his friends don't? Am I missing any important details here?" The sarcastic bite is clear in my tone.
Bastian lets out a slow breath, then rakes a hand through his blonde hair. It's a rare moment of vulnerability from a man who hardly ever shows anything but complete control. The glowing white cloud and wind markings on his left arm glow bright enough to show through his black sleeve. "I'm doing my best here, Nessa. This isn't the sort of thing I was trained for, if you can imagine that."
I give him a slight smile. "Sorry. Maybe they can add a pesky unbound awareness section for the next generation of legacies, then."
He licks his lips, glances up and down the hall, then lowers his voice more. "Look… even the Council isn't without ambition. If you survive the Crucible, you'll have a chance to make allies. Make strong allies, Nessa. It's your best chance of surviving. Help them see you can be trusted with this power, and they may start to view you as a potential weapon to wield instead of a weed to destroy."
I fold my arms. "Ever since coming here, all I ever hear about is how deadly we can become. How great a tool we can be for somebody else to wield. What if I don't want to be somebody's tool?"
His eyes darken. "Then you would be walking a very dangerous path. An unbound without loyalty is an existential threat. Not just to humanity, but to elementals. You want my advice? Learn your place. Embrace it. Because if you refuse to be wielded, they'll just break you instead."