Page 6 of Two Who Live On

I had no idea what event he wanted to go to, but considering he was one of Milo’s biggest fanboys, I guessed it had something to do with that so-called tiny celebration for Enchanter Evergreen. The fact Milo continued downplaying his own accolades, worried it’d scare me away, left an unsavory taste in my mouth because I had no way to convince him I was here to stay. Especially given my longstanding history of pushing him away.

“Well, the Whitlock’s areofficially off everyone’s RSVP list,” Tara said. “So if you’re subtly fishing for an invitation, I can’t help.”

“No. Sorry, I’m making this all about me.” Gael ran his fingers through his fauxhawk while his rooster clucked. “And it really sucks everyone’s still icing you out like that.”

It didn’t suck, though. Tara kept it to herself, like so much, but her mind fluttered with excitement just above that somber ocean she carried with her every time she thought about how free she’d become since falling from social graces, thanks to the scandal her father weathered from a distance, one that took him on business outside Chicago.

It didn’t change the fact we still had a lot of work to do when it came to her branch magics and the restrictions she suffered from her casting overlap, but I’d focused much of my time reading materials to pass along to her. There was so much guesswork to it since every case reacted differently depending on the individual’s branches and temperament.

My students funneled into the classroom and took their seats. Ignoring their casual conversation, I channeled my telekinesis. My muscles still ached from the long flight, but I was determined to spend every waking opportunity, big or small, honing my roots.

Caleb’s vibrant green eyes widened as I telekinetically moved small boxes to each of their desks. His persistent determination had rubbed off on me, and I found myself equally driven to enhance my root magics.

“You all can go ahead and open them,” I said.

“You got us gifts, Mr. Frosty?” Gael asked, batting his lashesand twisting his lips into a minxy grin. “Aren’t you the sweetest?”

I rolled my eyes.

Each of them opened their box, unveiling the stylish gold bracelets fitted with the best technology and magic had to offer when it came to monitoring and improving magical practice.

“This is…” Caleb’s jaw dropped.

Gael squealed so loudly it startled everyone, even his rooster. Despite the outburst, everyone’s thoughts surged as they examined the sleek screen that lit up bright blue from a simple touch.

“Whoa. A Cast-8-Watch.”“So pretty.”

“These haven’t even been released yet.”

“And the academy’s just giving them to us?”

“What are they playing at?”

“Of course you didn’t get one. How’s it supposed to fit on your chicken legs?”

“BAWK!”

“Thank you so much, Mr. Frost.”

“It’s so bulky and gaudy.”

“The color is kind of bland.” Katherine scrunched her face, raising her glasses to the bridge of her nose. “And I just bought the newer model. Maybe the academy will let me switch them out.”

Her light brown fingertips brushed along the smooth surface while she mused over the device. Everyone had strong opinions about the Cast-8-Watch’s the academy had provided, but Caleb’s thoughts torpedoed above them all.

“I was looking at the used model seven but they’re still like 1,200 bucks. No way could Gramps swing that.” Calebgulped, tapping the screen of his watch and studying every facet of its functions with curious delight. “Even if I was able to save up without bills, I’d never be able to afford one of these. It’s got so many extra features even the most advanced Cast-7’s couldn’t handle processing. SO COOL!”

I’d spent so much time fixated on saving his life, unraveling the mystery, that now his thoughts often rose above everyone else’s when he was nearby. The incident hadn’t deterred him for a second when it came to his goals of becoming an industry professional working as a top-ranked enchanter at a guild. In fact, it pushed him to work harder on enhancing his root magics.

I attributed that mostly to his determination and partially to the fact he was never aware how close to death he’d really been. Whatever the world would’ve looked like without him in it, Milo clearly believed it’d be darker. It didn’t matter whether I had insight on how much he’d truly improve the world or not, I wanted to make certain he learned everything possible before graduating.

“These are not gifts. They’re state-of-the-art tools, and it’s Gemini Academy’s intention to streamline your training in and out of classes.” I grabbed a manual and instructed them to do the same since each of them had started tapping buttons without so much as glancing at the how-to setup steps. Granted, they all had this naturally annoying affinity for tech I still struggled to wrap my brain around.

“I knew there was a fucking catch.”

I ground my teeth, tuning out Kenzo’s suspicions because they weren’t far off. Nothing about the industry came free, and this investment was no different than any other. Katherine’s eyes locked onto mine as I explained the purpose of the Cast-8-Watch they wereeach assigned, from how it was synced to their specific channeling frequency for casting, to how it’d record their progress and growth in all four root magics and their branch magics.

Those fledgling permits they’d all obtained allowed them more practice in and outside the academy, but now we’d track every second of progress or lack thereof.

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