Page 115 of Wings of Ash & Flame
“Guys. Please tell me you aren’t fighting,” Kaia called.
“Not at all.Clairewas just filling me in on how you were feeling.”
“That isnother name.”
Caius’s voice dropped to a murmur.
Alaire lingered outside the room a few moments more, making sure Kaia was truly comfortable with that wretch.Ugh.
For all she knew, he could’ve been the one who attacked her, come back to finish the job. But the look on his face when he saw her lying in that bed…
She left the infirmary, relieved that Kaia was healing and safe.
Kaia’s attack had proved something was stirring in the shadows.
And Alaire intended to drag it into the light.
Twenty-Eight
Professor Riel was stern and formidable, demanding nothing less than excellence. Despite her strict demeanor, her students respected her greatly.
Elemental Mastery was held in Starwatch Tower, its ceiling open to the sky. Each class was divided into the ribbons of elemental magic. Since Alaire couldn’t currently wield her own, she was permitted to sit and observe.
She watched as the elements danced at students’ command, feeling the raw energy of aether in the air.
“Today we’ll be working on elemental control under pressure,” Riel announced, her voice carrying across the tower. “I want to see sustained manifestations for a full minute. Begin.”
Around her, students stretched out their arms and magic bloomed to life. Lightning arced between Kaia’s palms. Archer stood within a cocoon of sunlight and sea. Others called forth tornadoes, meandering streams, even trees sprouting from hands.
Alaire sat perfectly still, fists clenched in her lap. The familiar knot of frustration twisted in her stomach. Sitting here felt more like punishment than a privilege.
Maybe today will be different.
She closed her eyes and reached inward, searching for the spark she’d so easily summoned with Dawson. Desperate to prove she belonged here, she pressed her palms together where no one could see.Give me something. Anything.
She focused on the anger and frustration she’d felt that night with Dawson—the secrets, the revelations about her life she thought she had no part in. The molten weight in her chest when students snickered at her.
Nothing.
“Excellent work, Kole,” Professor Riel called as Kole conjured an illusion of himself on top of a mountain high above the clouds.
Alaire tried again, this time envisioning a crack in the wall that cut her off from her aether. Just a small flame. That was all she needed. Proof the first time wasn’t a fluke—that she could do it again.
Her palms grew slick with sweat from the effort, but they remained cold and empty.
All around her, the other novices were leaps and bounds ahead. It was like watching through glass—forever separated from something that came as naturally to others as breathing.
“Time,” Professor Riel called, and the aether winked out one by one.
Alaire squeezed her fists together. The familiar ache of failure settled in her chest, heavier this time because she’d truly hoped today would be different.
Will I ever be able to access my aether?As her classmates compared progress and discussed technique, she couldn’t help but wonder if she would ever belong anywhere at all.
The thought hurt more than she’d expected.
Up before dawn, with the moon still hanging low in the sky, Alaire made her way toward the Crux. The academy was quiet, the air sharp and crisp. She relished these early mornings. Inside the Crux, she found solace in its solitude—the perfect time to attempt summoning her magic and work through the combinations Dawson had shown her. Without prying eyes and judgmental stares, she pushed herself harder.
Her twin blades caught the purple rays of sunrise pouring through the skylight as she moved through the steps with precision. Muscles burned; sweat slicked her skin. She welcomed the flood of sensation that came with training. It grounded her, silenced her thoughts, and dulled the notable absence of a certain prince.
