Page 122 of Wings of Ash & Flame
Headmaster Carth gestured to the empty seat beside Alaire. “Please.”
Dawson moved with the effortless grace of a feline, though his eyes assessed the room with quiet precision. He smiled when he noticed Dexter.
Dexter circled the desk, giving Alaire a wide berth before clasping a hand on Dawson’s back. He spoke just low enough that Alaire had to strain to hear. “You look well. Headmaster Carth has kept me updated on your progress. Your mother is proud.”
Dawson’s jaw locked at the mention of his mother. “Thank you,” he said flatly.
Dexter leaned on the desk in front of Dawson, forming a grim semicircle with the headmaster.
Dawson sat, crossing one leg over the other—the picture of detachment, the aloof warrior. It was hard to forget what he felt like pressed against her: warm, solid?—
She shifted in her seat.Think of porcupine needles, garbage, the monsters of Cassiopeia Forest…
Dawson arched a brow. Alaire could’ve sworn his lips twitched.
She crossed a leg over her knee, mimicking his posture.
“Is Caius coming?” Dawson asked.
“No. This matter is quite particular in nature. The headmaster has informed me you’ve been paired with Ms. Vallorian in Professor Leslie’s class.”
“You meanHer Majesty.”
“Pardon?” Dexter’s lips flattened.
“Alaire is the last of the Vallorian line. Her title is Her Majesty, just as yours is Chief Advisor.”
Dexter balked.
Holy shit.She wanted to pump her fist. She didn’t care about titles, but watching Dawson put creepy Dexter in his place was as satisfying as the academy’s endless desserts.
Dexter straightened. “You’re correct, of course. I apologize for not addressing you properly.”
“As am I,” Alaire said sweetly. “But since it’s just us, dropping the formalities seems appropriate.”
“Agreed.” Dexter swung back to Dawson. “As I was saying—you’ve been partnered with Alaire. It is peculiar that the two of you were paired together.”
Dawson shrugged, nonchalant. “I asked Professor Leslie to partner me with Alaire.”
What?Her brows shot up.
“Excuse me?” she choked out.
“You were the first human admitted to Aeris Academy. I figured the easiest way to assess any potential threats was to get close.” His eyes darkened.
Alaire’s swallow was audible in the quiet room. He’d detested her on sight, despised being her partner even more. Was he lying to Dexter? Or had he been deceiving her from the start?
“Of course you did, my prince. Your intelligence and strategic thinking knows no bounds.” Dexter stroked the stubble along his jaw, smug as ever. “What were you able to learn?”
Dawson leaned back, hands clenching briefly before he forced them to relax.
“There’s a fire inside her.” Dawson’s jaw clenched, as though the words were fighting their way out. “It disguises the guilt and sorrow she carries. Beneath that is something…” He stopped, swallowing hard. “Something remarkable.”
His hand moved to his throat; Alaire noticed the way his fingers pressed against the pulse point. “She’s relentless. Determined to protect those she cares about, no matter thecost.” His neck muscles strained. “She never gives up. Ever. Even when she’s outmatched.”
When he finally looked up, Alaire caught something raw and unguarded in his eyes, but he shuttered it away like slamming a door. “She has yet to summon more than a flame of aether successfully. But she hasn’t needed it. She’s relied on her wit, mind, and friendships,” Dawson stated, as if he didn’t see exactly who she was.
Alaire’s eyes widened. She sat frozen, never having expected such honesty. The words hung between them. Somehow, he’d managed to see her—not as the human, the queen, or the broken girl, but as the sum of all her parts: formidable, resilient, unyielding.
