Page 26 of Wings of Ash & Flame
Control. Release. Wielding. Balance.
Taking the steps two at a time to the Aether Ascend Towers, Alaire slipped into Professor Hale’s classroom. Students were clustered in their usual groups. Whispered insults followed her across the room, but she’d grown adept at ignoring them.
Despite identical uniforms, academy boundaries remained firm. Her growing friendship with Kaia was an anomaly. Something about her felt like home, and it should’ve sent Alaire running—but for the first time in so long, she felt seen and understood. Against all logic, against every lesson she’d learned about survival, Kaia was becoming someone who mattered.
Unfortunately, Kaia’s bond with her celestial meant they shared few core classes.
“Settle down, everyone.” Chairs scraped against the floor as students took their seats.
“Welcome to Interdisciplinary Magic,” Professor Hale began, wheat-colored eyes sparkling with excitement. “In this course, you will work together to create something greater than the sum of its parts. The strength of this class is in collaboration. Each of you brings the strength of your element and your unique way of wielding it. Here, we will focus on teaching you to combine and braid your elements together to create something new.”
Snickers rippled around Alaire as Professor Hale quietly addressed a student in the front row.
“What’s she going to do—awkwardly stare at us?” someone muttered under their breath, eliciting laughter from those nearby. The tension in Alaire’s shoulders tightened, but she held her head high, refusing to give them the satisfaction.
Moments later, Professor Hale’s furious gaze swung to the source of the taunt. “There will be no mocking of your peers in this class—or any other I teach. Every student has something valuable to contribute, and I expect nothing less than respect for one another. Is that understood?”
The room fell silent.
“Well?”
The chastised student sank into their seat, red-faced and withdrawn.
Good. Alaire didn’t bother hiding her smile. Satisfaction curled in her chest.
Professor Hale began dividing the class into teams, assigning one member from each house to every group. Alaire, without magic of her own, was added as a seventh member. None looked particularly thrilled at her inclusion.
The task: create a barrier forged from all six elements.
“The elements must work in harmony—supporting each other, enhancing their strengths, and compensating for their weaknesses,” Professor Hale instructed as she moved from group to group.
A tall girl with cornflower-blue eyes in Alaire’s group stepped forward. “I’ll start with forming the base. Water will give the barrier fluidity and movement,” she said, her tone dripping with superiority. She summoned a graceful stream of water that wove itself in little spirals.
The rest of the group nodded, forming a circle around the element, barely sparing Alaire a glance. An earth wielder from House Arborstone summoned thick vines to wrap around the swirling water—precise and mechanical. He flicked his gaze to her, his eyes soft, but said nothing.
Lightning crackled around another student’s fingers. The energy surged wildly, nearly singeing the vines before he reined in his power. Alaire leaned forward.
“Don’t get in our way,” he snapped. “We don’t have time to babysit.”
Alaire’s temper simmered, ready to spill over, but she bit her tongue. Being kicked out of her classes wasn’t going to help her.She had observed and paid attention in every lesson, learning all she could about aether.
But she was at a fundamental disadvantage.
Without magic, she was deadweight.
Fighting her instincts, she swallowed her anger. Because, as much as she hated to admit it, they weren’t wrong. No matter how long she spent learning how elements were wielded, or reviewing everything the professors taught, it was pointless without magic. She’d have better luck growing a third arm.
The female from House Cerebral looked up, eyes rolling before narrowing into a glare. “Why are you just standing there? Take notes! It’s the least you can do to contribute. That way, when Professor Hale asks for a full report, you have everything you need to write it up,” she said with a sneer.
Alaire tuned her out, instead focusing on the barrier. The vines had begun to strain under the combined elements, looking ready to snap at any moment. Subtle fractures were already forming that would unravel their work entirely—and everyone else was too busy bickering to notice.
“Are you even listening?” the same girl from House Cerebral barked. “You’re supposed to be?—”
“You should be worried about the barrier instead of me and your precious notes.” Alaire didn’t even look at her.
Wielding aether was all about balance. It required control—understanding the push and pull of each element and how they complemented or detracted from one another. Her group’s lack of consideration for that balance would unravel their barrier.
An air wielder from House Aetheris—a subject of the cocky prince—tilted her head, creating a vortex of air around the barrier. But the air currents were too erratic, the wind too forceful. Everything was going to spiral out of control.
