Page 31 of Wings of Ash & Flame
Professor Ross moved to the window with inhuman speed, scanning the grounds below. The book disappeared from view.
“You need to go.”
“What are you even?—”
“Go. Now.” His tone sharpened. “Follow the hall to the end, take two lefts and a right, and you’ll reach the castle’s main hall.” His shoulders sagged, the anger draining from his expression. “Don’t stop until you reach your dormitory. And don’t tell anyone you were here or what you saw.” A warning—but for whom?
The voices were now inside the faculty corridor. Even Alaire’s human ears could pick them out.
“This conversation isn’t over,” she hissed.
His expression darkened. “There are people who would kill for what’s in those files.” He paused, glancing toward the door before meeting her eyes again. “You never know what lurks deep in the shadows. Or more importantly, who it’s looking for.” He held the door open. “And Alaire, if you ever break into my office again, Grimstone will be the least of your problems.”
The cryptic warning settled uneasily between them.
“Go,” he commanded.
Alaire squared her shoulders and slipped past him. The rhythmic thumping of her footsteps echoed too loudly in the hall. She glanced over her shoulder all the way back to the dormitories.
Only when she was in the sanctuary of her room, door locked tight, did she finally breathe.
Quiet.
Yet she couldn’t silence her thoughts. The pages of her file were burned into her mind.PENDING TRIALS.Was he working with Dexter?
She leaned against the door, forehead pressed to the wood, exhaustion weighing her down.
The answers she’d found had only spawned more questions.
But at least one thing was certain—Professor Ross was hiding far more than she’d ever suspected.
Only when the first rays of sunrise chased away the darkness did Alaire fall into an uneasy sleep.
Nine
Asilver-haired fae with a pixie cut stood at the base of the classroom. “Welcome to Tactical Leadership and Decision Making. I am Professor Leslie.”
The class was held in Magique Moderna, a seven-minute walk from Alaire’s room—a luxury considering it met at dawn. Kaia, who liked to rise with the sun, had already saved her a seat. It was one of the rare classes they took together.
Sunlight poured through the tall lancet windows, framed by deep red velvet drapes. The faintest trace of lavender lingered in the air from the dried bunch sitting on the professor’s desk. Papers rustled and chairs scraped before silence settled as Professor Leslie waited for everyone’s attention.
“Tactical Leadership and Decision Making is a foundational course in your schedule,” she began. “We will cover strategic planning, leading teams in elemental and magical tactical situations, and fostering trust and camaraderie amongst teammates.” Her eyes flicked briefly to Alaire. “We’ll also practice leveraging the fears and desires of opponents while mastering these essentials—controlling emotions under extreme stress, applying leadership techniques in any situation, andmaintaining the trust and loyalty of your team in critical moments.”
Someone sitting behind them scoffed.
Professor Leslie blinked but moved on. “Managing emotions—processing what you’re feeling and seeing—is imperative to maintaining clarity in times of crisis.”
The classroom plunged into darkness as a map of Elithian appeared behind her. “Can someone identify what’s behind me?”
A hand shot up. “A map of the continent—Elithian.”
“Correct. What natural barriers does Cielore have to protect itself from invasion?”
The words hovered on Alaire’s tongue. She opened her mouth to answer but decided against it. Blake had drilled this into her during sparring matches:Fighting must become instinct. Keepyour mind free to think. Be strategic.She didn’t know as much as her peers, but she knew the basics at least.
Her throat tightened. It was moments like this she felt endlessly grateful Blake had walked into her life.
Kaia spoke up. “To the east of Cielore is the Crystal Spire Peaks, an imposing mountain range, and Cassiopeia Forest to the south. Below that, the Phantom Gap and the Shadowfang Crests are three layers that separate Cielore from the vampire’s territory—Retribution of the Ruined. To the north and west is the sea. Protected on all sides,” she said, drumming her fingers on her knee. Kaia missed nothing.
