Page 76 of Wings of Ash & Flame
Kaia gasped so loudly it was almost a squeal. “You have magic?” She jumped in place, bow bobbing like it was celebrating too.
Alaire launched into everything—the files in Professor Ross’s office, what had happened with Dawson, their verbal sparring, the trip to Cassiopeia Forest, and finally, her bond with Solflara.
Kaia hopped off the bed, bouncing around like a child on a sugar rush. “No way. Nofuckingway. You’re the last fire wielder, half-fae, heir to House Ashfyre,andbonded to a freaking phoenix? That’s wild. Things really can change overnight.” She stopped mid-spin, narrowing her eyes. “Wait. Why don’t you look happy about it?”
Alaire gave her a half smile. “If I’m honest, I still don’t know how I feel—even after sleeping on it. When we first bonded, I told her to take it back. I didn’t mean it, I was just… scared. Overwhelmed. Solflara’s the best thing that’s happened to me, but finding out your whole life was a lie makes you question everything—who you are, who you could have been. I grew up human. I spent so much of my life hating the fae. I don’t know how to be one of them.”
“You might despise what the fae have done to you, what some do to humans, and rightfully so. But you don’t hate all fae, Alaire. Our friendship is proof of that.” Kaia took her hands. “Archer and I will help you. But you’re both humanandfae. You don’t have to give up half of yourself for the sake of the other. You could be a bridge between two worlds.”
“I don’t know. Humans live decades, fae live centuries—what does that mean for me?” Alaire bit her lip. “I want to learn more about my magic. When that flame danced in my palm, it felt… right. Maybe once, I could’ve been the girl who tried on her mother’s crown and dreamed of following in her footsteps. But I’m not that girl anymore. I lived on the streets. Lashed out to survive. I don’t know how to rule anyone. What kind of queen would I be?”
“You stepped in for a boy being whipped, Alaire. That’s heroic.”
“I’m not a hero.” Her tone was flat, immovable. Heroes didn’t leave blood in their wake without looking back. She’d felt no remorse for striking down the fae guard to save that boy.It wasn’t the first time—and it wouldn’t be the last. She was someone who did what needed to be done, no matter the cost.
Heroes didn’t carry this kind of darkness, this ruthless edge. Pretending otherwise would only make the weight on her shoulders heavier.
“All of us have done terrible things,” Kaia said, lips flattening as she waved off Alaire’s rebuttal. “Not now, but someday I’ll tell you about my own less-than-perfect path. We all have one. If you want to keep torturing yourself over it, I can’t stop you. But things change. People change. One day, you might think differently.”
Alaire nodded, though she doubted they would ever truly see eye to eye on this.
“What are you going to do about your magic?”
“I don’t know. I’m hoping more will manifest with time.” She latched onto the change in subject. “Does this mean I finally get to meet Hadrian?”
Kaia’s smile went incandescent. “Duh! I wonder if he and Solflara will get along?”
“Probably not. She’s aloof, snotty, and incredibly bossy.”
“Alaire!” Kaia gasped.
“It’s true. Trust me.”
“Sounds like she’s the perfect match for your snark.”
“Ha, ha, ha,” Alaire said dryly.
She motioned for Kaia to sit beside her. “There’s no hiding who I am now that I’ve bonded with a celestial. But I want to reveal it onmyterms—and I need your help pulling it off.”
Kaia straightened the bow on her head. “How can I help?” Lightning arced between her palms.
“I’ll fill you in. It’s going to be epic.”
All bonded pairs had classes in the Aeriel Coliseum for their Symbiotic Synergy course—a place no one expected to see her.
The Aeriel Coliseum was a rotunda with a retractable dome courtesy of House Aetheris, rising three stories high. An arched tunnel, wide enough to accommodate the girth of the creatures, connected it to the Valiant Vanguards grounds, where the bonded trained with their fliers.
Alaire entered, her stride unhurried, exuding a confidence she didn’t quite feel. She’d timed her arrival for maximum effect, letting the door slam shut behind her with a loudthud.
Hushed whispers, scornful glances, and snickers greeted her—another day at Aeris Academy. Even Dawson’s warning couldn’t shield his partner from gossip about the human in a sea of fae. Except she was no longer just human.
Morning light bathed the building, keeping at bay the bite of brisk air. Around the base of the dome’s arena, novices stood with their bonded celestials: owls of House Cerebral, leviathans of House Aqualis, butterflies of House Vitalis, griffins of House Aetheris, arcstorms of House Arculum, and beetles of House Arborstone.
Their glares followed her, peers giving her a wide berth. She met each stare with a fierce, unyielding gaze, her chin held high.
These creatures were even more magnificent than she’d imagined. The butterflies’ stained-glass wings refracted the sun in a kaleidoscope of color. The leviathan’s serpentine body gleamed dark blue, its head alone large enough to swallow a person whole. The beetles of House Arborstone shone in earthy shades from brown to green to gold, their massive mandibleslooking sharp enough to sever a head clean off. It was no wonder they were revered—they were not of this world.
Her eyes searched for Kaia but caught on Dawson’s powerful frame leaning against a pillar. She hated how he could wake every damn nerve ending in her body. His gaze found hers, one dark brow lifting as though he knew she was up to something. What was he doing here? This class was for novices.
