Page 101 of Wings of Ash & Flame
What have I done?
She’d lashed out, shattering the fragile truce they’d begun to build. She’d battered it with careless words, just to protect her pride. To drown out her own pain. For what? She was better than that.Wasn’t I?
Alaire retrieved the daggers he insisted she keep, replaying their exchange. She had a lot of work to do. She would get up. She would keep going—even without all the answers. Even if she didn’t know how.
Twenty-Five
Kaia leaned in close to Alaire, low enough for her voice to blend with the hum of conversation around them. “How did training go this morning?”
Alaire shook her head, blowing out a breath. The faint scent of old parchment clung to the lecture hall as Professor Elowen shuffled through a stack of notes at the front, her back turned to the chattering novices.
History of Magical Conflict had become one of Alaire’s favorite classes.
“That bad, huh?” Kaia grimaced.
“Worse,” Alaire said, eyes lingering on the faded maps of Elithian’s territories, searching them for answers to the growing distance between her and Dawson.
Kaia sighed. “If it makes you feel any better, Caius and I have been at each other’s throats all week. The arrogance in him is something else.”
“Welcome to the club.” Alaire turned back to her. “Where’s Archer?”
“He said he’d meet us here,” Kaia replied, leaning back in her chair. “Had something to take care of.”
A few rows ahead, someone gestured animatedly, her high-pitched voice bouncing off the arched ceiling. Alaire’s fingers traced the smooth wood of her armrest. “How’s precision training going?” she asked.
“Finally getting somewhere.” Kaia’s face brightened. “Professor Riel’s exercises are helping. Yesterday I managed to create a contained thunderstorm in a small radius—no lightning strikes singed anything. Still not good enough for Caius, though.”
“One of the perks of not having magic yet—less time with my partner,” Alaire lied with a chuckle.
Kaia placed a reassuring hand on hers. “It’ll come soon. You’ll see.”
Alaire wasn’t so sure. The tiny flicker of magic within her had been snuffed out, and no matter how many times she’d tried to coax it awake, it slumbered deep inside her.
“Good morning, class,” Professor Elowen announced, sweeping wisps of grey hair from her eyes as she leaned against the edge of her desk.
“Good morning, Professor,” the class responded in unison.
“Today, we are discussing perspective.”
As she began, Archer slid into the empty seat they’d saved for him.
“Perspective,” Professor Elowen said, “is not just about how we see the world. It shapes every decision we make.”
Pushing herself off the desk, she crossed to the large tapestry hanging on the wall, brushing her fingers over its frayed edges. “Think about the magical conflicts you’ve studied—wars, betrayals, rivalries. How often were they sparked by clashing viewpoints, each side convinced their perspective was the only truth?
“By studying, discussing, and understanding perspective, we learn to look beyond our biases—to grasp not only why others act as they do, but also the ethical implications of our own actions.”
Her gaze swept the room. “This awareness can prevent us from repeating the mistakes of the past. And perhaps,” she added, “guide us toward a more responsible, empathetic use of magic.”
She interlaced her fingers. “Who can tell me how the most recent war reignited with the vampires?”
A hand shot up—Gigi, an earth wielder, the same girl who’d been gesturing animatedly earlier.
“After Starfall, when the Voidshade Sovereign fell, vampires went to ground. Many thought they’d been destroyed. But then they began attacking human villages along Cielore’s border—bodies turning up carved with the Consortium’s symbol. At first random, then increasing in frequency, hunting both humans and fae to prepare for their resurgence.
“In a coordinated strike, they shattered the ancient magical wards protecting Cielore’s borders. The barriers fell in one night, leaving Cielore’s heartland exposed. With their defenses compromised and vampire forces pouring in through multiple breach points along Cassiopeia Forest, the Consortium had no choice but to declare full-scale war and mobilize every flier and infantry unit to push them back.”
“Excellent summary, Gigi. Thank you. Now—methods for defeating a vampire?”
