Page 81 of Wings of Ash & Flame
I didn’t need your pity. I needed the truth.” She flung her arms wide. “I bonded with a phoenix, Professor. A creature that only chooses descendants of the original bloodlines. That doesn’t happen by accident.”
“No. It doesn’t.” His sandy mustache twitched.
“So, what aren’t you telling me? What did these patterns mean? You didn’t just stumble across my name on a prison roster and think, ‘Oh, this human with a criminal history, rejection of authority, penchant for stealing, and inability to follow rules would be the perfect candidate for us.’”
Professor Ross leaned against the desk, suddenly looking older. Dark circles shadowed his eyes, his hair—usually neat—was mussed, and even his tweed ensemble was rumpled.
“There are things I can’t tell you, Alaire. Not because I don’t trust you, but because they’re meant to protect you.”
“Protect who? Me? You? Because keeping this from me is only hurting me. Without that kind of information, I’m walking blind to threats in this academy.”
“Both.” Regret threaded his tone. “Some truths change everything, and once they’re revealed, they can never be taken back.”
Frustration burned in her chest. He was giving her fragments—truths wrapped in riddles.
She turned toward the door, jaw clenched. She’d had enough of his half-answers.
“Alaire,” he called before she reached the threshold. “Be careful who you trust with your questions. Not everyone here has your best interests at heart.”
She spun, nailing him with a glare. “And you do?”
He met her eyes without flinching. “More than you know.”
Twenty
“Good morning, Princess, Queen, Your Majesty, Your Royal Highness of the land and sky. Or should I be more specific—queen-who-can-barely-walk-in-slippers.” Dimples popped as a grin curved Kaia’s lips; she leaned casually against the opposite wall, arms crossed.
Alaire shut the door behind her with aclick. “Shut it.” She shot Kaia a glare.
Kaia pushed off the wall, falling into step beside her. “Rough night?” she crooned, tilting her head to catch Alaire’s eye as they turned a corner where sunlight streamed through the arched windows lining the hall. Their boots echoed softly against the floor as they headed toward the dining hall.
The nightmares had returned with a vengeance since bonding with Solflara. Two breathlock episodes had left her curled in the fetal position until she finally dragged herself to the Serenity Gardens. The soft perfume of the flowers had eased the tension locking every muscle in her body, while Solflara circled above.
Kaia hummed thoughtfully as they reached the staircase leading to the main hall, gripping the iron banister as shedescended two steps at a time. At the bottom, she spun to face Alaire, walking backward with a smirk.
“You know,” she said lightly, “all that brooding in your room is starting to remind me of another melancholic, temperamental royal.”
“Absolutelynot. Don’t even go there. I haven’t been able to get much sleep. Since, well, everything.” She waved a hand.
Kaia slung an arm around her shoulder as they joined the flow of students toward the dining hall. “It’s not every day an abandoned heir declares their identity in a coliseum, of all places, like it’s nothing.”
Alaire’s lips twitched. “The looks on their faces were priceless.”
Morning light streamed through the stained glass of the bustling dining hall, painting jeweled tones across their path as they weaved toward a corner table away from prying eyes.
“Listen, I’m not going to push you,” Kaia said, leaning forward, “but you’re not the sum of every decision you made to survive.”
Alaire picked at her thumbnail, avoiding her gaze.
“It’s the choices you make now that matter. Every sunrise is another chance to become who we’re meant to be. Nothing about us is simple—we’re all complex.” Kaia’s eyes flicked toward Kole across the room, his hat hiding the patch of hair Solflara had singed, before sliding onto a bench. “Okay, maybe not all of us. But you aren’t alone in this. Together, we’ll figure out the next step.”
Alaire reached across the table. “Thank you for your friendship. It’s one of the greatest gifts I’ve ever received.”
Kaia squeezed her hand, loosening something tight in her chest. From the start, Kaia had seen her for who she was, not what she was. Alaire trusted few—especially fae—but Kaia gave her hope that some cared about more than power or status.
“Bonding Solflara left me with no other choice,” Alaire admitted. “Only a Vallorian has ever bonded with a phoenix—I couldn’t risk being separated from her.” She let out a shaky breath, burying her face in her hands. “Right now, I need to focus on learning. I’m already behind every other flier. House Ashfyre, its magic, court politics—I need to understand it all. But I’m not naïve enough to think the Consortium would ever approve of me leaving. Not when it’s easier to keep tabs on me here.”
Kaia’s eyes flicked to her ears.
