Page 115 of Amethyst and Iron
“I agree that would be beneficial. To both the children and you, Velra. It is your choice, of course.” He gestured at my messenger bag on the grass to the left of the bench. “So long as you have completed your studies and assignments that I had your Wraeven Academy professors send your way viamagical mail.”He settled onto the bench right beside me and wrapped his arm around me. “And, my darling, Ariana informed me today that the Guardian Movement has just completed erecting an Underveil Shield on Maven Academy and Wraeven is next in line. So it won’t be long now before the Academy is protected at a much higher level, meaning all hybrids can return without fear of being targeted byPuritaswhile on the grounds.”
An Underveil Shield was a concept developed and implemented by Kai Hunter and my friend, Nyx Laryn. It could sense power type and repel that which it sensed, no matter whatit was, even if it was almighty Celestial power. And it could be erected from beneath the earth too, inside other wards.
With the way things were now,Puritasbeing out there, me and Sylas dying, Lazriel in the wind, Sylas’ magic now bound… it seemed like such a faraway thing. And it hadn’t even been that long since we’d been away from Wraeven Academy. But it certainly felt like it.
“You are not happy about that?” Cassius asked. He was likely trying to ascertain my feelings on the matter through our Soul Brand too. But he wouldn’t have been able to pick up on anything, because I wasn’t really sure myself.
“I don’t know,” I answered, honestly. “I mean, being kept away because of those bastards obviously makes me sick to my stomach, but returning now… it’s a strange thought, I guess.”
“With all that is happening?”
“Yeah, pretty much.”
“You cannot stop your life due to an overarching threat,” Ketheron spoke. “Do not let them steal your joy, your purpose, or any such things. Taking gives them power. They do not deserve that. And you don’t deserve to fall victim to them either—in any way.”
As I smiled out at Ketheron and tried to take his words in, my phone buzzed in the pocket of my hoodie—well, Lazriel’s forest-green hoodie. I pulled it out and opened a text.
Sylas:All is well still. Made progress with the Dark Fae mind-meddling antidote. Sent along to Kai, being worked on by him and the group now. Miss you. Yeah, even Cassius.
I looked up at Cassius. “It’s Sylas. He says he’s well and that he misses us.”
Ketheron frowned and I saw his gaze go to the clock over on one of the building towers in the distance. “The same times each day. Just as I thought. I didn’t have all the data, as I am not with you at all times when one of his messages comes in. Butwith this last one just now, there is enough data to form a strong conclusion.”
“What do you mean?” Cassius asked him.
“Sylas is scheduling his text messages. He sends them four times a day, yes? Spaced out with four hours exactly in between each?”
I rapidly scrolled through the messages he’d sent over the last few days. “Oh my God,” I breathed, as I saw that Ketheron was right on.
I guess I’d just been so relieved that Sylas had stuck to our agreement to keep in constant contact while he was at his log cabin waiting on Charles to make contact, that I hadn’t even questioned it any deeper. I’d just been happy that he hadn’t retreated into himself, or any sort of depression in his current magically-powerless state.
“Hades,” Cassius uttered, his hold tightening around me. “I will go there. See to him.”
“That will interfere with him being able to meet with his contact. The whole reason he went there in the first place.”
“If that was even the reason he went there.”
I raised an eyebrow. “You think he was lying?”
“With Sylas, I would say he was likelyembellishing the truth.”
My phone buzzed, jolting me, especially with the topic of conversation at hand.
I started, a gasp even escaping me.
Because there, as I looked down at my phone, I saw Lazriel’s name.
He’d sent a text.
I heard Cassius’ chime a moment later.
He frowned and pulled his out as well. “Lazriel is making contact,” he breathed in surprise and awe.
“Yes,” Ketheron said. “The wolf hybrid is returning, I hope. It has already been too long.”
From Lazriel’s brief stay with him and Cassius while I’d been unconscious in Aetheric Wing at the Guardian Compound, Ketheron had taken a liking to Lazriel. He’d enjoyed him being there.
I took a breath, then opened the message.
