Claire glanced up at me. “What do you mean?”
I shook my head. “It’s an instinct awoken by my contact with the source. It’s done something to her, or perhaps her parents are to blame. But there’s a history there.”
“Like why she came to live with you?”
“Yes, like that.” Because it was never really explained to any of us. “Our mothers were best friends, but I never actually met Aflora’s parents. I assumed all this time that they died from the plague, but given Elana’s struggle against me and the source—as a seven-year-old—I have to wonder how true that is.”
“And if perhaps they hid her for another reason entirely,” my mate added.
“Yes.” Which meant Aflora’s story wasn’t finished yet. Not nearly. “We shouldn’t try to unlock her memories, though. Or even hint at them.” Because she had never displayed any of the signs that I had. Aflora was funny, light-spirited, and a stubborn thorn when she wanted to be. I didn’t want to do anything to change that.
Claire squeezed her arms around me as far as she could. “I agree. The elements will tell her when they’re ready.” She kissed my chin. “Let’s sleep, just for a little while longer, before you dig us out.” She glanced at our makeshift roof, a smile curving her lips.
I chuckled, looking up through the tangle of vines that blocked the sky. “Or we could just stay here forever.”
Claire awarded me with a soft laugh. “My other mates might not appreciate that.”
I hummed. “Perhaps not.”
We held each other, reveling in our love while I also reveled in the light suffusing my soul.
All thanks to Claire, my mate, my heart, my rock. She’d chased away my darkness. For good.
Claire
Two Weeks Later
I studied the final building on our tour and nodded. “It’s done.”
“Yeah,” Exos agreed, his palm at the base of my spine. “Good as new.”
“Minus the Chancellor’s house,” I added. We hadn’t bothered to reconstruct that monstrosity. “And the Spirit Quad is looking a little less dusty.” And a lot more alive, I thought as a butterfly fluttered by my nose.
Sol had helped me spread seeds all over the campus, creating new life in every corner to help improve the vitality among campus. He’d also assisted Cyrus in creating a series of fountains—a combination of Sol’s rocks as the foundation and Cyrus’s water element for the visual art. Vox had managed reconstruction with his squadron, the Air Fae using their wind to lift heavy Earth Fae–crafted boulders for the Fire Fae to weld together.
It took a literal village, but the Academy had never looked so beautiful. “What’s the verdict from the new Council?” I asked my spirit mate. There’d been an emergency gathering among all the royals—new and old—this morning to discuss the fate of the school. While I was invited, I’d chosen not to attend in favor of helping Sol, Titus, and Vox around campus. My elements craved a release more than a political meeting.
“We’ll reopen in the next term, which would be similar to a human university in the autumn.” He brushed a wisp of my hair behind my ear and pressed a kiss to my cheek. “They’ve agreed to allow the four of you to graduate early, but there are some conditions that come with the allowance.”
With the Academy not reinstating itself this year, it left Vox, Titus, Sol, and me in limbo. So Exos and Cyrus had agreed to ask for a waiver that allowed us to call our education complete. It seemed strange since I’d only attended the Academy for a few months, but the whole purpose was to master my elements. And the last few weeks had more than proven that task to be accomplished.
“What are their terms?” I asked.
“Well, first, they’ve asked me to take over as temporary Chancellor and Head of the Council,” he said, his tone suggesting just how he felt about that. “Apparently, I’ve shown great leadership in my young years.”
My lips curled. “They’re not wrong, Exos.”
“Yes, that remains to be seen.” He heaved a breath, his acceptance of the requirement evident in that gesture alone. Exos was a man of duty. If the fae requested his leadership, he would give it, if nothing else but to protect those he loved. Like me and Cyrus and our mate-circle.
I pressed my palm to his chest, allowing him to fold me into his arms. “What else do they want?”
“You,” he replied softly, his ocean-blue eyes glittering with challenge. “Specifically, your connection to the elements. They say it makes you a fine Advisor to the Council—a title they made up this morning that essentially means you’ll function as a conduit between them and the core of our powers. Any decision they make, they want to run by you for approval.”
“Approval from the elements,” I translated, frowning. “They make it sound as if I can speak to them.”
“Can’t you?” Exos countered, palming my cheek and drawing his thumb across my lip. “You have access to all five sources. It’s likely that your instincts would tell you if the Council made a decision that went against our elemental cores.”
I swallowed, considering.