Chapter 49
S?las is casually lounging on the hill, looking too handsome for his own good. He tugs me down with grace, his shadows landing me right in his lap.
“What exactly do you think you’re doing?” I croon with a scrunched nose. I can’t help but smile with how the bond in my chest revels in his closeness.
“Feeding you and my favorite little dragon. And perhaps being a tad selfish, enjoying your closeness, because with our new schedule, I will steal every moment I can with you. You’re not pushing me away, so maybe you’re feeling a little selfish, too?” He winks as he pops a blackberry into his mouth.
I hear Scáil grumble down the tether of our minds.
“Hey, I said favorite little dragon. That’s not a word I would ever use to describe you,” he responds to Scáil, handing me the full plate next to him.
Pip quickly flashes into his natural form, inhaling more than half the food.
S?las grabs the last blackberry before Pip swipes it up with his tongue.
“Are you going to eat? I am happy to feed you. Some species find it quite romantic.” He smirks in a devilish way, and my lips part, knowing full well he’s thinking wicked thoughts about my mouth.
“Don’t push your limits with these selfish moments.
I’d hate to see what you losing control looks like in front of our entire class,” I purr, stealing the berry from his hand, biting into it, the juice painting my lips purple.
If he can be a tease, so can I. Although we’re already walking a thin line. Maybe I don’t care if I fall off today.
He growls along my neck, “You’re lucky Pip stole the rest of the berries, or you might just find out.”
A palpable thrill courses through my blood, leaving me aching in more than just my chest. The same radiates from S?las, intoxicating me all the more.
“You two are insufferable.” Calais’ raspy voice chills the mood.
“Well, if it isn’t the pot calling the kettle black. I recall not being able to keep you off me for over a month after we accepted our bond. Not that I’m complaining.” Scáil's ancient, earthy voice is laced with humor that spreads a wild smile across my face.
“That was after we accepted the bond. I don’t want to even imagine what they will be like when she accepts if they’re already like this,” Calais mocks.
“If I accept the bond,” I correct, stinging a wave of hurt over S?las with my unnecessary comment.
“This one has jokes today,” Calais taunts ruthlessly.
I huff, standing to finish the remaining food, ignoring the bond whittling at my ribs. I help S?las up, and Pip jumps to my arm with the aid of his wings, snapping into place as my bracer.
Professor Reska takes the stage, her saffron eyes contrasting against her metallic silver fur shimmering in the breeze.
“We will be practicing a running mount for takeoff and the same for landing. Once in the sky, you will direct a magical blast forward while we rotate through positions. Please, be mindful of the casting around you in relation to the trajectory of your flying creature. Depending on your success today, we will be adding moving targets tomorrow.”
Argenta, her Bladed Coata, takes off behind her. Reska sprints on disks of air, gliding onto her back with an easy grace.
We line up in formation, and then all our beasts rumble the ground with a running head start. I mimic a similar pattern, less effortlessly teetering on the air disks before I can glide on to Calais.
S?las, of course, Shadowwalks right into position. Must be nice. I may just be slightly jealous of the ability now.
He winks at me with a smug smirk before Scáil silently soars off.
After reaching cruising altitude, Professor Reska signals for us to switch formation and cast our magic. I’m not entirely sure what to do with mine.
I look down to see rays of light from Fenwick, whirling spores from Kivi, and vines whipping from Juniper, hovering arrows suspended by Highin matching Eko’s spectral blades, bolts of fire from Cinder.
I decide to send a whirling blade of fire in front of me.
Calais audibly huffs.
“Show them just how beautiful you are when you let your chaos free,” S?las purrs, a caress across my mind, sparking my power beneath my skin.
I let his words sink into my soul. He does have a way of making me feel beautiful. Despite what my foster parents said about my markings, strange eyes, and ghostly hair, I deserve to feel beautiful.
I hold onto that warm feeling. I focus on a small area in front of us, an orb to let my power loose within. A circular cloud forms, lightning ricochets in the trapped circle, and ice daggers rain from the cloud, shattering into sharper pieces.
My power nips against my control. I growl back, refusing to release the destruction while changing positions.
I grasp onto that happy feeling even tighter, hugging the chaos in warm light.
Shifting the lightning to sparks and ice to rain before setting it free.
My magic slashes beneath my skin, craving to be released without restraints.
It may feel unsettled, but I’m happy with the progress I’ve made, and everyone is still alive around me. I think of all the ways I’d like to thank a certain smug, early-morning teacher of mine.
Those thoughts are burned up by searing pain down the bond from S?las. Calais swerves to the side, allowing me a better view of the madness below.
As our Zenith switches positions with Nadir, Winx bolts violet flames at S?las.
He quickly wraps them in shadows, extinguishing them, only for her next wave to explode as soon as his shadows get close. They blink in and out of shadows, dodging the bursts.
S?las almost getting injured erupts a protective fury roaring through my blood, a wild instinct released. Magic tears from me in a wrath of its own. The clouds clot into storming black above us, the wind lashing with violent hail. The soil vibrates, releasing a towering wave of dust.
Why am I so angry? I haven’t even accepted the bond yet, but the thought of someone taking him away from me makes me want to cleave the world in two.
Calais weaves, taking on an incoming lightning bolt along her conductor spikes.
“Luxsula, as much as I appreciate watching you get all riled up over me, flying in your storm is proving to be quite a feat. Especially for those on smaller creatures. Can you do me a little favor? Think of those warm, happy thoughts for me,” S?las hums. I look down to Dracos and gryphons spinning, caught in twirling updrafts.
I take a deep breath, letting the beauty of Tearfall Lake, the ripples of lavender and magenta reflected along the aether fill my mind.
The happy chirps Pip makes and how adorably ridiculous he looks flying on his wobbly wings.
I envision more selfish moments stolen between training and classes, where S?las steals my breath away with just a look.
My eyes drift open; the sun shines bright, and everyone is touching down safely below us as Calais circles for landing. I use air magic again to glide myself off her as she lands, running as instructed.
She stops notably farther away from the rest of my class.
“S?las, do you care to explain why the fuck my rider almost lost control like a feral animal at the sight of you in danger?” Calais' voice booms across our shared tether. The way she says his name sounds like he’s a hatchling in trouble.
I sense uneasiness with a hint of fear from S?las. To be fair, I’d be afraid of her, too.
He drifts out of the shadows as Scáil lands beside Calais. Sauntering towards us, ruffling his hand through the back of his messy hair as he says, “We should probably show them that mark on your chest.”
“What mark on her chest?” Calais snaps.
“I… slipped up. Lost control. Our magic intertwined, and my shadows found a way into her skin.”
“Yes, she mentioned the mark—the reason you told her of the bond. But she did not accept it, so it should have faded. Unless you lost control once more?” Calais snarls.
“Well, that’s the thing… The mark didn’t fade like you guys said it would.”
“Start explaining, or I will be enjoying you as a smoky afternoon snack,” she growls. S?las responds with a shrug and then leans against Scáil, hoping to avoid Calais’ wrath.
Scáil presses his nose to my body, sniffing. If I wasn’t between his nostrils, I’m sure I’d have blown away.
“She appears to have partially accepted the bond,” Scáil’s ancient voice gravels out.
“Impossible.” Calais scowls but then adds with a huff, “It would explain why the bond lashes out at her when he’s not near. And her erratic urge to protect him, even though he’s safe.”
“You do realize I am right here, right?’ I glare daggers at them all.
“And do you suddenly have something enlightening to add to the conversation? To the last of my knowledge, you know the least about bonds here.” Calais’ words are an icy slap across my face.
“Calais, behave. Perhaps your unique magic gives her the power to accept only part of the bond,” Scáil cooly replies, trying to ease the rising tension.
I don’t know much about bonds, as Calais so gently put it, given it’s not a topic important for being an Ellian Knight, and there isn’t much recorded history during the time when the Celestials reigned. But I do have a good idea as to how, perhaps, I could have half-accepted the bond.
When I had been thinking to myself that I could pretend—just for one night—my heart knew I wasn’t pretending at all.
I’ve never had to control my heart before.
My mind always leads the way, my heart its silent follower.
Until I met S?las. Then my heart developed a wild mind of her own.
I swear sometimes, my heart seems like it will leap out of my chest just to pull me closer to him.
Now I know why; it’s clear my heart has an agenda all of her own, once she recognized the bond.
S?las kicks up an eyebrow at me.