-Alexia-
As I finish fixing the wards, I feel eyes on me. I know it's not Jasper, Asher, or Soren; I just don't know who it is. Finn stands next to me, giving me his strength. Zeus pads silently at my side, ears swiveling, tail low but alert, sensing the tension in the courtyard and keeping close should any threat arise.
"Lex, I believe that is enough," Finn says, touching my shoulder lightly. I know he's right, but I push a little more of my magic into the rune. Zeus presses gently against my other leg, a warm, grounding reminder that I'm not alone in this.
"Just a little bit more, Finn," I say. "Then I'll stop."
The rune glows steadily now, silver light threading through its deep blue lines. My fingertips tingle as the last of my energy sinks into the ward's lattice. The hum settles into the courtyard stones, a vibration I can feel in my bones. Zeus lifts his head, ears alert, sensing the pulse of magic as it stabilizes, eyes following the silver threads like a living current.
Finn doesn't move until the glow smooths into a steady pulse. Then he squeezes my shoulder, warm and grounding. "You've done well, Lex. The ward holds." Zeus nudges my leg with his nose, tail flicking in silent approval.
I exhale and step back. The courtyard feels vast, the rune's circle gleaming in the middle of it like a heartbeat made visible. Beyond it, the campus towers rise, and faintly, I hear the distant calls of students crossing between lessons. But here, all is silence, except for the council of five gathered in their semicircle of carved chairs. Zeus sits low, ears swiveling, amber eyes alert to the subtle shifts in energy, ready to move if the Council challenges us.
The murmurs begin almost immediately. Five voices, low but edged with power, ripple against one another—the weight of their scrutiny presses like a hand on my chest. Zeus growls softly, a warning and reassurance, a shadow of the tension we all feel.
Magnus Virell's gaze sharpens first. His voice is smooth but devoid of warmth, every word precise as if carved in stone. "Her control is… exacting. Yet precision without oversight breeds error. A single miscalculation, and this ward might unravel the very fabric it seeks to protect." Zeus's hackles rise slightly, sensing the implied threat, and he shifts to shield my flank.
Thorne Vaelros chuckles, leaning forward, his rings glinting like fangs of their own. "Oh, but Magnus, that's the allure, is it not? Power pressed to the very edge." He lets his crimson eyes flick to me. "A display such as this might inspire others to meddle. What happens when a dozen eager hands push where they ought not?" His tone drips like honey — sweet at first taste, but poisonous underneath. Zeus growls low in response, a steady rumble that radiates caution.
A ripple moves through the gathered students, unease sparking in their whispers. Zeus nudges my leg, a silent reminder to stay centered, his body coiled like a spring ready to act.
Rhian Kael stands, broad shoulders tense beneath his cloak. His voice is gravelly, blunt, and cutting. "Wards are walls. Walls are not toys. Push them too hard and they crack. When walls crack, predators enter." His golden eyes sweep the students deliberately, pressing the image into their minds. Zeus's ears twitch; he steps a little closer to me, a silent promise to guard against those "predators" should they appear.
The murmurs sharpen, a few younger students edging back as if expecting the ward to shatter right then.
Elder Seraphine Vexhart rises slowly, her presence regal, shadow falling long across the courtyard. Her voice is low, yet it carries the weight of centuries. "The child believes she has mended a fracture. Yet how many ruins have I seen begin with such confidence? Flames fed by arrogance burn brightest before they consume all." Her words settle like ash, chilling, meant not just for me but for every listening ear. Zeus shifts closer again, body taut, sensing the fear radiating from the students and the subtle threat in her tone.
I draw a breath, my throat dry, but force my voice steady. "The wards are secure now. They will hold against intrusion for the next cycle." Zeus's tail sweeps once against the stone, a quiet echo of my assurance.
Magnus tilts his head, eyes like frozen glass. "Will they? Or will your haste unravel them by nightfall?" Zeus snarls low, a protective warning, but he does not move beyond my side, trusting my control.
Soren steps closer, his arm brushing mine, a quiet shield. He doesn't speak, but the tension in his jaw speaks volumes. I straighten, heart pounding but unyielding. Zeus nudges my arm, offering reassurance that I have allies beside me.
Thorne's smile widens, mocking. "So confident. How dangerous it is, to teach confidence without humility. Why, one might almost think…" He pauses, eyes sliding across the students for effect. "…that this is permitted." The unease deepens. Zeus growls again, low and steady, grounding me, a living tether against intimidation.
Before the weight can crush me, a new voice cleaves through the courtyard.
"That is enough."
Headmistress Morgan Shade strides forward, cloak trailing like a storm cloud. Her voice is iron and commanding. "The wards were compromised. Alexia reinforced them. She did not break them. She did not endanger your precious traditions." Her gaze slices across Magnus, Thorne, Rhian, and Seraphine — daring each to interrupt. "This school allowed her within its walls. That alone is sanction enough."
The air shifts. Some of the fear bleeding through the students ebbs, replaced by the solidity of her authority. Zeus exhales softly, tail wagging slightly, sensing the release of tension.
Magnus folds his hands, unreadable. Rhian growls low but returns to his seat. Seraphine's expression tightens, regal but disapproving. And Thorne only smirks, though the smile doesn't quite reach his eyes.
At last, High Elder Aelira Dawnmire stands. Her fae grace is unmistakable, her words like a bell tolling across the stones. "The wards are sealed, their strength confirmed. It is entered into the record." Her gaze lingers on me for a heartbeat — not unkind, not approving, but deep, as though measuring something unseen. "The Council will speak further… in its time."
With that, she gestures lightly, and the five turn away, their retreat as heavy as their presence. Zeus pads a slow, steady circle around me, scanning the courtyard, ensuring the space is secure now that the tension has eased.
The courtyard exhales once they are gone. Students break into anxious whispers, some glancing at me with awe, while others do so with suspicion. Zeus sits at my side, tail brushing the stone, a silent anchor in the aftershock.
"You stood strong," Finn murmurs, his hand brushing my arm. Zeus leans into me slightly, as if to say I agree.
Soren remains close, steady, and sure, a silent anchor.
Before I can answer, three younger students step hesitantly forward. One, a girl with ink-stained fingers, blurts nervously, "Alexia… could you show us? How do you reinforce the rune? We've never—no one's ever—" She falters, but her eyes gleam with something different from the crowd's fear. Curiosity. Hope. Zeus lifts his head, ears pricked, giving the girl a patient, reassuring look.
I glance at Finn, who inclines his head—a reminder: mentorship begins here. Zeus nudges my leg again, pressing a silent promise of protection.
I let myself smile. "Yes. I can show you. But only if you promise to practice carefully, and listen."
Their faces brighten, shadows melting away, and for the first time that day, the courtyard feels lighter. Zeus pads slowly around the students, a reassuring presence, letting them know they are safe as they begin to learn.
The wards may be sealed, but something else has begun—not just suspicion or trial, but a spark of trust. And that, no council decree could extinguish. Zeus sits firmly at my side, amber eyes steady, a silent guardian of the moment, of the trust we've earned, and of the bond we share.