Moonveil Academy: Trapped With The Five Kings

Elara:

Much to my relief, Lorien shook his head. ”No, Elara. That’s not what I’m saying.” He leaned back slightly in his chair, his gaze remaining on me as he continued, ”Your magic isn’t supposed to work that way permanently. In fact, it isn’t supposed to require an emotional trigger either, yet until recently, that was the only time you could access it.”

I frowned. ”So the emotional triggers aren’t normal either?”

”They are a result of your current condition.” He lifted his hand, his fingers moving through the air as though he could physically map out my magic between us. ”Your seal has kept your power suppressed for almost your entire life. It didn’t simply disappear when the seal cracked. Your magic is still learning how to respond to you, just as you are learning how to reach it.”

That explanation was easier to understand, though it still didn’t make me happy. ”And this thing about my emotions needing to be directed toward someone else?”

”Temporary, most likely.” His answer came without hesitation this time. ”Your magic is finding ways to break through the seal. Strong emotions are one of those ways. If my theory is correct, the reason it reacts more strongly when your emotions are directed outward is because you instinctively reach for your power when you are trying to stop someone, protect someone, or do something outside yourself. But once you gain control over it, you shouldn’t need anger, fear, or anyone else in danger to summon your magic.”

I felt my shoulders relax. ”So one day, I should be able to call it simply because I want to?”

”Exactly.”

”And it won’t matter whether I’m trying to save someone else or myself?”

”No.”

A quiet breath escaped me. ”Good. Because I really wasn’t prepared to accept the idea that my own magic had some sort of heroic personality while I was expected to die alone.”

The corner of his mouth moved almost imperceptibly. ”I don’t think your magic would appreciate being called heroic.”

”That’s because it hasn’t done anything heroic for me yet.”

This time, I was almost certain that the smallest hint of amusement touched his face, but it disappeared before I could decide whether I had actually seen it. With that question finally answered, I realized I didn’t have anything else I wanted to ask.

I still had countless questions about my powers, of course, but most of them were questions neither of us could answer until I actually gained more control over them. And there were other things I wanted to ask him too, questions about that night, about why he had kissed me and then run away as though he had committed some unforgivable crime, but I had absolutely no interest in opening that particular door.

So I simply nodded when he told me to hold out my hand.

The next several minutes passed beneath the familiar pressure of his magic. I followed his instructions, reaching for the faint warmth beneath my skin whenever he asked me to. Sometimes I could feel his power brushing against the edges of mine, searching carefully without forcing its way deeper.

We barely spoke. When I struggled to find my magic, he instructed me to relax. When the warmth finally appeared, he told me to hold onto it. When it slipped away, he asked me to try again.

The silence between us should have been comfortable. It wasn’t. Even with my eyes closed, I remained painfully aware of him. His presence. The occasional warmth of his hand when he adjusted my position. The sound of his voice when he leaned closer to correct me. I hated that my mind kept remembering things I had no intention of remembering - his lips against mine. His hand at my waist. The shock on his face when he stepped away.

I forced every thought away and focused harder on my magic.

By the time Lorien finally told me to pull my hand back, nearly half an hour had passed. He studied me for a moment before saying, ”Your seal has cracked further.”

My attention immediately sharpened. ”How much further?”

”Not enough to remove my concern about how unstable your power is,” he replied, ignoring my hopeful expression, ”but enough to tell me that you are progressing.”

”So that’s good?”

”It’s good.”

I waited for him to say more, and when he remained silent, I narrowed my eyes. ”You clearly have something else to tell me.”

”I do.” He leaned forward slightly, and despite myself, I felt my entire attention focus on him. ”Your basic spellcasting has improved considerably. Your seal is continuing to weaken. If the progress remains stable, we are going to attempt to awaken your wind magic during our next session.”

For a moment, I forgot everything else. ”Elemental magic?”

”Yes.”

Actual elemental magic.

The words alone sent excitement rushing through me. The spells I had learned so far had been useful, and I was finally starting to feel less helpless with every new piece of knowledge, but elemental magic was different. It was something I had been born with. Something that belonged to me.

Which unfortunately meant I could no longer skip these sessions just because I didn’t feel like looking at the man sitting across from me.

I hated that conclusion. But I wanted my magic more.

”Sure,” I said, trying to sound far less interested than I actually was. ”I’ll be here next weekend.”

Lorien’s gaze remained on me for a second longer than necessary. ”You were considering not coming today.”

I gave him a flat look. ”I didn’t say that.”

”You didn’t need to.”

”And yet I came.” I pointed out, not looking at him.

”You did.”

His response made me regret speaking at all, so I stood from my chair and picked up my phone. ”Because apparently, putting aside my self-respect for the sake of learning magic isn’t always a terrible choice.”

Something changed in his expression. ”Elara-”

”It’s Miss Argentis, Headmaster.” I corrected him. ”I’ll see you next weekend.”

I didn’t give him the opportunity to continue. I turned toward the door and walked out of the office, though I could feel his gaze following me until I disappeared from sight.

Even after everything we had discussed, the tension between us had never truly left the room. It had lingered beneath every conversation and every silence, impossible to ignore no matter how determined I was to pretend otherwise.

So I ignored it anyway.

I had wind magic to awaken.

* * *

Jasper:

The moment I saw Elara step through the enormous academy gates, the tension I had been carrying for the past week finally began to leave my body.

She was safe. She was standing on her own feet. And she was walking toward me with the same determined expression I remembered from our meeting days ago.

I had spoken to her after she was discharged from the infirmary. Hearing her voice had relieved some of my worry, but seeing her in person was something entirely different. I needed to see for myself that she was truly alright. I needed to know that she was healing, that she was moving normally, and that whatever had happened to her wasn’t going to take her away again.

I hated that I hadn’t been able to visit her.

Moonveil Academy’s visitor restrictions were ridiculous, especially in my situation. Apparently, being magically bound to the Crown Princess of Starfall as her blood knight didn’t automatically grant me permission to enter the academy whenever I wanted.

Fine.

I had already submitted an official application to the council demanding an exception.

If they wanted to keep debating procedures, they could do that without me. But one thing had become painfully clear after the attack.

Moonveil Academy had failed to protect her.

So I would protect her myself. Exactly as I had always been meant to.