Headmaster Varden doesn't waste time with pleasantries. "Last night, there was an uncontrolled essence manifestation in your office. Specifically, Mr. Wilder transformed into a creature that, according to all documented records, should not exist. This transformation resulted in fire spreading through multiple rooms, causing structural damage, and created a panic among the student body."
The bonds along my arm prickle with uncertainty as confusion takes over my expression. Nothing was damaged when we left my office. No one was even around after it happened. I chance a glance back at Stellan, who’s mildly freaking out, and then to Harlow before constructing a lie that is either going to get us in trouble or create a way out. "With respect, Headmaster, the manifestation was not uncontrolled. Stellan transformed deliberately and maintained complete awareness throughout. No one was injured, and the fire was contained entirely within my office. As for structural damage, phoenixes are made of fire. Some heat damage was inevitable, but nothing that can't be repaired."
One of the other staff members, the water elemental, scoffs before standing up. He moves to the desk and opens a folder in front of Varden, then places several pictures side by side showing the supposed fire damage. I recognize many of the spaces as Tamara's office, Azriel's quarters, even sections of the east dormitory wing.
My stomach drops. None of that was anywhere near my office. None of that was anywhere near where Stellan transformed.
"Phoenixes are not a recognized essence type," the water elemental continues. "They're mythological creatures,legends. Stellan's fire as a fire elemental is clearly out of control. The evidence speaks for itself."
I step forward, my voice hardening even as I try to swallow my anger. "That evidence is fabricated. Stellan transformed in myoffice. My office is in the counselor wing, on the opposite side of the building from the east dormitories. There's no possible way his fire could have—"
"Are you accusing the Council's representatives of falsifying evidence?" The water elemental's eyes narrow dangerously.
The room temperature drops as Harlow's essence responds to the implicit threat. Rumi's anger flares, gold and black crackling at the edges of my vision.Shit.
Varden raises a hand before anyone can escalate. "What Mr. Bardot is pointing out,correctly, is that there may be some confusion about the source of the damage." His voice comes out with a diplomatic tone. "We've had multiple essence incidents over the past weeks. It's possible the damage being attributed to Mr. Wilder actually occurred during a different disturbance."
The spirit elemental with gray-streaked hair shakes her head. "The timing correlates with last night's manifestation. Our instruments detected—"
"Your instruments detected a massive essence surge," Varden interrupts, glancing back at her. I can’t read the expression on his face but it comes off as annoyance. "As did everyone in the academy. That doesn't prove causation." He turns to look at us, and for just a moment, I catch something else in his expression: a warning.Be careful.
The water elemental gathers the photos with barely concealed irritation. "Regardless of the damage, the transformation itself is the issue. Phoenixes are not—"
"We've established that point," Varden pushes out. "Let's move forward."
But I can't let it go. As the meeting continues, I keep thinking about those photos. Someone took them. Someone compiled them into that folder. Someone decided that Stellan would be blamed for damage that occurred nowhere near him. Worse,someone could have just set a fire that had nothing to do with essence at all.
This isn't just about control or classification. Someone is actively building evidence against us.
I search for a response, trying to maintain some kind of respect even though I know there’s no upside to this conversation. There will be no good outcome and there will be even more pressure on Stellan than before. The moment they figure out I’m more than what they think and the rest of my mates are as well…
I take a deep breath and steel my shoulders, trying to draw on the essence of my mates to stay strong. “Those control measures are a farce. Magila students are losing their essence entirely in this place or finding themselves targeted because of things they can’t control. Just recently, there seemed to be an influence on some of their essence that caused them to act out of no fault of their own. Maybe those mysterious circumstances and forces should be controlled first.”
Varden shoots me a hard look that has me taking a step back, right into Jade’s chest. He gently grips both of my arms, the ghost of his breath across the back of my neck sending a shiver down my spine.Fuck, it’s not the right time.Unfortunately, my body doesn’t get the hint and Jade’s fear is manifesting in need.
I slowly pull away from him, biting back the whine sitting on the tip of my tongue just as Tamara finally speaks, her voice carefully neutral. "What the staff istryingto say is that Stellan will need to demonstrate complete control over his essence and additional form before he can be cleared to remain at the academy in his current state."
Stellan's voice comes out smaller than usual and I twist around to see his pupils blown wide, his essence softly bleating around him. It’s a darker orange hue than usual, something likefear and anger mixed with sadness. "My current state? What other state would there be?"
Another staff member, a spirit elemental with gray-streaked hair, answers. "Essence suppression. Or in extreme cases, complete essence stripping."
The room goes deathly silent.
I brace myself for one of my mates to react, knowing that instinctually, none of us is going to allow that to happen. Rumi's anger spikes further before anyone speaks but underneath the anger, there's something else. Something cold that doesn't feel entirely like him. The black threads in his golden aura writhe and twist, more agitated than I've seen them since the night Dmitri's attack first awakened whatever lives inside him.
His expression flickers, jaw tightening like he's biting back words. Or maybe biting back something else entirely.
Jade snarls, his aura flaring purple and his eyes going fully demonic—black voids of nothingness. "You arenottouching him."
The temperature in the room plummets as Harlow's essence responds to the threat, frost spreading across the windows. Fuck, this is bad. Rumi's essence starts to manifest, his golden aura crackling around him with strips of black mist that speaks of darkness. Ambrose's shadows deepen, a strain of green winding through the room, threatening to do damage.
Varden raises a hand. "That will be all. I'll handle this matter from here." The strength in his voice halts my mates’ essence, the frost and excess energy in the room just…disappearing.It’s rather unnerving as I hold my breath, bracing myself for the worst.
The water elemental looks like he wants to protest. "Headmaster, the Council sent us to..."
"And I will report to the Council accordingly," Varden says, his tone leaving no room for debate. "You're dismissed."
The staff members exchange glances but file out one by one. Tamara lingers near the door, her expression torn, but Varden's sharp look sends her out as well. The door clicks shut behind her, leaving just the six of us alone with the headmaster, the temperature in the room shifting into something darker. The shadows in the corners of Varden's office deepen, stretching toward our group like reaching fingers.
