. . .
Headmaster Bloodwyne’soffice was intimidating. Floor-to-ceiling windows framed a slice of the mountains around us and the blue skies. The glass had a slight shimmer that wasn’t unlike all the other academy wards. It was like a heat mirage. Everything else was dark wood: shelves of old tomes and a dark brown rug so plush my feet sank half an inch.
Headmaster Bloodwyne sat behind a large desk with Sabine standing at his shoulder.
“Mr. Ashbourne,” Lake said, sounding like he’d rehearsed the exact warmth to use. “Congratulations on the entrance exams.”
“Thanks.” I kept my hands clasped behind me so I wouldn’t fidget.
“How’s the first year treating you?” His golden eyes, which Rune took after, bore into me. They had a much different effect on me than his daughter’s did, though.
“Great.” I smiled stiffly. “Learning a lot.”
Sabine didn’t bother with the soft start like her mate had. “Passing the entrance exam means you’re eligible totrain. It does not mean you’ll become an agent.”
I dipped my head in acknowledgement. “Understood.”
Lake steepled his fingers. “I’ve noticed a lot of your father in you.”
He let the sentence hang.
Sabine added, “We don’t know if that’s good or bad.”
My jaw tightened. “It’s a good thing,” I said before I could swallow it. “He’s a good man.”
“Koa,” Sabine sighed, “your father is a convicted traitor. You know this.”
“Convicted.” I rolled my eyes without meaning to. “He wasframed.”
“There was concrete evidence, Koa,” she whispered. “He was my friend before we found out the truth.”
“He didn’t betray anyone. He looked up to you, and you stabbed him in the back by throwing him in that fucking penitentiary,” I hissed. “As if what happened with the humans wasn’t bad enough. You didn’t trust him.”
“Watch how you speak to my mate.” Headmaster Bloodwyne’s growl reverberated through the office.
My mouth slammed shut.
Watch how you speak about my father.
“We did a full investigation,” he told me. “The only reason we’re humoring you is because of the respect we once had for your father. If there’s any possibility we’re wrong, we’ll admit it.”
“You are being watched closely.” Sabine’s gaze didn’t flinch. “That’s a fact, not a threat.”
“That’s fine,” I answered easily. “I expected as much.”
Lake tilted his head. “You’re getting close to Rune.” He let the implication sit between us. “She’s our limit.”
“I hear you,” I said, which wasnotthe same as agreeing to stay away from her.
My pulse hammered hard in my veins. My magic stirred, and I knew even it didn’t want to be away from her.
His smile vanished. “Good. That will be all.”
I was halfway down the corridor of the academy before my shoulders finally relaxed. By the time I hit the fresh air, my lungs cried out in relief. I cut across the bridge to the first-year house, walked in, and blew past the living room where my squad was spread out with notes and academic arguments and went into my room.
Ragnar, my sweet not-so-little tortoise, was already halfway up my book pile toward the window when I walked in, head stretched out, committed to a jailbreak.
“Ragnar,” I sighed, scooping him up before he face-planted. “We’ve talked about your lack of upper body strength. You can’t escape.”
