Kat sat up, his gaze frantically searching Xavier. “Xav, are you all right?”
Xavier burst into sobs as he wrapped his arms around his mate and squeezed.
“Let me check him.” Melcori’s voice broke through Xavier’s crying fit. He stepped back, reluctantly releasing his mate.
Melcori waved a hand over Kat and studied the glow that appeared over his body. “Excellent work, Xavier. I declare your Mastery complete.”
“What? What about the tests?”
Melcori scoffed. “Those are only to get you to focus on your work. The project is the only thing you must finish. Since I witnessed its success, you only need to write down the results, and we’ll submit them.” He squeezed Xavier’s shoulder. “Congratulations.”
“What about Jared?”
“He’s fine. I sent a healer to check on him.”
“No, what about my time you promised to him?”
Melcori’s aged face wrinkled in a smile. “I lied. I wanted you to meet your brother.”
Xavier hugged the old mage.
Melcori allowed it for a minute before he pushed him away. “Don’t get mushy on me. You know I can’t handle emotions.”
Kat offered a tentative smile to the Blood Mage Master. “I don’t know where Rance went.”
“He and his mother are in my office. I was at the new Grove site when that monster came to the castle. I’m sorry I wasn’t here to save you.” He brightened. “Luckily, you are both capable young men.”
Xavier didn’t know how capable almost dying made them, but he wouldn’t argue. Melcori might take back his mastery.
Melcori patted Xavier on the shoulder. “Trade places. I want to see if I can work your runes. It will go a long way toward the others accepting your mastery.”
“What’s wrong with Xavier?” Kat immediately got to his feet.
Xavier took his place.
“A broken ankle and maybe a torn knee.” Melcori fixed the few smudged runes, then repeated Xavier’s chanting.
Xavier was pleased to leave the circle with only a minor tingling in his bones. He rotated his ankle without pain. “Works.” He didn’t try to hide his smile at the announcement, followed by a yawn. Damn, he was tired.
“Can we see Rance now?” Kat asked.
“Yes, come, you two. We’ll discuss negotiations with the dryads. Killing Blight didn’t solve all their problems.”
Xavier nodded. “Even without Octavia, several of them didn’t want a male dryad in their mix, and I don’t think Blight helped the cause of the Green Men.”
“I don’t think so either,” Melcori agreed.
“Where does that leave Rance?” Kat asked.
None of them had an answer. They were barely a few feet into Melcori’s office when Rance slammed into Kat and wrapped his arms around him like a koala. “I thought you were dead.” The teen sniffled into Kat’s shoulder.
“Shh, I’m fine.” Kat patted his back while Xavier stepped around to take his usual spot.
“The gems are yours.”
Xavier turned to Talula. “What?”
“You saved our lives, and your mate is willing to take in my son. I can’t in good conscience give them to Melcori, not after he burned down the Grove, but I can grant them to you. If you are willing to do us a favor.”
