“And you’d prefer that authority not be your grandmother.”
I laughed and took another sip of the tea, which had an oddly calming effect, and I knew better than to ask what was in it. “That would be ideal.”
Stella lifted her cup and drank.
“You realize,” she said, “that inviting them inside doesn’t guarantee unity.”
“I know.”
She tapped her slender index finger on the table in a steady rhythm. “Doing this does guarantee proximity.”
“That’s the point.”
“But proximity amplifies both harmony and discord alike.”
“I know, but if we could share with them some of our magic…”
Stella nodded. “It would give us a distinct advantage. But it can’t just be about numbers.”
Her words hit hard because it was true. This couldn’t just be about getting enough fighters. They all had families and lives. It had to be about something more, and it was. Magic was meant to unify and bring together all of the world, from the stars and moon to the sun and trees and every walk of life in between.
Even Twobble’s latest…friend.
“If they remain outside our walls, imagination will fill the gap. Students will picture invasion from those outside, and shifters will assume rejection, while orcs expect hostility. If they’re inside, we’re forced to speak to one another.”
“Speak about what?” she asked.
“Protection. Territory. Shared threats.”
Stella tapped her nails against the table.
“You want to turn the Academy into a forum.”
“I want to turn it into a bridge.”
Keegan finally spoke. “She thinks it’s the only way to preempt what the Priestess is building.”
Stella’s gaze flicked to him, then back to me.
“And what exactly is she building?” Stella asked softly.
“Division,” I said. “Pressure. Fear. If enough creatures feel cornered, they’ll look for strength in one place. She’ll offer it. She’ll hand back the orcs their swamps and caves filled with food, but for a price. She’ll give shifters back their lands while creating new rites. You saw what they looked like”
“And you want to offer them choice.”
“Exactly.” I grinned, thumping the table just enough to make my tea slosh.
Stella smiled faintly. “You do enjoy impossible tasks.”
“It grew on me.”
She laughed softly.
“What about your students?” she asked. “They came for spells and self-discovery. I don’t think they expect interspecies diplomacy.”
I chuckled. “Well, when you put it that way, it sounds a little lofty.”
Keegan smiled and shook his head, and I caught his gaze. The warmth in his expression warmed me and gave me the courage to keep vocalizing.
