I came to an abrupt halt.
Uh oh.
The shitstorm was here.
19
~Winter~
No.
I didn’t like this.
I didn’t want it to be this way.
But I’d been informed that it had to be.
Evira had asked me to stand down.
I’d been sitting in class as it had been about to start, then she’d sent a message in the Group Chat telling us that she’d been summoned by Draven back to the Dracoryn Realm immediately.
Because of me.
Because the secret of our relationship had now reached him and was even spreading rapidly all over that realm.
Well, and her being with Zayn and Vax.
But the two of them being with her wouldn’t be viewed as an issue. Zayn was a wielder of magical flame, something that was revered by dragons, especially the fire dragons over there. Vaxan was actual Basilisk Royalty and from a species that was greatly respected by the Dracoryn Realm for its resilience and adaptability.
Me? I was death. Unnatural. An abomination. A stain on their legacy, one which was all about life and vitality. Not to mention, the darkness associated with Necromancy itself.
I didn’t want Evira to have to handle the fallout of this alone.
Zayn had been up in arms about it as well.
Vax had understood the political mechanics of her needing to go into this solo.
And the bottom line was that whatshe’dwanted and needed was for us to stand aside and let her deal with it in her way.
I sucked in a breath as I stepped outside to get some air after myHybrid Dynamics & Magical Physiology(HICI Core)class had come to an end, where I’d been so distracted after the news, I’d barely taken any notes.Jeez.
I was also tense because yesterday I’d sent Ketheron that unknown magical substance that I’d captured, the thing that had been impacting my necromantic magic. He, Ariana, and Father had completed their check-in on the Celestial children, and nothing was amiss. All was well. Everyone was stable and happy and content in their lives.
Zayn had come up with a really sharp cover story for me to use with Ketheron, so he wasn’t alerted to the connection that the substance had to me specifically. But the moment I’d spoken to Ketheron on the phone, I hadn’t been able to follow through with it. The best I’d managed had still been technically true, claiming I’d encountered the strange substance as I’d been exploring the world beyond the confines of Loxley Academy, and I’d felt a similarity to Draco that had concerned me.
Apparently, Ketheron had been called upon to investigate somethingclassified,so we hadn’t been able to meet in person. Instead, he’d asked me to send it to him viamagical mail.
And now I was on tenterhooks about it.
I walked further out onto the campus grounds, intending to head toward one of the secluded spots to conduct a Ruminat in order to calm myself and recalibrate.
Zayn and Vax were in theirArcane & Elemental Synergyclass for another hour.
But then my phone started ringing, the sound jarring me as it tore through my troubled thoughts.
I pulled it from my hoodie pocket and sucked in a sharp breath when I took in the call display.
Ketheron.
