I shook my head. “Well, let’s hope I can live up to that now.”
We passed through a garden area, with stone benches and fountains. Several students were out and about, and they stopped to watch as we passed by.
“So is it true you can talk to snakes?” His gaze darted to my carrying case, which had Noodle’s name etched into the side.
“This is Noodle,” I said, opening the case slightly for Will to peek inside. “And yes, I can talk to him. Though sometimes I wish I couldn’t. He thinks he knows everything.”
‘I heard that,’Noodle hissed indignantly.
Will’s eyes were wide. “Incredible... Can we hear him too?”
“No, it’s telepathic. Just between us.”
“Amazing. Familiar bonds are so rare. We only have one student at this school, aside from you now, I guess, who has one. What about portals and starlight weapons? Can you really do all that?”
I hesitated. Exactly how much did these people know about me? What the hell was I walking into? “Yes.”
“Sorry,” he said quickly, noticing my change in tone. “I’m asking too many questions. Professor Winters says I do that.”
“It’s okay,” I assured him, but I was secretly relieved when he fell silent for a moment.
We emerged from the trees, and I got a proper view of Imperium’s layout. The academy spread out across acres of forested land. There were thirteen towers of different heights and styles rising up from a central building. Some looked castle-like with weathered stone and narrow windows, while others were newer with elegant spires and large glass panels. The whole school looked like it was cobbled together by fifty different architects who couldn’t decide on a theme.
“The towers were built over several centuries,” Will said, following my gaze. “Each one corresponds to a zodiac designation. Yours is actually one of the oldest.” He pointed to a tower of dark stone covered in ivy in the distance. “It was built during the academy’s founding but was empty for most of our history.”
“Waiting for me, apparently,” I murmured, feeling a strange chill run through me.
“The prophecies said the Ophiuchus would return one day. I suppose they weren’t just a bedtime story after all.”
I stared at him, something turning over in my stomach. “Prophecies?”
Will’s eyes widened. “Oh no, did I say too much? I thought surely the Assembly would have told you about it.”
“They didn’t tell me much of anything, other than how to efficiently slaughter the bane.”
He looked genuinely shocked. “But... How were you supposed to understand your own power?” Before I could answer, a bell tolled in the distance. Will glanced toward the sound, then back at me. “We should get you settled.”
He adjusted his grip on my bags and continued along the path. “Each zodiac designation has its own tower, like Winters said. But as shields form, members often move to shared quarters, like what you’re used to at Dominion, usually moving into whichever dorm their axis lives in.”
“And Ophiuchus Tower shares a common room with Scorpio?”
Will nodded. “The towers are paired based on magical compatibility. Scorpio and Ophis have always been considered sister designations.”
My heart gave a twinge as Draco’s face flashed behind my eyes.
As we walked, Will continued his enthusiastic tour of Imperium, stopping to point out important landmarks or explain the history of certain buildings. The school was old, established long, long before Dominion.
“And that’s the Great Hall,” Will said, gesturing to a huge stone building with towering stained-glass windows and a small courtyard out front of the double doors. “We take meals there, though there are smaller dining and parlor rooms throughout campus for when you want more privacy.”
“It’s beautiful. I feel like I’ve gone back in time or something.”
I wanted to love Dominion too, and I had, having fallen in love with the library on the first day, but that turned out to be a bust. Maybe it was a good idea to remain detached.
We reached the base of Ophiuchus Tower, and next to it was a smaller stretch of building that connected it to what I presumed was the Scorpio dorm. A narrow door was set into the dark stone, and above it, carved into the lintel, was the symbol of Ophiuchus—a serpent eating its own tail, right next to a scorpion.
“Home sweet home,” I muttered, stepping inside the unlocked wooden door.
Instead of the dusty, abandoned space I’d imagined, the circular room was warm and welcoming. A fire crackled in a stone hearth, casting dancing shadows on walls lined with bookshelves. Comfortable furniture was arranged in clusters, and a spiral staircase wound upward along the tower’s inner wall on both sides, leading to each tower.
