Phoenix and Theo stepped through behind me, the portal closing with a soft whoosh as they emerged.
“She anchored to you,” Theo explained to Lucas, whose expression had shifted from surprise to something much less appropriate for a public space. Feeling my belly flip several times, I looked away from Lucas, though I could feel him running his eyes over me.
“We’ve been practicing all morning,” Phoenix explained to the others. “She’s a natural. I think she could probably portal to the city by next week if she keeps it up.”
“Think you could do it again right away?” Rowan asked, appearing from the equipment room with a towel slung around his neck, clearly having watched us from afar. “Portal to a person, I mean.”
I considered it. “Maybe. It took a lot more concentration than location-based portaling.”
“Try me. See if you can find my axis point. No cheating. Useme, not the distance.”
Oh I can think of several ways I could use you, Rowan…
The others stepped back, giving me space as I shook off my wayward imagination. I closed my eyes, focusing on Rowan—his booming laugh, his long curly dark hair, the way his eyes crinkled at the corners when he smiled.
The portal formed faster this time, growing to full size with barely any effort on my part. I opened my eyes to see it shimmering before me.
“That was bloody quick,” Theo said and whistled appreciatively.
I stepped through the portal, emerging just inches from Rowan. He grinned down at me. “Hmm, I could have too much fun with this new development.”
The portal closed behind me without my conscious direction, as if it had served its purpose and was no longer needed.Something about the way Rowan was looking at me made my heart race, and I took a small step back to clear my head.
“I think that’s enough practice for today,” Phoenix said, moving to stand beside me. “You don’t want to overextend yourself the first time out.”
“Yeah, uh, probably a good idea.” Rowan was still staring at me, and it took all of my effort to turn away. “Coffee anyone?”
Over the following days,my portaling skills improved dramatically. With each practice session, I could create larger, more stable portals and maintain them for longer periods of time. I even managed to portal to the train station several miles away and back in a matter of seconds.
I attended my classes, went to training every morning, and had meals with the Stardust guys. All in all, I was starting to get used to the new routine. But at night, alone in my tower room, I couldn’t escape the persistent tug of the Nightfall bond. Even with them back across the ocean, the connection remained, stretching between us like an unbreakable thread.
Tonight, I sat cross-legged on my bed with yet another ancient book spread open before me. The restricted archives had yielded a treasure trove of texts about the Ophis designation. Some were written in languages I couldn’t decipher, but others contained information that both fascinated and terrified me.
“Listen to this, Nood,” I said, tracing my finger along a particularly disturbing passage.“’The severing of an axis bond, once fully formed, exacts a terrible price from all parties involved. The axis bears the brunt of the spiritual wound, but all bonded warriors will suffer greatly. Death is not uncommon among those who attempt the ritual.’”
Noodle lifted his head from where he was coiled on my pillow.‘Death is permanent. Bond-pain is temporary.’
“I know, but...” I turned the page, revealing detailed illustrations of the ritual. My stomach lurched at the images of contorted bodies, faces frozen in agony. “It says here that if even one person survives the severing, the others connected to the bond will likely perish. The magical backlash is too severe.”
‘You care if they perish?’
I closed the book with a heavy sigh. “I hate them for what they did to me. But do I want them dead? No. I don’t think I could live with that.”
The realization settled over me like a cold, soggy blanket. Despite everything, I couldn’t bring myself to attempt a ritual that might kill Percy, Aiden, Draco, and Eris. Even if it meant being tethered to them forever.
‘Then find another way.’
“I’m trying,” I muttered, gathering up the books and shoving them into my bag. “I need some fresh air. Want to come?”
Noodle slithered up my arm in response, settling comfortably around my arm. He was starting to get a bit too big for my wrist, and soon we were going to have to work something else out.
I grabbed my jacket and headed down the spiral staircase, nodding to a few Scorpios studying by the hearth as I passed through the common room. Outside, the evening was mild, the setting sun painting the sky in shades of orange and pink. I wandered toward the grove, drawn to its peaceful solitude. Finding a sturdy oak with low-hanging branches, I hoisted myself up, settling on a thick limb about eight feet off the ground.
From this vantage point, I could see most of the campus grounds bathed in the golden glow of sunset. I pulled out one ofthe books I’d brought from my bag and opened it, balancing it on my thighs as Noodle slipped down to explore the tree.
He darted back and forth, occasionally striking at bugs that hovered near the leaves. I watched him with a smile, marveling at how he’d adapted to our new surroundings. He seemed more active here, more engaged than he had been at Dominion.
‘I am the winner,’he hissed excitedly, lunging at a small glowing insect.‘I’m death…’
