Chairs shifted as everyone began to stand, the meeting clearly over.
I sighed, pushing to my feet. “On that note, I’m going to go see my mate before she has class.”
Sabine rolled her eyes, but the corner of her mouth twitched. “I will never get used to you and my daughter being mates.”
I winked at her. “I’ll never get used to you being my mother-by-mating. Considering I’m older than you.”
She snorted.“Technicalities.”
Dante chuckled under his breath.
Rowan shook his head, amused, smoke curling lazily from his lips.
I stepped back from the table and snapped my fingers. A teleportation circle opened under my feet. The sigils flared in bright blue and green, the air warping before swallowing me whole.
The council chamber vanished in a rush of air and warped light. The roar of magic in my veins took over as I teleported to my fated mate.
The matebond hummed with longing in my chest, and it didn’t stop until Rune was wrapped in my arms.
rune
. . .
Standingin Apex Simulator 2.6 again felt right.
The chamber hummed around us, wards thrumming beneath my suit-clad feet. The overwhelming scent of magic filled the simulator just as it always had.
This was mylastyear at this Academy. I’d finally made it to year four. No more textbook learning and no more shadowing missions.
I was finally able to prove myself.
I had House Cooperation with Jarvins once again, and our squad had stayed the same as last year. The list of our squad members and our roles lit up in glowing script in the air above Jarvins.
RUNE BLOODWYNE – SPY
DIMITRI NOCTURNUS – SPY
IVY BENSON – ENFORCER
SOLON RYK – ENFORCER
SYLVER SEAVYRN – MAGICAL SPECIALIST
KATIE MORNWICK – INTELLIGENCE ANALYST
SLATER HAVOC – TECH SPECIALIST
ZUKO VYRE – TORTURE EXPERT
ELEANOR FAWNMERE – DIPLOMAT
KOA ASHBOURNE – HEALER
We had all worked well together last year, and we were one of two squads that hadn’t lost anyone in the simulation missions yet.
Jarvins stood in front of the holographic control panel in the center of the chamber, a twig in his mouth like always. The control console floated around him in a ring of glowing sigils.
He smirked at us, black eyes glinting. “You need to focus on making it to graduation this year,” he said, twig bobbing as he talked. “However, since the humans are causing a lot of issues in today’s climate, the other House professors and I have developed a new simulation to prep you for the current conditions.”
