-Alexia-
The door to Headmistress Shade's office closed behind us with a weight heavier than its iron hinges. For a moment, I lingered in the corridor, breathing in the cool, almost antiseptic air, as though it could wash the suffocating tension from my lungs. Shade's words still clung to me like a second skin—Accords. Surveillance. Binding. Each syllable pressed against my ribs, squeezing in silent warning, reminding me that nothing would ever be simple again.
Finn walked stiffly beside me, the strap of his satchel digging into his shoulder, jaw set like unyielding stone. Every movement he made was deliberate, measured, controlled—a shield against the storm he clearly felt building inside him. Soren moved differently, quiet and grounded, each step deliberate, his calmness a tether for the chaos I felt swirling in my chest. And at my side, Zeus's presence was a living anchor. His large body brushed mine with a steady intimacy, every muscle coiled and ready, ears alert. I didn't need him to speak; the bond we shared carried his message with chilling clarity: Protect. Distrust. Mine.
We emerged into the courtyard, the sun spilling over cobblestones and worn benches in pale gold. Light should have eased my thoughts, but the heaviness in my chest refused to lift entirely. Still, the openness made it easier to draw a full breath, to remember that we were not trapped behind locked doors or hidden from sight.
"Alexia!"
The voice cut through the air like a blade, sharp and bright, bouncing off the stone walls and ringing across the courtyard. Kira stood near the fountain, her form silhouetted by sunlight, eyes scanning until they found mine. The instant they did, she was moving—swift, sure-footed, unhesitant. But she wasn't alone.
A boy walked beside her, auburn hair catching the light, gray eyes sharp and wary. His stance was careful, balanced, but not timid. Zeus stiffened immediately, the tension in his bond with me spiking, a low growl resonating in my chest. He didn't trust this stranger, and neither did I. His warning passed through the bond like a ripple in still water, and I felt my own pulse quicken in response.
The boy did not retreat. He simply paused, giving Kira the space to sprint forward. She collided with me in a hug, her warmth and relief pressing against my sides. Her hands gripped my arms, holding me steady, but her eyes remained alert, sharp. "Well? What did Shade say?"
Finn's exhale was harsh, almost a hiss. "Bad enough."
Soren's silence spoke louder than words ever could. The muscle in his jaw ticked, a quiet drum of tension. Zeus pressed closer, his steady heat brushing against me, a warning laced with unease. Danger. Not trusted.
Kira turned, tugging the boy slightly forward. "This is Rowan," she said, and her voice softened only slightly, the single word carrying the weight of trust. "My mate."
The word hit the air like a stone dropped into deep water. Even Zeus stilled, the snarl dying in his chest, though the thread of suspicion remained taut between us and Rowan. His eyes, dark and unwavering, never left the boy.
Rowan inclined his head with calm precision. "I don't know everything you're facing," he said, voice quiet but firm, steady as the earth beneath us. "But if Kira trusts you, then I stand with you."
The bond with Zeus flared again—sharp, protective, testing. Not enough. Not proven. His tail flicked low, a warning rather than acceptance.
Kira crouched slightly, brushing her fingers through Zeus's dark fur. "He's not a threat," she murmured, firm, unwavering. The sensation through our bond shifted, easing just enough. Wary. Watchful. But no longer edged with outright hostility. A grudging acceptance, the sort that demanded observation before trust.
Finn's eyes narrowed, calculating, measuring Rowan as if gauging the weight of a weapon. Soren's calm, immovable presence remained a constant undercurrent, but I felt his shoulder brush against mine briefly—a silent echo of Zeus's suspicion.
Rowan did not flinch under scrutiny. His hand brushed lightly against Kira's, a simple gesture that grounded him in the chaos. "I'm not here to fight," he said. "I'm a healer. My strength is keeping people standing when the world tries to break them."
Kira's lips curved with pride, her fierce light shining in her gaze. "And right now, that's exactly what we need."
I exhaled slowly, letting tension seep out of my chest in quiet waves. She was right. We had braced ourselves for confrontation, for resistance, for war. But none of that mattered if we broke first. Rowan's presence, steady and unwavering, offered a different kind of strength—not a weapon, not raw power, but balance. The thread that mended, the anchor when the world threatened to unravel.
My gaze swept across them all: Finn, sharp and restless; Soren, steady and unyielding; Kira, a blazing force of heart and will; Rowan, calm and resolute; and Zeus, my shadow, my shield, his presence bleeding into mine. Every surge of loyalty, every flicker of suspicion, reminded me I wasn't facing this alone.
For the first time since leaving Shade's office, something stirred that wasn't fear. Not certainty, not victory. But hope—fragile, trembling, alive.
"We stand together," I said, voice low but firm, meeting each of their eyes.
The words settled into the courtyard like a promise, a pact formed in light and shadow. Through our bond, Zeus's energy shifted, low and steady now—protective, vigilant, but no longer bristling. Ours.
Maybe we weren't enough yet. Maybe the fight ahead would test every ounce of strength and resolve we possessed. But for the first time, I understood that we were becoming something greater than the sum of our parts. Something unbreakable.
And if the Council thought chains and accords could bind us, they would soon learn the truth: We were not theirs to control.