The sharp, dismissive edge in Susan’s voice sent a ripple of dry amusement through Leo Shaw. He leaned against the scorched remains of a mahogany pillar, watching the interaction with the keen eye of a man who had spent his previous life navigating the treacherous waters of social intrigue. He had always appreciated a woman with a backbone of steel and a tongue of silver, and Susan—the legendary Headmaster of the Phoenix Academy—possessed both in abundance.
High above the Spirit Martial Academy courtyard, the two figures suspended in the air shifted their weight. Sage Hanks, the Head of the Azure Dragon Academy, winced slightly at Susan’s remark, a look of pained nostalgia crossing his refined, scholar-like features. It was the look of a man who had been rejected by the same woman for thr
