The academy buzzed with nervous energy the next morning. Students moved in tight clusters, voices low but urgent. Some looked at me with something close to awe. Others with barely concealed suspicion. Winning against Gideon, even partially, had made me more than just another student.
I sat at the edge of the courtyard with my notebook open, staring at blank pages. Caleb leaned against the stone railing beside me, watching the crowd.
"They're quiet. Too quiet."
"They're trying to figure out if I'm a threat or an opportunity."
He smiled slightly. "You're both."
My eyes drifted toward the training field where Darius stood talking to one of the combat instructors. Even from this distance, his presence pulled at something inside me. When his gaze flicked my way, the bond pulsed low in my c
