Page 49 of The Stone Secret
His dark eyes sharpened in concern. “Do you need to sit down?”
The heat dissipated, leaving me cold. “I’m okay. It’s gone. Weird.”
“The weird feeling from the omega moon?” Touron asked.
I nodded.
Curi’s grip on my hand tightened. “In that case, you better stay close.” He tucked me under his arm and dropped another kiss on my head.
Shar arched a brow. “You’re really getting into this, aren’t you, Mason?”
“I don’t do anything by halves, Aziza.”
The main building came into view where Blake and Flora Yarrow stood on the steps, chatting to Levi.
“What are they doing out here?” Palia said. “It’s time for class.”
Several goyles from the other dorm trooped out of the building to pool at the bottom of the steps. Our group of goyles might have entered the academy together, but the classes were for all cadets preparing for the cadet exam. The faces were familiar now, but the names still eluded me.
Levi’s attention zeroed in on me as we approached, completely ignoring Curi. He half smiled, that cocky smile of his that used to make my insides melt with heat. There was no denying the flutter in my belly, but it was muted by my beast.
“Gather ’round!” Yarrow waved us all over. “We’ll be taking our lesson outdoors this afternoon.”
My heart dipped. Were we going off campus? So far, leaving had resulted in death and danger. My apprehension must have shown on my face because Levi’s eyes narrowed.
He stepped forward. “We’ll be staying on campus. We simply need a little more space.”
He was reassuring me. Being there for me just like he’d been for the past year. I was an ass for hurting him. Everything would be so much easier if I could tell him.
I pressed closer to Curi, and he dipped his head and grazed my temple with his lips, sending a shiver through me. “You okay?” His voice was a gruff whisper.
“Peachy.”
“Everyone, follow Miss Yarrow. We’ll make up the rear. Head to Greenwood Forest.”
“What do you think we’ll be doing that needs space?” Palia asked.
“We’ll find out soon enough,” Sharniza replied.
* * *
This damn clearing.How many times had I been here now? I’d lost count. We stood against the tree line facing our tutors for the day. It looked like Supernatural Defense and Arcana were going to be working together. Flora stood to one side, clipboard and pen in hand. I caught her eye, and she smiled shyly.
We’d meant to have one-on-one lessons, but she was no longer on my timetable. I’d have to ask about that because my arcana was weak and my shields non-existent. If I was going to be an elite and pass that exam, surely I needed to have the best shields possible.
“Today we’ll be testing your shields against a manifested threat,” Yarrow said. “But first, Mr. Halle will show you how to harness the power of nature to fuel your natural shields.”
Levi took the floor, hands tucked into his pockets. His sleeves were rolled up, exposing more intricate tattoos—markings I’d spent hours tracing. Kissing. I swallowed the nostalgia that clogged my throat and focused on his words.
“I explained to you that pureblood druids can manipulate the elements of nature. Druid hunters can use nature to fight against threats. But as a halfblood, I never had that direct line. I learned to merge my shields with the elemental power around me and thus enhance them. You can do this too, not by taking from nature but by asking it for help. There’s power all around us. Nature is imbued with spirit, and you can speak to it. Today we’ll work on making that connection.” He nodded at Yarrow.
“I tested your shields in our last lesson,” Yarrow said. “Today I’ll be testing them again after you’ve attempted to connect with the elements around you.”
“As gargoyles, the earth is our strongest connection, followed by air,” Levi said. “We’ll test them both.” He lowered himself to the ground and sat cross-legged. “Everyone, sit and close your eyes.”
I parked my ass between Curi and Shar and closed my eyes.
“Feel the wind on your skin,” Levi said. “Hear the whispers of woodland life around you and smell the aroma of fresh earth and the hint of rain to come. Open your senses to the world and allow your beast to rise to the surface.”
