Tangled

Unshift 224

Unshift 224

224 Ava The Fae Ward (V

224 Ava: The Fae Ward (VI)

"Magister Orion." A little concerned at how the strange man who claims to be my teacher will respond to my next words, I brace myself once more for the flood of emo..ons that might roll off him. *I understand your wish for me to stay here and learn from you, but it is impossible for me to stay here for as long as you wish. And with my wolf unable to tolerate your wards, it makes it even more impractical."

Wiw be fwine.

"No, it won't be."-

Magister Orion's brow furrows as he scrutinizes Selene, his gaze sharp and assessing. The air thickens with tension.

Finally, he turns to me, his expression unreadable.

"If you cannot remain here in the Fae Ward, Ava Grey, then it is my duty as your mentor to go where you go."

Layla and Tinker erupt into a chorus of protests, their voices overlapping in a cacophony of disbelief.

"Magister Orion, you can't be serious!" Layla exclaims, her eyes wide with shock. "Leaving the Fae Ward? Impossible. Your request would be rejected on the spot!"

Tinker nods vigorously, her mechanical wings fluttering in

agitation. "She's right, Magister. The Fae Ward is your domain. To leave its sanctuary is little better than," and her voice lowers to a whisper, "suicide!"

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224 Ava: The Fae Ward (VI)

But Magister Orion is unmoved by their objections. He rises to his full, imposing height, his voice booming like thunder. "Enough! This goes beyond convention. I will not leave my chance at a student behind." Watching the argument unfold, my stomach twists with unease. The idea of Magister Orion accompanying me back to the pack

lands fills me with dread.

proven animosity toward the wolves. If an incident were to occur, would we be

can feel their apprehension radiating off them in

to Magister Orion, my voice carefully measured. "Magister Orion, forgive me for asking, but how can you handle being on

wolves?"

"My personal feelings are irrelevant," he says, his tone clipped. "What matters is the

nod slowly, trying to process his words. Having to use the word endure when thinking

time? Once a week?" The horror on his

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Ava: The

at my feet,

sneezes once more.

"Three times?"

taught, child. It's a daily exercise." He rubs between his eyebrows with a sigh. "If only the Crone's teachings weren't

trying to warn me

The witches of old." His voice resonates through the room, taking on the cadence of a professor in a lecture hall. "They carried great weight on the shoulders of three priestesses who

Orion's words settle in the air, heavy

of Life is someone I've never heard of;

God. Some few in the area even speak of Allah, but my father forbade me from

hint of amusement creeping into his tone, "though none of

boring. Let me explain it to

me, her lilac eyes sparkling. "You see, Ava, the Crone

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994 as thetsVard (V)

ancient book passed down through the ages to their human successors. But the Crone disappeared from the earthly realm when all the gods did, which is considered the beginning of the downfall of magic" The doom resonating in her last few

which is absolutely

a conspiratorial whisper. "Some say the Crone's book is still out there, hidden away, waiting for the right person to find it. Others

cutting

"But Magister, your lecture are so dry! Nobody wants to listen to

actually found

of knowledge." Waving her off with one massive hand, he ignores her scowl as she