winced. That stain had never come out of the Pairing Chamber floor.
“Ah,” Headmaster Relvin said, wringing his hands nervously. “But—”
“The Oracle must have a reason for a Pairing so… unprecedented,” Landyn’s father said, placing a supportive hand on his wife’s arm. “We must trust its judgment.”
“Trust its judgment?” Connor’s father boomed. “My son is to be shackled to your—”
“Careful, Mage Roth,” Landyn’s mother said. The air went chilly and damp.
“—son,” Ivander Roth finished after a beat. Connor had never seen his father back down so quickly from one of his tirades. “This is unacceptable.”
“I fear we must accept it, Ivan,” Connor’s mother said, ever the voice of reason. She smiled, and a light breeze ruffled the hair on Connor’s head. “What else can we do? The boys will have to sort this out on their own.”
“Well, boys?” Headmaster Relvin said, drawing everyone’s attention back to them. “Perhaps we should let you two talk.” He glanced over his shoulder through the door that was still steaming gently. “I’d have you use my office, but I’m afraid it’s a bit… elemental at the moment.”
Landyn’s mother and Connor’s father looked chagrined.
“It’s all right. We’ll find a place to talk,” Connor said, standing and shooting Landyn a quelling look in case he decided to argue.
“Landyn?” Landyn’s mother questioned.
Landyn narrowed his eyes but only said, “It’s fine, Mother. We’ll work it out.”
Connor’s father cleared his throat. “I need to speak with my son first. Connor, with me, please.” He didn’t wait for a response but grabbed Connor’s arm firmly and drew him several steps away.
“Father—” Connor started.
“I am speaking,” his father said. “Despite your headmaster’s bumbling attempts at reassurance, I am not pleased with this outcome. I don’t know how you landed yourself in this situation, but you will not be the first Roth to fail the Trial. Do I make myself clear?”
“Yes, Father.”
“Good. I will return for the Trial if my schedule permits.”
He clasped a large, warm hand on Connor’s shoulder and squeezed hard. “You will succeed. You are my son.”
Coming from someone else, the words may have sounded like reassurance. To Connor they sounded like an order.
“Thank you, Father,” Connor said. “I won’t disappoint you.”
“Well,” his father said. “You will try your hardest not to, and that must be enough.”
Connor only nodded in reply, terrified his voice would break if he tried to speak. His eyes were hot with unshed tears, and he hated his own weakness. It wasn’t his fault the Oracle had Paired him with a water mage, but he knew his father expected him to take responsibility.
He felt a dull flush creep up his neck, knowing it would be obvious against his pale skin and dark hair. His father had the same coloring, but he had too much control to let his body betray his emotions.
A cool hand gripped Connor’s elbow, and he startled to find Landyn standing next to him. “Come on, Connor,” Landyn said, tugging at his arm. Connor felt his heated flush subside.
His father observed them with a speculative glint. “You will keep me posted of your progress,” he said.
“Of course,” Connor replied. Landyn’s fingers circled gently around the crook of his arm, and the soft touch made Connor feel strangely off-balance.
“Landyn,” said Landyn’s mother. “Write to us if you need any advice. Your father will come at a moment’s notice, but I must address an issue in the Borderlands that will keep me away for some months. I will try my best to resolve it before the Trial.”
“Dear Gods, not the Ferndell Lake again?” said Connor’s father. “Is that wyvern still causing trouble?”
“Yes, poisoning the headwater and—”
“A good fire spell would take care of that wyvern problem once and for all—”
“Certainly, if violence were your
“Ah,” Headmaster Relvin said, wringing his hands nervously. “But—”
“The Oracle must have a reason for a Pairing so… unprecedented,” Landyn’s father said, placing a supportive hand on his wife’s arm. “We must trust its judgment.”
“Trust its judgment?” Connor’s father boomed. “My son is to be shackled to your—”
“Careful, Mage Roth,” Landyn’s mother said. The air went chilly and damp.
“—son,” Ivander Roth finished after a beat. Connor had never seen his father back down so quickly from one of his tirades. “This is unacceptable.”
“I fear we must accept it, Ivan,” Connor’s mother said, ever the voice of reason. She smiled, and a light breeze ruffled the hair on Connor’s head. “What else can we do? The boys will have to sort this out on their own.”
“Well, boys?” Headmaster Relvin said, drawing everyone’s attention back to them. “Perhaps we should let you two talk.” He glanced over his shoulder through the door that was still steaming gently. “I’d have you use my office, but I’m afraid it’s a bit… elemental at the moment.”
Landyn’s mother and Connor’s father looked chagrined.
“It’s all right. We’ll find a place to talk,” Connor said, standing and shooting Landyn a quelling look in case he decided to argue.
“Landyn?” Landyn’s mother questioned.
Landyn narrowed his eyes but only said, “It’s fine, Mother. We’ll work it out.”
Connor’s father cleared his throat. “I need to speak with my son first. Connor, with me, please.” He didn’t wait for a response but grabbed Connor’s arm firmly and drew him several steps away.
“Father—” Connor started.
“I am speaking,” his father said. “Despite your headmaster’s bumbling attempts at reassurance, I am not pleased with this outcome. I don’t know how you landed yourself in this situation, but you will not be the first Roth to fail the Trial. Do I make myself clear?”
“Yes, Father.”
“Good. I will return for the Trial if my schedule permits.”
He clasped a large, warm hand on Connor’s shoulder and squeezed hard. “You will succeed. You are my son.”
Coming from someone else, the words may have sounded like reassurance. To Connor they sounded like an order.
“Thank you, Father,” Connor said. “I won’t disappoint you.”
“Well,” his father said. “You will try your hardest not to, and that must be enough.”
Connor only nodded in reply, terrified his voice would break if he tried to speak. His eyes were hot with unshed tears, and he hated his own weakness. It wasn’t his fault the Oracle had Paired him with a water mage, but he knew his father expected him to take responsibility.
He felt a dull flush creep up his neck, knowing it would be obvious against his pale skin and dark hair. His father had the same coloring, but he had too much control to let his body betray his emotions.
A cool hand gripped Connor’s elbow, and he startled to find Landyn standing next to him. “Come on, Connor,” Landyn said, tugging at his arm. Connor felt his heated flush subside.
His father observed them with a speculative glint. “You will keep me posted of your progress,” he said.
“Of course,” Connor replied. Landyn’s fingers circled gently around the crook of his arm, and the soft touch made Connor feel strangely off-balance.
“Landyn,” said Landyn’s mother. “Write to us if you need any advice. Your father will come at a moment’s notice, but I must address an issue in the Borderlands that will keep me away for some months. I will try my best to resolve it before the Trial.”
“Dear Gods, not the Ferndell Lake again?” said Connor’s father. “Is that wyvern still causing trouble?”
“Yes, poisoning the headwater and—”
“A good fire spell would take care of that wyvern problem once and for all—”
“Certainly, if violence were your
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