I'd hoped to never run into her again. “I take it you know each other?” I asked, keeping my voice light. Violet glanced at me, her eyes twinkling with a hint of mischief. “Of course. Olivia was one of my mentees at the Academy, for Governance and Diplomacy.” I blinked at that. "You… were a TA.
Theodore They talked the whole walk to the restaurant, Violet never removed her hand from mind, and she walked in between me and Olivia. I could see that Olivia was irritated by it by the occasional looks she would shoot me, but I ignored them. The restaurant was closer than I expected. I opened t
Violet set her fork down, her smile as polite as ever. “Well, I’m glad to have your support. It’s always encouraging to know others are invested in justice.” I couldn’t tell if she was being genuine or sarcastic. Probably both. “And the Shelter project,” Olivia added, turning her attention to me
Theodore After lunch, we parted ways, Olivia with a charming, underhanded farewell that Violet didn't address or appear to notice. As Violet and I walked back down the street toward the tailor shop. The city’s streets bustling around us, I finally broke the silence. “You didn’t mention the unive
Or… opportunistic. "Hey." I looked up, noting the look on her face. Violet must have read the concern on my face because she added, “It’s not our fight—not yet, and it's still a while out. It's just something to keep in mind going forward.” I nodded. "Right. I just… never imagined I'd be specula
Theodore We took a short detour in what looked like a post office, but it was unlike any post office I'd ever seen. The air felt charged with magic, and I figured that had something to do with it. By the time we stepped back into the tailor shop, the day was starting to head toward the evening. A
“Don’t take it personally. She’s guarded about it for… obvious reasons." I frowned, then I realized that he wasn't wearing anything that would usually be worn on this side of the border. My heart quickened. He was from the other side of the border. "The rest of us can't wait to meet you.” “I'm
Theodore I blinked, caught between skepticism and an overwhelming warmth at the gesture. “You’re cooking for me?” “Don’t sound so surprised,” she teased, opening another jar. “I can be domestic when it suits me.” I couldn’t help but laugh. “My mouth is already watering in anticipation…" “You’ll
Violet’s POVPart of me wondered it not worrying Theo was an excuse. If the years with Lucas not being the partner I needed had subconsciously trained me to stay independent. To never lean on anyone, even temporarily, because they couldn’t be trusted to hold me up. Even still, Theo was right. So I
We pulled out of our kiss, my head dizzy with love and hope. We would find the answers we needed. We would find a future together.“You said there were answers to four questions.” I looked between the two of them, tallying the three they’d already shared. “What’s the fourth?”Violet thought for a mo
Theodore’s POV“Alari, please wake up!”I held Violet’s head in my lap, her jaw terrifyingly slack. I dared a glance at the High Priestess who had collapsed in a heap at the same time that Violet’s body had gone completely limp. “High Priestess?!”This wasn’t happening.I reached for my phone, thank
Theodore’s POVIn one breath, the love of my life laying still in the grass let out a gut-wrenching scream and the High Priestess dropped to her knees. I lunged for my wife but was thrown back by an invisible force. When I pulled myself upright, the High Priestess had a hand outstretched, clearly us
Auntie folded her hands in front of her. “Altrosis is an attempt to control magic enough to pin it down and examine it. One could more easily pin down the wind.”As if to illustrate her point, a cool breeze swept through the clearing, though not a hair on Auntie’s head swayed in its drift.“Magic is
Violet’s POVThe jungle outside the village my family lived in was beautiful. It was lush and alive, humming with magic like the air itself was breathing. I had only visited this village and its surrounding area a few times in my life, but I’d always made time to come stand among the ferns and frond
By the Goddess, Violet had been right to send me down here. When we pulled out of the hug, she cupped my face in her hands, worry clouding her eyes. “Are you safe, boy?”My brows furrowed in confusion. She sighed and let go of my face.“I’m sorry, I’ve just always worried for you so, especially aft
Theodore’s POVIt felt wrong walking away from Violet when we had so little time together as it was. But she did need to rest. And she had made a good point about whoever knew my mom possibly having answers we needed.Marcy led me to the front porch and the woman who waited there. “If you’d like to
Theodore’s POVMy chest constricted at Marcy’s words and at the sympathy in her eyes that I hadn’t seen before this moment. Someone who knew my mother…My stomach churned with emotions: the pain of my mother’s loss, the joy in possibly finding out more about her, and the fear of Violet’s and my futu