Milton did not try to argue with Rhobart as he dropped the shield. The Seeker sent a black fireball straight at him. Milton tried to stop it, but the dark spell hit him in the chest. He put his hands over his heart where the spell had hit and groaned loudly before falling to his knees. A heartbeat later, he plummeted face first into the snow. “Milton!” Ayla screamed. She had promised herself not to let anyone get hurt because of her stupid mistake, and now Milton was... dead. A few tears rolled down her cheeks, and she wiped them with the back of her hand as she stared at the Seeker. She was no longer afraid of making that sacrifice. She rushed to Milton and kneeled next to him, and rolled him onto his back. His right hand was still gripping the magic rune he used for attack spells, and Ayla grabbed it between her palms. She concentrated on her magic. On how it felt. “Is he still breathing?” Rhobart asked, his eyes still on the Seeker—who had stopped his attack for a moment as if

Ayla woke up in a throne room she had never seen before. Torches that cast a cold yellow light were placed on the walls. Where was she? She remembered fighting the Seeker and using all her mana to defeat him and the intense pain that followed. Then... nothing. She wondered if she was dead. Guilt filled her heart when she thought of how Rhobart must feel. However, she had had no choice but to use her magic to defeat the Seeker. If she were truly dead, then Inoss had not found her worthy of the Eternal Gardens. It was said that the Eternal Gardens was of such beauty it was hard to describe. All kinds of fruit trees and a plethora of flora flourished there. In the middle of the Eternal Gardens was the Palace of the Gods, in which Inoss and Addanos lived. Then where was she? Maybe she was not dead but only dreaming. But how could she be sure? At the far end of the room, placed on a dais, was a throne made of black marble with gold veins. A man was sitting on it. He was leaning bac

Rhobart growled, and Ayla swallowed hard. “You think I can’t tell you are lying? Is it because of your magic? If that’s so, then I am going to forbid you to use it!” Kerra hissed at Rhobart, and it sounded like a warning. While Ayla knew Rhobart was right, she could not let another man dictate the way she lived her life. She thought he was different, but in the end, he was like all men—controlling. She had been controlled all her life. No more! Ayla stared into his eyes. “Why do men always want to control me? First was my father, then Galian. Now you!” Rhobart opened his mouth to say something, but no sound came out. He looked at her for long moments. She regretted her words the moment they came out of her mouth. Rhobart had never tried to control her, if anything, he pushed her to do things—like riding, traveling around Nordmar, teaching her how to use a dagger, and many other things. His eyes turned to steel. “Why the fuck do you keep comparing me to them? That’s what you real

How did you know I was using magic?” Ayla asked Atlas. The twins were preparing the horses for traveling while Rhobart and Milton were writing on some parchments nearby. Ghost waited on a branch close to them. Ayla and Atlas remained on the logs in front of the campfire as Ayla still felt too exhausted to do anything other than sip the tea Milton had prepared for her. Atlas folded his arms over his chest, stretched out his legs, and toyed with one of his lip piercings. “In Tuhai, when a child turns eight years old, he is taken to the Air Palace. The Royal Mages will test the child for mana, and if he is found to have it, he will be sent to the monastery to learn how to control it. On some rare occasions, a child will be found to have, umm, let’s call it a gift. That child is sent to the Academy of War and Flying. Depending on the gift, he will either learn to be a spy, a ranger, or a Flying Knight. But to become a Flying Knight, a griffin hatchling has to choose the child as his ride

One of the gates opened, and a young Fire Mage with red hair appeared from behind it. He and Milton clasped their right forearms and hugged for a few moments. “My King! The Arch-Mage Semias received your parchment, and we have been waiting for your arrival,” Zayin said as he let go of Milton and took a step back. Rhobart dismounted. “Then we will go directly to him. Milton already knows the way.” “Let’s take the horses inside. The novices in charge of the stables will take care of them,” Zayin told Rhobart. Once Kerra and the horses were inside the Monastery’s courtyard, Zayin closed the gate. Three novices came and took the horses away. Grapevines grew near the courtyard’s entrance, and two novices were pruning them. Near the stables was a training area, and novices were practicing with their staffs or casting spells under the strict supervision of Fire Mages. Milton led everyone inside the Fire Monastery. The entrance was large, with a staircase that branched into two halfway