She looks up from her desk and—
She actuallysmileswhen she sees me. “Miss Vandermere, please come in.”
I step into the office, and my gaze goes to the iguana, who’s napping in a patch of sunlight coming through the office window.
“Take a seat.”
After lowering my bookbag to the floor, I sink into the chair across from Professor Azula’s desk. Her hair, which isusually pulled back into a smooth tight bun, is wrapped up on top of her head and skewered through with a hair stick. Two red curls frame her face, and everything about her looks softer, like the coming spring has gentled her.
It’s both comforting and incredibly odd.
Professor Azula sits back in her chair and taps something lying on her desk. My gaze flicks to it, and I immediately recognize the seal: It’s from the Arcanum Collective.
My mouth goes dry, and I swallow hard.
Deep inside my chest, there’s a sudden burst of comforting warmth, and I know it’s from Severin, wherever he is in the castle.
Since our last feed, the blood bond has only continued to strengthen, like it’s still stretching out its roots, twining our two souls together. And with it, I never feel alone, because he’s always only a heartbeat away.
“You heard from the collective?” I ask.
Professor Azula nods once. “I did.” She lifts the envelope and hands it across the desk to me. “Read it.”
I take the envelope in trembling hands. It’s thick, and for a moment, I just hold it, my thumb brushing over the collective’s insignia.
This is it. This is the culmination of everything I’ve worked for this year.
“Go on, Maeve,” Professor Azula says, her voice soft and coaxing.
I take a deep breath. Then I remove the letter from the envelope and unfold it.
My eyes trace the first line. Then the second. Then the third. With each word I read, my muscles coil tighter and tighter.
“I’ve... been accepted,” I whisper. I almost can’t believe the words even as they leave my lips. My gaze flicks up to Professor Azula’s. “They’ve picked me for the fellowship.”
I did it.
My fingers tighten on the page, and moisture floods into my eyes.
They picked me. This fall, I’ll be at the Arcanum Collective, continuing my work with energy magic.
“I...” A single tear slips from my eye. “I can’t believe it.”
Professor Azula pushes to her feet and comes around the desk. “I can,” she says, and when I look up at her, she’s smiling. “Congratulations, Maeve. You deserve this. And I know you’re going to do amazing things.”
Between one moment and the next, I’m on my feet, wrapping my arms around the stoic fire professor. She lets out a startled breath, and the iguana opens one eye to look at us. But after a moment, she laughs, her arms coming around me in a warm embrace.
“Thank you,” I say. “For being my mentor this year. For believing in me.”
“You don’t have to thank me for that.” She squeezes me, then steps back, taking me by the shoulders. “This was all you, Maeve. Even that essay.” Her lips quirk up on one side. “I advised you against it, but you did what felt right, and the board responded well.” She smiles bigger now, her crimson eyes crinkling in the corners. “This year, you’ve grown into your power, and I can’t wait to see what you accomplish with it.”
I reach up to wipe my eyes, then let out a small laugh. “Hopefully I won’t let anyone down.”
“Impossible.” She releases my shoulders and moves behind her desk. Then, with an arched brow, she says, “You’ve too much spark for that.”
I laugh again. “Thank you, Professor.”
She settles behind her desk. “Well, I believe you have some friends waiting to hear the good news. And I’ve more papers to grade, so if you will...” She gestures to the doorway.
