Page 425 of Axis of Fire

My mind immediately seized the moment, shaping the magic into something more...

Something tangible.

Flames burst from my hands, cascading across the arena floor before rising into the shape of rolling waves.

As I curled my fingers, the waves grew taller.

When I relaxed them, they gently receded.

I had no idea why this was the form I'd chosen to demonstrate my control.

Maybe sharing a room with a water mage had influenced me more than I'd realized.

Or maybe...

I simply liked the contrast.

When it felt like enough, I lifted my other hand.

The moment my palms came together, the fiery waves collapsed into glowing embers before disappearing completely.

My eyes found Airis's immediately.

There was pride in them.

And in that instant...

My heart began to sing.

"Very good," Eugene said simply.

Without making a bigger deal of it, he called the next student forward.

I returned to my seat.

The people waiting there smiled at me.

Somehow...

They no longer felt like strangers.

Stasia wiggled her eyebrows, grinning like the Cheshire Cat.

"That was absolutely incredible."

The moment I sat down, she leaned closer and whispered,

"And the way your eyes lit up when you looked at Airis..."

She smirked.

"We could've turned off every light in this arena and still seen perfectly."

I rolled my eyes and nudged her lightly with my elbow.

Her laughter only grew louder.

Heat rushed straight into my cheeks.