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“Will you four ever stop arguing?” Osias groans, scrubbing a hand over his face. “See what I have to deal with?”
My lips purse as I watch Octavia pat his arm sympathetically. Mateo huffs incredulously at them, and Adrian groans in annoyance.
I didn’t even say anything. How did I get dragged into this?
“Anyway,” I continue. “Max, do you mind?”
I nod towards the stone building where Olivia had her third trial. My stomach twists as memories flit through my mind. The uneasy feeling rears its ugly head again, reminding me of the moment Olivia stepped within those impenetrable walls, only to be transported into the forest at the end with Titus there waiting for her. It’s strange to think about that day now and how far we’ve come. Mateo, Maximus, Adrian, Osias, and I were here with Olivia, each of us reassuring her before the final trial. Now though, we have Octavia by our side, and Olivia’s brothers ...
I can’t help but glance at Titus, a mix of anger, confusion, and uncertainty churning in my gut as I try to reconcile that day with right now. We knew that the council had something up their sleeves when they made this building, and that they were working with Titus. We were apprehensive and on high alert for any sign of Titus, prepared to stop him before he took the chance to trap our mate again. And now, he’s here, saying he’s been on our side all along.
Titus doesn’t look back at me though; he and Kallen stand off to the side—Kallen looking off into the distance, probably wishing he was anywhere but here—but Titus watches Olivia, regret and sorrow creasing his features.
Olivia stares back at the building, a flurry of emotions swirling in her sea-green eyes—pain, sorrow, and determination. And that’s why I love this woman. Despite everything that’s happened, her strength never ceases to amaze me.
“Princess?” Maximus says, walking over to her.
“Yeah, let’s get rid of this piece of shit,” she says, forcing a smile onto her lips.
Max nods and takes a few steps towards the building.
“We should move back.” Adrian chuckles nervously, pulling Olivia away a few feet with him, and the rest of us do the same, not wanting to get swept up with the debris as Maximus raises his arms. The ground shakes beneath us, and I brace myself on the edge of the arena leading to the seats while grabbing onto Olivia with the other hand.
Chunks of stone crumble from the walls, sending a plume of dust billowing up as they cascade to the ground. Crashes echo around the arena, and the building collapses, but none of it travels more than a foot away from the edge of what once was its borders. Either Maximus or one of the others must have erected a barrier around it to keep all of us safe from the destruction. Piles of rubble cover the area where the building used to be, and as the earth rumbles and a wide gap rips in the ground, swallowing the disintegrated walls piece by piece, a sense of ease washes over me, chasing away the tension I hadn’t even realized had been seizing my chest.
Olivia’s hand grips mine, and my attention flashes to her. She smiles softly at me, that same relief echoing on her face. I turn back to watch as the final pieces of the council’s building are swallowed up by the earth, and the ground reforms. The wind ruffles through the soft, lush, green blades of grass like they have always been there, like the beauty of this place was never tarnished by that monstrosity to begin with. The wind sweeps past, the air fluttering through my curls, and washing over me like a cleansing shower, clearing away the painful memories that structure held within it.
Maximus strides back to us, his steps in slow motion. The world seems to stop for a moment, as though with the elimination of this symbol, our fate has been restored, and we’re able to start anew.
“This feels like a new beginning,” Olivia says. “A fresh start for us to set things right like they should have always been.”
Olivia’s gaze drifts to her parents, and she gives them a soft smile. She’s right; everything that I thought I knew has been turned upside down in the last few weeks, and with the destruction of this last remnant of the council’s influence on the academy, it feels like a renewal, like that world is finally set back to how it should have been all along.
“Let’s get started then,” I say, capturing all of our friends’ gazes, old and new. “We still have a lot to do.”
Despite how monumental this moment feels, it’s only the beginning, the start of a new life, and the commencement of this final chapter. Death and rebirth—life—hand in hand.
Chapter Six
Olivia
“Therehavebeenmanychanges in the last week, and I know many of you are still coping with the enhanced lesson plan we’ve laid out for you,” Kyros says from his place in the middle of the field. He strides across the makeshift stage that Adrian erected for him, a spell amplifying his voice to be heard throughout the arena.
“He just wanted attention. He’s a natural at this,” Adrian scoffs, shaking his head as he wraps an arm around my shoulder. We’re far enough away that none of the students will hear us, but still. My heart warms as I watch my mate up on the stage, his expression kind and caring as he looks out at the students—the personification of the leader they all need right now.
“He didn’t just want attention, and shh,” I admonish Adrian and straighten in my chair, wanting to watch Kyros. My skin tingles with unease as I look around at the box where the council was sitting during my first trial.
“Sure,” he says, cutting off the next part of Kyros’ speech. I glare at Adrian, and he raises his one free hand in contrition, but the smirk on his lips says otherwise.
“You deserve to know the truth and the real threat that we’re under,” Kyros continues. “As you already knew, there was a chance that Romulus and the dark gods might attack the academy, but that threat has now been confirmed.”
Murmurs echo around the stadium, a mix of excitement and fear spiking through the crowd.
“We don’t want you to be caught off guard, but we also don’t want you to worry,” Kyros says, drawing their attention back to him and drowning out the nervous exclamations. I watch him in awe at how he’s able to calm the masses with only a few words, and how he’s been able to earn their trust and respect in such a short time. He’s sexy and sure as he walks across the stage, exuding the most confidence I’ve ever seen from him.
“I can make a speech too, little mate,” Mateo whispers next to me. His breath brushes the shell of my ear, sending tendrils of desire shooting up my spine. Dammit, I was already getting distracted with how handsome Kyros looks up there in his tan suit, and now I have one mate’s arm wrapped around me while he seductively trails a finger along the exposed skin of my shoulder, as another mate whispers in my ear, his strong biceps pressed against my arm, reminding me of how he was able to hold me against that tree yesterday while he—
“Which is why your professors and I have spent the morning going over everyone’s progress and outlining a specialized plan for the next few days in preparation,” Kyros explains, drawing my attention back to the field.
